All eyes in the MMA world will be on Belfast on Friday night, as Bellator Belfast could see another Irish fighter become champion.
In the main event, Karl Moore takes on the experienced Corey Anderson for the vacant light-heavyweight championship.
Moore, with a record of 12-2, has won his last four fights, with his last victory coming against Alex Polizzi last June.
Standing in his way of victory is Anderson, who previously fought for lost a decision for the title against Vadim Nemkov in November 2022, will be eager to finally get his hands on a title, having previously competed in the UFC.
In the co-main event, the featherweight title is on the line as fan favourite Patrico Pitbull defends his title against Jeremy Kennedy.
While Pitbull has lost his last two fights – a lightweight bout in Rizin and a decision to Sergio Pettis when he dropped to bantamweight – he will be eager to show he is still the top fighter at 145 pounds.
He faces a tough task in Kennedy, who is on a three-fight win streak, which includes wins over Pedro Carvalho and Aaron Pico.
Elsewhere in the card, there is a number-one contender clash in middleweight, as Fabian Edwards will be hoping for a happier trip to Ireland when he faces Aaron Jeffrey.
Edwards, the brother of UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, lost to Johnny Elben in Dublin at Bellator 299.
For Jeffrey, nine of his 14 wins have come via finish, and would set up a title shot with a win over Edwards.
Irish in action
It could be a big night for Irish MMA fighters, with some major fights in the SSE Arena.
In the featherweight division, James Gallagher jumps up in weight to face Leandro Higo.
Gallagher has won five out of his last six fights, with his last defeat coming in 2021 to current bantamweight champion Patchy Mix.
The Tyrone man will face another fighter who has several submission wins in Higo, as both attempt to put themselves in the title picture.
As one Irish fighter moves up in weight, Ciaran Clarke moves down to 135 pounds as he faces Darius Mafi.
Clarke, from Drogheda, is unbeaten with an 8-0 record, and has caught the eye of MMA fans with some impressive performances.
A win over Mafi, who has a 5-1 record, with all his wins coming from finishes, could be the start of a title run.
Another Irish fighter aiming to make a statement in the featherweight division is Nathan Kelly, who takes on Indian fighter Vikas Singh Ruhil.
Having been on an impressive win streak in PFL before the merge, Kelly comes into the bout on a nine-fight win streak, and has not lost since 2018.
Tickets are still available for the event in the SSE Arena, with live coverage on Virgin Media Extra and Virgin Media Three.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
