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Tim Johnson replaces Javy Ayala, meets Vitaly Minakov in Bellator 225 co-headliner

Saturday’s Bellator 225 card has undergone a last-minute change.

Tim Johnson has filled in for Javy Ayala and will now meet former Bellator heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov in the co-main event of the card, which takes place in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Bellator officials announced the switch Saturday morning after an initial report from MMA journalist David McGrath.

Ayala was pulled from the card following medical tests conducted by the Connecticut Boxing Commission, which is overseeing the event, a Bellator official told Bloody Elbow.

Johnson, a former UFC heavyweight, was originally scheduled to meet Azunna Anyanwu on the preliminary card.