Bellator announced to ESPN its forthcoming tentpole event, which is set to occur May 11 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The card features a number of exciting matchups, and I will list them below along with my initial thoughts in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Michael Chandler vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Bellator 221
The main event of Bellator 221 is going to be a five-round superfight between Bellator lightweight winner Michael Chandler and Bellator featherweight champion Patricio”Pitbull” Freire. Chandler’s belt will be up for grabs in this one as Pitbull is going up in weight for a struggle that will ascertain arguably the greatest fighter in Bellator history. Chandler (19-4) is 16-4 in Bellator and just won back the lightweight title from Brent Primus in his last fight. He has won seven of the last eight fights complete and with a win here over Pitbull would solidify himself as the promotion’s greatest home-grown gift . Pitbull (28-4) can also be 16-4 in Bellator and is coming from back-to-back featherweight title defenses over Emmanuel Sanchez and Daniel Wiechel. What a great fight between two fights that are amazing. Chandler will likely be preferred here as he’s the bigger fighter, but Pitbull is a stud and should not be counted out. Based on the internet, Pitbull could be well worth a look for a dog.
Pat Curran vs. AJ McKee, Bellator 221
Former Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran will come back to the cage once he takes on rising star AJ McKee. Curran (23-7) is 13-4 overall in Bellator and is one of the very best fighters to ever fight for the advertising. He is actually riding a three-fight win streak right now, though he hasn’t fought as an October 2017 conclusion win over John Teixeira. McKee (13-0) made his Bellator and pro MMA debut in October 2015 and has not looked back because as he’s undefeated and contains buzzsawed through each competitor that Bellator has put his way. Curran is a solid gatekeeper at this point of his profession, however, McKee is a true stud and I fully expect him to win this battle. There is no doubt that the undefeated rising star is going to be a massive favorite here.
Douglas Lima vs. winner of Paul Daley/Michael Page, Bellator 221
The semifinals of this Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix will take place on this card comprising Douglas Lima against the winner of this weekend’s Paul Daley vs. Michael Page fight. There’s not much to say about this however as he don’t know the matchup, but Lima vs. either of those guys makes for an awesome fight.
Jake Hager vs. TBA, Bellator 221
And finally, Jake Hager will return to the cage for his next MMA fight against a yet-to-be-named opponent. Hager (1-0) submitted JW Kiser in his Bellator and MMA debut. He looks like a very intriguing heavyweight prospect considering his size and strength, though I’d expect Bellator to provide him another”can” because of his next fight as they continue to slow-build him. I have no doubt Bellator will be able to discover another Kiser clone and pay them a few thousand bucks to get completed by Hager.
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