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In between a big event from the One FC promotion and the new crowning of a welterweight champion at UFC 171 will be the third season ten event for the Bellator Fighting Championships. This particular event will be the rubber match between featherweight champion Daniel Straus and Pat Curran. The preliminary card is filled with seven fights as well, with a welterweight tournament opening round bout and the brother of a UFC veteran in action.
Kicking off the action is a heavyweight division battle as Erick Correa (2-0-0) competes against Daniel “The Predator†James (0-0-0). Correa has spent his entire career until this point in the Xtreme Fighting Organization, last defeating Wes Anderson at XFO 49. James will be making his professional MMA debut in this fight and he did go undefeated as an amateur. Correa has looked very good at this early stage of his career and he will continue to look good when he defeats James.
A pair of light heavyweights will collide next as Jason Guida (19-27-0-2NC) is in action against Anthony Gomez (7-2-0). Guida has won just one of his last six bouts and he is returning to action after a two-plus year layoff from competition. Gomez has won two of three under the Bellator banner, with that lone loss coming to UFC veteran Travis Wiuff. Guida is only on this card because he is the brother of UFC veteran Clay Guida, that is all he has going for him and Gomez will dominate him to get the win.
Lightweight division action will be happening next as Derek Loffer (6-2-0) does battle against Bobby “The Believer†Reardanz (8-12-0). Loffer is currently winless in Bellator competition, having dropped a fight to Cliff Wright at Bellator 104. Reardanz has only won two of his last nine pro bouts and he will be returning to action after being away for more than a year. Loffer may have stumbled in his Bellator debut, but he will get back on track when he defeats Reardanz to get that first promotional win.
We move to the featherweight division for the next bout as Darrion “The Wolf†Caldwell (3-0-0) will duke it out with Lance Surma (2-0-0). Caldwell has spent his entire career in the Legacy Fighting Championships until this point, with a notable win coming over Quaint Kempf. Surma is returning to competition after being away for more than a year and he has spent his whole career in the Hoosier Fight Club promotion. This is an intriguing battle of the undefeated on this card, but it will be Caldwell staying undefeated in the end.
The bantamweight division will be featured next as Lloyd Carter (5-5-0) takes on Diego Marlon (24-8-0). Carter will be competing for the first time in over a year and he is a longtime veteran of the Hoosier Fight Club promotion. Marlon will enter the fight riding a four fight winning streak, with his last loss coming to Bellator veteran Goiti Yamauchi. Carter is badly mismatched in this one and it will be Marlon winning his fifth straight bout when this one is over.
Up next is a welterweight division affair as AJ Matthews (6-2-0) stands across the cage from Belal Muhammad (4-0-0). Matthews has won two of three fights under the Bellator banner, which includes a win over Strikeforce veteran Rudy Bears. Muhammad is returning to Bellator after being away from the promotion for more than a year, last defeating Quinton McCottrell at Bellator 84. These are two of the better up and coming talents in Bellator right now, but it will be Matthews ending the undefeated streak.
Headlining this portion of the card is a welterweight tournament opening round bout as Paul “The Gentleman†Bradley (21-5-0-1NC) faces Nathan “Soulface†Coy (13-4-0). Bradley is a UFC veteran who is undefeated in Bellator competition, having defeated Karl Amoussou at Bellator 104. Coy will enter the tournament riding a five fight winning streak, with a key win coming over Dhiego Lima at Maximum Fighting Championships 32. These are two fighters who were thrown into the tournament on a weeks notice, but it will be Bradley advancing to the next round.
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