Former UFC contender Michael McDonald set for Bellator debut this December

Former UFC bantamweight title contender Michael McDonald will finally make his Bellator MMA debut later this year at Bellator 190 on Dec. 15 from inside Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England, per a recent report by MMA Fighting. An opponent is TBD.

McDonald, 26, inked a deal with Bellator back in March after being granted release from UFC. During his time with UFC, “Mayday” compiled an impressive divisional record of 6-3, losing to notable veterans such as Urijah Faber and Renan Barao. McDonald’s most recent Octagon appearance came in the form of a knockout loss to John Lineker back in July of last year.

While McDonald is still extremely young with a proven background among the best bantamweights in the world, the California native has been unable to stay healthy long enough to cash in on his full potential. In fact, McDonald has fought just twice since 2013 and hasn’t captured back-to-back wins since 2011-2012.

McDonald’s inactivity eventually left him unable to afford to accept a fight with UFC, which then led to his departure from the promotion.

If McDonald can stay healthy as a member of the Bellator stable he should be able to quickly climb the bantamweight rankings and showcase the skill set that allowed him to stick out in UFC.