5 things to keep an eye on at Bellator 273
Bellator MMA kick off their 2022 event schedule this Saturday, when they return to the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. 2022 will mark their first full calendar year on Showtime and they’ll look to build on last year’s success.
Similar to how the UFC began their pay-per-view schedule, they will also begin their schedule with a heavyweight championship unification bout. Heavyweight champion Ryan Bader will defend against interim champion Valentin Moldavsky in the main event. In the co-main event, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will take on Islam Mamedov, who’s on a 20-fight unbeaten streak.
The event has a nice mix of veteran fighters and homegrown prospects hoping to reach the next level of their careers. Based on who’s competing on this card and incentives, there will be plenty of questions answered when it’s over. This list will look at 5 things to keep an eye on at Bellator 273.
#5. Will Bellator lightweight Chris Gonzalez rebound from his first career loss?
Chris Gonzalez has been somebody to keep an eye on in the lightweight division. The Chicago star trains and fights out of Team Alpha Male, which is led by UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber.
Despite being 30-years-old, Gonzalez is still young in the sport. After his split-decision win over Vladimir Tokov improved his record to 5-0, ‘CG’ felt he was capable of fighting top-10 opponents. He got his wish last year as he picked up an impressive TKO win over veteran Roger Huerta.
After the win, Gonzalez was tested again as he took on Goiti Yamauchi shortly after. The bout turned into an entertaining slugfest that ended with Yamauchi finishing ‘CG’ by first-round TKO. It will be interesting to see how Gonzalez performs following a loss, especially since it was his first career loss. His opponent Saad Awad will be another tough test as he looks to get back on track.