Phil Davis replaces 'King Mo' Lawal, will defend title vs. Ryan Bader at Bellator 180

A fourth championship fight will unfold when Bellator makes its debut in New York City on June 24 as Phil Davis will defend his light heavyweight championship against Ryan Bader.

Bader (22-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was originally scheduled to fight Muhammed Lawal, but with “King Mo” forced out of the contest for unspecified reasons, champion Davis (17-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) steps in to headline the Spike-televised portion of the card, which takes place prior to the “Bellator: NYC” pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden.

Davis announced the news today on “The MMA Hour.” MMAjunkie subsequently confirmed the switch with a Bellator official.

More to come.

For more on Bellator 180, visit the MMA Rumors section of the site.