The newest Bellator signing – former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett (35-8) won’t be waiting for too long to get his shot at the heavyweight belt of Bellator. The organization’s President Scott Coker stated that the 41-year-old Barnett will most likely face the winner of the bout between heavyweight champ Ryan Bader (27-5) and Cheick Kongo (30-10-2).
Ryan Bader open to renewing rivalries with Daniel Cormier | https://t.co/dHwXoNwZH7 pic.twitter.com/SjFdvCNc3K
— TheMacLife (@Maclifeofficial) January 28, 2019
“Ryan will stay at heavyweight for his next fight and he will fight the No. 1 contender that is Kongo,” Coker said.
5 things you might not know about Scott Coker https://t.co/HQxgqezN34 via @raymundomark pic.twitter.com/RmB3cwSf5l
— Sherdog by Mandatory (@sherdogdotcom) April 5, 2019
“That fight will probably happen in the fall, or late summertime something like August or September. That fight will happen and then Josh will probably fight the winner of the two.”
Cheick Kongo, 68 sec, premier round, TKO pour sa 7eme victoire d’affilée. A qui le tour ? 😂
Bravo frère @kongo4real 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/hm5Q5FC5QY— Sebastien-Abdelhamid (@SAbdelhamid) October 14, 2018
Bader is the current heavyweight and light heavyweight king of Bellator. He captured the heavyweight belt in January after he won the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix and beating Fedor Emelianenko in the final. Barnett, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since 2016 when he submitted Andrei Arlovski at UFC Fight Night 93.