Bellator 225 just got a last-minute shakeup.
The promotion has announced that Javy Ayala is out of tonight’s heavyweight co-headliner with Vitaly Minakov. In Ayala’s place, Tim Johnson will step in to fight the former Bellator heavyweight champion.
“(Ayala) was removed from the bout on the advice of the Connecticut Boxing Commission,” a Bellator official told MMA Junkie. No specifics were given.
The promotion’s decision to elevate Johnson also impacts the preliminary card, where he originally was slated to fight one-time UFC veteran Azunna Anyanwu, who is now off the card completely.
Anyanwu took to Twitter to react to the news and seemed to be in good spirits.
Crazy chains of events. I won’t be Competing tonight. My opponent was moved to the Co-main event. I’ll be fighting soon for @BellatorMMA
this fall…. We already got a Jump start. 💯… Thanks to @BellatorMMA
for the opportunity. Thanks to my Coaches,Sponsors & Supporters. 🙏🏾
Johnson (12-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), who spent nearly three years and seven fights in the UFC, is coming off a knockout loss to Cheick Kongo in his Bellator debut last October. Minakov (21-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) also is coming off a loss to Kongo via unanimous decision in February at Bellator 216. It was the first setback of Minakov’s career.
Ayala (11-7 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) was looking to build off the momentum of his submission win over Frank Mir last December.
