Lorenz Larkin is at the top of his game 15 years into his MMA career, as he demonstrated at Bellator Champions Series: San Diego on Saturday.
Larkin and Levan Chokheli clashed in a No. 1 welterweight contender fight in front of a raucous crowd in San Diego. The matchup preceded the highly-anticipated lightweight title matchup between Usman Nurmagomedov and Alexandr Shabliy.
Larkin wasted no time in proving he deserves to fight for the Bellator welterweight championship. Just under two minutes into the fight, Larkin swarmed Chokheli with his boxing, dropping his opponent and finishing with ground-and-pound.
Lorenz Larkin Clinches Ramazan Kuramagomedov Title Clash
Watch Larkin’s TKO finish below.
Larkin has now won three of his last four fights and will face Ramazan Kuramagomedov for the Bellator welterweight title. He’s lost one fight since 2017; a split decision loss to Andrey Koreshkov.
Larkin made his Bellator debut in 2017 following stints in the UFC and Strikeforce. He earned wins over the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Neil Magny, and Santiago Ponzinibbio during his UFC tenure.
After an up-and-down start to his Bellator tenure, Larkin has turned a new leaf at this stage of his career. He surged to the top of the division with six-straight wins before a no-contest against Mukhamed Berkhamov at Bellator 283.
Larkin knocked out Berkhamov with an elbow in their immediate rematch. After a controversial loss to Koreshkov last year, he’s bounced back with consecutive TKO wins.
The 38-year-old Larkin is one of the most electric strikers in the Bellator welterweight division and will look to cap off his run with a world title.
