5 questions that will be answered at Bellator 278
After a memorable night of fights in San Jose, California, Bellator returns to Hawaii for back-to-back events. The Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu will host both cards.
The first night will be a special one as it will be free admission for the military and first responders. Throughout the two nights, there will three title fights and the start of the bantamweight Grand Prix.
On Friday night, women’s flyweight champion Juliana Velasquez will defend her title against former UFC title challenger Liz Carmouche. This is her second title defense as she looks to remain unbeaten against a veteran of the sport.
The promotion will also provide an incredible opportunity for four bantamweights. There will be two qualifying matchups, with the winner earning a spot in the bantamweight Grand Prix. They made the most out of a bad situation after James Gallagher and champion Sergio Pettis withdrew due to injury.
As a result, the winners of the qualifying bouts will earn a spot in the Grand Prix against Magomed Magomedov and Leandro Higo, respectively.
This list will look at five questions that will be answered at Bellator 278.
#5. Which main card fighters will rebound from defeat at Bellator 278?
✍️: No. 9-ranked @BellatorMMA light heavyweight @GrantNeal has been re-signed to a brand new long-term contract. https://t.co/inTFlwjiFr
The first of two Bellator events in Hawaii will feature plenty of fighters that essentially have their backs against the wall. Some of the promotion’s fighters that have experienced losing skids will be competing against each other to get back on track.
The opening bout of the main card will be a 160-pound catchweight bout between Nate Andrews and Manny Muro. ‘The Snake’ is coming off back-to-back losses to Chris Wade and Saad Awad. Meanwhile, ‘The Dragon’ is coming off a defeat to lightweight standout Usman Nurmagomedov, who snapped his three-fight winning streak.
The catchweight bout will be followed up by a light heavyweight fight between Christian Edwards and Grant Neal. Both men are coming off the first setbacks of their professional careers. With that in mind, they will be looking to get back on track in a talented light heavyweight division.