5 takeaways from Bellator 278 and 279
Bellator MMA returned to Honolulu, Hawaii, for back-to-back nights of action. Both events were balanced out with notable fighters and featured championship bouts.
Each night had its fair share of surprise outcomes, but the second was arguably the better overall card. The promotion crowned two new champions and concluded with a thrilling main event between Cris Cyborg and Arlene Blencowe.
The bantamweight Grand Prix brackets were also made official, so now it’s clear who will be fighting one another and when. An enthusiastic crowd was on hand, which added to the promotion’s presentation from a broadcast perspective.
The promotion has done well in the Hawaiian market and should consider adding more than one weekend to their annual lineup. This list will look at five takeaways from the events in Hawaii.
#5. Yancy Medeiros puts on a show on his Bellator debut
#Hawaii's Yancy Medeiros (16-8) victorious in return to the islands w/ unanimous decision victory over Emmanuel Sanchez (20-8) in #Bellator279 main card opener #BellatorHawaii #HawaiiMMA @ymedeiros https://t.co/iL8O8WeuxC
Yancy Medeiros had quite the debut when he fought former featherweight title challenger Emmanuel Sanchez at Bellator 279. The first bout on the main card set the bar for the fights that followed.
‘The Kid’ and ‘El Matador’ traded strikes for 15 minutes as the crowd cheered on. Medeiros was having more success and took Sanchez down on a few occasions. He used his size advantage to control Sanchez on the ground and earned a unanimous decision win. The judges scored the bout 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28, all in favor of ‘The Kid.’
It will be interesting to see what the promotion has planned for both following the event. The loss extends ‘El Matador’s losing skid to three straight fights, while ‘The Kid’ is a new face in the division.