Lorenz Larkin made the decision in March to jump from the Ultimate Fighting Championship to Bellator MMA, joining other fights like Phil Davis, Rory MacDonald, Matt Mitrione and Valerie Letourneau. The 30-year-old Riverside, California, native will challenge Douglas Lima for the welterweight championship in his promotional debut at Bellator 180 this Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Larkin competed in multiple weight classes before settling in at 170 pounds. A failed encounter with Muhammed Lawal in 2012 prompted a move from light heavyweight to middleweight, and losses to Francis Carmont, Brad Tavares, Costas Philippou and Derek Brunson resulted in his decision to downshift to welterweight.