Bellator MMA’s return to France, Bellator 280, has added a familiar star to its line-up.
During a press conference in Paris promoting the event on May 6, 2022, promotion officials announced that Lorenz Larkin vs. Anthony Adams had been added to the Bellator 280 line-up. Additionally, two more fights were revealed: Youcef Ouabbas vs. Mathieu Ducios, and Victor Verchere vs. Bourama Camara, both of which are expected to appear on the event’s preliminary card.
Larkin (23-7, 1NC) was a key free agent signing for the promotion in 2017, as he’d left the UFC off a pair of wins against top welterweight stars Neil Magny and Jorge Masvidal. However, he stumbled out of the gate, losing back-to-back fights against Douglas Lima (for the Bellator MMA welterweight title) and Paul Daley.
Since then, however, Larkin has compiled a five-fight win streak, most recently competing at middleweight and picking up a win over ex-champ Rafael Carvalho. The fight against Adams will once again come at middleweight.
Larkin was initially scheduled to face Khalid Murtazaliev on the card, however the Russian fighter has pulled out of the event for undisclosed reasons.
Adams (9-2) will enter the fight off a win over Murtazaliev last September. Prior to that, he had appeared twice on Dana White’s Contender Series, losing to both Chibwikem Onyenegecha and Impa Kasanganay.
Bellator 280 takes place at AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France on May 6, 2022, and is topped by a heavyweight title fight. That bout sees champ Ryan Bader run it back with French veteran Cheick Kongo.
The following match-ups have been reported for the card to date:
- Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo – for the Bellator MMA heavyweight championship
- Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoel Romero
- Lorenz Larkin vs. Anthony Adams
- Soren Bak vs. Saul Rogers
- Gavin Hughes vs. Yves Landu
- Piotr Niedzielski vs. Pedro Carvalho
- Gregory Babene vs. Mike Shipman
- Thibault Gouti vs. Lewis Long
- Fabacary Diatta def. Jordan Barton
- Nicolo Solli vs. Joel Kouadja
- Lucie Bertaud vs. Katarzyna Sadura
- Davion Franklin vs. Daniel James
- Davy Gallon vs. Benjamin Brander
- Bourama Camara vs. Victor Verchere
- Mathieu Letho Duclos vs. Youcef Ouabbas
