Get ready for the launch of @BellatorMMA
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 this Friday March 22nd! @KarisaMaxwell
breaks down everything you need to know about Bellator’s new home
in the US! Streaming exclusively on @SportsonMax
📝#BellatorBelfast
pic.twitter.com/lvjp8YJXr9— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA)
March 20, 2024
The
Professional Fighters League vowed to give Bellator
MMA a makeover, but the organization’s face remains the same —
just ask Eric Albarracin.
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“There will never be anybody to pass the Bellator GOAT because
we’re in a new home,” Albarracin said of Bellator featherweight
king Patricio
Freire during a Zoom conference Wednesday. “Patricio started
with MTV2 and then MTV, and then he was on the Spanish channel,
Spike, Paramount, Showtime; and now we’re debuting on Max. Patricio
has been a champion for all of that.”
The 36-year-old “Pitbull” will defend his title against Jeremy
Kennedy on Friday at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to
kick off the Bellator Championship Series era. A light heavyweight
title showdown between Corey
Anderson and hometown hero Karl Moore
headlines the 11-fight card.
Bellator 302 begins at 12:55 p.m. ET on Bellator’s new home,
Max, the streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
For Bellator veterans like Freire, Anderson and middleweight
contender Fabian
Edwards, Bellator 302 is a chance to get back to business while
enjoying a fresh start. Freire is Bellator’s most accomplished
fighter, but he’s on a two-fight skid that Kennedy hopes to
extend.
“I think his gas tank’s going to get pushed, and that’s where my
youth comes into it,” the 31-year-old said. I have the momentum.
He’s coming off two losses, and I’m coming off three wins. Every
fight’s different, but my confidence is there.”
Friere (35-7) is coming off one the worst years of his career.
After falling short of a third title against bantamweight champion
Sergio
Pettis in June, Friere was knocked out for the first time by
Chihiro
Suzuki a month later. Looking to bounce back, he trained to
fight PFL featherweight tournament winner Jesus
Pinedo at PFL vs. Bellator, made weight for Pinedo’s
replacement, Gabriel
Varga, and still didn’t get to fight.
Needless to say, Friere is eager to put his hands on someone.
“I have more to lose than to gain fighting Jeremy Kennedy because
my legacy is on the line,” Friere said. “I need to maintain that;
because of that, I’m not going to give him an inch.”
Friere isn’t the only fighter with legacy on their mind. Anderson
fell short of gold in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship and against former Bellator
light heavyweight king Vadim
Nemkov. With Nemkov’s move to heavyweight, Anderson believes
it’s his time to rule — even if that comes at the expense of the
pro-Moore Irish crowd.
“I don’t care if I win the crowd or not the plan is to go out there
and win,” Anderson said. “They can hate me. They can boo me or
whatever. They still have to come watch me if they want to support
their boy. They better hope for the best because I’m prepared to
stop the show.”
Anderson beat Phil Davis by
a split decision in his last bout but hopes to end Moore’s
four-fight win streak in swift fashion. Anderson has shared the
cage with top-tier guys like Nemkov, Glover
Teixeira and Jan
Blachowicz, so he’s not impressed by anything that Moore brings
to the table. The 32-year-old Irishman says he’ll use that to his
advantage.
“I think the fact that I’m not as well-known as Corey, and there’s
not as much footage on me as there is with him,” Moore said. “He’s
really tough and well-rounded, but I think stylistically what I
bring to the table can be a big problem for Corey.”
Moore has hometown support without the burden of huge expectations.
At 34, Anderson has been chasing the title for over a decade. He’s
put the losses behind him and reached heights that most fighters
will never touch but refuses to stop climbing until he claims a
world title.
“You’ve got to let it go, but you can’t forget,” Anderson said.
“There are no setbacks, they’re stepping stones. You can cry over
spilled milk all day, but it’s not going to pour you a bowl of
cereal.”
Edwards can relate to that message. It’s a tough road back to
another shot at the middleweight title, but it starts with a win
over Aaron
Jeffery. Edwards had to put a third-round knockout loss to
Johnny
Eblen behind him to prepare for the hard-hitting Canadian. He’s
chalked up the loss to the game and is ready to get back on
track.
“A fight’s a fight, and sometimes you’ve just got to take your
licks and move on,” Edwards said. “I’ve handed out many stoppages
to people and they’ve gone on to keep fighting. The last loss I
took on the chin because it’s the game we’re in, and a lot of
people have gotten stopped and gone on to do great things.”
Bellator 302 is headlined by a trio of veterans but loaded with
young Irish talent. Undefeated Ciaran Clakre (8-0) is on the card.
Nathan
Kelly puts his nine-fight win streak on the line and
fan-favorite Tim Wilde
battles undefeated Manoel
Sousa.