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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Tony Mogan

Bellator London postponed with James Haskell's MMA debut shelved due to coronavirus crisis

Bellator London has become the latest sporting event to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The promotion was scheduled to return to the capital on May 16 for a card that was scheduled to host the MMA debut of former England rugby international James Haskell.

Haskell, who retired from rugby last May, joined Bellator's heavyweight division and was set to make his bow against an opponent still to be named.

But due to the ongoing safety concerns that have seen sporting events across the globe cancelled, Bellator officials have postponed their next three events, including their return to London.

The London card was scheduled to be headlined by the bantamweight contest between James Gallagher and Cal Ellenor, a bout that has now been shelved three times over the last nine months.

A stacked card at the SSE Arena, Wembley, was also set to host a hugely anticipated middleweight bout between Fabian Edwards and Costello van Steenis.

In addition to the London show, Bellator 242 and Bellator 243 on May 9 and May 29 respectively have also been postponed.

New dates will be arranged in due course with a Bellator stating: "The organisation will continue to monitor the situation closely and fully intends to reschedule the events as soon as possible."

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