"King Mo" has been calling Ortiz out since he signed with Bellator in 2014, but "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" has opted for matchups with UFC vet Stephan Bonnar and former Bellator middleweight champ Alexander Shlemenko.
With both Lawal and Ortiz in the title picture, the matchup was close to reality prior to the four-man light-heavyweight tournament at Bellator: Dynamite 1.
A pair a wins for Lawal would make him the No. 1 contender, while a victory over light-heavyweight champ Liam McGeary would earn Ortiz another strap.
Lawal breezed through his opening round against Linton Vassell, but he was done for the night.