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Bellator MMA

Adam Piccolotti and Mansour Barnaoui are determined to prove their worth at Bellator 287. In advance of a Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix expected to take place next year, Piccolotti and Barnaoui intend to stand out as worthy contenders in Milan, Italy on Saturday.

Piccolotti (13-4) is deadset on making 2022 his year. The American Kickboxing Academy fighter missed out on all of 2021 due to injuries and other dilemmas, pulling out of two scheduled fights. He made a comeback in February of this year and checked Georgi Karakhanyan off the list with a unanimous decision victory. Looking ahead, Piccolotti is determined to prove that he deserves a spot in Bellator president Scott Coker's planned tournament at 155 pounds and that previous split decision losses to Sidney Outlaw and Benson Henderson were flukes.

"2021 was tough," Piccolotti said at the Bellator 287 media day. "I had a lot of things happen to me with injuries and things outside of my control, and I had to take some time off. I'm happy to get two fights in this year, and the fact that I'm fighting the main event in Italy, it's the cherry on top.

"I don't think I should be an alternate, I think I should be in there. I think I'm a very good candidate to be in the tournament... Those splits were B.S., everyone knows it. Every fight's very important. I'm going to go out there and do everything I can to get my hand raised."

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Barnaoui (19-4) makes his Bellator debut with a decent amount of buzz for a debutant despite a three-year hiatus. The Tunisia-born, French fighter ranks among the most interesting lightweight prospects not signed to a major organization. He makes his Bellator debut on a seven-fight winning streak and has generally only fallen short in decision fights against the likes of Islam Makhachev, Mateusz Gamrot and Kevin Lee. A tournament specialist: Barnaoui started his career fighting in one-night tournaments and recently emerged as the winner of Road FC's $1 million tourney.

"I'm very happy because, after three years, I found a very good and big promotion. I'm very happy to be there," Barnaoui said. "I didn't know that I would be in the main event, but I was sure that I would be against a very good fighter.
 
"I really would like to be inside the tournament. I'm going to take it step-by-step with Piccolotti and then we will see about the tournament. For all the fighters in my weight category, be there and wait, because I'm here, and I'm coming."

Saturday's co-main event features a top contender and a fan favorite. No. 2 ranked middleweight Fabian Edwards -- brother of UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards -- and Ireland's Charlie Ward are set to collide. Edwards turned the corner in May, bouncing back from a pair of decision losses by knocking out Lyoto Machida inside of one round. Ward is on a three-fight winning streak and is 7-1 overall inside the Bellator cage.

"It was very important, I went undefeated for a long while, and to go defeated back to back, It meant a lot to get a win over a legend… I definitely think you are [going to see the best version of me]," Edwards said at media day. "I learned from [my losses], and I proved I came out stronger. Saturday, you'll definitely see the best version of myself. Stronger, and more mature.

"It's massive to me. There's a lot of guys on the card that have been doing this longer than me, so for me to come in and make a splash, I love the support."

The undercard also sees the return of Saul Rogers when he takes on Tim Wilde at lightweight. Rogers, 32, has alternated wins and losses in his last six fights dating back to 2017. He's coming off a decision win over Karakhanyan in September 2021. Wilde, meanwhile, is 2-1-1 in his four appearances with Bellator. He fought Alfie Davis to a draw in his most recent outing in May.

"That's what I need to be doing. When I was up and down with the wins and losses, going back to that confidence, it's like, I was just so disappointed in myself because I had so much more to give," Rogers said at media day. "I feel like I'm in a weight class that's much more comfortable for my body; I feel like my chin's much stronger. I feel like I'm in a weight class where I can dominate."

Here's the fight card for Bellator 287 with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook.

Bellator 287 card, odds

Favorite
Underdog
Weightclass
Mansour Barnaoui -150 Adam PIccolotti +125 Lightweight
Fabian Edwards -550
Charlie Ward +400
Middleweight
Saul Rogers -400
Tim Wilde +310
Lightweight
Justin Gonzalez -280
Andrew Fisher +230
Featherweight

Bellator 287 viewing information

Date: Oct. 29 | Start time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Allianz Cloud Arena -- Milan, Italy
TV channel: Showtime

Prediction

Adam Piccolotti vs. Mansour Barnaoui: It is hard to gauge what a fighter will look like following a long hiatus. Barnaoui arrives at Bellator with a solid winning streak, but one that has not been updated in three years. He has a killer instinct and a proven ability to end fights early by knockout or submission. Some suggest Barnaoui will take the decision, but he has lost almost every fight that has gone the distance. Piccolotti is inconsistent at times but has only been finished once in 17 professional fights. He has enough submission prowess to fend off Barnaoui and has repeatedly shown an ability to win fights over the course of 15 minutes. People may put stock in Barnaoui's fights against Makhachev, Gamrot and Lee. Going the distance with those three fighters is certainly impressive, but it bears mentioning that the Makhachev and Lee fights were approximately 10 years ago. That speaks more to Barnaoui's athleticism and fundamentals than his world championship upside. Piccolotti is a tough out and has only lost to three fighters currently ranked in the Bellator top six and one former title challenger. Picolottia via UD.