Bellator is bringing out its big guns for September 5th’s unofficial battle for Connecticut. In an effort to keep pace with UFC Fight Night 50, Bellator officials announced on Wednesday that Bellator 123 will be highlighted by the returns of both Cheick Kongo and Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, as well as the promotional debut of Bobby Lashley.
As previously announced, the event is headlined by a featherweight championship rematch between Pat Curran and Patricio Freire.
“I’ve been wanting this rematch with Curran for a long time, and it’s finally here,” Freire said in a statement. “I won that first fight, and I should be Bellator Featherweight Champion right now. This time, I’m not going to let it go to the judges. Curran has started to get cocky and he’s disrespecting me. He has no idea what I’ve been through to get to the title.”
Following his controversial decision loss to Rampage Jackson at Bellator 120, Lawal (12-4, 1 NC) now returns to take on Tom DeBlass (9-2), a New Jersey native who scored back-to-back KO/TKO stoppages inside the Bellator cage in 2013, while Kongo (21-9-2) looks to put his 3-1 promotional record on the line against fellow bigman Lavar Johnson (18-9).
Rounding out the televised Spike TV main card is Bobby Lashley (10-2), a late comer to mixed martial arts who also serves as the the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Lashley is scheduled to meet the heavy-hitting Josh Burns (8-7) in his Bellator debut.
Bellator 123 is expected to take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CN, just 10 miles away from where Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Gegard Mousasi will be rematching at UFC Fight Night 50 on the very same night.