Storylines: Bellator 302

Vadim Nemkov’s departure leaves Corey Anderson and Karl Moore to pick up the pieces in the Bellator MMA light heavyweight division.

The fate of the 205-pound championship vacated by Nemkov will hang in the balance when Anderson and Moore do battle in the Bellator 302 headliner on Friday at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It marks Bellator’s first show since the promotion was acquired by the Professional Fighters League in 2023, scattering many of its top competitors to and fro. Anderson looks to re-ingratiate himself to the masses following a contentious split decision over Phil Davis at Bellator 297 on June 16. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 19 winner has compiled a 4-1 record with one no contest across his six appearances in Bellator, his run highlighted by a 51-second stoppage of Ryan Bader in October 2021. Moore, meanwhile, steps back into the spotlight with the wind of a four-fight winning streak in his sails. The SBG Ireland export and former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder has secured nearly half (five) of his 12 career victories by submission.

The Anderson-Moore main event and its resulting fallout for the light heavyweight division is but one storyline to watch at Bellator 302. Here are three more:

Promotional Pillar

No one has done more to further the Bellator brand than Patricio Freire, a three-time champion at 145 pounds and the company’s all-time leader in appearances (27), wins (22) and various other categories. “Pitbull” looks to put an end to the first two-fight losing streak of his career in the co-headliner, where he defends his featherweight crown against Jeremy Kennedy. Freire, 36, last competed under the Rizin Fighting Federation flag on July 30, when Chihiro Suzuki put him away with a devastating right cross in the first round of their cross-promotional confrontation. It was the first legitimate knockout loss of the Brazilian’s remarkable 42-fight career. On the other side of the equation, Kennedy heads into his most significant opportunity to date on the heels of three straight victories. The 31-year-old Xtreme Couture rep has not suited up since he laid claim to a three-round unanimous decision over Pedro Carvalho at Bellator 291 more than a year ago. Can Freire bounce back one more time and push his latest title reign closer to the 800-day mark?

Burden of Proof

James Gallagher’s bite has not yet exceeded his considerable bark whenever matchmakers up his degree of difficulty. The SBG Ireland attempts to put that reputation to bed when he tackles former Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Leandro Higo in a three-round featherweight showcase. The hubris-infused Gallagher has won five of his past six bouts, a submission defeat to Patrick Mix in November 2021 his only misstep. He last fought at Bellator 298, where he eked out a split decision over James Gonzalez on Aug. 11. Higo, meanwhile, owns 5-4 record in Bellator, with victories over Joe Taimanglo, Shawn Bunch, Ricky Bandejas, Darrion Caldwell and Nikita Mikhailov. The longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has delivered 13 of his 22 professional wins by submission, six of them via rear-naked choke. Does Gallagher have the necessary will and skill to take another step forward in the 145-pound weight class?

No Trivial Pursuit

Manoel Sousa seems like a decent bet to create some problems for much of the lightweight division. The 26-year-old Academia Octogono export puts his perfect 10-0 record on the line when he makes his organizational debut against Tim Wilde in a three-round attraction at 155 pounds. Sousa has finished nine of his first 10 opponents, four of them inside one round. “Manumito” last appeared under the Professional Fighters League banner in February, when he was awarded split scorecards against Paulo Henrique Laia. Wilde, 36, figures to be a difficult test for the Brazilian prospect, as the Renegade MMA product has not tasted defeat in almost five years. The onetime Full Contact Contender champion last set foot in the cage on Nov. 17, when he cut down Mike Hamel with a head kick and follow-up punches in the third round of their Bellator 301 clash. Exactly where does Sousa slot in the lightweight pecking order?