FULL FIGHT CARD ANNOUNCED FOR MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN NYC THIS FRIDAY – AIRING EXCLUSIVELY ON DAZN
NEW YORK –The line-up for the highly anticipatedBellator 222: MacDonald vs. Gracie kev tshwm simhas been completed with two title fights and 18 electric bouts in total filling out Bellator’s return to Madison Square Garden this Friday, Lub rau hli ntuj 14 – only onDAZN. The star-studded card is headlined by a double main event that will see a Welterweight World Grand Prix semi-final matchup between current Bellator welterweight world championRory MacDonald (20-5-1) defending his title against the unbeaten Renzo Gracie-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black beltNeiman Gracie (9-0), as well as two of the sport’s biggest names inLyoto Machida (25-8) thiab Chael Sonnen (31-16-1) finally meeting after years of parallel careers in the MMA world.
The main card ofBellator 222 will stream live exclusively onDAZN ntawm 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, while preliminary action begins at 6:30 p.m. EST/3:30 p.m. PST and will also stream onDAZNor globally on the Bellator Mobile App.
The DAZN-streamed main card also featuresDarrion Caldwell (13-2) defending his Bellator bantamweight world title against Rizin Fighting Federation’s bantamweight championKyoji Horiguchi (27-2) in a true “champion vs. champion” matchup, following a Horiguchi submission victory when the two met in Rizin’s ring this past December in Japan, as well as a 175-pound catchweight contest between polarizing grappling aceDillon Danis (1-0) and Max Humphrey (3-2). Tsis tas li ntawd, fans will see an intriguing featherweight bout featuring former Bellator 135-pound championEduardo Dantas (21-6) making the leap to 145-pounds in an attempt to handJuan Archuleta (21-1) the first loss of his Bellator career, thaum lub sij hawm Ricky Bandejas (11-2) welcomes unbeatenPatrick Mix (10-0) ntawm bantamweight.
Preliminary action forBellator 222 is also must-see andfeatures many of Bellator’s rising stars. Those who tune in will see bouts highlighted byAaron Pico (4-2) tiv tiag Adam Borics (12-0) at 145-pounds, as well as a second inter-promotional contest pittingRenaof Rizin (8-2) tiv thaiv Lindsay VanZandt (5-1) in a 112-pound catchweight fight. Bellator 222will also see the return of “The Heat” to MSG, when world champion boxerHeather Hardy (2-1) ntsej muag Taylor Turner (3-5) at flyweight. Familiar faces inMike Kimbel (2-1), Robson Gracie Jr. (1-0) thiab Haim Gozali (10-6) will all also compete, while formerQhov kawg Fighter muab kev koom tes Phil Hawes (4-2) will make his promotional debut. Lastly, it was recently announced that undefeated Taekwondo MasterValerie Loureda (1-0) will make her sophomore appearance when she welcomesLarkyn Dasch (0-1) to the Bellator cage on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
Bellator 222 Main Card:
Welterweight World Grand Prix Semifinal Title Bout: Rory MacDonald (20-5-1) vs. Neiman Gracie (9-0)
