DUBLIN (August 30, 2023) – BELLATOR MMA is pleased to announce six thrilling new additions to the highly anticipated BELLATOR 299: Eblen vs. Edwards event, set to take place on Saturday, September 23 at the iconic 3Arena in Dublin. A whopping 21 action-packed fights promise to deliver an unforgettable night of world-class mixed martial arts to the Irish capital, headlined by a BELLATOR Middleweight World Championship clash between undefeated champion Johnny Eblen (13-0) and the UK’s No.1 challenger Fabian Edwards (12-2), who has his sights set on joining his brother as a current world champion. The co-main event features wrestling prodigy-turned violent striker, No. 3-ranked Aaron Pico (11-4) taking on SBG Ireland’s No. 5-ranked Pedro Carvalho (13-7) in a must-see featherweight matchup.
The event will air live on SHOWTIME (US), BBC iPlayer (UK) and Virgin Media Sport (IRE) at 9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET. The preliminary card will kick off at 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET and air on the BELLATOR YouTube Channel and BELLATOR channel on Pluto TV (US), as well as BBC iPlayer (UK) and Virgin Media Sport (IRE).
The new matchups are highlighted by a lightweight clash between Tunisian-Frenchman No. 9-ranked Mansour Barnaoui (20-5) and New Zealand’s Jay-Jay Wilson (9-1). Barnaoui has made a name for himself on the international scene, securing lightweight titles in the BAMMA, M-1 and Road FC promotions. Wilson has spent the majority of his fighting career under the BELLATOR banner, where he has proven to be one of the promotion’s most dangerous grappling aces, sporting nearly an 80% finish rate.
In the welterweight division, fans can look forward to an exciting showdown between SBG’s Luca Poclit (9-1) and “Vicious” Roman Faraldo (8-1). Poclit has established himself as a crafty and creative jiu-jitsu artist in the cage, to the point that his victory at BELLATOR 285 over Dante Schiro introduced the world to a new submission: “The Lucanator Choke,” which left Schiro fast asleep. American Top Team’s Faraldo is better known for what he does on his feet, which more often than not has resulted in taking his opponent off of theirs. Faraldo has lived up to his moniker, compiling a career highlight reel of pure violence and flying knees.
Two thrilling featherweight matchups have also been added as Frenchman Asael Adjoudj (6-1), who trains under John Kavanagh at SBG Ireland will face off against Manchester Top Team’s Ibrahim Al-Faqih Hassan (4-1), while undefeated Dagestani star-in-the-making Khasan Magomedsharipov (8-0) will take on Martin McDonough (12-6), who fights out of Wales.
In the lightweight division, Normandy, France’s Davy Gallon (21-8-2, 1 NC) will step into the BELLATOR cage against Berlin, Germany’s Attila Korkmaz (13-7).
Lastly, a heavyweight clash between Russia’s Sergei Bilostennyi (10-3) and Germany’s Kasim Aras (7-2) has been scheduled as the two heavy hitters will go toe-to-toe on September 23 in Dublin.
BELLATOR 299 promises to be an unforgettable night of world-class mixed martial arts action, showcasing the best talent in the sport. Fans can expect explosive knockouts, technical submissions, and fierce battles that will keep them on the edge of their seats.
Tickets for BELLATOR 299 are available now and can be purchased through the official BELLATOR and Ticketmaster websites, or at the 3Arena box office.
For more information, please visit bellator.com or follow @BELLATORMMA on social media for the latest updates and news.
