Bellator 254: “Macfarlane vs. Velasquez” took place Dec. 10, 2020, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. One of the featured bouts that night was the Bellator MMA debut of long-time veteran Ronny Markes (19-6), coming off a three-fight stint in Professional Fighters League (PFL) and looking to prove himself to a whole new audience.
Markes had twice been scheduled to face “The Warmaster” Josh Barnett in 2019 and 2020, but both times the fight fell through. Once everyone involved accepted the impossibility of putting that match together, “The Swarm” Linton Vassell (19-8, 1 NC) took his place for a featured Heavyweight bout. Having just finished MMA legend Sergei Kharitonov in his last bout at 265 pounds, Vassell was clearly not concerned about this new challenge.