After a couple of weeks off, Bellator MMA is back in action this Friday, May 7, as they bring a bantamweight title fight and continue on with their Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament. The main event of Bellator 258 will see defending bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta defend his title against former UFC contender Sergio Pettis, who is undefeated since making the switch to Bellator.
Read More: Juan Archuleta says title fight against Sergio Pettis will showcase the “future of MMA”
The co-main event took on a bit of a change late last week when it was announced that Yoel Romero was forced to withdraw from his opening round Light Heavyweight Grand Prix matchup against Anthony Johnson, who has found a new opponent. Johnson, a former UFC light heavyweight title challenger, will be making his promotional debut at Bellator 258 when he faces off against Jose “Gugu” Augusto. Bellator has said they plan to reschedule Johnson vs Romero in the future, but it is unlikely to happen during the tournament.
Read More: Yoel Romero out of fight against Anthony Johnson at Bellator 258
How to watch Bellator 258 prelims and main card
- The prelims for Bellator 258 will begin at 5:30 pm EST and can be found on a variety of channels including the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel, and Pluto TV.
- The main card for Bellator 258 begins at 9:00 pm EST on SHOWTIME
- Fight fans who have not yet subscribed to SHOWTIME can take advantage of an exclusive offer from Bellator MMA to get a subscription at a reduced price.
Bellator 258 fight card
Here is the complete Bellator 258 fight card in order which has been confirmed by the promotion.
MAIN CARD:
(C) Juan Archuleta vs Sergio Pettis- Bantamweight title fight
Anthony Johnson vs Jose “Gugu” Augusto- Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal
Patricky Pitbull vs Peter Queally
Michael “Venom” Page vs Derek Anderson
PRELIMINARY CARD:
Lorenz Larkin vs Rafael Carvalho
Bellator 258: Key fights
Juan Archuleta vs Sergio Pettis
The main event of this week’s event will feature two very talented fighters and the champion Archuleta said this fight will “showcase the future of MMA” speaking to the skillsets of both him and his opponent. After the belt became vacant in 2020, Archuleta defeated Patchy Mix by unanimous decision to claim the ttile. The fight against Pettis will be the first defense of his title, and the first title fight opportunity for Pettis.
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson vs Jose Augusto
Anthony Johnson returns to active competition after four years away, and now finds a new home with Bellator MMA. While his original opponent Yoel Romero was forced to withdraw due to medical clearance, Johnson still has an opportunity to move on in the Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix, where the champion Vadim Nemkov awaits the winner of this fight. Augusto comes in on short-notice but is undefeated since joining the Pitbull Brothers team, and could shake up the entire tournament with an upset win over Johnson.
Michael “Venom” Page vs Derek Anderson
This fight has been four years in the making with each side having to withdraw for separate reasons, but it is finally upon us. Contracted at 175-pounds, Page and Anderson are two of the top ranked welterweight contenders in Bellator. Page is known for his flashy and highlight reel finishes, while Anderson is a true scrapper who’s not afraid to get into a war with anyone. The winner of this fight will surely put themselves at the top of the 170-pound title contender list.
Patricky Pitbull vs Peter Queally
The second-ranked contender in the lightweight division is Patricky Pitbull, which is only worth noting because his brother, Patricio Pitbull is the champion inside the 155-pound division. With a win over Queally, which is no easy task, it’ll make for an interesting turn of events to see where Bellator and Patricio decide to turn with the lightweight division. Patricio is currently scheduled to defend his featherweight title against AJ McKee later this year, so if Patricky beats Queally, the decision to vacate the title could be a possibility.
Raufeon Stots vs Josh Hill
Read More: EXCLUSIVE: Raufeon Stots willing to fight anyone and everyone on journey to the top
A very important and intriguing matchup is the featured prelim of the event this week. Stots carries a 15-1 professional record and sits at fourth in the rankings while his opponent, Hill, sits at seven. Both fighters could not only make a statement to the division, but will have their eyes on the main event title fight later in the evening, and depending on how the winner performs, they could make a case to be in line for the next title fight, if not, a title eliminator later this year.
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