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Now that Bellator 278 and 279 are in the history books, the promotion’s matchmakers will be hard at work. They now have the challenging task of coming up with the most exciting bouts possible.
July should be a target for most fighters to get back into the cage based on the event's timing. The bantamweight Grand Prix will make things easier as dates are already confirmed for upcoming bouts. On June 24, Patchy Mix and interim bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots will find out their semifinal opponents.
The outcome from this past weekend could also lead to a few rematches being booked, especially in the women’s division. In terms of the bantamweight division, the Grand Prix makes matchmaking easier, as eliminated competitors can be matched up next. This list will look at five fights to make after Bellator 278 and 279.
#5. Former Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-lei Macfarlane vs. loser of Denise Kielholtz vs. Kana Watanabe
Ilima-lei Macfarlane’s return to the Bellator cage didn’t go according to plan. Justine Kish defeated the former women’s flyweight champion via unanimous decision. Kish's win was significant as she defeated the former champion, which must leave her in title contention.
‘The Ilimanator’ has now lost back-to-back fights, so a logical bout would be the loser of Denise Kielholtz vs. Kana Watanabe. Both women are in a similar situation as they suffered defeats last time out. ‘Miss Dynamite’ is coming off a title loss to former champion Juliana Velasquez in a bout many felt she won. Watanabe's last fight ended in defeat to current champion Liz Carmouche.
Macfarlane vs. Kielholtz or Watanabe would be ideal fights for the promotion. Two fighters with back-to-back losses competing would snap a losing skid and would get one of them back on track.
#4. Former Bellator title challenger Arlene Blencowe vs. Sinead Kavanagh 2
Arlene Blencowe came up short against Cris Cyborg at Bellator 279, but she gained the champion’s respect. She went the distance with Cyborg and showed no signs of quitting. The titleholder had ground control late in the fight and landed combinations, but Blencowe continued swinging for a knockout.
It was the Australian's second title loss to the current champion, so Blencowe would probably have to defeat a few top contenders if she wants to earn another title shot. Based on the rankings and recent performances, Blencowe vs. Sinead Kavanagh makes sense.
‘Angerfist’ and ‘KO’ have fought once before, and a rematch would generate more interest. Blencowe got her hand raised in their 2017 encounter via split decision. The bout would be logical now, especially after their most recent performances. The promotion is scheduled to return to Dublin, Ireland, in September and it could be a great event to book a rematch.
#3) Bellator flyweight champion Liz Carmouche vs. Juliana Velasquez 2
The main event of Bellator 278 ended in controversy as Liz Carmouche dethroned Juliana Velasquez. After landing elbow strikes in the crucifix position, she earned a fourth-round technical knockout. Although the strikes didn’t look to have caused damage, the referee felt that a stoppage was necessary.
Velasquez wasn’t happy with the fight being ended and made it known. It was an unfortunate ending that overshadowed Carmouche’s moment. ‘Girl-Rilla’ is a pioneer of women’s MMA and won a championship on her third attempt. She had two title opportunities in the UFC and lost to Ronda Rousey and Valentina Shevchenko.
Bellator CEO Scott Coker mentioned that he wouldn’t be opposed to running the fight back, which should happen. Velasquez has a strong argument, considering she was up 3-0 on the judges’ scorecards heading into the fourth round. They both have a better idea of each other’s tendencies so that a rematch could be a more tactical bout.
#2) Former Bellator bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta vs. Kyoji Horiguchi
Bellator should consider matching up the eliminated fighters to keep the division active with the bantamweight Grand Prix underway. If they do, Juan Archuleta vs. Kyoji Horiguchi would be the fight to make.
Both are former bantamweight champions and will head into a potential fight coming off of back-to-back losses. Archuleta was beaten by Raufeon Stots in his quarterfinal bout for the interim title and was defeated by champion Sergio Pettis. Horiguchi was knocked out by Pettis and then lost a unanimous decision to Patchy Mix.
Horiguchi is the reigning RIZIN bantamweight champion, so perhaps the promotion could work out a cross-promotion with RIZIN. 'The Typhoon’ putting the title on the line against ‘The Spaniard’ under RIZIN rules would be interesting.
The RIZIN champion would get to make a title defense and Archuleta would have an opportunity to win another promotion’s championship. Obviously, the two promotions would have to work out the details. But it could be a lucrative bout if contested in Japan.
#1. Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg vs. Cat Zingano
After another successful title defense, the only logical fight for Cris Cyborg in Bellator is against Cat Zingano. The champion has twice beaten Arlene Blencowe and defeated the other top-ranked fighters in the division, including Julia Budd, Sinead Kavanagh, and Leslie Smith.
Zingano has constantly been linked to a bout with Cyborg, but nothing has come to fruition. When she joined the promotion following her exit from the UFC, it seemed like the fight was inevitable. Surprisingly, they are yet to compete against each other.
Before her rematch with ‘Angerfist’, Cyborg spoke about possibly fighting Zingano. She noted that ‘Alpha’ wanted to compete one more time before accepting the fight, so other plans were made. Aside from a cross-promotion contest with Kayla Harrison (PFL), Cyborg vs. Zingano is the biggest women’s bout the promotion could book.
