Bellator unveils light heavyweight tournament, Johnson-Romero bout

Bellator is launching a Light Heavyweight Grand Prix in April, the promotion announced Tuesday.

The quarterfinals will kick off April 9 at Bellator 256 and continue April 16 at Bellator 257, with two bouts on each card.

In the first slate of fights, Ryan Bader will face Lyoto Machida in the main event, and Corey Anderson will meet Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.

In the second round of fights, reigning light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov will square off against Phil Davis in the main event, and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson will clash with Yoel Romero.

Bader, the current heavyweight champion and former 205-pound titleholder, is coming off a devastating loss to Nemkov last August. That snapped his eight-fight unbeaten streak, and it was his first defeat since facing Johnson in the UFC in 2016.

Machida, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, has lost two straight fights. The 42-year-old holds a knockout win over Bader in 2012.

Anderson signed with Bellator in 2020 after a six-year stint with the UFC, when he rose to become a top contender. He dominated Melvin Manhoef en route to a second-round TKO during his promotional debut last November. Anderson is 5-1 over his past six outings.

Yagshimuradov is a newcomer to Bellator. The Turkmenistan native is riding an eight-fight winning streak and hasn't stepped into the cage since December 2019.

Nemkov, meanwhile, is on a seven-bout winning streak, including his recent victory over Bader.

Davis, a former light heavyweight champion, lost to Nemkov in 2018. He's now worked his way back up for another title shot with three consecutive wins (Nemkov's title will be on the line throughout the tournament), including a recent decision over Machida.

Johnson signed with Bellator in December after a lengthy UFC tenure. He hasn't competed in MMA since 2017, when the 36-year-old lost to Daniel Cormier in a light heavyweight title bout and then announced his retirement.

Romero is another major recent Bellator signing. The former UFC title challenger will be competing at 205 pounds for the first time since 2011. He's coming off a loss to UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya last March.

The tournament semifinals are being planned for July, while the final is expected to take place in October.