Erick Silva is getting thrown right into the fire.
Just days after it was reported that the former UFC fighter had signed with Bellator, Silva has been matched up with fellow UFC import Lorenz Larkin. Silva is stepping in for an injured Yaroslav Amosov to fight Larkin in what will be a Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix alternate bout atBellator 207 on Oct. 12 at the Mohegun Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
MMA Fighting confirmed the news with officials following an initial report by ESPN.
Silva (20-9-1) parted ways with the UFC last year and picked up a first-round submission win overNick Barnes at a Legacy Fighting Alliance event in July before making the move to Bellator. The 34-year-old went 7-8 inside the Octagon and developed a reputation as an all-or-nothing fighter, with just three of those bouts ending in a decision.
Larkin, 32, lost his first two fights with Bellator before bouncing back with a unanimous decision win over Fernando Gonzalez in January. “The Monsoon” owns a 19-7 (1 NC) record, with notable wins over Neil Magny, Jorge Masvidal, Santiago Ponzinibbio, and Robbie Lawler (at 185 pounds).
The winner of the Oct. 12 bout will become eligible to join the eight-man Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix field should one of the scheduled competitors be forced to withdraw for any reason.
