Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Justin Barrasso

Mads Burnell Aims to Earn Title Shot With Win at Bellator 276

Mads Burnell steps into the cage Saturday for his first-ever Bellator main event, headlining Bellator 276 against Ádám Borics in a bout to determine the No. 2 ranking in the featherweight division.

“It’s kind of annoying to me,” Burnell said. “I’ve won two times since Adam last fought, so how can he be No. 2? But it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is the C for champion next to your name.”

The reigning featherweight champion is A.J. McKee, and he represents the opponent Burnell (16-3) is striving to meet. Victorious in his past seven bouts, Burnell can win in a variety of ways–his last three fights saw him seize victory via TKO, a rear-naked choke, which is the same hold that cost Borics (17-1) when he lost to Darrion Caldwell, and most recently, unanimous decision.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.