Bellator is bringing mixed martial arts to Penn State in November with a world title fight and a pair of bouts featuring former Nittany Lion national wrestling champs.

Bellator officials told PennLive on Wednesday that Bellator 186 will take place Friday, Nov. 3 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 1 and can be purchased at the Bryce Jordan Center or online at Ticketmaster.

The event will air on SPIKE TV.

The Bryce Jordan Center can seat upward of 16,000 people, depending on its configuration.

The main event is scheduled to feature light heavyweight champ Ryan Bader (23-5), defending his title against Linton Vassell (18-5). Bader won the title after beating Harrisburg's Phil Davis in June at Madison Square Garden.

Davis, a 2008 national champ, and Ed Ruth, a 2012, '13, '14 national champ from Harrisburg, are also scheduled to fight but have yet to be assigned opponents.

"We only do eight of these shows per year, so our production is going to be big," Bellator President Scott Coker told PennLive. "The lighting is going to be big, the sound is going to be big, and we are going to have a great mixed martial arts event.

Davis said he's eager to return to action, and excited to be able to fight in State College.

"I think I only competed in the Bryce Jordan Center once," he said. "I thought it was a special experience when it happened.

"When I graduated, I thought that would be the last time I competed on that campus. I just have so many memories there. Coming home is going to be a special time."

Ruth has established himself as one of the top young middleweight fighters in the world.

He is off to a 3-0 start as a professional with all three fights ending via TKO. Only one of those fights made it out the first round, and none made it past the second.

"I'm really stoked for this," Ruth said.

"I expect to see a great turnout. I was one of the guys, once the Penn State program started taking off, I was there from ground zero. There are a lot of alumni that I believe are still there who will come out."

Coker said having Davis and Ruth on the roster helped prompt Penn State officials to reach out about bringing an event to Bryce Jordan.

"We travel all over the world and book all these venues, and they knew we signed Phil Davis and Ed Ruth," Coker said. "So, they just said, 'We have this amazing venue, and you have these guys.'"

"When I look back at the history of MMA, I don't think it has ever been done before," Coker said of having the two national champions return home to compete. "It's a unique opportunity. I'm excited that the university reached out to us."

Bader, a UFC veteran, is riding a three-fight win streak, and has won nine of his last 10.

He faces a tough test in Vassell, who is on a three-fight win streak that includes victories over former Bellator champions Liam McGeary and Emanuel Newton. He has won 13 of his past 15.

"That's a fight we have been building up for a while," Coker said. "Linton Vassell had a big win over Liam McGeary, and Phil (Davis) just got beat by Ryan Bader.

"Ryan is going to defend his belt against Linton, and, who knows, maybe Phil gets himself a couple wins and gets another shot there."

Davis said he's hoping to take a step in that direction by winning in "impressive fashion."

And, he said, fans should be prepared for an entertaining show.

"The excitement inside the cage speaks for itself," he said. "The fighting is always going to be live and exciting, but if you've never been to a Bellator show, the theatrics, the entrance ... it's all on another level.

"It's just so overwhelming. It's a great show, and the fights are dynamite."