Late last week, ESPN broke the news that Bellator MMA added some much-needed firepower to its bantamweight division, as former UFC bantamweight Michael McDonald signed a multi-fight deal with the California-based promotion.

McDonald (17-4) is only 26 years old and has already fought the likes of former UFC champion Renan Barao, Urijah Faber, and former WEC champion Miguel Torres. While McDonald is 2-2 in his past four fights, the California native enters one of Bellator's weakest divisions and has a tremendous opportunity to flourish in the 135-pound weight class. Here are five potential opponents for McDonald.

Joe Warren (14-6) -- Former Bellator featherweight/bantamweight champion

This matchup makes a lot of sense. Warren turns 41 at the end of October, but he's still the most popular name in the division. The Colorado native is coming off a majority-decision loss to current champion Eduardo Dantas at Bellator 166 this past December and is currently 2-3 in his last five fights.

Many will argue McDonald should get the winner of the upcoming Dantas versus Leandro Higo championship fight at Bellator 177, but as mentioned above, his current skid may silence those supporters. Not only would this be a classic veteran-versus-prospect matchup, but with Warren having another failed bid at the 135-pound title, this is also the type of matchmaking Bellator should be pursuing for "The Baddest Man on the Planet." It's a winnable fight for McDonald but also one that would be competitive between both combatants.   

LC Davis (23-8)

Davis is another good option for McDonald, because he has enough experience to push the 26-year-old scapper in his promotional debut.

The WEC veteran is coming off back-to-back losses to Warren and Marcos Galvao but prior to that was on three-fight winning streak. At 33 years old, Davis desperately needs a victory to stay relevant in the bantamweight division. A win over McDonald would not only rejuvenate his career, but it also would put him back on track toward a title shot. For McDonald, Davis is exactly the type of fighter that will give us an indication of where he fits in the bantamweight picture.  

Another free agent (Cody Gibson, Johnny Bedford, Chico Camus)

Bellator currently has nine bantamweights listed on its roster (including McDonald), so it's not exactly rocket science in picking his next opponent. Thinking outside the box, Bellator may be smart to look for McDonald's next opponent outside the roster. How about former UFC bantamweight Cody Gibson? The 29-year-old fighter has gone a perfect 3-0 since leaving the UFC in 2015 and is based in California.

Sticking with former UFC bantamweights, there is "Brutal" Johnny Bedford. The 34-year-old "​The Ultimate Fighter 14" cast member has gone 3-0 since his UFC release in 2014, with all of those victories coming by way of stoppage. Roufsport product and former UFC bantamweight Chico Camus has also gone 3-0 since leaving the UFC in 2015. All three of these fighters would provide competitive matchups while also carrying some name value.

Darrion Caldwell (10-1)

Caldwell was slated to fight bantamweight champion Dantas at Bellator 177 but had to pull out due to injury and was replaced by Higo, the former LFA bantamweight champion. In all likelihood, Caldwell will fight the winner of that championship showdown.

However, if Bellator decides not to give the former NCAA Division I wrestler the winner of that matchup, McDonald poses an interesting option. We don't know how long this injury will sideline Caldwell or when McDonald wants to make his promotional debut. If the timing works out, this could be one of the best 135-pound matchups on paper this year. The problem is, you kill a contender in the division, but at the same time you get a clear No. 1 contender for the title.

Winner of Eduardo Dantas vs. Leandro Higo -- Bellator 177

With McDonald being a former UFC interim title challenger, it's possible Bellator decides to rush the Last Stand Fight Team product into a championship bout right away. With his 17-4 record, he's certainly earned it, but does the promotion want to see another loss from a UFC free agent in their promotional debut--like we saw with former UFC champion Benson Henderson?

There are two reasons why this matchup may not potentially happen. The first--as mentioned above--Caldwell is likely fighting the winner of Dantas versus Higo next. The other is McDonald's lack of activity in the cage. He's only fought twice since 2014, and it may be too much, too soon for him. If Bellator wants to get a good return on their free-agent acquisitions, matchmaking becomes key. As we saw with former UFC title challenger Josh Thomson fighting Mike Bronzoulis in his Bellator debut, the promotion isn't afraid to build their prized acquisitions. With how shallow Bellator's bantamweight division currently is, it may be smarter to build up McDonald in his new home.

Who would you like to see Michael McDonald fight in his Bellator debut? Hit us up on Twitter @FloCombat and let us know what you think.