Kimbo Slice and Bellator MMA heading to London for July event

Bellator 158 will see some of the company's biggest stars compete

Kimbo Slice is coming to London (Getty )

Bellator President Scott Coker announced at a press conference in London that the legendary Kimbo Slice (6-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will face James Thompson (20-16 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) in the main event of Bellator 158, which will take place this July 16 at the London O2 arena.

Slice and Thompson first met in 2008 clash in an infamous fight that was held under the EliteXC banner. Thompson looked to have the upper hand using a wrestling-based attack to wear down Slice over the opening two rounds, however, Slice landed a big shot in the third that cut open Thompson’s cauliflower ear and sent blood splattering - it was a gruesome sight. From there, Slice seized the opportunity with a few follow-up shots and got a controversial TKO victory.

Slice is a highly controversial figure in the world of MMA but speaking yesterday, Bellator MMA president Scott Coker had his own point of view on his future main eventer.

"Kimbo Slice is a character of his own,” he said. “He resonates with fans unlike any other fighter I’ve seen. Who’s the most watched fighter in MMA history? You know what? It’s not Ronda Rousey, it’s not even Conor McGregor – it’s Kimbo Slice. It might be hard for some fans to swallow, but at the end of the day, 7.2 million viewers on CBS live against James Thompson. We’re bringing that fight back here and I think it’s the fight that fans want to see.”

In the card’s co-main event, Koscheck will make his promotional debut a little over a year after signing with Bellator MMA. The Fresno native has been frustrated to have been out of action for so long, especially after being forced to withdraw from a headlining spot in his hometown against Matt Secor at “Bellator 148,” a card that “Semtex” went on to main event. It was there that the seeds for a rematch were cemented even further, as Daley trashed “Kos” in front of his partisan fans, pushing the 38-year-old to return.

Koscheck has stated that the fight at Bellator 158 may well be the last of his career, and he believes it would be a good way to end things for him.

“I owe this fight, not only to Paul, but to the fans,” he began. “I think it’s been a long time coming. We had a good first fight, it was a little more one-sided for me - I won that fight pretty easy. I’m gonna give him a chance, at least give him one chance to step back into the cage with me and we’ll see if he can pull it off.”

While Daley may have the results as of late to upstage his foe, Koscheck owns a victory over the Brit in their first meeting, which Daley followed with an infamous punch after the bell that changed the trajectory of his career. Now, with nine wins in his last ten fights, Daley returns home to put an end to a moment in his profession that has cast a shadow over most of his success, while Koscheck looks to prove that their first meeting was no fluke.

British fighters Michael 'Venom' Page and Linton Vassell were also announced for the event though their opponents are yet to be revealed.

'Bellator 158: London' Fight Card

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (6-2) vs. James Thompson (2016)

Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Paul Daley (38-13-2)

Michael Page (9-0) vs. TBA

Linton Vassell (16-5) vs. TBA