Bellator 228 featuring “Pitbull vs. Archuleta” and “Machida vs. Mousasi 2” comes to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Sat., Sept. 28, 2019. It’s going to be an action-packed night that airs exclusively on DAZN with as yet announced preliminary bouts on the Bellator app.
You can argue either of the billed fights is the true headliner, but a traditionalist would put the Featherweight title defense for Patricio Freire (29-4) and his almost perfect opposition in Juan “The Spaniard” Archuleta (23-1) as the headliners. In addition to the belt being up for grabs, both men will vie to advance in Bellator’s Featherweight Grand Prix.
“Pitbull” Freire has not lost a bout since 2017 and became “champ-champ” in the process by knocking out Michael Chandler, but Archuleta has an astonishing 18-fight win streak that runs to October 2015. Expect fireworks in this one.
Former Middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi (45-7-2) will attempt to bounce back from a razor thin loss to Rafael Lovato Jr. in London with a rematch of another loss from Feb. 2014. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (26-8) won the decision in Brazil but may have caught Mousasi at the right time as he was taking his first return fight at 185 pounds. For Mousasi to avenge that defeat he’ll have to snap Machida’s current four-fight win streak.
No other fights have been announced at this early date.
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