Former England international rugby star James Haskell will make his Bellator MMA professional debut at London's SSE Arena on Saturday, May 16.

Making his highly anticipated debut on the card is recent Bellator signing, Haskell, whose opponent will be confirmed at a later date.

Having used MMA to aid his rugby training, Haskell has been preparing for his professional debut at London Shootfighters, where he has trained for many years, alongside the likes of British MMA star Michael "Venom" Page.

🚨 WE ARE COMING BACK TO LONDON! 🚨@StrabanimalMMA and @CalPacinoMMA will finally square off on Saturday, May 16th at The @SSEArena.



PLUS @JamesHaskell makes his highly-anticipated professional MMA debut.



Tickets on sale next Friday, Feb. 28th. #BellatorLondon 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/mEx9IYveFO — Bellator Europe (@Bellator_Europe) February 20, 2020

Featuring in the main event is a rebooked bantamweight bout between Irish MMA hero James "The Strabanimal" Gallagher (10-1) and Sunderland's Cal "Pacino" Ellenor (8-2), who were due to headline this weekend's card in Dublin.

2:01 War of words: James Gallagher and Cal Ellenor will face each other in a rebooked bantamweight bout

Last year saw Bellator stage two fight nights in the English capital, with a Bellator middleweight championship bout headlining the first in June, before local star Michael Page topped the card in November. With a third event in less than 12 months confirmed, the scene is set for another explosive European Series card.