Sonnen, Bellator heading to MSG

The Bad Guy is invading Madison Square Garden and bringing the rest of Bellator’s big names with him.

The mixed marital arts promotion confirmed former UFC title contender Chael Sonnen, the self-proclaimed “Bad Guy” of MMA, will face Wanderlei Silva in a muchanticipated fight to headline Bellator 180 at the Garden on June 24.

“New York is a big deal for a lot of people,” Sonnen told the Associated Press. “I’m a big deal for New York.”

The co-main event, as first reported by The Post, will feature the Bellator debut of Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko against former Matt Mitrione, according to a promotion spokesman.

Mitrione, a defensive tackle who played nine games with the Giants in 2002, had to pull out hours before the previously scheduled Feb. 18 fight with Emelianenko because of kidney stones.

This is Bellator’s first show at the Garden since MMA became legal in New York last spring. The promotion will hold a press conference at MSG on March 28 with the main and co-main event fighters. Bellator will also have a media day, open workouts and weigh-ins leading up to the pay-per-view card — just the second in Bellator history.

“We always said that when we come to New York, we’ll bring the biggest and the best fight card we’ve ever had in the history of this company,” Bellator CEO Scott Coker told the AP. “We’re putting it together, and our roster is robust enough that we feel like it’s time to get into the payper-view business, so here we go.”

The UFC debuted at MSG in November with Conor McGregor defeating Eddie Alvarez for the light heavyweight title.