Report | Mirko Cro Cop out of Bellator 200 headlining bout with Roy Nelson

Bellator 200, which is now just days away, has reportedly lost its originally planned main event. According to Gareth A Davis of The Telegraph,  Mirko Cro Cop has been forced out his headlining showdown with Roy Nelson with a leg injury.

Per The Telegraph’s report, a replacement opponent is being sought for Nelson. Given that Bellator has just days to find a suitable understudy, however, it’s hard to say how this will shake out.

The good news is that Bellator 200 remains an absolutely stacked card, even in spite of Cro Cop’s removal from the bill.

The card, which goes down Friday night in London, England, and will air on tape delay in North America, will also feature a middleweight title fight between champion Rafael Carvalho, and challenger Gegard Mousasi, a veteran of the UFC, Dream, and Strikeforce, where he once wore light heavyweight gold. This bout, which was originally scheduled to serve as the co-main event, is now expected to fill the headlining spot.

The card will also feature the anticipated return of British striking whiz Michael “Venom” Page, who battles David Rickels on the card, as well as a compelling scrap between former Bellator light heavyweight champion Phil Davis and former light heavyweight title challenger Linton Vassell.

Other features of the card include the Bellator debut of British reality television star Aaron Chalmers, who takes on Ash Ash Griffiths, and the Bellator return of Russian flyweight prospect Anastasia Yankova, who takes on Kate Jackson.

Had Cro Cop competed on the card, it would have marked his Bellator debut. His bout with Nelson was expected to produce an alternate for Bellator’s exciting Heavyweight Grand Prix, which is now down to Ryan Bader, Fedor Emelianenko, Matt Mitrione and Chael Sonnen.

Who would you like to see Roy Nelson fight now that Mirko Cro Cop is out of the Bellator 200 main event? Join the conversation in the comments section.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/21/2018.