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Rampage vs. Sonnen to kick off Bellator heavyweight tourney Jan. 20

Scott Kane / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Bellator's heavyweight grand prix is set.

The promotion unveiled the opening-round matchups for next year's eight-man tourney Wednesday evening following multiple reports. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will meet Chael Sonnen to kick things off Jan. 20 at Bellator 192 in Inglewood, Calif.

In the bracket's remaining matchups, UFC alumni Roy Nelson and Matt Mitrione meet in a rematch Feb. 16 in Uncasville, Conn.; Frank Mir and Fedor Emelianenko clash in April at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.; and Ryan Bader takes on Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal in May at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.

Mir previously announced he'd be facing Emelianenko in his Bellator debut.

A number of fighters - including Linton Vassell, Shane Carwin, and Rory MacDonald - have campaigned for a spot as alternates in a grand prix that will crown Bellator's first heavyweight champion since May 2016, when Vitaly Minakov was stripped of the title due to inactivity. President Scott Coker has since told ESPN's Brett Okamoto the outfit is entertaining Bobby Lashley, Javy Ayala, Sergei Kharitonov, Cheick Kongo, Justin Wren, and Carwin as potential fill-ins.

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