SAITAMA, Japan – Bellator president Scott Coker says Lorenz Larkin is in pole position to be the first man to challenge Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima in 2020. The departure of Rory MacDonald from Bellator to the PFL squashed any thoughts of a championship rematch between the Brazilian and the Canadian, and opened up a path to the gold for the next top contender at 170 pounds. Coker says that man is Larkin (22-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), who he puts just ahead of the likes of Michael Page in the welterweight pecking order to face three-time Bellator champ Lima in the New Year. Larkin missed weight for his bout with Keita Nakamura before going the distance with the seasoned Japanese grappler at Bellator 237.
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