Bellator 258: Archuleta vs Pettis preview, weigh-ins
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Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
Bellator returns this week with an excellent headliner, featuring a title fight at the top and a bevy of familiar names and some very competitive matchups. Not only that, but the light heavyweight tournament continues in the race to the million dollar prize.
As of late, it feels as if Bellator matchmaking has become far more balanced and sensible. The product as a whole appears to be much more narrowly focused and the fights end up being less haphazardly put together.
All things considered, we end up with a tidy card that has less clutter and a fair amount of action that leads in interesting directions. And there’s major consequences to this one, primarily with the title fight at the top. Juan Archuleta (25-2) finally reached the pinnacle to become Bellator champ, and now he’ll be defending his title against Sergio Pettis (20-5).
Michael Venom Page vs Derek Anderson rebooked for Bellator 258 in May
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Bellator welterweight contender Michael Page will return to the cage when he takes on Derek Anderson at Bellator 258 in May.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani was the first to report this Page vs. Anderson fight. It’s actually a re-booking of a fight that Bellator tried to book twice previously in 2017 and 2019. The hope is that in 2021 both men will stay healthy and make it to the fight. When they do meet at Bellator 258 on May 7, it will be a battle between two top-10 fighters in Bellator’s welterweight division. Page is the No. 2 ranked welterweight in Bellator while Anderson is ranked at No. 6. The winner of this fight would surely be in play for a title shot at 170lbs.
Logan Storley awaits new opponent after Killys Mota unable to compete due to lingering COVID-19 problems
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Welterweight contender Logan Storley will need a new opponent after Killys Mota was knocked out of their planned fight at Bellator 258 due to lingering issues after contracting COVID-19.
Multiple sources confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Tuesday with Mota also issuing a statement about his health after being unable to compete in on May 7.
“I was fine and then I caught the coronavirus and this sh t f cked me up,” Mota said when speaking to MMA Fighting. “I was sick for two weeks and then I only had four or five weeks to train for him. I agreed to this fight a week or two before COVID but then I got sick and thought it would be better to cancel it.
UFC Vegas 24 predictions: ‘Whittaker vs Gastelum’ early ‘Prelims’ undercard preview
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing more “Prelims” fights to ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., April 17, 2021) when UFC Vegas 24: “Whittaker vs. Gastelum” returns to UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg kicks off the UFC Vegas 24 “Prelims” party with the first installment of a two-part undercard preview series below.
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With former title challenger Paulo Costa on the mend, Kelvin Gastelum steps up on short notice to meet fellow The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) coaching rival Robert Whittaker this Saturday (April 17, 2021) in a fight with serious Middleweight title implications. UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, will also host a guaranteed Lightweight slugfest between Jeremy Stephens and Drakkar Klose, as well as a crossroads Heavyweight match pitting Andrei Arlovski against
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