Injury has struck the Bellator 185 card later this month. “King” Mo Lawal, who had been scheduled to face former light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary at the event, has been forced off the card due to injury. On Tuesday, the promotion announced that former Ultimate Fighter alumni Bubba McDaniel would step in to replace Lawal.
UPDATE: With King Mo injury @liam_mcgeary meets @BubbaTheMenace McDaniel OCT 20 at #Bellator185! pic.twitter.com/ewUqd22klM
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 4, 2017
McDaniel (28-10), who went 1-2 in the UFC after his stint on The Ultimate Fighter 17, has fought sporadically for Bellator since his UFC exit in 2014. He’s 2-0 in his last two fights, including one under the Bellator banner, and 3-1 in the promotion overall. That number includes a 2009 appearance at Bellator 6 that predated his time in the UFC. However, McDaniel has just one fight since 2015, at Strike League 1 this past April. Historically a middleweight, McDaniel was best known as a training partner of Jon Jones earlier in his career.
McGeary (12-2), meanwhile, will enter Bellator 185 coming off a loss against current title challenger Linton Vassell. He’s 1-2 in his last three, having dropped his title to Phil Davis at Bellator 163 in November last year, and sandwiching a win over against Brett McDermott between that and the Vassell loss. McGeary and King Mo looked like a potential title eliminator, but the change in opponents makes this more of a one-sided affair. That said, a strong finish by McGeary could still earn him a shot at the winner of Vassell and champion Ryan Bader given McGeary’s status as a former title holder.
Bellator 185 takes place October 20 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Gegard Mousasi makes his Bellator MMA debut in the main event, taking on former middleweight champ Alexander Shlemenko.
Appreciate the opportunity yall!! https://t.co/0RsSlJeTLy
— Bubba McDaniel (@BubbaTheMenace) October 4, 2017
