Bellator 266: Phil Davis vs. Yoel Romero is this Saturday.
Phil Davis will welcome the debuting Yoel Romero at Bellator 266 in one of the more anticipated debuts in company history. The 44-year-old Romero is looking to prove that he is in fact ageless (or is it timeless?) as he takes on Davis, a fighter looking to get back on track for another title shot.
Davis has four losses but to just two men since UFC 179 in 2014. Both of those men are Ryan Bader and Vadim Nemkov. Both of those guys have brought out the best of Davis and save for those four losses, Davis has not tasted defeat in Bellator. Unless someone’s name is Bader or Nemkov, Davis is undefeated.
Davis is on the eve of his 37th birthday and has to do everything he can against Romero to warrant another title shot. That’s just one reason to tune into Bellator 266, to see if Davis can get back into the title scene. Here are three more.
3 reasons to watch Bellator 266
Yoel Romero’s debut.
It’s finally time. Yoel Romero was supposed to debut in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament but had to pull out and was replaced. He was set to face Anthony “Rumble” Johnson but had to be replaced due to an issue with his eye. Johnson proved he was still a handful, even though he got rocked by the unknown Jose Augusto. Now, Romero’s debut won’t be any easier, facing off with Phil Davis, one of the best light heavyweights in Bellator history. Romero is 44 years old, and time is ticking away to prove he’s championship material. If Davis flattens Romero, any hopes of Romero getting a title shot, at his age, will more than likely go out the window.
Which women’s flyweight will get back on track.
DeAnna Bennett is set for her second Bellator fight against Alejandra Lara, losing her debut to Liz Carmouche. Now, both Lara and Bennett are at a crossroads in their career. Lara is 2-3 in her last five, with losses to Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Juliana Velasquez, and Kana Watanabe. Three of the top fighters in the division. Lara is no slouch, she took on the current and then the future women’s flyweight champions of Bellator in back-to-back bouts. Watanabe lost what was essentially a qualifying bout for a future world title to Carmouche after beating Lara. This is a long-winded way of saying Lara has only lost to the top of the division. A loss to Bennett, however, changes the narrative. Bennett, however, is 1-4 in her last five and another loss (which would be her fourth in a row) would all but seal her fate in the company. Each woman needs this win, or they very well may be gone.
Will Neiman Gracie be able to live up to his name?
After defeating Ed Ruth, Neiman Gracie was seen as a rising star. He threw down with then-welterweight champion Rory MacDonald in the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix and took the man known as the Red King to his limit. Gracie lost to MacDonald but he looked good in defeat. He cruised to an easy win over Jon Fitch, who was still a handful at his age, but then fell to Jason Jackson. Jackson is no slouch, going 8-1 in his last nine with wins over Gracie, Benson Henderson, and Paul Daley. So Gracie’s two losses were to good fighters. That said, he now has to prove he can beat good fighters. Now he has Mark Lemminger at Bellator 266, a fighter who like Gracie, has a great record except in fights against similar talents. Can Gracie live up to his family’s training and name? That’s the question.
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