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Two months ago, the best fans in the world helped propel BELLATOR MMA 285 to a record-breaking gate at Dublin’s 3Arena. Today, the Paramount-owned mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has announced a can’t-miss BELLATOR Welterweight World Championship unification bout as the main event of BELLATOR MMA 291 which is set to be held on February 25, 2023 and is slated to be aired live exclusively in the US on SHOWTIME starting at 4:00 pm ET/1:00 pm PT and worldwide via BELLATOR MMA's YouTube channel (February 26, 2023, Sunday, 4:00 am PHT/HKT/SGT).
Welterweight World Champion Yaroslav Amosov (26-0) returns to the BELLATOR cage after the heroic defense of his home country of Ukraine and is set for a rematch against interim titleist Logan Storley (14-1). Amosov is one of the top fighters in the world and currently holds the longest active unbeaten streak in all of MMA. Perfect through his first 26 professional fights, he is only three wins away from eclipsing retired MMA star Khabib Nurmagomedov’s record of 29 consecutive wins. Storley, a four-time NCAA D1 All-American wrestler at the University of Minnesota, will look to make the necessary adjustments to spoil Amosov’s entry into the history book and avenge his sole professional blemish when he dropped a tense split decision to the Ukrainian in November 2020. The 30-year-old Kill Cliff FC product is currently riding a three-fight winning streak. The co-main event of the evening will feature SBG Ireland’s own No. 3-ranked featherweight Pedro “The Game” Carvalho (13-6) of Portugal taking on No. 5-ranked Jeremy “JBC” Kennedy (18-3), a Canadian fighter who trains out of the acclaimed Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. With more than a year of steady trash talking escalating a feud that is ready to boil over, this is a must-watch grudge match. Also highlighting the SHOWTIME-televised main card is a female featherweight rematch pitting No. 3 featherweight Sinead “KO” Kavanagh (8-5) against New Zealand’s Janay “Hollowpoint” Harding (6-6).
In addition, hometown hero and No. 9-ranked lightweight Peter “The Showstopper” Queally (13-7-1) returns to action against Bryce Logan (12-7), plus undefeated rising Irish star Ciaran Clarke (5-0) welcomes Scotland’s Keir Harvie (5-2-1) to the BELLATOR cage for the first time in the featherweight division. Queally, is currently ranked ninth in BELLATOR’s loaded lightweight division and will look to galvanize the fighting Irish home crowd to help him bounce back from a main event decision to Benson Henderson at BELLATOR 285 in September. The MMA veteran has notched several notable wins in a glittering career, including a stunning win against former light weight champion Patricky “Pitbull” Freire via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) in May 2021. “The Showstopper” is renowned for his iconic walkout to The Cranberries’ “Zombie” – a moment which never fails to rouse the live audience, especially at the 3Arena. He will make his 22nd professional walk to the cage at BELLATOR 291, exactly 11 years to the day of his pro debut, and just six days after his 38th birthday. Queally faces American Bryce Logan, who makes his European debut. A former champion with Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA), The South Dakota native has won 12 of his 19 professional bouts to date. Currently riding a six-fight win streak, Ciaran Clarke has become one of the hottest prospects on the BELLATOR roster and is yet to taste defeat. The SBG Ireland fighter comes into the fight off the back of another hugely impressive comeback win against Rafael Hudson at BELLATOR 285 at the 3Arena. With another win at the iconic venue, the Drogheda native will be hoping to climb into the official featherweight rankings for the first time. Scotland’s Keir Harvie will be aiming to spoil the Irish party and hand Clarke his first defeat as he makes his BELLATOR MMA debut. The former Extreme Fighting Championship standout has won five of his eight professional bouts to date.
The event’s Eurocentric preliminary card to be streamed live worldwide on BELLATOR MMA's YouTube channel starting at 11:30 am ET/8:30 am PT (11:30 pm PHT/HKT/SGT) will spotlight several of Ireland’s favorite BELLATOR fighters as well as a host of top continental prospects and contenders. Two 2022 Submission of the Year contenders will square off as once-beaten SBG Ireland’s Luca Poclit (8-1) meets fellow unorthodox submission threat Oliver Enkamp (11-3) in a welterweight matchup. Also at 170 pounds, Italy’s Daniele Scatizzi (12-6) will face undefeated Ukrainian Dmytrii Hrytsenko (7-0). In other thrilling action, No. 9 light heavyweight Karl Moore (10-2) returns to the 3Arena following a dazzling performance against fellow top-10 ranked Karl Albrektsson to face Poland’s Maciej Róźański (14-3), while Wexford, Ireland’s Brian Moore (15-9) looks to similarly build off his BELLATOR 285 momentum when he welcomes Luca Iovine (18-8) to the BELLATOR cage. Additionally, a pair of fantastic featherweight fights will pit Richie Smullen (9-2-1) returning in a must-see matchup against Piotr Niedzielski (17-4), while French phenom Asaël Adjoudj (4-1) will squares off against scintillating Scotsman Calum Murrie (5-3). Meanwhile, a duo of middleweights from London Shootfighters will go to work as Mike Shipman (14-4) takes on SBG Ireland’s Charlie Ward (10-5), and hungry Hungarian Norbert Novenyi Jr. (5-0) will put his perfect record on the line against Andy Manzolo (26-9). On the other hand, newly signed BJJ Black Belt Jena Bishop (4-0) makes her BELLATOR debut in a female flyweight fight against Greece’s Elina Kallionidou (9-4). BELLATOR also recently confirmed a pair of undefeated featherweights out of Dublin will be returning for preliminary card action with Kenny Mokhonoana (3-0)going against Scotland’s Craig McIntosh (3-4) while Darragh Kelly (2-0) faces Dorval Jordan (2-2) out of France.
