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Koreshkov Bellator 182
Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 153 Weigh-ins - Credit: Bellator MMA

With one of the promotion’s biggest shows, Bellator 180, set to take place next month at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Bellator have announced they will waste no time in quickly returning to the Empire State for Bellator 182 in August.

Bellator 182 is set to take place on Friday, August 25 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York and the main event is set to feature former welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov taking on Chidi Njokuani. The event will mark the second time Bellator will have visited the state since the lifting of the ban on MMA in New York last year.

Koreshkov returns after losing his welterweight Title to Douglas Lima at Bellator 164 last November and will look to return to the title picture and contention with a win over Njokuani. The 26-year-old Russian was previously on a six-fight win streak which included winning the belt from Lima at Bellator 140 and a successful title defence against former UFC star Benson Henderson.

Njokuani, meanwhile, is on a nine-fight unbeaten streak and most recently defeated experienced veteran Melvin Guillard by unanimous decision at Bellator 171 in January.

Also announced for the event is another big welterweight clash as Brennan Ward returns from the horrific facial injury he received from the knee of Paul Daley to face fellow welterweight contender Fernando Gonzalez. “The Menifee Maniac” is 6-1 during his Bellator tenure with his only loss coming to British star Michael “Venom” Page. Undefeated featherweight prospect A.J. McKee is also confirmed for the card however his opponent is yet to be announced.