Bellator 163 takes shape with Liam McGeary vs. Phil Davis title headliner

The lineup is taking shape for November’s Bellator 163 event.

Officials today announced three main-card bouts, including a headliner between light-heavyweight champion Liam McGeary (11-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) and Phil Davis (16-3 MMA, 3-0 BMMA).

Bellator 163 takes place Nov. 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Davis is No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light-heavyweight rankings, and McGeary is No. 11.

McGeary, a 33-year-old Englishman, is undefeated with 10 stoppages in 11 career wins since his 2010 pro debut. He won the Bellator title in 2015 with a decision victory over Emanuel Newton, and he made his first title defense later in the year with a submission victory over Tito Ortiz.

He now fights for the first time in 2016 when he meets Davis, a former UFC contender who’s 3-0 since moving to Bellator in 2015. The 31-year-old, who picked up an NCAA Division I national wrestling title in 2008, won a single-night tournament a year ago with stoppage wins over Emanuel Newton and Francis Carmont, and earlier this year, he won a title-eliminator by topping Muhammed Lawal via decision.

Other announced main-card bouts include welterweights Saad Awad (19-8 MMA, 7-5 BMMA) vs. Brennan Ward (13-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) and featherweights Marloes Coenen (23-7 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) vs. Talita Nogueira (6-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

The latest Bellator 163 card includes:

MAIN CARD (Spike, 9 p.m. ET)

• Champ Liam McGeary vs. Phil Davis – for light-heavyweight title
• Saad Awad vs. Brennan Ward
• Marloes Coenen vs. Talita Nogueira

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 7 p.m. ET)

For more on Bellator 163, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.