It all goes down TONIGHT (Sat., Feb. 16, 2019) at Bellator 216: “MVP vs. Semtex” from inside Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., as bitter Welterweight rivals finally collide when Michael “Venom” Page (13-0) meets fellow English fighter Paul “Semtex” Daley (40-16-2).
Before both men try to settle a grudge years in the making via the Welterweight Grand Prix, two exciting Heavyweight rematches are on deck. “Big Country” Roy Nelson will meet the jacked and stacked Mirko Cro Cop, who hopes to extend a four-year win streak while avenging a previous loss. Cheick Kongo will also look to keep his seven fight streak in tact, but that will be tough sledding against the undefeated Vitaly Minakov, who beat him in their last fight before being stripped of Bellator’s Heavyweight title. Promotional newcomer Erick Silva will bring a history of win bonuses in UFC against Yaroslav Amosov, who is himself undefeated and finishes 85 percent of his fights.
What’s Hot:
You can’t go wrong with Heavyweights in mixed martial arts (MMA) — unless of course they’re fighting at altitude. There’s every reason to believe both Bellator 216 rematches will be fun going in. Cheick Kongo has reinvented himself at 43 years old and shed the “boring” tag by scoring first round knockouts in his last two fights. Minakov is undefeated with reason though, scoring 12 knockouts and seven submissions — only going to the judges twice. Fan favorite Roy Nelson has every reason to think he can stop Cro Cop again since he’s done it once before, but Cro Cop has torn through his opposition in Japan like tissue paper in his last six fights. This is not Saitama Super Arena, though — it’s the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Of course, the grudge match of “MVP vs. Semtex” is what everyone is coming to see. Michael Page is a flashy fighter with highlight-reel finishes and a quiet — yet somewhat cocky — air of confidence. The elder statesman Paul Daley is having none of it, trashing “Mikey” at every turn and promising to shut him up with a punch so hard he’ll have his jaw fractured (and wired shut for good measure). It’s not an idle threat — 75 percent of Daley’s wins (30 of 40) come via knockout, and that’s not even including his finishes in other combat sports outside MMA. Will “Venom” sting his foe or will “Semtex” be as explosive as promised? Seven-time UFC fight bonus winner Erick Silva could be just as deadly against Yaroslav Amosov as well.
What’s Not:
There’s absolutely no good reason for Valerie Loureda and Colby Fletcher to be on the main card of a DAZN-exclusive event. Loureda has not even had a professional bout before Saturday and her opponent has a sub-par 1-2 record. Bellator MMA clearly knows something the rest of us do not. It would have made far more sense to put undefeated prospect Tyrell Fortune (5-0) and his opponent Ryan Pokryfky (6-5) on the main card, but perhaps that was just one too many Heavyweight fights in their opinion. It’s definitely not mine.
Original Card Vs. Actual Card:
Remarkably, little has changed since this card was first announced save for the addition of Silva vs Amosov. A few rumored “Prelims” undercard bouts have changed, and Tyrell Fortune was not initially scheduled on the earliest rumored versions of the card, but by and large this one has been as billed and advertised save for the shuffling of a few preliminary names.
Take a look below at Bellator 216’s complete fight card lineup and start times below:
Main Card (DAZN) — 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Michael Page vs. Paul Daley
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson
Cheick Kongo vs. Vitaly Minakov
Yaroslav Amosov vs. Erick Silva
Valerie Loureda vs. Colby Fletcher
“Prelims” Undercard (DAZN) — 7:30 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Tyrell Fortune vs. Ryan Pokryfky
Kastriot Xhema vs. Kemran Lachinov
Pat Casey vs. Nekruz Mirkhojaev
Rodolfo Rocha vs. Jesse Kosakowski
Demetrios Plaza vs. Andrews Rodriguez
Vinicius De Jesus vs. Rodolpho Barcellos
Reginaldo Felix vs. Justin Sumter
Here are all the ways to catch the action:
Online
- Bellator 216: “MVP vs. Semtex” early “Prelims” can be viewed on DAZN via your MAC/PC, smartphone, or multiple other streaming devices.
- Subscriptions cost $9.99 per month, but DAZN offers your first month free for new app members eager to catch “MVP vs. Semtex” later this evening.
Television
- Bellator 216 will be streamable online via DAZN. That’s it! Sign up today if you don’t want to miss “MVP vs. Semtex” in an epic grudge match.
Bars
- Dave & Buster’s is the official sports bar of Bellator MMA, but as this card is a DAZN exclusive, I wouldn’t guarantee they are carrying it. Nevertheless for a list of locations across the United States to find one in your area CLICK HERE.
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