Bellator MMA will be holding its first ever double header event this weekend, and everything kicks off with Bellator 166 on Friday Night. This event will be headlined by a bantamweight title rematch as Eduardo Dantas defends against Joe Warren. Also, AJ McKee faces Ray Wood and former bantamweight champion Marcos Galvao is in action as well on Friday Night.
Main Card
Main Event
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Fight
Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (18-4-0) (Champion) vs. Joe Warren (14-5-0)
Dantas will be making the first defense of his title, but this is his second reign, he defeated Marcos Galvao at Bellator 156 to regain the gold. Warren defeated Dantas in their first meeting at Bellator 128, but he would lose the bantamweight title to Marcos Galvao in his first defense. During his five year run in Bellator MMA, Dantas has defeated a trio of UFC veterans in Marcos Galvao, Zach Makovsky and Wilson Reis. Warren is also a former Bellator MMA Featherweight Champion and he is the only fighter in Bellator MMA to hold two belts in two weight divisions.
Prediction: Dantas was a wild striker in his first fight with Warren and that lead to him being on his back for the majority of the fight, Dantas is a smarter striker now and he picks apart Warren with strikes to get a decision win.
Co-Main Event
Bellator MMA Featherweight Division Fight
AJ “Mercenary” McKee (5-0-0) vs. Ray “All Business” Wood (7-2-0)
McKee has spent his entire professional MMA career in Bellator MMA, last defeating Cody Walker by submission at Bellator 160. Wood has won just one of two fights under the Bellator MMA banner, defeating Chris Jones and suffering a defeat to Adam Piccolotti. McKee has yet to see any of his professional MMA fights go past the first round, his longest fight barely went over three minutes. Wood previously challenged for the New England Fights Featherweight Title, but he came up short in that conquest.
Prediction: Wood enters this fight as a last minute replacement, McKee quickly drags him to the ground and submits him in the first round.
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Division Fight
LC Davis (23-7-0) vs. Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-7-1)
Davis has won three of four under the Bellator MMA banner, defeating Taureen Bogguess, Zeilton Rodrigues and Hideo Tokoro, while suffering a defeat to Joe Warren. Galvao will be competing for the first time since losing the bantamweight title to Eduardo Dantas at Bellator 156. Davis also challenged for the Victory FC Bantamweight Title, but he came up short to Ryan Roberts at Victory FC 41. Galvao won the bantamweight title by defeating Joe Warren at Bellator 135, it was the lone title Galvao has won during his career.
Prediction: Galvao has a great submission game, but Davis is great at using his wrestling and controlling fighters on the ground, Davis grinds out a decision win here.
Bellator MMA Middleweight Division Fight
Chris “The Cutt” Honeycutt (8-1-0-1NC) vs. Ben “The Hunter” Reiter (17-1-1)
Honeycutt will enter the fight riding a two fight winning streak and his lone loss as a pro came to UFC veteran Paul Bradley at Bellator 148. Reiter has won three of four fights under the Bellator MMA banner, most notably defeating Strikeforce veteran Benji Radach at Bellator 137. Honeycutt is a former Up & Comers MMA Middleweight Champion, he defeated Manny Murillo to win the belt in 2013. Reiter is a longtime veteran of the Inka FC promotion, where he earned ten of his professional MMA wins at.
Prediction: Honeycutt is going to want to engage in a slugfest with Reiter, but Reiter scores takedowns as the fight goes on, then uses his ground and pound to get a decision win.
Preliminary Card Quick Picks
Chris Jones over Derrick Adkins
Emiliano Sordi over Gregory Babene
John King over Kinny Spotwood
Treston Thomison over Dawond Pickney
