Bellator 284: Gracie vs Yamauchi is held at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD on Friday, August 12. The lineup has been now finalized, featuring the five-fight main card live on Showtime following a series of preliminary bouts.
The headline-bout is a five-round welterweight showdown pitting Neiman Gracie (11-3) and fellow submission ace Goiti Yamauchi (27-5). In the co-main event former interim 170-pound champion champion and No. 1-ranked contender Valentin Moldavsky (11-2) takes on undefeated No. 5 Steve Mowry (10-0). Also on the main card former flyweight champion and No. 4-ranked Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-2) meets Brazil’s Bruna Ellen (6-3) and No. 2-ranked middleweight Austin Vanderford squares off against late notice replacement Aaron Jeffery (12-3). In addition, Said Sowma (8-3) and Gokhan Saricam (7-1) meet in a battle between No. 9 and No. 10-ranked heavyweights.
Tickets for Bellator 284 can be purchased through TicketNetwork and Vivid Seats.
Aaron Jeffery vs Austin Vanderford
Canada’s Aaron Jeffery, 29, wowed Bellator MMA fans with a second-round TKO of Brazil’s Fabio Aguiar (18-3) in his promotional debut at June. He steps in to face Vanderford on short notice after the withdrawal of originally scheduled opponent, No. 9-ranked Anthony Adams (9-2).
Jeffery, a former CFFC middleweight champion, has won six of his last seven fights. He leaps at a big opportunity against Vanderford, the division’s No. 2-ranked contender and a recent title challenger.
In other updates to the card, a featherweight bout between Fresno State wrestling alumnus Isaiah Hokit (1-1) and nine-fight amateur Nick Perez (0-0) has been changed to a lightweight bout. Additionally, M, A, Yah II (4-0) steps in to face South Dakota State wrestler amateur Brett Bye (1-0) in a 175-pound contract weight amateur fight. A middleweight bout between Jordan Newman (4-0) and Lance Wright (5-2) has been canceled.
The undercard also includes No. 9-ranked bantamweight Josh Hill (21-4) seeking to repel Brazilian finisher Marcos Breno (14-2) in his first fight since withdrawing from the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix, wrestling star Patrick Downey III (0-0), who makes his MMA debut, plus additional undefeated prospects Sullivan Cauley (3-0) and Bailey Schoenfelder (2-0) are both set for action.
Bellator 284 fight card
The current Bellator 284: Gracie vs Yamauchi fight card looks as the following:
Main Card
- Neiman Gracie vs. Goiti Yamauchi
- Valentin Moldavsky vs. Steve Mowry
- Ilima-Lei MacFarlane vs. Bruna Ellen
- Said Sowma vs. Gokhan Saricam
- Austin Vanderford vs. Aaron Jeffery
Preliminary card
- Josh Hill vs. Marcos Breno
- DeAnna Bennett vs. Justine Kish
- Sullivan Cauley vs. Tyson Jeffries
- Pat Downey vs. Jeff Souder
- Isaiah Hokit vs. Nick Perez
- Bailey Schoenfelder vs. Mark Currier
- Mitchell McKee vs. Tony Ortega
- Brett Bye vs. M,A,Yah
The post Bellator 284 fight card finalized: Aaron Jeffery replaces Anthony Adams to face Austin Vanderford appeared first on FIGHTMAG.