Bellator 183 will feature one of the most exciting welterweight matchups in the promotion when Paul Daley meets Lorenz Larkin.
Gareth A. Davies of The Telegraph first reported the Bellator 183 bout.
The San Jose event already features two former UFC stars in Roy Nelson and Benson Henderson, and Paul Daley vs. Lorenz Larkin adds two more. While both fighters are coming off of losses, the striking capabilities of Larkin and Daley make this a very captivating matchup.
Lorenz Larkin won four of five fights in the loaded UFC welterweight division (the one loss being a controversial split decision against Albert Tumenov) before his contract expired. Larkin and the promotion could not come to an agreement, and the former Strikeforce standout reunited with his old boss Scott Coker.
Larkin joined the welterweight ranks that already included Rory MacDonald, Douglas Lima, Andrey Koreshkov, and his future opponent Paul Daley. At Bellator NYC, Larkin received an immediate title shot against Douglas Lima but was defeated in an underwhelming performance. He looks to bounce back in September.
With a combined 43 knockouts in professional MMA and kickboxing competition, Paul Daley is one of the most feared strikers at 170-pounds. The Brit has been able to showcase that in Bellator (one of 24 promotions he’s competed for), with four of his five wins under the Bellator banner coming via knockout. This includes a brutal flying knee against Brennan Ward that set Daley up with a match against Rory MacDonald. Daley was dominated by the Canadian and will now face Lorenz Larkin.
While Paul Daley has 21 more MMA bouts than Lorenz Larkin in his career, both men have competed in Bellator, Strikeforce, and the UFC.
Bellator 183 goes down on September 23 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. The event is headlined by former UFC champion Benson Henderson taking on Patricky Pitbull, and Roy Nelson’s Bellator debut against Javy Ayala.
