Bellator 225 co-headliner set with ex-heavyweight champ Vitaly Minakov vs. Javy Ayala
Bellator is stacking the deck with heavyweights for its Aug. 24 visit to Bridgeport, Conn., with the Bellator 225 main event of Bellator 225 between Matt Mitrione and Sergei Kharitonov now joined by another clash of big men in the co-headlining slot.
Bellator officials informed MMA Junkie on Tuesday that former heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov will return to action against American Javy Ayala.
Russian Minakov (21-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) arrived in Bellator for his first stint in late 2012 and won the promotion’s heavyweight tournament. That earned him a title shot against fellow countryman Alexander Volkov, whom he finished inside a round to capture the heavyweight title in November 2013 at Bellator 108.
Minakov was later stripped of the title because of inactivity, and he moved on to compete for the Fight Nights Global promotion in Russia, where he continued his undefeated record with seven more wins before heading back to Bellator earlier this year.
However, Minakov’s return saw him lose to Cheick Kongo in a de-facto title eliminator at Bellator 216 in February, and now the 34-year-old is looking to push himself back into the title conversation with an impressive victory over Ayala (11-7 MMA, 6-4 BMMA), who snapped a two-fight losing streak with a second-round finish of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir at Bellator 212 last December.
Javy Ayala (Pic: Bellator)
The Minakov-Ayala bout takes the confirmed number of heavyweight matchups on the Bellator 225 main card to four. There’s a third U.S. vs. Russia clash, with Timothy Johnson and Valentin Moldavsky also confirmed. And the fourth heavyweight clash on the main card will see undefeated American prospects Tyrell Fortune and Rudy Schaffroth go head to head.
The event will also feature the Bellator debut of former WSOF title challenger Nick Newell, who takes on Corey Browning, whose recent performances have seen him claim momentum-stealing victories against high-profile prospects Kevin Ferguson Jr. and Aaron Chalmers.
The latest Bellator 225 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD
- Matt Mitrione vs. Sergei Kharitonov
- Vitaly Minakov vs. Javy Ayala
- Timothy Johnson vs. Valentin Moldavsky
- Tyrell Fortune vs. Rudy Schaffroth
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Corey Browning vs. Nick Newell
- Rodolfo Neves Rocha vs. Kastriot Xhema
- Alejandra Lara vs. Taylor Turner