Lyoto Machida Returns Against Gegard Mousasi At Bellator 228

A rematch over five years in the making between Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi will be taking place at Bellator 228 on September 28.

Earlier in the day, it was announced that Bellator double champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire would be defending his featherweight title against Juan Archuleta in the first bout of a 16-man featherweight grand prix. That matchup will serve as Bellator 228’s headliner at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Now serving as the co-main event is the rematch between Machida and Mousasi, per a press release. The two renowned middleweights first met at a UFC Fight Night event back in 2014. “The Dragon” came out on top that night with a unanimous decision victory.

Machida is currently on a four-fight winning streak and is 2-0 at Bellator so far. He most recently knocked out Chael Sonnen last month in a light heavyweight bout, but will be moving back to his old weight class now.

As for Mousasi, he competed last month as well, but lost his middleweight title to Rafael Lovato Jr. via unanimous decision at Bellator 223. He will look to not only get revenge against Machida, but also set up a rematch with Lovato in the process.

These two fights are the only ones announced for Bellator 228 as of now, but more announcements are expected in the coming weeks.

What do you think of Bellator 228’s marquee fights?