Melvin Manhoef vs. Chidi Njokuani to headline Bellator 210

[TCE]

Melvin Manhoef recently re-signed with Bellator and now he has his next assignment.

The 47-fight veteran will meet Chidi Njokuani in the middleweight main event of Bellator 210, which takes place at the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., on Nov. 30. Officials announced the bout via press release Wednesday.

This will be Manhoef’s first fight since being knocked out in the fourth round by middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho at Bellator 176 in April of last year. Manhoef, 42, was making his second attempt to wrest the title from Carvalho, who won a narrow split decision in their first meeting at Bellator 155. He is 2-3 with one no-contest in the Bellator cage, and 30-14-1 (2 NC) overall.

Njokuani (18-5, 1 NC) is competing for the second time at 185 pounds following a successful debut at Bellator 189. The 29-year-old had struggled to make it down to the welterweight limit, competing three consecutive times at catchweights before defeating Hisaki Kato by unanimous decision in his middleweight debut last December. Despite his struggles with the scale, Njokuani has compiled a 5-1 record in Bellator.

https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/9/...ef-vs-chidi-njokuani-to-headline-bellator-210

 

[Go Go Plata]

Fireworks. Gonna be quick tho.

This is like this first time in 3yrs where a batamweight or womens fight is not headlining Thackerville. Depending on how this fills out, might make the trip up.

 

[GueseGuy]

Should be a good one. Njokuani is a beast at MW. He could be a sneak contender to get that belt from Mousasi. But only if he works on that wrestling.

 

[AGEZ909]

Quick ko. Melvin is a beast, but the chin is gone

Chidi has range, so I’d favor him.

 

[CC27]

So is DAZN gonna get all the good events now and leave Paramount with the Thackerville shit cards?

Finally the Manhoeff has come back to Thackerville. yeah I read that in the Rock's voice. Someone knocks the other out in a whatever fight.

 

[WarriorPoet1]

 

[IMPmmath]

I wanted to see the 2 vets Machida/Manhoef for the debut. This fight will deliver though.

 

[TheBrownRanger]

Don't like this match-up at all.

Chidi is tall and range-y, but has no killer instinct and is a pretty boring fighter. Manhoef is probably going to be tentative since getting KO'd by Carvalho last year. I could see this fight looking like Manhoef/Carvalho 1.

I would have prefered Melvin Manhoef vs AJ Matthews or something.

 

[Hardcore MMA]

Sounds like a decent headliner for a local casino card.

 

[Andrey Kamensky]

Another great start to a Bellator card. Very excited about all of the upcoming Bellator cards, aside from 205 tbh.

 

[Hardcore MMA]

Another great start to a Bellator card. Very excited about all of the upcoming Bellator cards, aside from 205 tbh.

I can see where you’re coming from in regards to 205 because of the main event change. However I think the Salter/Lovato and Pitbull/Huerta fights can be entertaining.

 

[AGEZ909]

Post on their social media. found it interesting that bellator is using black gloves now. When did this happen? I think I saw Macfarlane and Hawaii mayor(or was it McGeary) with black gloves as well. Is Bellator doing away with red and blue gloves? Don’t mind either way; just something I noticed.

 

[TheBrownRanger]

View attachment 438523

Post on their social media. found it interesting that bellator is using black gloves now. When did this happen? I think I saw Macfarlane and Hawaii mayor(or was it McGeary) with black gloves as well. Is Bellator doing away with red and blue gloves? Don’t mind either way; just something I noticed.

They're not switching to black. Those are simply for promotional purposes like posters and photo shoots, nothing special. Bellator has been using those forever.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Wow... Chidi should touch Melvin and KO him but Manhoef is always dangerous.

 

[tehMoose]

Quick KO

 

[FKA]

So is DAZN gonna get all the good events now and leave Paramount with the Thackerville shit cards?

7 events are exclusively on DAZN and it's pretty much the WW GP.

 

[GueseGuy]

7 events are exclusively on DAZN and it's pretty much the WW GP.

I find it interesting that the WW GP is DAZN exclusive. So every fight has to be on a card only on DAZN and not Paramount. This makes me wonder about the Semtex-MVP fight. Now if Mousasi-Rory is next week, and Hawaii is in December, where does MVP-Semtex fit in there? Because that has to be DAZN exclusive so does that mean we’re gonna have to wait until February or something until the next DAZN card? How does that make sense when Lima and Koreshkov are fighting in September? Are they gonna have like a 9 month layoff between fights? This tournament is gonna be stretched out like 5 years. They can’t keep killing the momentum of these tournaments by spacing them out so far.