The second Bellator offering of the year lands on Saturday with Bellator 291, which takes place at 3Arena in Dublin, with a main card set to air on Showtime following prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.
The promotion’s undisputed welterweight champion will be decided in the main event. Current titleholder Yaroslav Amosov (26-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) will return from a layoff that included fighting in the war for his native Ukraine to take on interim champ Logan Storley (14-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA). The pair fought once before as contenders, with Amosov taking a split decision at Bellator 252 in November 2020.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 291.
Yaroslav Amosov vs. Logan Storley
Amosov returns to competition for the first time since June 11, 2021. The 624-day layoff is the longest of his nearly 11-year career.
Amosov is one of 10 fighters in Bellator history to win a title with an undefeated record.
Amosov has a 26-fight winning streak in MMA competition, which is the longest streak among active Bellator fighters.
Amosov’s 26-fight winning streak in MMA competition is longest among active fighters in Bellator, UFC, PFL or ONE Championship.
Amosov’s six-fight Bellator winning streak at welterweight is tied with Joey Davis for the longest active streak in the division.
Amosov has earned five of his seven Bellator victories by decision.
Storley is the only interim welterweight champion in Bellator history.
Peter Queally vs. Bryce Logan
Peter Queally (13-7 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2021.
Sinead Kavanagh vs. Janay Harding
Sinead Kavanagh (8-5 MMA, 5-5 BMMA) competes in her ninth Bellator women’s featherweight bout, the third-most appearances in divisional history behind Arlene Blencowe (13) and Julia Budd (10).
Kavanagh is 4-4 since she moved up to the Bellator women’s featherweight division.
Ciaran Clarke vs. Leonardo Sinis
Ciaran Clarke’s (6-0 MMA 6-0 BMMA) five-fight Bellator winning streak at featherweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Lucas Brennan (six).
Charle Ward vs. Mike Shipman
Charlie Ward (10-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) is 7-2 since he returned to the middleweight division in November 2017. He’s 9-2 overall in his career in the weight class.
Ward’s seven victories in Bellator middleweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Alexander Shlemenko (12) and John Salter (eight).
Norbert Novenyi Jr. vs. Andy Manzolo
Norbert Novenyi Jr. (6-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) returns to competition for the first time since Oct. 1, 2020. The 877-day layoff is the longest of his more than five-year career.
Novenyi Jr.’s four-fight Bellator winning streak at middleweight is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Johnny Eblen (nine), Dalton Rosta (six) and Joran Newman (four).
Gokhan Saricam vs. Oleg Popov
Gokhan Saricam’s (8-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) four-fight Bellator winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 291.
