Bellator 251 was set to be something of a prospect showcase on Thursday night.
Yes, the card was built around the arrival of Corey Anderson, the latest addition to the promotion’s strong light heavyweight division. Taking on Melvin Manhoef, in the Dutch fighter’s penultimate fight (retirement looms for Manhoef), Anderson was clearly the star of the show.
But the rest of the Bellator 251 card was all about the young talents. Undefeated fighters like Austin Vanderford and Alex Polizzi. A pair of fighters making their professional debuts in Jaylon Bates (bantamweight) and Sumiko Inaba (women’s flyweight).
Not to mention the return of Tyrell Fortune, looking to get back in the win column after a loss and a no contest in his last two outings. And LFA champ Bryce Logan returning to Bellator and getting a step up in competition against Georgi Karakhanyan.
The Bellator 251 preliminary card kicks off at 4:45 PM ET, going down live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. A live stream is available in the embed above. Full results will be available below.
Bellator 251: Manhoef vs. Anderson Preliminary Card Results
Georgi Karakhanyan def. Bryce Logan by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Julius Angelickas def. Alex Polizzi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Janay Harding def. Jessica Miele by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ali Zebian def. Piankhi Zimmerman by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Jaylon Bates def. Joe Supino by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27)
Sumiko Inaba def. Jessica Ruiz by TKO, Round 1, 4:59
