'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Bellator 273 took place from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, last week as the promotion kicked off its 2022 event schedule. It was an eventful night as the the heavyweight championship was unified and homegrown fighters offered an opportunity to shine.
It was a much better night for the hometown heroes as they all came out victorious. This was a redemption of sorts, especially for Ryan Bader and Benson Henderson. Both fighters came out on the losing end the last time the promotion hosted an event at the Footprint Center.
There were many takeaways from this past Saturday’s event. Perha`ps leading the charge is the fact that following the main event, the promotion didn’t waste any time in finding the next contender.
After Bader was awarded the split decision win over Valentin Moldavsky, it was revealed that his next challenger will be Cheick Kongo. Not only is the bout a rematch, but it will serve as the headliner for the promotion’s return to Paris, France.
With that, along with a host of other results, the event certainly produced a host of talking points. In this list, we will look at the five biggest takeaways from Bellator 273.
#5. Former Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell is in a tough spot
Former Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell now finds himself in a tough spot after last weekend’s event. He headlined the prelim portion of the card against TUF: Latin America 2 winner Enrique Barzola. It was his third-straight loss and now puts his back against the wall in terms of options
‘El Fuerte’ finished ‘The Wolf’ with punches and elbows at 3:01 of the third round. The TKO win capped off an impressive debut for the UFC alum, which surely put the bantamweight division on notice.
‘The Wolf’ had moved back to bantamweight following his loss to A.J. McKee in the opening round of the Grand Prix. After losing back-to-back bantamweight bouts against Leandro Higo and Barzola, it’ll be interesting to see what the promotion does with Caldwell.
Perhaps his accomplishments in the promotion will lead to them giving him one more chance.
#4. Dalton Rosta is on the rise in Bellator’s middleweight division
Bellator 273 saw another stellar performance from Dalton Rosta. He was dominant once again as he earned a unanimous decision win over Duane Johnson.
‘Hercules’ imposed his will on ‘The Rock’ throughout the bout. He was able to take him down and maintain control on the ground. Not only was Rosta effective on the mat, but he also found success with his striking.
The third round saw more of a battle on the feet between the two, with ‘Hercules’ connecting with a nicely timed Superman punch. ‘The Rock’ was able to land a few combinations, but it wasn't enough to cause Rosta to panic.
With the win, Rosta remains unbeaten in his career and improved his MMA record to 6-0. ‘Hercules’ is now ranked No.7 in the middleweight rankings following his win and could be inching closer to a title shot.
#3. Chris Gonzalez rebounds impressively after first Bellator loss
Chris Gonzalez was another standout at Bellator 273. There were questions coming into the event regarding whether he’d be able to bounce back from his first professional loss. Not only did he answer those questions, but he made a strong argument that he can hang with the top 10.
‘The Lion’ made quick work of veteran Saad Awad. He landed a head-kick and swarmed ‘Assassin’ with a flurry of strikes before the referee stopped the fight. It took him 36 seconds to remind the rest of the lightweight division that he can do more than just wrestle.
Gonzalez called out former champion Peter Queally during his post-fight interview, which could be a bout the promotion considers. ‘The Showstopper’ is fighting Kane Mousah this month, so a bout against ‘The Lion’ could make sense depending on what transpires on that night.
#2. Former Bellator title challenger Benson Henderson still has fight left in him
Benson Henderson had a great showing in front of his hometown crowd at Bellator 273. The former UFC and WEC lightweight champion was on a three-fight losing streak heading into the event.
After his most recent unanimous decision loss to Brent Primus, many questioned whether ‘Smooth’ would be competing in his final fight. His opponent was Islam Mamedov, who is no easy fight by any means. The 32-year-old trains under coach Khabib Nurmagomedov and was unbeaten in his last 20 fights.
Henderson proved he still has plenty of fight left in him as he picked up a hard-fought split decision victory over Mamedov.
It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for ‘Smooth’ as it was the final bout on his contract and he will now enter free agency. He could choose to re-sign with the promotion and make another title run, test free agency or retire with the win.
#1. Ryan Bader retains his Bellator heavyweight championship to get one up on FedorTeam
Bellator 273 saw Ryan Bader unify the heavyweight championship after defeating interim champion Valentin Moldavsky by unanimous decision. ‘Darth’ vs. FedorTeam has unintentionally become one of the biggest rivalries in the promotion.
The rivalry began when Bader defeated FedorTeam leader Fedor Emelianenko in the finals of the heavyweight Grand Prix in 2019. He beat ‘The Last Emperor’ by knockout after just 36 seconds to win the vacant heavyweight championship.
In 2020, Emelianenko’s protege Vadim Nemkov finished Bader in the second round to become the light heavyweight champion. That was a big win as ‘Darth’ was unbeaten in eight fights and had been on a role since joining the promotion at the time.
Last weekend, Bader took advantage of his opportunity to get revenge on FedorTeam by defeating Moldavsky. It wasn't a slugfest by any means, but both had to be very strategic. They each had their moments throughout the bout, but it was Bader who got his hand raised.
