Bellator MMA is headed back to Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 14, 2019, and will bring with it the previously-announced showdown between Chael Sonnen and Lyoto Machida, according to a report from ESPN.
Sonnen (30-16-1) joined Scott Coker and Co. after parting ways with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) back in 2014. His record inside the Bellator cage stands at 2-2, with victories over Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson sandwiched between losses to Tito Ortiz and Fedor Emelianenko.
As for Machida (25-8), he left UFC on a high note, scoring consecutive wins over Eryk Anders and Vitor Belfort, the latter of which ended by knockout. “The Dragon” made his Bellator debut last February, taking a split-decision win over the rough-and-tumble Rafael Carvalho.
No other bouts have been announced for the promotion’s return to “The Empire State” as of this writing, but you can expect that to change sooner, rather than later.