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Bellator MMA wrapped up their 2021 event schedule this past Friday, when they hosted Bellator 272 at the Mohegan Sun Arena. It was a great night of fights that saw its fair share of upsets and entertaining action. There were also some announcements made on the broadcast that’ll excite fans in 2022.
The main event was champion vs champion as Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis took on RIZIN bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi. This was significant as Horiguchi was looking to become a two-promotion champion for the second time in his career.
In 2019, Horiguchi was forced to vacate both the Bellator and RIZIN bantamweight championships due to injury. He reclaimed the RIZIN bantamweight championship in 2020 and was looking to do the same in Bellator.
The promotion was able to close out the year with a big main event and promote other marque bouts. They took full advantage of the added attention garnered from the main event to build anticipation for their 2022 schedule.
5. No longer an asterisk on Bellator bantamweight championship
Since an injury forced Kyoji Horiguchi to relinquish the title, there seemed to be an asterisk on whoever won the title. After Sergio Pettis defeated Juan Archuleta at Bellator 258 to become the new champion, there was instant talk of him fighting Horiguchi.
That’s exactly what happened.
Bellator signed current RIZIN bantamweight champion Horiguchi and gave him an opportunity to reclaim the Bellator bantamweight championship. It looked like Horiguchi was closing in on another title victory. He was effective with his takedowns and landed more strikes throughout the first three rounds.
Pettis rallied back towards the end of the fourth round and knocked out Horiguchi with a spectacular spinning backfist. It was a significant win for Pettis as it silenced all the doubters and legitimized his title reign.
“When it happened, I was like. ‘Man, I am losing this fight. I’ve got to do something spectacular.’ It [spinning back-fist] came at the right time.” – Sergio Pettis post-fight at Bellator 272
#4. Spike Carlyle could be a star for Bellator
Another takeaway from Bellator 272 is that Spike Carlyle could become a fan favorite for Bellator. The goal for all MMA promotions is to have somebody on their roster that fans can rally behind. Bellator may have just that with Carlyle after this past Friday’s event.
Carlyle wasn’t originally scheduled to compete at Bellator 272. His opponent, Dan Moret, had two different opponents withdraw. ‘The Alpha Ginger’ was the latest to step in, and on less than a week’s notice.
Carlyle vs. Moret was an entertaining prelim bout that saw Moret get the better of most of the exchanges. Moret bloodied Carlyle with powerful ground and pound strikes to end the second round. It looked like Moret would be closing in on a finish after taking Carlyle down at the beginning of the third round. However, Carlyle scrambled off his back and submitted Moret with a rear-naked choke at 2:58 to earn a third-round submission win.
The win had fans on social media praising Carlyle for his comeback win over Moret. Carlyle gained a lot of fans for stepping in on short notice and his comeback win. Bellator has a great opportunity to capitalize on that in 2022.
#3. Location set for Fedor Emelianeko's final bout revealed
Another major takeaway from Bellator 272 is that it was revealed that Fedor Emelianenko will indeed be competing again. During his post-event media availability, Bellator President Scott Coker provided an update on Emelianenko's next bout. Coker stated that ‘The Last Emperor’ will be competing in one final bout next summer in Moscow, Russia.
Emelianenko last competed in October at Bellator 269, which also took place in Moscow. It was a vintage performance by the PRIDE legend as he made quick work of No.3-ranked heavyweight Tim Johnson. Emelianenko won by first-round knockout and received a loud ovation from his home crowd.
It’s unclear who Emelinaneko will compete against in his last bout. There will absolutely be fighters that’ll try to convince Coker that they should be the last opponent for 'The Last Emperor'. Some notable free agents include Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos, both of whom would be great signings for the promotion.
Regardless of who’s selected, the positive for Coker and Bellator is that there are plenty of options that could generate interest.
#2. Title fights made official for early 2022
During the Bellator 272, it was revealed that three title fights are confirmed to take place in the first quarter of 2022.
Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov will be defending his title against Corey Anderson in the finals of the light heavyweight Grand Prix. This is a highly anticipated bout and will be another tough test for Nemkov. Both light heavyweights will look to win $1 million and add a Grand Prix championship to their collection.
Another title fight announced was Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader vs. interim heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky. Bader is no stranger to competing against Team Fedor. He defeated Fedor Emelianenko to win the heavyweight championship and heavyweight Grand Prix. Bader will be looking to score another win against Team Fedor when he defends against the highly touted Moldavsky.
Lastly, it was also revealed that Gegard Mousasi will defend his Bellator middleweight championship against Austin Vanderford. The undefeated challenger will be looking to pull off a massive upset and make a name for himself at Mousasi’s expense.
#1. Bellator bantamweight World Grand Prix set for 2022
Topping this list of takeaways from Bellator 272 is the official announcement of the bantamweight World Grand Prix. After months of speculation, the promotion made it official that one of their most stacked divisions will have a Grand Prix.
It will be an eight-man tournament that is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022. Bellator President Scott Coker mentioned that he is open to having the entire opening round take place at the same event.
This Grand Prix will be unique as it’ll feature Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis and RIZIN bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi. Rounding out the Grand Prix will be Juan Archuleta, James Gallagher, Raufeon Stots, Magomed Magomedov, Leandro Higo, and Patchy Mix. After his impressive win against Jared Scoggins, it was confirmed that Josh Hill will serve as an alternate.
Coker mentioned that stylistic matchups will be the deciding factor when the matchmaking team formats the brackets.
