Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Check out the eight matchups that will kickoff Bellator’s newest and biggest tournament yet.
Bellator MMA’s welterweight tournament is nearing its end, with Rory MacDonald and Douglas Lima set to fight in the final later this year, but in just two months we’ll see the beginning of the promotion’s big featherweight grand prix.
Unlike the welterweight and heavyweight GPs, the featherweight field is doubled from 8 to 16 fighters. Also something that fans will surely get behind is that all of the opening round matchups will happen over the course of two events. Four fights are set for September 7th at Bellator 226, while the other four will occur on September 28th at Bellator 228.
Here’s the full field of competitors and the announced matchups for the start of the Bellator FW GP:
Bellator 226: Bader vs. Kongo (September 7th, San Jose)
Daniel Straus (26-8) vs. Derek Campos (19-9)
Pat Curran (23-8) vs. Adam Borics (13-0)
Emmanuel Sanchez (18-4) vs. Tywan Claxton (5-0)
Sam Sicilia (16-9) vs. Pedro Carvalho (10-3)
Bellator 228: Pitbull vs. Archuleta (September 28th, Inglewood)
Patricio “Pitbull” (29-4) vs. Juan Archuleta (23-1)
Darrion Caldwell (13-3) vs. Henry Corrales (17-3)
Daniel Weichel (39-11) vs. Saul Rogers (13-2)
A.J. McKee (14-0) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (28-9-1, 1 NC)
For the opening round, only Pitbull vs. Archuleta will be a five-round bout (the others will be three-rounders). Bellator president Scott Coker says that quarterfinals onward will consist exclusively of five-rounders, and that the quarterfinal fights will be determined through a random draw.
The winner of the tournament gets a $1 million prize, as well as the Bellator featherweight title. Patricio Pitbull is the reigning champion at both 145 and 155, but much like Rory MacDonald at welterweight, he’s entered this field and will be putting his belt on the line. Former champions Daniel Straus and Pat Curran are part of the tournament, as well as ex-bantamweight king Darrion Caldwell, and Adam Borics’ big KO of Aaron Pico has seen him earn a spot in what should be an exciting tourney.
The Bellator FW tournament will stream exclusively on DAZN.