16 title fights and intense matchmaking: All the pieces we all know in regards to the new Bellator

As soon as once more, it is again to the beginning line for Bellator MMA. The second-fiddle battle promotion appears to at all times be beginning over, redefining itself or making a comeback. Friday will deliver the most recent incarnation at Bellator Belfast, with the battle card within the Northern Eire capital placing a pair of championship belts on the road.

That’s the matchmaking plan for all Bellator occasions going ahead now that the promotion is owned by its former rival, the PFL. Eight occasions will likely be held worldwide every year, every headlined by two title bouts. That is why they’re calling it the Bellator Champions Collection.

Friday’s foremost occasion will pit title battle veteran Corey Anderson in opposition to hometown upstart Karl Moore for the vacant mild heavyweight championship. Within the co-main, Jeremy Kennedy will problem Bellator’s winningest fighter, featherweight champ Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, who has ridden the corporate seesaw lengthy sufficient to have skilled most of Bellator’s ups and downs.

Freire was not there for the inaugural Bellator occasion in 2009, however a 12 months later, he made his debut as a part of a match, the format on which founder Bjorn Rebney hung his hat. Freire made it to the ultimate of the 2010 featherweight tourney, and whereas he misplaced that one, he went on to win the tournaments held in 2011 and ’13. He’s presently in his third reign as featherweight champion, to go together with one at light-weight. Name him Mr. Bellator.

“Pitbull” received a Bellator belt for the primary time in 2014, a number of months after Scott Coker succeeded Rebney. With the change on the helm, Bellator developed from tournaments to extra typical matchmaking, which later developed — maybe devolved can be extra apropos — into reserving headliner spectacles involving older fighters with not a lot left however identify recognition. Freire plowed via that unhappy/comical time just like the champ that he was, not lacking a beat as Bellator moved on via a back-to-the-future period of grand prix tourneys and, finally, the corporate’s buy by the PFL final fall.

Now we’re on the dawning of the Bellator Champions Collection, which can proceed Could 17 in Paris with an occasion that includes title defenses by light-weight Usman Nurmagomedov and bantamweight Patchy Combine. These and this weekend’s championship fights are the one headline bouts booked at this level, however the remainder of the 2024 slate appears like this: June 22 in Dublin, Sept. 7 in San Diego, Sept. 14 in London, Oct. 12 in Chicago, Nov. 16 again in Paris and Dec. 31 at a web site to be decided.

“We’re extremely excited to formally launch the repositioned Bellator property,” Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL, advised ESPN this week. “We’re excited in regards to the format, which is to have two title fights and one huge contender battle on the highest of every card, with the remainder of the cardboard being drawn from one of the best of the Bellator roster.”

Matchmakers might want to do some intelligent math to place collectively a pair of title bouts for every of the eight battle playing cards this 12 months. Bellator has 9 weight lessons, however the champs in each girls’s divisions are out of play. Flyweight titlist Liz Carmouche will compete within the 2024 PFL season, and featherweight champ Cris Cyborg, the largest star within the expanded firm, is slated for PFL pay-per-views.

“Ladies will really play a task within the Bellator Champion Collection,” Murray stated. “We will signal extra girls and make that an emphasis.”

One different lacking element, as of simply days earlier than battle evening, was the place followers in america can watch Bellator. The corporate lastly introduced a TV deal on Tuesday: Bellator will likely be on Max.

However when it comes to matchmaking, it will be as much as the seven males’s weight lessons to fill the 12 months’s 16 title battle slots. Will it add up?

That calculus will likely be solved on one other day. For now, the main focus is on Friday’s title bouts at mild heavyweight and featherweight, each of which have storylines behind them. This is a have a look at the drama about to unfold.

Will the third time be a allure or a curse for Corey Anderson?

It was April 2022, and Anderson was on the verge of turning into Bellator champion. He was in full management of his problem of Vadim Nemkov when, seconds earlier than the top of Spherical 3, an unintentional conflict of heads left the Russian unable to proceed. The bout was declared a no contest, with Nemkov maintaining his belt.

They met once more seven months later, and this time it was Nemkov’s evening. He dropped Anderson with a spinning head kick in Spherical 1, negated the challenger’s wrestling assaults all through and walked away along with his belt and the $1 million prize for successful the Bellator Gentle Heavyweight World Grand Prix.

So the stakes behind Friday’s battle are one thing Anderson (17-6, 1 NC) has been excited about for a very long time — going again to lengthy earlier than his near-miss in Bellator. Throughout his five-year UFC run, Anderson misplaced a No. 1 contender bout to Jan Blachowicz in 2020 whereas then-champ Jon Jones was sitting cageside. So shut.

“That is every thing I’ve at all times labored for,” Anderson advised reporters final week. “All people that is adopted me since 2014, after I got here into the sport, I’ve at all times stated, after each battle, that the win is good, however I am solely right here to get the belt. That is it. The cash and every thing that comes with it are nice, however the principle focus is to get the belt. On the finish of the day, when it is all stated and carried out, I get to say I had that belt wrapped round my waist after I’m strolling off into the sundown.”

And though Friday’s opponent, the 12-2 Moore, is a relative unknown exterior of Northern Eire, with simply 4 Bellator bouts underneath his belt, Anderson is aware of from expertise to not stare upon that golden sundown till the job is completed. “I am not trying previous anyone,” he stated. “For each battle, I do coaching camp like I am combating one of the best man on the earth. The one time I did not, I paid for it. That was the final Nemkov battle. I assumed for positive I had it within the bag, I took it straightforward in camp just a little bit, and it price me. By no means once more.”

A ‘dream come true’ for hometown hero Karl Moore

Moore has fought 14 instances as an expert, however not as soon as in his hometown of Belfast. He did compete there a few years in the past in his third newbie battle, and after he received, he jumped on prime of the cage and celebrated — with a fantasy-world thought working via his thoughts.

“At that age, I had a dream of combating in entrance of the Belfast crowd and successful a world title,” he recalled. “However you suppose, like, when is Bellator ever going to return to Belfast? When are they going to stay me in the principle occasion for a world title? Nevertheless it’s occurring, and I’ll win that belt in entrance of my folks.”

Moore is unconcerned in regards to the added strain of combating 20 minutes from residence. He believes Anderson is the one who must be involved.

“You ain’t by no means fought in Belfast,” Moore warned his opponent throughout a joint name with reporters.

“That is all proper,” Anderson countered. “You ain’t by no means fought no person like me.”

Anderson is trying ahead to coming into enemy territory, having carried out it a number of instances earlier than. Throughout his UFC days, he fought twice in Brazil, dealing with Fabio Maldonado in his hometown of Sao Paulo, after which Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in Curitiba, the place the previous champ was born and continues to be primarily based. After transferring on to Bellator, Anderson fought Ryan Bader in Phoenix, his hometown. Anderson received two of these three bouts.

Now, this go to to Belfast. “The vitality goes to be electrical,” he stated, “and I feed off of that.”

After falling twice, can Patricio “Pitbull” make a stand?

Chasing greatness has include a price for Freire.

Final June, the fighter with extra Bellator victories than anybody (23) tried to realize an MMA first: successful championships in three weight lessons. “Pitbull” was (and nonetheless is) the featherweight champ, and he had beforehand reigned at light-weight, earlier than vacating the title in 2021 to present house for his brother Patricky to go for the belt. To attempt for a 3rd title, Patricio dropped to flyweight and challenged Sergio Pettis. He misplaced a choice.

Six weeks later, Freire (35-7) took a short-notice bout on a Bellator cross-promotion in Tokyo with the Japanese promotion Rizin, and it did not go properly. Chihiro Suzuki knocked him out within the first spherical.

The Brazilian tried to proper the ship ultimately month’s PFL champions vs. Bellator champions occasion, however his bout with 2023 PFL featherweight champ Jesus Pinedo was canceled per week earlier than battle evening after Pinedo injured his again. Gabriel Braga, the PFL season finalist, was introduced in as a substitute however withdrew on weigh-in day.

So Freire accepted this short-notice title protection in opposition to Kennedy, who has misplaced solely as soon as in his previous eight bouts. “It is the right battle for me to indicate that I am actually again, I am again in full pressure,” Freire stated via a Portuguese interpreter.

Freire was unswayed by one other change in opponent. “We educated for southpaws, we educated for orthodox, we educated for tall guys, we educated for wrestlers, we educated for brief guys. We cowl each situation, so I could be prepared for anybody at any time,” he stated. “I’ve by no means stated no to a battle earlier than, and I did not need to begin now.”

As well as, probably the most embellished fighter in Bellator historical past feels it is solely becoming that he be a part of the promotion’s first card underneath new administration. “Bellator is my residence,” he stated. “I made just about my complete profession right here, and it means lots to me to be defending this belt.”

The wait is over for Jeremy Kennedy

“This has been a very long time in coming,” Kennedy stated. “I have been chasing this man round.”

By “chasing,” he means he is been standing nonetheless. Kennedy (19-3, 1 NC) has not fought since beating Pedro Carvalho in February 2023 for his third straight win. He believed that victory earned him a shot at Freire’s belt, so he waited. And waited.

“I do know he is had his palms full, doing different issues,” Kennedy stated, “however he may have fought me as an alternative of combating in Japan.”

When “Pitbull” booked a battle on the current PFL vs. Bellator card, Kennedy determined he had waited lengthy sufficient. He accepted a Bellator Belfast bout in opposition to James Gallagher.

Then, after final month’s Freire battle did not occur, the matchmakers got here calling, rapidly arranging the battle Kennedy had stopped ready for. There’s in all probability a lesson there.

“The circumstances surrounding this — you understand, the last-minute change — do not faze me. I used to be coaching for a battle, he was coaching for a battle, so that is excellent,” Kennedy stated. “It is only a fast swap of opponent, an even bigger alternative, extra reward.”