5 Fights to make after Bellator 271
Bellator 271 featured a great night of fights and an entertaining event overall for fans this past Friday.
The promotion showcased some of their young prospects and closed the event with another dominant title defense for Cris Cyborg. There were plenty of highlight-reel moments from the prelims, with Bellator's young prospects taking full advantage of the opportunity.
There was a who's who of MMA fighters in attendance at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The added attention was a great opportunity for Bellator to capitalize and it seems like they did just that. After Cyborg's win, free agent Kayla Harrison was immediately brought up, which got fans interested in what may be in-store.
Based on what transpired at Bellator 271, it won't be difficult for matchmakers to figure out which fights to book next. The promotion could book rematches, title-eliminators and a massive superfight as a result of Bellator 271.
Here is a list of 5 fights to make following Bellator 271.
#5. Linton Vassell vs. Tim Johnson - Bellator heavyweight title-eliminator
Kicking off this list of fights to make after Bellator 271 is a heavyweight clash between Linton Vassell and Tim Johnson.
Based on the rankings, Vassell and Johnson would be a great title-eliminator bout that helps keep the division going. Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader and interim-champion Valentin Moldavski are expected to fight in early 2022. With that in mind, a Vassell-Johnson bout would make sense.
🐝 "Big Swarm" is on a hot streak!
Linton Vassell picked up his 3rd consecutive Bellator W, defeating @FortuneOverFam by split decision. #Bellator271 https://t.co/7sEXpzHaop
Vassell vs. Johnson will ensure there's another clear number-one contender following the title unification bout between Bader and Moldavsky. The timing also works out well because Vassell and Johnson both recently competed. The promotion could even have both fights at the same event.
Vassell defeated No.5-ranked Tyrell Fortune by split-decision at Bellator 271. Prior to the bout, Vassell was the No.6-ranked heavyweight, so both Fortune and he will likely be swapping spots in the rankings. Now on a three-fight winning streak, Vassell moving to fifth would set him up for a bout with No.4-ranked Tim Johnson.
⏮ Last time out, Linton Vassell scored a dominant victory over @RonnyMarkes.
At #Bellator271 this Friday, he takes on @FortuneOverFam in a Heavyweight blockbuster.
See it LIVE on @BBCiPlayer 🇬🇧! https://t.co/A50rNVjm78
Johnson is currently on a two-fight losing streak, however, the losses came against current interim heavyweight champion Moldavsky and legend Fedor Emelianenko. With that said, he should still be in the title mix as he was on a three-fight win streak prior to the losses.