Bellator 180: Sonnen vs. Silva and Bellator 180 took place on June 24, 2017, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event aired both Spike TV and on PPV. A grudge match between rivals Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva served as the main event. The co-main event was a heavyweight bout between Fedor Emelianenko vs. Matt Mitrione. The pairing were supposed to meet at Bellator 172 but Mitrione had to be hospitalized due to kidney stones.

Bellator 171: Guillard vs. Njokuani was held on January 27, 2017 at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas. The event aired live in prime time on Spike TV. The event was headlined by catchweight at 179 pounds bout between UFC veteran Melvin Guillard and Chidi Njokuani. The co-main event featured a lightweight bout between local favorite David Rickels and Aaron Derrow. Additionally, prospects and former collegiate heavyweight wrestling stars Jarod Trice and Tyrell Fortune were featured on the undercard. Trice, a three-time All-American wrestler at Central Michigan University, faced Kevin Woltkamp. Fortune, a former NCAA Division 2 champion, faced Will Johnson.