Bellator 285 on Saturday at 3Arena in Dublin was headlined by
local hero Peter Queally’s lightweight showdown with former
Ultimate Fighting Championship
titleholder Benson Henderson.
“Smooth” showed why he has been so successful over the years, as he
defended well in striking exchanges, scored with kicks and took
every opportunity to attack Queally’s hips, beating up the Irishman
with dirty boxing even when he failed to take him to the canvas.
When combined with Henderson’s intelligence, legendary cardio and
ability to implement a gameplan across 25 minutes, it was more than
enough to win every round on all three judges’ scorecards.
The co-main event paired aging warriors with one another, as
45-year-old Yoel Romero faced 46-year-old Melvin Manhoef at 205
pounds. Romero afforded the Dutchman few opportunities when
standing, landed an occasional powerful shot of his own and used
his world-class wrestling to take down Manhoef in the third round
before separating him from consciousness with a series of sadistic
elbows. It was the eight third-round stoppage among Romero’s 15
career victories.
Meanwhile, Pedro Carvalho upset Mads Burnell in a pivotal,
back-and-forth battle between
Bellator
MMA featherweight contenders. Carvalho was awarded a unanimous
decision after three rounds, posting just his second win since
2019. He entered the cage as a +500 underdog.
In the aftermath of Bellator 285 “Henderson vs. Queally,” a look at
a few of the matches that ought to be made:
Benson Henderson vs. Tofiq Musayev: This is a no-brainer
contender’s match, with Musayev ranked second at 155 pounds and
Henderson positioned right behind him. Reigning champion Patricky
Freire will defend his title against undefeated No. 1 contender
Usman Nurmagomedov in November. Musayev already holds a victory
over Freire in the
Rizin Fighting Federation and made a huge splash in his
Bellator debut with a thunderous 27-second knockout of Sidney
Outlaw. A confrontation with Henderson would pit Musayev, a
contender in his prime, against a crafty veteran. Can Henderson
make one last run at a championship? Can Musayev prove himself as
one of the world’s premier lightweights and deserving of a title
shot? It would be a match full of intriguing storylines.
Yoel Romero vs. Ryan Bader: While he still looks shockingly fast
and athletic despite being in his mid-40s, Romero likely does not
have many fights remaining. Why not make each one worthy of
main-event consideration? A clash with the reigning Bellator
heavyweight champion certainly fits the bill, so long as it takes
place at 205 pounds. Both Bader and Romer started out as elite
wrestlers who developed outstanding striking skills before
recording a slew of highlight-reel knockouts. With Romero’s
superhuman fast-twitch power and Bader’s shaky chin, the Cuban
would never be out of the fight. A potential defeat would not do
much damage to Bader’s stock, either, as he has lost two of his
past three bouts as a light heavyweight, bowing to Vadim Nemkov and
Corey Anderson—two of the top 205-pound competitors in the
sport.
Pedro Carvalho vs. Aaron Pico-Jeremy Kennedy winner: With A.J.
McKee moving to 155 pounds for his next assignment and perhaps
staying there permanently, the identity of the next top contender
for the featherweight throne remains unclear. That will be
especially true if Patricio Freire retains his 145-pound
championship against Adam Borics at Bellator 286. However, the
question could conceivably be answered by Carvalho, Pico or
Kennedy. If Carvalho faced Kennedy, it would pit two outstanding
grapplers with endless cardio against one another; if Carvalho met
Pico, he would be tested by one of MMA’s most well-rounded young
talents. Either hypothetical bout would excite fans and deserve top
billing at virtually any event. Plus, it would produce the next No.
1 contender in the featherweight division.