An official told MMA Fighting that the two heavyweights have been booked to fight at Bellator 232 on Oct. 26 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., after previously being scheduled for Bellator 225 on Aug. 24. Ayala was pulled from that bout on fight day for an undisclosed reason and replaced by Timothy Johnson, who Minakov defeated by first-round KO.
Minakov is 1-1 since returning to Bellator this past February. He suffered the first loss of his career to Cheick Kongo before rebounding with the win over Johnson. A former Bellator heavyweight champion, Minakov’s pro record stands at 22-1.