Bellator London: Daley vs. Lima fight card preview

The Bellator brand of MMA will be crossing the Atlantic Ocean as the O2 Arena in London, England will play host to Bellator 158. This milestone event was struck with great sorrow as the former headliner Kevin Ferguson, better known to the public as Kimbo Slice, passed away last month due to heart failure. The main event will now see former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima take on the battle tested kickboxing Brit Paul Daley on his home turf. The co-main event for Bellator’s British debut will be of the heavyweight persuasion as the quick returningMatt Mitrione squares off with number one ranked U.K. heavyweight Oli Thompson. The Bellator preliminary bouts will be a smorgasbord of European talent looking to break out onto the big stage. The main card will air this Saturday on Spike TV at 9:00 PM EDT (Tape Delay) and the Preliminary bouts will stream online at 7:00 PM EDT (Tape Delay). UK viewers can watch the card live on Spike UK at 4-5 PM ET (9-10 PM BST), followed by Channel 5 from 5-7 PM ET (10 PM-12 AM BST).

Main Card: 9:00 PM EDT on Spike TV (Tape Delay)

Paul Daley (38-3-2 MMA; 3-0 Bellator) vs. Douglas Lima (26-6 MMA; 8-2 Bellator):Welterweight

The Bellator 158 main event could potentially carry welterweight title implications as former champion Douglas Lima looks to beat the British born Paul Daley to earn another shot at the man that took his welterweight title, Andrei Koreshkov.  Lima has been somewhat inactive as of late with only a single bout in 2014 and one in 2015. Will Lima make it to Bellator 158 in healthy form and return to his finishing nature that earned him 12 KO’s and 11 submissions?

Britain’s own Paul Daley has been perfect thus far in all three of his Bellator tilts, including back to back finishes via strikes. Daley’s killer instinct has amassed 28 wins by (T)KO and with a win over Douglas Lima, the Brit could be next in line to challenge for the Bellator welterweight crown. Can Paul Daley keep this fight on the feet and outstrike the venomous Douglas Lima?

Here is Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith on what to watch for in this bout:

Matt Mitrione (10-5 MMA; 1-0 Bellator) vs. Oli Thompson (17-8 MMA; Bellator Debut): Heavyweight

Matt Mitrione made his Bellator debut against Carl Seumanutafa at Bellator 157 on June 24, 2016 and is in a quick turnaround fight against the U.K.’s own Oli Thompson. In Mitrione’s freshman performance, he was leveled by a monstrous Seumanutafa right hand before he recovered to deliver a knockout blow of his own. Mitrione is fighting roughly 24 days after his promotional debut but the newly added heavyweight has cleared his medicals and is permitted to fight in London. Will Mitrione make the most of his rapid return to action and move one step closer to title contention?

Here is Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith on Matt Mittrione:

Oli Thompson is currently the U.K.’s number one ranked heavyweight as he looks to make a splash in his Bellator debut. With five straight victories to his credit, taking out a big name like Matt Mitrione will place Thompson towards the very top of Bellator’s heavyweight division.

Michael Page (10-0 MMA; 5-0 Bellator) vs Evangelista Santos (21-17 MMA; 1-1 Bellator): Welterweight

London’s own Michael ‘Venom’ Page, or ‘MVP’, is taking a step up in competition to face dangerous veteran Evangelista Santos, better known by the moniker ‘Cyborg’. The undefeated Page brings a unique braggadocios style that has awarded him a spectacular finish in nine of his ten professional bouts.  Facing Cyborg Santos will be the biggest challenge and largest name thus far for MVP. With a win, will Michael Page shift from an up and coming prospect to one of Bellator’s top contenders?

Here is Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith on MVP:

Cyborg Santos blasted onto the Bellator scene this past April with a 30 second Heel Hook submission over top tier prospect Brennan Ward at Bellator 153. A rapid 22 day turn around against Saad Awad at Bellator 154 proved to be disastrous as Cyborg succumbed to punches and elbows at 4:31 of the first round.  After a few months of rest, Cyborg Santos looks to send another top prospect in MVP back to the land of the nameless… But will he?

Here is Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith on MVP:

Francis Carmont (24-11 MMA; 2-1 Bellator) vs. Lukasz Klinger (7-2 MMA; Bellator Debut): Light Heavyweight

Francis Carmont is looking to continue his success under the Viacom umbrella after a 2-1 run thus far. Carmont was initially scheduled to face the U.K.’ Linton Vassell, however, a narly cut above Vassell’s eye forced the Brit to withdraw from competition. Stepping in to replace Vassell will be Lukasz Klinger, a 7-2 Polish fighter who has yet to go the distance in his nine professional bouts. Will the Polish finisher rise to the occasion or will Carmont be the one to showcase his skills?

James Gallagher (3-0 MMA; Bellator Debut) vs. Mike Cutting (7-4 MMA; Bellator Debut): Featherweight

The 19-year-old SBG Ireland prospect James Gallagher is getting a shot to shine under the big lights as he is slated to scrap with the 6-5 English native Mike Cutting in the featherweight division. Both of these European warriors have finished every single one of their professional bouts thus far which should be an indicator for a potential display of fireworks.

The Bellator brand is set for their inaugural U.K. event at the O2 Arena in London, England on July 16, 2016. Tune in to Spike TV at 9:00 PM EDT (Tape Delay) for the Bellator 158: London main card and catch the Prelims streaming online at 7:00 PM EDT (Tape Delay). Follow Bloody Elbow for continual event coverage including results, highlights, live tweets, and more!