Tomorrow night, Bellator will finally return for their first fight night of 2021. In the main event of the evening, two-division champion, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (31-4) will be defending his featherweight title against Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4).
This matchup is a rematch from their first fight at Bellator 209 back in late 2018. That night, Sanchez was able to push Pitbull hard, but ultimately he couldn’t outwork the great Pitbull and Patricio Pitbull scored a decision win.
This matchup is for the featherweight title, but it’s also a semi-final matchup in the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix. The winner of this fight will take on the unbeaten AJ McKee in the finals later this year.
Patricio Pitbull is arguably the best fighter in Bellator history. The two-division champion is riding a six-fight win streak that includes a win over UFC lightweight contender, Michael Chandler.
Emmanuel Sanchez seems to be peaking at just the right time. After his failed attempt to defeat Pitbull back in 2018, Sanchez has won three fights in a row. His last win came at Bellator 252 and he looked extremely impressive in a decision win over Daniel Weichel.
Bellator 255 Prediction
Patricio Pitbull is a massive favorite to retain his Bellator featherweight title. I’ve seen some lines creep up to -400 and even as great as Pitbull is, I think those lines are a little off.
Yes, Pitbull won the first matchup, but Emmanuel Sanchez had his moments. Sanchez was able to win rounds against the Bellator champion and I think he’s even better than he was the first time.
Sanchez has very good cardio, offensive wrestling, and his boxing has looked really good as of late. I’m a big fan of his straight right hand. If he’s aggressive tomorrow night, he will stay in the fight just with his activity.
It’s hard to find a weakness in the game of the two-division Bellator champion. Pitbull is good on the ground and he has dynamite in his hands. The champion is dangerous everywhere, but we have seen him struggle if a wrestler can take him down and hold him.
A key for Sanchez tomorrow night could be a high striking pace and some timely takedowns. If he can do that, I think he can pull the upset at Bellator 255. However, that’s an extremely tall order.
Patricio Pitbull is one of the best fighters in the world regardless of promotion. There’s a reason he’s the two-division Bellator champion and I think he narrowly holds onto the featherweight title tomorrow night. However, I’m expecting a war between these two.
Prediction: Patricio Pitbull by Unanimous Decision