It'll be a battle of tournament winners headlining the next Bellator tentpole show.
Phil Davis will meet Muhammed Lawal in the main event of Bellator 154 on May 14 in San Jose, it was announced Friday during Bellator 149 in Houston. The two men were supposed to face each other in the finals of the Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1 light heavyweight one-night tournament back in September, but "King Mo" sustained a hip injury after winning in the first round.
Davis was lined up to challenge light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary, but McGeary is injured. The bout between Davis and "King Mo" will decide the No. 1 contender in the division.
In the co-main event, former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler and former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson will face off.
Davis (15-3, 1 NC) won the tournament at Dynamite by defeating both Emanuel Newton and reserve Francis Carmont by first-round finish. It was his Bellator debut after spending five years in the UFC, most of them as a top contender in the division. Davis, 31, has only lost to top 205-pounders Ryan Bader and Anthony Johnson in the last five years.
Lawal (19-4, 1 NC) is coming off a victory in the two-night, eight-man tournament at Rizin Fighting Federation on New Year's Eve in Japan. He knocked out Brett McDermott in the first round, beat Teodoras Aukstuolis in the semifinals by unanimous decision and knocked out Jiri Prochazka in the finals. Lawal, 35, has won seven in a row. "King Mo" is a former Strikeforce champion. He beat Linton Vassell by decision in the Dynamite tournament first round.
Thomson (22-8) came over to Bellator last year from the UFC and has picked up two wins. "The Punk" has been one of the top lightweights on the planet for 10 years. Chandler (14-3), one of Bellator's top homegrown stars, has won two straight after dropping a title rematch with current champion Will Brooks.
Bellator 154 in May will take place at SAP Center in San Jose. Bellator MMA president Scott Coker, a San Jose resident, frequently runs shows in the Bay Area city. Dynamite also took place at SAP Center.