Bellator is set to continue their series of events from the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy on Thursday with Bellator 247.
The 11-fight card has seen numerous bouts drop off the lineup, with the latest scratch being its main event between Paul Daley and Derek Anderson. The card now has a three-round headliner between Denise Kielhotz and Kate Jackson scheduled. Here’s a preview of the event.
Click here to skip to a preview of the main card.
Preliminary Card (1:00PM EDT / 7:00PM CEST) (Youtube)
Bout 1: Jade Jorand (0-0) vs. Monika Chochlikova (0-0) (Atomweight)
The preliminary card will include a double MMA debut as Jade Jorand will face Monika Chochlikova. Jorand has competed in Bellator’s Kickboxing promotion, picking up a win over Silvia La Notte last October in the organization.
The atomweight division is one that rarely sees fights in Bellator MMA. Bellator’s website only has one atomweight in their database, that being Jorand. The two biggest supporters of the weight class are Invicta FC and RIZIN, who often share fighters to book fights.
Bout 2: Blaine O’Driscoll (8-3) vs. Salah Elkas (6-6) (Flyweight)
Aiming to build off his first Bellator win, Blaine O’Driscoll will fight Salah Elkas on the prelims. O’Driscoll earned his first Bellator win last February, stopping Ezzoubair Bouarsa in the first round. He now fights Elkas, who will have his first Bellator bout. Elkas last competed in 2015, losing to Yoni Sherbatov.
Bout 3: Lee Chadwick (25-15-1) vs. Ederson Cristian Macedo (10-5) (Light Heavyweight)
Former Cage Warriors Light Heavyweight Champion and veteran of the sport Lee Chadwick will be matched with Ederson Cristian Macedo on Thursday. Chadwick has competed three times in Bellator, although two of those appearances have been losses. His last fight was in September of 2019, dropping a bout to Karl Moore.
Macedo’s last fight was a win, stopping Kevin Diaz in the first round with a kimura. The win came in February of 2019.
Bout 4: Kywan Gracie (1-0) vs. Constantin Gnusariov (3-0-1) (Welterweight)
Kywam Gracie will make his Bellator debut on the prelims when he faces Constantin Gnusariov. Gracie made his MMA debut in 2019, defeating Jake Watkins within a round. Gnusariov has competed in Bellator twice, with the latter of the appearances being a win over Ian Coughlan.
Bout 5: Walter Gahadza (18-5) vs. Uros Jurisic (10-0) (Welterweight)
Undefeated fighter Uros Jurisic will be given his first Bellator test on Thursday when he faces Walter Gahadza. Jurisic has won 10 bouts since his pro debut in 2012. Jurisic fought in Titan FC three times, claiming the promotion’s welterweight belt in this third appearance.
Gahadza returns for his fifth Bellator fight. He lost both of his 2019 bouts, being finished with a rear naked choke by both Oliver Enkamp and Lewis Long.
Bout 6: Mandy Bohm (6-0) vs. Griet Eeckhout (5-3-1) (Flyweight)
German prospect Mandy Bohm is matched with Griet Eeckhout for the prelims. Bohm won her first five bouts on the regional scene in Germany. She claimed her first belt in 2019, defeating Jade Masson-Wong to become the TKO Flyweight Champion. She will face Eeckhout, who has more experience in her career. Eeckhout has won her last two bouts, with the first of the two ending a three-fight losing streak she previously held.
Bout 7: Lewis Long (17-6) vs. Gianni Melillo (13-5) (Welterweight)
Having both lost in their last Bellator fight, Lewis Long and Gianni Melillo will face each other on Thursday. Long had his second Bellator fight in February, being stopped in the first round by Oliver Enkamp via spinning backfist. Three months prior, Long won his promotional debut against Gahadza.
Melillo made his Bellator debut in 2019, being matched with Michael “Venom” Page. The fight ended quickly, with Page stopping Melillo in the second minute with strikes.
Main Card (4:00PM EDT / 10:00PM CEST) (CBS Sports Network)
Bout 8: Chris Duncan (6-0) vs. Iamik Furtado (6-3) (Catchweight 160 lbs)
Bellator will make their live debut on the CBS Sports Network with a four-fight main card. Kicking off that four-fight collection is undefeated Scottish fighter Chris Duncan going up against Iamik Furtado.
The fight will take place at a catchweight of 160-pounds.
Duncan made his return to Bellator last February, defeating Mateusz Piskorz at a similar catchweight. Duncan finished Piskorz, who had nearly four times as much experience as him, in the second round.
Furtado lost his Bellator debut on that same card, dropping a split decision to Kiefer Crosbie.
Bout 9: Brian Moore (12-7) vs. Simone D’Anna (7-2) (Featherweight)
Returning to the Bellator cage, Simone D’Anna will fight Brian Moore on Thursday.
D’Anna lost his Bellator debut in 2018, being stopped in six seconds by Michele Martignoni. He has since returned to the regional scene and put together three-straight wins.
His seventh appearance for Bellator, Moore will try for his fourth win in the promotion. He has flipped between winning and losing since his 2016 debut in Bellator. A win on Thursday would start a two-fight streak of wins, something he hasn’t attained since 2016.
Bout 10: Norbert Novenyi Jr. (4-0) vs. Laid Zerhouni (7-5) (Middleweight)
Successful through his first three fights in Bellator, Norbert Novenyi Jr. will compete again when he fights Laid Zerhouni in the co-main event of the card. Novenyi Jr. has had a short yet perfect Bellator career, with three wins from 2018 to 2019. His last fight was a year ago, defeating Will Fleury.
Zerhouni, the more experienced of the two, will have his first fight under the Bellator banner. He won last December, stopping Souhaib Dahmani in the first round with a rear naked choke.
Bout 11: Denise Kielholtz (5-2) vs. Kate Jackson (11-4-1) (Flyweight)
The previously scheduled co-main event between Denise Kielholtz and Kate Jackson is now under the headlining spotlight. The fight is Jackson’s return to action following a title shot against Ilima-Lei Macfarlane last December which resulted in a loss.
Jackson, a former competitor on “The Ultimate Fighter,” has three wins in Bellator through her five appearances.
She now faces Kielholtz, a Bellator Kickboxing Champion and six-fight MMA competitor in the promotion. Kielholtz is on a three-fight streak of wins, having defeated Bryony Tyrell, Sabriye Sengul and Kristine Williams on a run from 2019 to 2020. She looks to extend it to four on Thursday.
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