The Bellator cage stops off in Milan, Italy for the fifth of the organization’s six European Series events in 2019 as the Allianz Cloud gets set to stage a triple-card event, with the beautiful Italian city playing host to Bellator Europe 5, Bellator 230 and Bellator Kickboxing 12.
It promises to be a fights for Italian fans, and we’ve picked out four burning questions ahead of Saturday night’s event in Italy.
Will Yannick Bahati’s grappling snuff out Melvin Manhoef’s power?
Unless you’re incredibly new to the sport of MMA, there’s a fair chance you know what Melvin Manhoef brings to the table. Yannick Bahati's family and friends certainly do, and Bahati (9-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) told MMA Junkie they were “petrified” for him heading into the Bellator Europe 5 main event.
But Bahati, whose early years growing up in the Congo forced him to experiences some horrific times, has no issue with the Dutch knockout artist’s heavy hands, and says he has the antidote.
Now living and training in Birmingham, England, Bahati heads into the contest with the belief that his own striking could cause Manhoef (31-14-1 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) some problems. But his true key to victory lies on the mat, where “The Black Mamba” should hold a significant grappling advantage.
Like any fighter who steps into the cage to face Manhoef, task number 1 is to ensure the 43-year-old doesn’t find a home for his sledgehammer punches. If Bahati can negotiate that aspect of the fight, the opportunity may be there to take “No Mercy” to the canvas and take over.
If he can, the former BAMMA and EFC middleweight champion will have a major scalp on his record as he looks to make a serious dent in the Bellator light heavyweight division.
Will “Legionarius” score another home win?
We’re not sure if it’s written into his contract, but when you see Alessio Sakara’s name on a Bellator fight card, you know the event’s taking place on Italian soil.
Since joining the promotion back in 2016, “Legionarius” has fought five times inside the Bellator cage, with each appearance coming at an event held in his native land of Italy.
Bellator are back in Italy this weekend, and Sakara (19-13 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) is back in action, this time looking to bounce back from a devastating 70-second knockout at the hands of England’s Kent Kauppinen at Bellator 211 last December in Genoa.
Sakara faces Canaan Grigsby in Milan, with the American looking to pick up a win in his first fight since the summer of 2017.
Sakara has gone 2-2 in his last four fights, with each bout lasting no longer than 80 seconds, so don’t use this fight to take a bathroom break or head for the fridge. It might not last long. The question is, will Sakara be celebrating on home soil, or can Grigsby (8-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) spoil the party in Milan?
Can Rafael Carvalho mount a title challenge at 205?
After losing the Bellator middleweight title to Gegard Mousasi, then dropping a split decision to the debuting former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, Rafael Carvalho then missed weight ahead of his bounce-back victory over Chidi Njokuani.
That weekend prompted the Brazilian to take stock and make the decision to move up to 205 pounds, where he’ll take on dangerous in-form contender Vadim Nemkov in an acid test at light heavyweight in the main event of Bellator 230.
Nemkov (10-2 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will present an acid test for Carvalho’s light heavyweight title credentials, and the 27-year-old from Stary Oksol is riding a five-fight win streak, including victories over former Bellator 205-pound champions Liam McGeary and Phil Davis.
If Carvalho (16-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) can step up a weight class and hand the Russian his first defeat since 2016, he’ll propel himself straight into the title conversation at light heavyweight. But with Nemkov eyeing a title shot of his own, getting past the Combat Sambo specialist will be no mean feat.
One of them will finish the weekend perfectly poised to mount a title challenge. Will it be the former middleweight champ or the surging Russian contender?
Can kickboxing ace Hesdy Gerges claim his first MMA win in Milan?
Kickboxing fans will be well aware of Hesdy Gerges’ extensive resumé. The Dutch-Egyptian striker has shared the ring with a host of the world’s best heavyweight strikers, and holds wins over the likes of Badr Hari and Daniel Ghita.
Now, after racking up 50 wins and capturing the It’s Showtime Heavyweight Title as a kickboxer, Gerges (0-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) is downsizing the gloves and broadening his skillset as he embarks on a new career as a mixed martial artist.
He lost out on his MMA debut at Bellator 211, but will be looking to register his first MMA victory in Milan when he takes on Moldovan kickboxer and mixed martial artist Dragos Zubco.
Former GLORY competitor Zubco (2-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is looking to make a similar transition to MMA in Bellator and has two wins on his record from the regional scene over in Moldova, but now, stepping up to the global stage with Bellator, he’ll face a fellow striker in Gerges.
Don’t be surprised if this fight resembles a kickboxing matchup in four-ounce gloves. But which former kickboxer will end the night with his hand raised?
