Bellator MMA to return to Madison Square Garden with Lyoto Machida-Chael Sonnen bout
Chael Sonnen at the Bellator 208 press conference on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. Credit: Newsday / Ryan Gerbosi
Bellator MMA will return to Madison Square Garden on June 14, a source confirmed.
Included in that return will be a light heavyweight bout between Lyoto Machida, a former UFC champion, and Chael Sonnen, a former WEC champion. It is not yet known if this will be the main event on the card.
Sonnen, 41, is 2-2 since joining Bellator in 2017. Machida (25-8) will turn 41 shortly before this bout. He won his Bellator debut last December after 11 years in the UFC.
ESPN first reported the event and booking.
Bellator first promoted an event at MSG in the summer of 2017, with Sonnen headlining against Wanderlei Silva in the pay-per-view event. The Viacom-owned Bellator also hosted an event last October at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum, headlined by Sonnen (31-16-1) vs. Fedor Emelianenko.
Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.
