Bellator 299: What fans can look forward to at Dublin's MMA event
Michael Bolton
The 3Arena is the venue for MMA this weekend as Bellator 299 goes down this Saturday in Dublin.
Dublin has been a successful location for Bellator and this weekend the middleweight title is on the line as Johnny Eblen defends his belt against Fabian Edwards.
With a 13-0 record, Eblen has grown from strength to strength, having held the title since defeating Gegard Mousasi in June 2022. His last title defence saw him earn a unanimous decision victory over Anatoly Tokov in February.
He trains alongside some of the best in the game, including UFC lightweight fighter Dustin Poirier at American Top Team.
Standing in his way is Fabian Edwards, the brother of current UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
Edwards goes into this fight with a three-fight win streak, which includes wins over Mousasi, Ireland's Charles Ward and a first round knockout over Lyoto Machida.
Outside the main event, the co-main will see fan favourite Pedro Carvalho take on Aaron Pico in the featherweight division.
Carvalho, who is from Portugal but trains with John Kavanagh at SBG in Dublin, comes into the fight in mixed form, with two wins and three losses from his last five outings.
He will be up against it when he faces Pico, who only has one defeat in his last eight fights, which was a shoulder injury against Jeremy Kennedy.
A win over Carvalho could line him up for a title shot against Patrico Pitbull.
For the Irish fans, Sinead Kavaagh will be aiming to get a step closer to another title shot when she takes on Sara Collins.
Since losing to Cris Cyborg in 2021, Kavanagh has won her last two fights with victories over Leah McCourt and Janay Harding. Another victory for her could earn a rematch with Cyborg.
In the welterweight division, Darragh Kelly will be opening the main card and will be hoping to continue his unbeaten record when he takes on Jelle Zeegers. Kelly comes into the fight with 4-0 record, including three finishes.
In the prelims, Peter Queally will be the feature fight as he takes on Daniele Miceli. After three defeats in a row, which included a title fight to Patricky Pitbull and losing a decision to former UFC champion Benson Henderson, Queally will hope a home crowd can get him back on track on Saturday.
Elsewhere in the prelims, featherweight Brian Moore will be aiming to increase his win streak to three in a row when he faces Otto Rodrigues, while another Irish fighter to watch is Kenny Mokhonoana.
Mokhonoana has grabbed fans' attention with two finishes in his first two fights in Bellator, and faces fellow unbeaten fighter Josh O'Connor.
Tickets are still available for the event, with live coverage on Virgin Media Two from 4pm.