Bellator 209 Preview: Pitbull Aims For Long Reign

In an event taped on Thursday, Bellator returns to Israel with Bellator 209 taking place in Tel-Aviv.

The main event will see Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull looking for a fourth title defense against Emmanuel Sanchez.

Sanchez walks into the Bellator cage riding a four-fight win-streak, the last two coming by way of submission at Bellator 198 against Sam Sicilia and Bellator 184 against former featherweight champion Daniel Straus.

Entering the second defense of his second reign as champion, Freire looks to impress against Sanchez, who the champion feels is a formidable opponent.

“He’s a pretty good fighter, he puts a lot of pressure (on his opponents),” Friere said of Sanchez.

“(Sanchez) is a tough competitor, but I’ll have my hand raised.”

Joining the title fight on Friday’s broadcast from Tel-Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim Arena is a welterweight co-main event featuring the returning Ryan Couture as he takes on Haim Gozali.

Couture is coming off a loss at Bellator 201 to Saad Awad, and looks to get above .500 against Gozali who makes his third appearance inside the Bellator cage, his first since a January loss to Jose Campos.

For the full Bellator 209 card look below.

Complete Bellator 209 Main Card Weigh-in Results:

Featherweight World Title Bout: Patricio “Pitbull” Freire  vs. Emmanuel Sanchez

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Haim Gozali  vs. Ryan Couture

Light Heavyweight Feature Event: Phil Davis  vs. Vadim Nemkov

Women’s Featherweight Bout: Olga Rubin vs. Cindy Dandois

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Adam Keresh vs. Kirill Sidelnikov

 

Complete Undercard Weigh-in Results:

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Khonry Gracie vs. Ron Becker

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Aviv Gozali vs. Anton Lazebnov

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Jackie Gosh vs. Jamil Ibragimov

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Liudvik Sholinian vs. Sidemar Honorio

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Kirill Medvedovsky vs. Denis Palancica

Women’s Strawweight Preliminary Bout: Yulia Sachkov vs. Viktoria Makarova

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Honor Kelesh vs. Andrei Barbarosa

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Fadi Haiyadre  vs. Christos Nicolaou

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Matan Levi vs. Shimon Smotritsky

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Ion Pop vs. Itsik Rubinov 

Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Nisim Rozalis vs. Nika Ben Tuashy