Yahoo Sports Bellator 293 pre-event facts: Prelim fighter can make history with sixth straight first-round KO
For the first time since October 2019, Bellator will travel to Temecula, Calif., on Friday with Bellator 293, which takes place at Pechanga Casino Resort with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
A matchup of surging heavyweight contenders will be featured in the main event. Marcelo Golm (10-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and Daniel James (14-6-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will put their unbeaten promotional records on the line as they meet in a five-round contest that will elevate the winner into the title conversation.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 293.
Marcelo Golm vs. Daniel James
Marcelo Golm
Golm has earned all 10 of his career victories by stoppage.
James has earned 13 of his 14 career victories by stoppage.
James has earned both of his Bellator victories by knockout.
Cat Zingano vs. Leah McCourt
Cat Zingano
[autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) is 3-1 since she moved up to the women’s featherweight division in December 2018.
Zingano’s three-fight Bellator winning streak at heavyweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Cris Cyborg (five).
[autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag]’s (7-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) six victories in Bellator women’s featherweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Julia Budd (nine) and Arlene Blencowe (eight).
John Salter vs. Aaron Jeffery
John Salter
[autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) competes in his 12th Bellator middleweight bout, the second-most appearances in divisional history behind Alexander Shlemenko (17).
Salter has earned 17 of his 18 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his eight Bellator wins.
Salter’s eight victories in Bellator middleweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Shlemenko (12).
Salter’s seven stoppage victories in Bellator middleweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Shlemenko (eight).
Salter’s six submission victories in Bellator middleweight competition are most in divisional history.
Salter’s six submission victories in Bellator competition are tied for fourth-most in company history behind Goiti Yamauchi (nine), A.J. McKee (seven) and Neiman Gracie (seven).
Sullivan Cauley vs. Luke Trainer
Sullivan Cauley
[autotag]Sullivan Cauley[/autotag]’s (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) five-fight Bellator winning streak at light heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Cauley’s five stoppage victories in Bellator light heavyweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Liam McGeary (eight).
Cauley’s five knockout victories in Bellator light heavyweight competition are tied with McGeary and Muhammed Lawal for most in divisional history.
Cauley’s five-fight first-round knockout streak in Bellator competition is the longest active streak in the company. No fighter has ever started their tenure with the promotion with a six-fight first-round knockout streak.
Adam Piccolotti vs. Mandel Nallo
Adam Piccolotti
[autotag]Adam Piccolotti[/autotag]’s (13-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA) five submission victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied with four other fighters for most in divisional history.
[autotag]Mandel Nallo[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) has earned all nine of his career victories by stoppage.
Joey Davis vs. Jefferson Creighton
Joey Davis
[autotag]Joey Davis[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) returns to competition for the first time since Nov. 19, 2020. The 862-day layoff is the longest of his nearly seven-year career.
Davis’ eight-fight Bellator winning streak is the tied with Johnny Eblen, Dalton Rosta and Yaroslav Amosov for the longest active streak in the company.
Davis is 6-0 since he dropped to welterweight in January 2018.
Davis’ six-fight Bellator winning streak at welterweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Amosov (seven).
Lucas Brennan vs. Josh San Diego
Lucas Brennan
[autotag]Lucas Brennan[/autotag]’s (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) six-fight Bellator winning streak at featherweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Brennan’s four submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind McKee (seven) and Patricio Freire (five).
[autotag]Josh San Diego[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) returns to competition for the first time since April 27, 2019. The 1,434-day layoffs the longest of his more than nine-year career.
Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Vladimir Tokov
Lance Gibson Jr.
[autotag]Lance Gibson Jr.[/autotag]’s (7-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) five-fight Bellator winning streak at lightweight is tied with Usman Nurmagomedov for the longest active streak in the division.
Christian Edwards vs. Rakim Cleveland
Christian Edwards
[autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) moves up to the heavyweight division after spending his previous seven career bouts at light heavyweight.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 293.
