5 Bellator fights to look forward to in 2022

Yoel Romero will return to action at Bellator Paris

Bellator is likely the number two organization in MMA behind the UFC. They have an impressive roster and have a number of exciting fight cards planned for the rest of the year. Some fights, in particular, stand out as must-see bouts in the sport.

St. Louis will be home to a night of scintillating action on Saturday, March 1️⃣2️⃣th.

The #Bellator276 main card commences at 9pm ET / 6pm PT LIVE on @Showtime! https://t.co/NknqiM11du

For starters, the promotion is back this weekend for Bellator 276. While this isn't the most high-profile card possible, the fights announced for Bellator 277 & 279 contain some big-time fights. On top of that, there are upcoming events in Paris and London that also feature a host of big names.

Here are five Bellator fights to look forward to in 2022:

Honorable mentions: Sergio Pettis vs. Raufeon Stots - Bellator 279, Yoel Romero vs. Melvin Manhoef - Bellator Paris, Lyoto Machida vs. Fabian Edwards - Bellator London

#5. Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo II - Bellator Paris

Bader and Kongo have a combined record of 60-18-2 (2 NC)

There is something about watching a heavyweight title fight that never ceases to capture the imagination. While this is admittedly not the most highly anticipated match-up we've seen, it is still a big-time fight that will headline the promotion's Paris event.

Bellator announces Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo 2 will take place May 6 in Paris, France.

Bader has had an interesting run as of late. He lost his light heavyweight title and had some mixed results in that division before bouncing back with an impressive defense of his heavyweight belt. Kongo, on the other hand, has only gone 1-1 since their last fight, which may be why some aren't too excited for this bout.

The first fight between the pair saw a no contest when Bader landed an accidental eye poke on Kongo and the bout had to be stopped. While it does make sense that this fight would therefore be run back, it doesn't rank higher as there were more appealing options. Bader vs. Fedor Emilianenko II would've ranked much higher.