Matches to Make After Bellator 286

Bellator MMA hosted one of its biggest events Saturday in Long Beach, Calif. In the main event, one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, Patricio Freire, defended his regained featherweight championship against surging, dangerous contender Adam Borics. In his previous outing, “Pitbull” had executed one of the most brilliant and disciplined gameplans I've ever seen to win a rematch against previously unbeaten kid dynamite A.J. McKee, who had snatched the title from the Brazilian in two minutes in their first meeting. Freire came into Bellator 286 as a three-time featherweight champion with seven total title defenses, not to mention a stint as Bellator lightweight champion after knocking out Michael Chandler.

Borics, meanwhile, was an incredible 9-1 in Bellator, the lone blemish a loss to long-time Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell in early 2020, after which he had improved and won four straight. His last two victories were especially impressive, defeating Jeremy Kennedy—a great wrestler who went 3-1 in the UFC, only losing to Alexander Volkanovski—and snapping the seven-fight, four-year winning streak of Mads Burnell.

Unfortunately for Borics, Freire once again showed his seemingly limitless skill and intelligence, scoring on the feet before executing takedowns and getting favorable grappling positions, winning either 49-46 or a perfect 50-45 on most cards. It's an incredible eighth title defense for the legend.

In the co-main, McKee looked to recover from his first professional loss by moving up to lightweight and facing the insanely tough and entertaining Spike Carlyle. Caryle won perhaps the most amazing mixed martial arts fight I've seen in my life at Bellator 272 over Dan Moret. If you haven't seen it, do so right this very moment. Carlyle was 5-0 since leaving the UFC withall five victories by stoppage, and had clearly improved since his time in that promotion. As expected of Carlyle, Round 1 between him and McKee was one of the craziest, most exciting displays of martial arts frenzy this year. Unfortunately, he used up most of his energy in that stanza, and McKee utterly dominated him over the next 10 minutes with his superior skill, though Carlyle still managed bursts of aggression. McKee won a dominant decision over a very tough opponent.

Elsewhere, Aaron Pico, who had won six straight after losing via flying knee to the very same Borics, most recently defeating previously undefeated LFA champion Justin Gonzales, faced Kennedy in a battle of top featherweight contenders. It ended up being anti-climactic, as Pico may have broken his clavicle early, and, despite attempts to pop his shoulder back in place between the rounds, had the fight waved off by the doctor after Round 1.

Also, former Bellator bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta met tough UFC veteran Enrique Barzola in a 141-pound catchweight affair, Barzola having made a splash in his Bellator debut by stopping former bantamweight champion Caldwell by ground-and-pound, though he was submitted by top Bellator bantamweight Magomed Magomedov in his last outing. Archuleta won a clear but competitive decision.

In the wake of a great card, let's see what tantalizing future match-ups can be booked:

Patricio Freire vs. A.J. McKee 3

McKee might have looked great at 155 pounds and enjoyed having to cut less weight, but he has unfinished business with Freire and has been clamoring for a decisive end to their trilogy. Furthermore, with his eighth title defense, Freire has effectively cleaned out the rest of the division, having defeated all the other reasonable top contenders. The rubber match would be one of the biggest fights of the year, not just in Bellator, but all of MMA, and I would be watching in rapt attention as much as anyone else.

Adam Borics vs. Daniel Weichel

Borics suffered a setback against Freire, but is still a top featherweight contender. Who should he fight next? Two-time title challenger Daniel Weichel comes to mind. Weichel might be a little past his prime, turning 38 in November, but the master grappler's striking looked as good as ever in his last outing, knocking out Robert Whiteford in just 72 seconds. Will Weichel's experience allow him to snatch victory against his younger foe, and attempt one last title run? Or will Borics firmly re-establish himself as a top contender and show further improvement? There should be plenty of exciting striking as well as grappling in this one, with both men having something to prove.

Jeremy Kennedy vs. Pedro Carvalho

Kennedy called out Carvalho in his post-fight interview, so why not book it? It makes perfect sense, with Carvalho being a former title challenger and currently ranked No. 4, while Kennedy just beat No. 3-ranked Pico. Expect to see a bunch of grappling and chain-wrestling, with both men being highly active throughout. The winner, especially if it's Kennedy, would have a great argument for challenging for the featherweight throne.

Juan Archuleta vs. Kyoji Horiguchi

This would be an outstanding showdown and possibly a fine main event all its own, pitting two former Bellator bantamweight champions and top contenders still very much in their primes against one another. Both men have limitless cardio and are good at every aspect of fighting, so fans can expect a slew of fantastic striking and grappling exchanges all match long. The winner would also have a great argument for challenging the Bellator bantamweight champion, whether that is still Sergio Pettis or not.