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UFC 229 was a huge occasion for Mixed Martial Arts. Not only was Conor McGregor making his long-awaited return to the UFC, but it also looked as if for the first time that Khabib Nurmagomedov's winning streak and undefeated career record were at any sort of risk.
While the main event of the night went a completely different way from what had been hoped for by many fans of the 'Notorious' Conor McGregor, the event is now past. Ignoring all the drama playing out from the aftermath of the brawl after the main event, Bellator is set to host an equally dramatic weekend of Mixed Martial Arts.
With two back-to-back events planned, Bellator this weekend will have both Bellator 207 on Friday night, and Bellator 208 on Saturday night.
You can see all the drama you can expect from Bellator 207 right here.
Bellator 208 is set to be special on quite a different plain with the card that they have set up for the event. While the first semi-final of the Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Grand Prix is set to take place in the first event of the weekend between Matt Mitrione and Ryan Bader, the second event will be headlined by the second semi-final of the tournament, when Fedor Emelianenko takes on the ever-tough Chael Sonnen.
In the co-main event of the night, Benson Henderson takes on Saad Awad. While the fight pits Benson Henderson against someone of much lesser recognition in Saad Awad, that seems to be a theme of the night as a whole outside of the main event itself.
Undercard:
- Jennifer Chieng vs. Jessica Ruiz
- Shaquan Moore vs. David Meshkhoradze
- Jerome Mickle vs. Nick Fiore
- Zarrukh Adashev vs. Christian Medina
- Ryan Castro vs. Dennis Buzukja
- Mike Diorio vs. Drews Rodriguez
- Jeremy Puglia vs. Eric Olsen
- Frankie Buenafuente vs. James Gonzalez
- Suhrob Aidarbekov vs. Tommy Espinosa
- Robson Gracie vs. Jamal Pottinger
While prelims are no doubt exciting, the main card has five of the most awaited fights from this weekend's events.
#5. Henry Corrales vs. Andy Main
One of the fights which has been understated, with the pair being underestimated, Henry Corrales and Andy Main has the potential to be the fight that takes everyone by surprise.
Corrales is in the middle of a hot streak, with three of his fifteen wins coming consecutively to his name at the moment. At the other end of the spectrum is Andy Main, who is an experienced fighter in his own right, and is coming off a victory himself in his last fight.
#4. Cheick Kongo vs. Timothy Johnson
Cheick Kongo has done better than anyone expected him to of late. He has a six-fight undefeated streak going at the moment, having defeated the likes of Alexander Volkov and Augusto Sakai among others.
He seems sure to grind out a victory against just about everyone he comes face to face with at the moment, and for that reason, if there is one person who will need to be really well-versed if he is to stand a chance, it is Timothy Johnson. Johnson has only won three of his last six fights, a record he will try to improve with this fight.
#3. Alexander Shlemenko vs. Anatoly Tokov
Alexander Shlemenko has not looked like his old self for a long time heading into this fight with the up and coming Anatoly Tokov. With two recent losses, Shlemenko will need to do really well to evade another third loss when he faces Tokov.
On the other side of things, Tokov has had quite a run, with two huge wins to his name. Tokov will look to take advantage of Shlemenko's apparent loss of form to make his name in Bellator and become better known in the promotion.
#4. Ben Henderson vs. Saad Awad
A veteran of the company, Saad Awad is no stranger to tough fights. In the co-main event of the night, the veteran takes on Ben Henderson in a fight which is critical for both fighters.
Henderson's recent tenure in Bellator has been disappointing, to say the least, but if he is able to complete his rebound after a win in his last fight, it would be a giant leap in the right direction.
This could see the fight end up being one of the critical ones of the night, but a lot depends on what happens in the first round.
#5. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Chael Sonnen
If you are either Chael Sonnen or Fedor Emelianenko, then you have done it all at this point. There is very little to lose for either veteran.
In what will be his 47th professional fight, Sonnen will look to defeat the mystical Fedor Emelianenko, when he takes on the fighter at the semi-final of the Heavyweight Tournament.
Emelianenko is coming off a fight with Frank Mir, one that was long-awaited for over a decade, which he ended up winning. Now it is left to see what he will do when he faces Sonnen, and who will move into the Final of the tournament.
Who do you think will win in the main event? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
