5 things for fans to keep an eye on at Bellator 272
Bellator MMA will be wrapping up their 2021 event schedule on December 3rd, when they host Bellator 272.
Bellator 272 will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut and will air live on Showtime. The event will be headlined by the Bellator bantamweight championship bout between champion Sergio Pettis and RIZIN bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi.
Bellator has done a great job in promoting their homegrown prospects this year. This is refreshing because they’re showcasing fighters that could potentially become stars rather than promoting fighters who’ve had a UFC stint. In doing so, there could be a lot of exciting fights on the horizon.
Although Bellator is concluding their 2021 event schedule, there’s plenty of speculation about what the promotion has in store for 2022. Bellator President Scott Coker will likely have some announcements planned that’ll help the promotion gain interest heading into the new year.
The final event of 2021 could be the perfect time to announce what exciting fights could be on the horizon. This list will look at 5 things fans should keep an eye on at Bellator 272.
#5. Co-main event - Clarity with Bellator’s featherweight division
🇨🇦 Jeremy Kennedy (16-3) returns to action in the @BellatorMMA cage Dec. 3 at #Bellator272 for a fantastic featherweight matchup with 🇺🇸 Emmanuel Sanchez (20-6). (First reported by @mma_kings) https://t.co/96RsEaJk8v
Kicking off this list of things fans should keep an eye on at Bellator 272 is clarity with Bellator’s featherweight division. The promotion’s 145lb division was on full display during last year’s Bellator World Grand Prix.
The tournament wrapped up this past July when A.J. McKee defeated longtime champion Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire to become the new champion. Since then, there’s been talk of a rematch between the two, but nothing has been announced. Prior to the Grand Prix, McKee let it be known that intends to move up to lightweight. So, the rematch would all depend on whether or not he wants to defend the title.
The promotion added a featherweight bout between fourth-ranked Emmanuel Sanchez and ninth-ranked Jeremy Kennedy to the event. The timing is interesting because it shows that Bellator may be looking at back-up plans for the division. Mads Burnell, who’s currently the second-ranked featherweight, is believed to be the next challenger for the featherweight championship after defeating Sanchez.
However, if McKee moves up to 155lbs, Burnell vs. former champion ‘Pitbull’ would make sense for the vacant title.
Bellator 272 Opening Odds:
Jeremy Kennedy (+185)
Emmanuel Sanchez (-225)
fightodds.io/fights/emmanue…
#Bellator272
The timing of Sanchez vs. Kennedy is interesting because it provides the division with clarity. That wasn’t the case for the lightweight division, as then-champion 'Pitbull' defended the featherweight championship in the Grand Prix. An impressive win for Sanchez would keep him in the mix with Adam Borics and Aaron Pico for the next opportunity.