MMA: Bellator in Milan: Piccolotti-Barnaoui then thirteen Italians: the guide

On Saturday at 5.30 pm at the Allianz Cloud in Milan, the spotlight will be on event number 287 of Bellator, the American promotion of MMA that returns to organize events in our country after the pandemic. The last one was held on October 3, 2020 but behind closed doors due to anti-Covid regulations. There will be 18 matches in the lineup that will involve 13 athletes from Italy or from the Italian school, further confirming Bellator’s confidence in the Italian MMA movement.

It is the only match of the evening on the distance of five rounds of five minutes. The peasant Piccolotti is a veteran of Bellator: that of Milan will be his fourteenth match in seven years in the promotion where he has so far collected 9 victories, 5 before the limit and all by strangulation. In short, he is a specialist in the fight. In his career he has lost before the limit only once but five years ago and against a great athlete like Goiti Yamauchi. Barnoui, on the other hand, is making his debut in the promotion. Known for his spectacular style, he has never lost before the edge and his last debacle dates back to nearly seven years ago. He comes from 7 consecutive victories before the limit. He is a complete athlete having obtained 6 knockouts and 12 submissions to date. In his last match he won the title in the Korean promotion Road at the first round. Previously he had already won the belt also in the prestigious Russian organization M-1 Challenge and in the British Bamma. In 2013 he also reached the judges’ verdict against the current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

British Edwards, 29, comes from a first-round knockout victory against an athlete who made MMA history, Lyoto Machida. A match that gave him a great boost after a couple of defeats by measuring points had interrupted a winning streak of 19 matches (between amateur and professional matches). Very aggressive athlete, he boasts 7 successes before the limit between the pros and 8 among the amateurs. “The implacable” Ward, on the other hand, lives up to his nickname by staying on the crest of the wave at 41, having started when he was already 34. In just three years, however, he arrived on the great stage of Bellator and has since won 7 matches. on 8, 5 before the limit. Due to his strong personality he is very popular among the fans of his Ireland and, as opposed to an Englishman, he will certainly rekindle the rivalry between the two nations.

Rogers (8 career strangulation victories) has been with Bellator since 2019 after winning The Ultimate Fighter 22 (the Ufc reality show) and also collecting successes in other important organizations, such as the British Cage Warriors and the Russian Aca. Wilde, after a career in the main English promotions, joined Bellator in 2019: one step to his debut, then two wins and an equal. He got half of his successes before the limit.

If Gonzales is nicknamed “the train”, he owes it to his impressive schedule. Between amateurs and professionals in 10 years he has played 23 matches, winning 22 (13 before the limit). His only defeat (on points) was against one of the most talented athletes in all of Bellator, Aaron Pico, who in that match for the first time in his career didn’t win before the limit. Fisher made his debut at Bellator in 2013 and hasn’t lost in more than five years. He also has experience in Cage Warriors and Aca. He can boast of 15 wins before the limit.

At just 29 years old, Daniele Scatizzi has already played 5 matches in Bellator, winning 3 (2 before the limit). The last meeting was last February in Dublin where he was defeated on points by Russian Vladimir Tokov, a pupil of the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, perhaps the greatest fighter ever. To relaunch he will have to beat the French hostile Davy Gallon. The transalpine in fact is for now at 3-0 in Bellator with 2 victories before the limit in the last 2 matches.

Undefeated Tajik Khamidov comes from wrestling and counts 6 wins before the limit. He fought in major Russian organizations and that’s where Bellator’s talent scouts noticed him. The Brazilian Tomè is a former Ufc, a pupil of the legendary Nogueira brothers, who achieved 31 out of 40 victories before the limit evenly divided between knockouts and submissions. He has won several titles in his country, the cradle of MMA, and fought in the ACA.

The knockout is in the air between these two athletes of the Italian school even if the Cameroonian Biyong left Genoa for Germany in 2021 after some uncomfortable declarations against Italy. He made his debut at Bellator in 2021 in the United States after hitting prestigious hits in Japan and South Africa. He comes from a victory last May in Paris. Zubco, a Moldovan at home in Alassio and a former world-class kickboxer, had already fought in Bellator in Milan in 2019, beating the very favorite Hesdy Gerges on points.

Match based on experience between two thirty-year-old athletes with about twenty matches each between professionals. Davis will be in his seventh fight in Bellator and is looking for revenge as, after winning the first 4 fights, he took a loss and then a draw. Gouti hasn’t lost since 2018 and made his Bellator debut with a points win last May in Paris.

Penco, also known as a model as well as an athlete, is the best talent of Italian female MMAs of recent years. After her success last May in London on the English Lanchana Green, the third in a row in Bellator, she will have to face compatriot Marconetto, who, however, is living her career in the British capital. In her last match last July she beat former Silver at the Amateur World Cup Danni McCormack, the last athlete to have defeated Penco in 2020.

Debut in Bellator for Cogliandro from Novara. Italian champion as an amateur and member of the national team, he has already had experience in international events in Great Britain, Korea and Arab countries. A year ago he moved to Sbg Ireland in Dublin, Conor McGregor’s gym. In Milan he will compete with a highly experienced athlete, the French Landu (17-9). The transalpine has been active since 2010 and in Bellator has so far obtained a defeat on points and 2 wins by knockout in the first round.

The 30-year-old Dutchman has for now 5 wins and one defeat in Bellator and in his career he has never lost before the limit. His opponent is 26 years old but already has considerable experience in the most important organizations in Russia.

Solli from Biella who trains at Conor McGregor’s Sbg Ireland will turn 25 on Saturday. In addition to fighting at home on his birthday, he will also be angered by the outcome of his last match. Last November he beat Welsh favorite Bobby Pallett on points. Two months later the athletic commission turned the verdict into no contest because the official timekeeper had made the last round last 36 seconds longer. In Milan he will face the French Camara, a complete athlete (2 knockouts and 2 career submissions) who made his debut in Bellator last May in Paris by knocking out his compatriot Victor Verchere in the first round.

Fusi will be in his third experience in Bellator after the two challenges with Walter Pugliesi that in 2018 and 2019 inflamed Italian fans in Genoa and Milan. The athlete from Erba, who also trains at Sbg Ireland, returns after a knee operation to replace Pugliesi against the unbeaten Englishman Steven Hill. The Brit will be making his debut in this promotion and shows a pro record of 5-0 with 3 knockouts and 2 submissions, as well as a 4-0 with 3 amateur finishes.

Trainer is 26 years old and will be in his fourth match in Bellator where he is currently at 2-1 with 2 knockouts. He lost his pro unbeaten last May on points against Simon Biyong. As an amateur he had instead accumulated a record of 7-1 with 5 wins before the limit. Alsina is from Buenos Aires and represents the Argentine school that has recently stood out with various young talents such as the Pfl champion Emiliano Sordi. He is in a 3-match winning streak, in his career he has won 7 out of 11 by knockout. He will be making his debut in Bellator.

Finalization in the air with the challenge between the Russian and the Bosnian. Popov has 8 knockouts and 3 submissions to his credit, has a 13-match winning streak and has won the last 7 fights before the limit. In his last match he knocked out the famous Antonio “Big Foot” Silva. Stojnić is an athlete who paid for having broken the stages at the beginning of his career. After only 6 pro matches he was in fact made his debut in the Ufc facing Cain Velasquez and Stefan Struve, collecting two defeats in the second round. But he then recovered: since then he hasn’t lost anymore (he’s in a 10 match winning streak) and he also took away the satisfaction of knocking out former Ufc champion Ricco Rodriguez. Combat Sambo master like Islam Makhacev, boasts 6 hits by knockout and 5 by finalization.

Peruvian Herrera is a 100% Italian athlete having started MMA in our country. He is a fighter who has recently also developed his own hitting skills. Iovine from Bergamo, a complete and already experienced athlete, will have his great opportunity to break through on the international stage.

Match between two athletes of the Italian school. Nacer comes from Erba and makes his professional debut after an unbeaten career among amateurs. Ba Pape comes from Genoa: ex karateka of international level could put his opponent in difficulty with his unconventional way of fighting.

Challenge between very young Italian talents to whom Bellator wanted to trust. Caiazza is 24 and made his pro debut last May with a first-round knockout. As an amateur he had instead won two Italian titles and participated in the 2021 Europeans. Bertinazzi, 23, is instead a former Greco-Romanist at national level. Andrea Minguzzi will be in his corner at the Imolese Olympic Gold Fight in Beijing 2008. As an amateur he was also the junior Italian champion of MMA.