Bellator today confirmed a highly-anticipated co-main event and a host of additional bouts for its Bellator 217 card in Dublin on Saturday, February 23, 2019. The event, which will be held at the 3Arena, will see some of the most exciting Irish MMA talent take to the stage alongside a raft of British and international athletes.
In the co-main event, Irish fighters Peter “The Showstopper” Queally (11-4-1) and Myles “Magic” Price (10-7) will meet in a lightweight clash which is set to stoke old tensions between the former SBG teammates. Joining them on the main card are light heavyweights Karl Moore (8-2) and Yannick “Black Mamba” Bahati (8-2-1 NC) in a battle of the Brits.
The prelims will showcase a number of SGB prospects, firstly with Kiefer “Big Daddy” Crosbie (5-0), who meets fellow welterweight Daniel “Obi-Wan” Olejniczak (3-2-1) in another all-Irish bout. Meanwhile Will Fleury (4-1) gets the opportunity to further his credentials in front of a home crowd against Shaun “The Disgrace” Taylor (8-1) at middleweight.
Bellator 217: Gallagher vs. Graham will be broadcast free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, as well as DAZN.com, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App.
Tickets are now on sale to the general public and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com, as well as the 3Arena box office.
Peter Queally fights out of SBG in Dublin, Ireland, where he is coached by renowned MMA trainer John Kavanagh. Queally will step out in front of his hometown for his Bellator debut, aiming to make it three fights unbeaten following a win and a draw in his previous two bouts. He’ll be brimming with confidence having secured the first finish of his professional MMA career, a KO win against David Khachatryan in May.
Standing in his way of a 12th career win will be his former stablemate and fellow countryman, Myles Price. Price now fights out of Team Ryano in Dublin and courted controversy as an Irishman by helping Khabib Nurmagomedov prepare for his title fight against MMA superstar Conor McGregor. Price’s allegiance to Khabib has resulted in a bitter rivalry with Queally and sparks are set to fly when the two meet at the 3Arena.
Karl Moore will make the short trip to Dublin from Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he trains at Fight Academy Ireland. A former Cage Warriors champion, Moore will be seeking a return to winning ways following a KO loss to Mauro Cerilli in March. Until then he had been riding high on a three-fight winning streak and he’ll be confident his varied game will lead to a ninth career victory.
Moore will face a fellow Bellator debutant in the shape of Yannick Bahati, who carries the same number of professional wins as the Northern Irishman. Bahati fights of Team Renegade in Birmingham, England, and is aiming to reverse his recent form which has seen him slip to three consecutive losses. Like Moore, Bahati’s eight wins have come from a mixture of KO/TKO, submission and decision, demonstrating his versatility and unpredictability. Fans can expect a compelling contest when the two meet.
As well as the above bouts, Ryan Curtis will meet Luis Gonzalez in a flyweight bout and Ian Cleary faces Micky Doran at bantamweight. More bouts will be added as the card begins to take shape for what promises to be a thrilling evening of live MMA action in front of an electric crowd in Dublin.
Updated Bellator 217: Gallagher vs. Graham Card:
Main card
Bantamweight Main Event: James Gallagher (7-1) vs. Steven Graham (6-3)
Lightweight Co-Main Event: Peter Queally (11-4-1) vs. Myles Price (10-7)
Light heavyweight bout: Karl Moore (8-2) vs. Yannick Bahati (8-4-1 NC)
Prelims
Welterweight bout: Kiefer Crosbie (5-0) vs. Daniel Olejniczak (3-2-1)
Middleweight bout: Will Fleury (4-1) vs. Shaun Taylor (8-1)
Flyweight bout: Ryan Curtis (4-1) vs. Luis Gonzalez (8-4)
Bantamweight bout: Ian Cleary (1-1) vs. Micky Doran (pro debut)