ANNOUNCEMENT:
The following action-filled bouts have been added to the
#Bellator288 main card:Advertisement
– 265lb5⃣@FortuneOverFam
(12-2) vs. @djames1981
(13-6-1)
– 145lb7⃣ @danielweichel
(42-13) vs. Akhmed Magomedov (9-0)
– 170lb🔟 @RomanFaraldo
(8-0) vs. @LevanChokheli2
(10-2)
— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR)
October 6, 2022
Bellator MMA is stuffing its lineup with
several ranked contenders and red-hot prospects into the Chicago
oven the week before Thanksgiving.
Prior to Thursday, the only two fights official for
Bellator 288 in Chicago at the Wintrust Arena were the
championship fights at 205 and 155 pounds. Per a press release sent
out by the organization on Thursday, the billing grew to 13 fights,
which include five on the main card, and all five of those include
at least one ranked competitor. Additionally, six competitors with
unbeaten records of 5-0 will be joining the fray.
The highest-billed bout added in the release comes at 145 pounds
between former title challenger Daniel
Weichel (42-13) and Akhmed
Magomedov (9-0, 1 NC). Weichel put himself on the map by
winning the 2014 Bellator tournament at featherweight, one that
eventually culminated with a failed championship outing against
Patricio
Freire. After that 2015 loss to “Pitbull,” Weichel strung
another win streak together and vied for the belt once more in
2018, but he fell short again by split decision. Since then, his
time with the promotion has been rocky, reaching the quarterfinals
of the featherweight world grand prix in 2020 but losing a
five-round effort to Emmanuel
Sanchez. Following that 2018 defeat to Freire, Weichel has
alternated wins and losses in his last six.
Dagestan’s Magomedov announced himself to Bellator in 2022 by
throttling Kevin Boehm
with a rear-naked choke in 76 seconds. Unbeaten as a professional
in 10 walks, Magomedov has either won by submission or decision,
without a stoppage due to strikes in the bunch. Prior to his
signing with Bellator, Magomedov worked his way up Brave Combat Federation, competing anywhere
from 145 to 170 pounds.
The main card will be rounded out by two more matchups, which come
at heavyweight between no. 5 Tyrell
Fortune (12-2, 1 NC) and ex-Absolute Championship Akhmat champ Daniel
James (13-6-1), and in the welterweight division when the
10th-ranked Roman
Faraldo (8-0) takes on Georgian knockout artist Levan
Chokheli (10-2, 1 NC).
Bellator 288 Lineup:
Vadim
Nemkov vs. Corey
Anderson – light heavyweight title and grand prix final
Patricky
Freire vs. Usman
Nurmagomedov – lightweight title
Daniel
Weichel vs. Akhmed
Magomedov – featherweight
Tyrell
Fortune vs. Daniel
James – heavyweight
Roman
Faraldo vs. Levan
Chokheli – welterweight
Otto
Rodrigues vs. Khasan
Askhabov – featherweight
Lucas
Brennan vs. Nick
Talavera – featherweight
ImamShafi
Aliev vs. Sean
Connor Fallon – middleweight
Archie
Colgan vs. Jesse
Hannam – lightweight
Jaylon
Bates vs. Jornel Lugo
– bantamweight
Jordan
Newman vs. Jayden
Taulker – middleweight
Isaiah
Hokit vs. Matias
Nader – featherweight
Vladimir
Gouvea vs. Kory
Moegenburg – heavyweight