5 Opponents for Bobby Lashley if he returned to Bellator

[Photo credit: Instagram (Left) @bobbylashley (Right) @realjakehager]

Bobby Lashley is one of the most recent examples of pro wrestlers that found success in MMA. Lashley sparked fantasy matchmaking a few months ago when he said he still had a desire to compete in MMA. The current WWE superstar made his MMA debut in December 2008, making quick work of his opponent Joshua Franklin. It took Lashley only 41-seconds to defeat Franklin by TKO.

After his final bout in 2016, Lashley had a 15-2 MMA record and was on an 8-fight win streak. The win streak was impressive as it included five straight wins in Bellator MMA. Lashley had evolved as a fighter, and it was clear that his wrestling would be a problem for Bellator’s heavyweights.

Lashley left at an interesting time as he was ready for a step-up in competition. Since Lashley’s popularity is now at an all-time high, Bellator should do everything possible to get him back for a one-off. Since Bobby Lashley is still under contract with Bellator MMA, that’s where a potential fight would take place if he returns.

Given Bobby Lashey's WWE status, it's also likely any potential bout would need WWE's stamp of approval. Here is a list of five opponents for Bobby Lashley if he returns to Bellator MMA.

#5. Bobby Lashley vs. Sergei Kharitonov

Photo credit: Lucas Noonan / Bellator MMA

Kicking off this list of possible opponents for Bobby Lashley in Bellator is MMA veteran Sergei Kharitonov. The 41-year-old Russian is a high-level striker that would surely be a tough test for Lashley. Kharitonov has competed around the world over his 21-year MMA career in top promotions like PRIDE, Strikeforce, and now Bellator. Kharitonov recently lost to former title challenger Cheick Kongo but he wasn’t really outclassed in the fight.

Sergei Kharitonov is one of the most feared HW fighters in MMA... He really enjoys his job #Bellator207 https://t.co/qCLprnVW8a

Along with MMA, Kharitonov is also an active bareknuckle boxer, former boxer and kickboxer. ‘The Paratrooper’ has defeated former UFC heavyweight champions Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski, and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. During Kharitonov’s Bellator tenure, he has also landed KO/TKO wins over Matt Mitrione and former TUF winner Roy Nelson.

1️⃣9️⃣th career stoppage for Sergei Kharitonov.

The full #Bellator225 Event Rewind is now available to watch on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel ⏪

youtu.be/mGAT-hPcFR0 https://t.co/Vc68Chwmpc

A potential Kharitonov-Lashley bout would be easy to promote as it'd be a typical striker vs. wrestler matchup. With Bobby Lashley making significant improvements through his training at the American Top Team, it would be interesting to see if he’d be able to overpower Kharitonov.