The Bellator cage is set to host two nights of action this weekend as Bellator 294 and 295 go down from Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. There's plenty to get excited about over the two nights, from a flyweight title fight to the finals of the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix.
In the main event of Bellator 294 on Friday, Liz Carmouche will put her flyweight title on the line for the second time since winning the belt when she rematches DeAnna Bennett. It's the next step in the story of a longtime veteran who battled for years to become a champion for a major organization.
The two nights conclude with the finals of the Grand Prix, a fight where Raufeon Stots will put his interim bantamweight championship on the line against former world title challenger Patchy Mix. It's a fight with huge stakes both financially and for the legacy of both men.
With that in mind, let's take a look at three of the biggest storylines entering this doubleheader weekend.
Stots and Mix battle for fame, fortune and opportunity
Bantamweight may be the deepest division in mixed martial arts and Bellator's 135-pound division is representative of that depth. Mix and Stots have had to battle through two rounds of a tournament to arrive at the Grand Prix finals. They now meet with legacy, a tournament title, the $1 million prize and interim title on the line.
For Mix, the fight is also a chance to erase the sting of a loss in his first title opportunity, a September 2020 decision loss to Juan Archuleta for the then-vacant bantamweight title. Mix came out in that fight like a whirlwind of takedowns and submission attempts but faded badly after the opening two rounds, fatiguing and allowing Archuleta to take over the fight on the feet. That fight was a learning experience. Mix showed growth in the tournament's first round, winning a pivotal fifth round against former champion Kyoji Horiguchi to secure the decision.
Stots has a big and bold personality that could make him the face of the promotion. The Grand Prix has given Stots a chance to shine, scoring a highlight-reel knockout of Archuleta in the first round to win the interim belt and then having to grind out a win over trash-talking rival Danny Sabatello. Sabatello is the kind of fighter who makes it impossible to "look good" against him, but Stots did the key thing and got the win.
Not only does the winner secure all the prizes mentioned above, but they will be positioned to face the winner of the June 16 bantamweight title fight between champion Sergio Pettis and featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull. Stots vs. Mix is a massive fight that only serves to set up an even bigger fight.
Carmouche looks to extend her title reign
The story of Carmouche finally winning a major MMA championship was a feel-good one for longtime fans of the sport. Carmouche had failed to capture gold once in Strikeforce and twice in the UFC. Carmouche has been perfect in the Bellator cage, winning five fights, two of which were against Juliana Velasquez for the flyweight title. Now, she moves on to the first fresh challenger to her title and it's a familiar face.
Carmouche already defeated DeAnna Bennett in September 2020. That fight was the Bellator debut for both women and the loss was Bennett's third in a row. She has since rebounded with three straight wins, including Justine Kish (twice) and Alejandra Lara. Carmouche is an entirely different challenge than those women. Kish is 2-6 since 2017 and Lara is 2-6 since 2018.
Has Bennett turned her career around against some lower-tier opposition to where she's ready for Carmouche? Or will Carmouche further establish her dominance at the top of the division?
Redemption stories
When a fighter talks as much trash as Sabatello, suffering a loss to a rival can be devastating. Stots deserved the narrow decision over Sabatello, but Sabatello does have the bizarre 50-45 card turned in by judge Douglas Crosby in his favor. It's something to fall back on and claim he never "really" lost the fight. In his heart, he knows that winning is the most important thing going forward. The bantamweight title picture is very clear right now with Stots vs. Mix and Pettis vs. Pitbull. Sabatello needs to get back in the win column and keep winning if he wants to be there waiting when the dust settles. That starts Friday against Marcos Breno.
Aaron Pico also knows plenty about seeing hype come crashing down. Once believed to be arguably the best prospect in the history of the sport, Pico made his professional debut in Bellator only to suffer a loss in his first fight. He then lost his sixth and seventh fights. Starting in 2020, Pico seemed to have figured the game out and rattled off six consecutive wins, seemingly positioning himself within reach of a shot at the featherweight title. This past October, Pico faced off with Jeremy Kennedy only to suffer a dislocated shoulder in the first round, resulting in a TKO loss by doctor stoppage. Bad luck keeps finding Pico and now he has to get back on track Saturday when he faces James Gonzalez.
Both Sabatello and Pico will enter the cage as big favorites and both need to produce a result that justifies those odds. Failure to do so for either man is a disaster they may not be able to come back from.
