This is the Bellator 256 live blog for Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida 2, the light heavyweight headliner for Friday’s fight card at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The Bader-Machida rematch serves as the opening quarterfinal bout of the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. All tournament bouts will be contested over five rounds.
Bader seeks to avenge a December 2012 loss to Machida when both were contenders in the UFC. Machida defeated Bader by second-round KO in their first meeting.
This will be Bader’s first fight since losing the Bellator light heavyweight title to Vadim Nemkov in August.