Bellator has another European excursion this week, popping up their tent in Milan, Italy for a card chock full of European prospects and action bouts.
And while it may lack some of the star-power that fans usually desire, it’s got a ton of action potential with some of their more exciting but lesser-known talents.
The main event features a mainstay for Bellator in Adam Piccolotti (13-4). Adam’s had his ups and downs in Bellator, but is coming off a strong decision win over veteran Georgi Karakhanyan in February. You may remember his more notable bout against former UFC champion Benson Henderson, where he had Bendo in some incredibly tight spots. He didn’t get the win, but he impressed and showed incredible composure and better implementation of his grappling.
He’s welcoming Mansour Barnaoui (19-4) to the Bellator cage. A French talent that’s fought for BAMMA, KSW, Cage Warriors and M-1, he’s most notable for winning the ROAD FC lightweight tournament in 2019 in sensational fashion. He’s a threat everywhere and has devastating submission skills to go with his lanky and deceptively strong kicks and knees.
Also on the card is the amazing Fabian Edwards (10-2), brother of UFC champ Leon Edwards. Fabian’s got a reputation of his own for his electrifying finishes. Fabian went undefeated until hitting a skid of back to back losses against Austin Vanderford and Costello Van Steenis, but bounced back big with a finish over former UFC champ Lyoto Machida.
He’s up against a fellow heavy hitter in Ireland’s Charlie Ward (10-4). After leaving the UFC with a 3-3 record, he’s only lost once in his Bellator run. That includes some brutal knockouts and showing a lot patience and maturity in that time. Edwards will have to contend with the physicality of Ward’s style and the hard pace he runs in the clinch. But Ward also has to do a lot to break past the mid-range, and worry about the elbows inside as well as Fabian’s suffocating top game.
Costello Van Steenis (13-2) is one of the most fun prospects they’ve had without much fanfare, and it’s a shame. He’s got some bonkers finishes and has some very smart sequences in his fights. He meets Kamil Oniszczuk (9-1), a Polish prospect that has some amazing finishes as well and has a very well-rounded game.
Alfie Davis (14-4, 1 draw) returns to action when he meets France’s Thibault Gouti (16-5), and Saul Rogers (15-4) returns against Tim Wilde (14-4, 1 draw). Justin Gonzales (13-1) reps the US overseas for this one as he faces England’s Andrew Fisher (19-8, 1 draw). Finally, Chiara Penco (7-3) hopes to put on a show against fellow Italian Manuela Marconetto (3-1).
You can check out the weigh-ins right here:
Main Card:
Adam Piccolotti (155) vs. Mansour Barnaoui (154.6) – Lightweight
Fabian Edwards (185.4) vs. Charlie Ward (185.2) – Middleweight
Saul Rogers (155.3) vs. Tim Wilde (155.8) – Lightweight
Justin Gonzalez (145) vs. Andrew Fisher (146) – Featherweight
Prelims:
Davy Gallon (155.8) vs. Daniele Scatizzi (154.8) – Lightweight
Costello Van Steenis (185.4) vs. Kamil Oniszczuk (185.4) – Middleweight
Thibault Gouti (155.9) vs. Alfie Davis (156.0) – Lightweight
Chiara Penco (115.1) vs Manuela Marconetto (115.8) – Strawweight
Yves Landu (145.6) Vs Walter Cogliandro (146.0) – Featherweight
Simon Biyong (205.8) Vs Dragos Zuboco (203.4) Light heavyweight
Nicolo Solli(170.8) Vs Bourama Camara (170.9) – Welterweight
Luke Trainer (204.8) Vs Lucus Alsina (204.4) – Light heavyweight
Steven Hill (179.9) Vs Andrea Fusi (181.0) – 181lb catchweight
Sarvadzhon Khamidov (135.6) Vs Jose Maria Tome (135.6) Bantamweight
Percy Herrera (136.0) Vs Luca Lovine (135.6) – Bantamweight
Alex Bertinazzi (145.6) vs. Edoardo Caiazza (145.8) – Featherweight
Ayoub Nacer (133.8) vs. Cherif Ba Pape (135.1) – Bantamweight
Bellator 287: Piccolotti vs Barnaoui takes place this Saturday with the prelims starting at 12:30pm EST in the US and will be streaming on YouTube. The main card starts at 4:00pm and will be available exclusively on Showtime.
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