Andrey Koreshkov needs a new opponent for Bellator 219.
Lorenz Larkin is out of his bout against Koreshkov due to an undisclosed injury, MMA Fighting reported Thursday afternoon. Larkin vs. Koreshkov was scheduled to headline the event, which takes place March 29 in Temecula, California.
According to the report, Bellator is looking for a new opponent for Koreshkov rather than taking him off the card.
Larkin, a former UFC fighter, has won two in a row with decisions over Ion Pascu and Fernando Gonzalez. He made the jump over to Bellator in 2017 after a four-year stint with the promotion, but fell to former welterweight chapion Douglas Lima in his debut. Daley fell to Paul Daley by knockout in his second Bellator outing, making his current record in the Viacom-backed promotion 2-2.
Koreshkov, a former Bellator welterweight champion, is coming off a loss to Lima in the opening round of the 170-pound grand prix last September. The defeat snapped a two-fight winning streak, which included a knockout of Chidi Njokuani. Koreshkov was the Bellator champ from July 2015 to November 2016, and defended the title once against Benson Henderson.
Update: Bellator 219’s new main event is Saad Awad vs. Brandon Girtz.