Recent signee Roy Nelson will make his promotional debut at Bellator 183 in September. The card will also feature the return of Benson Henderson. Bellator announced the bout on Saturday night.
Nelson rode out his UFC contract earlier this year, but then quickly inked a deal with Bellator in May. He will make his debut with the company against Javy Ayala (10-5) on Sept. 23 at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
Henderson (24-7) will make his return to the cage against Patricky Freire (17-8).
While Freire enters the fight coming off of a victory over former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson, Henderson will not have fought in nearly a year when the two finally collide.
Henderson fell short in his bid to take the lightweight belt from Michael Chandler in November. He then had to undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL.
