Former UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson was back in the Bellator cage Friday night at Bellator 227. Going down at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, the card was a double-bill, with Bellator: Dublin taking place later, but airing earlier, due to a tape delay for the 227 card.

Regardless, ‘Smooth’ was looking to make it four wins in a row against Myles Jury, recently departed from the UFC.

Perhaps with that in mind, Henderson swung almost right off the opening bell. A moment later, he fired a punch to the body. Jury landed a leg kick, which Henderson answered. However, any thought of the pair playing rock ’em, sock ’em robots faded. Instead, Henderson and Jury played out more of a chess battle on the feet, albeit a violent one. Neither man was particularly willing to back down throughout.

Henderson went right at Jury in the second, firing a number of leg kicks, with Jury’s leg looking tender. Jury, however, was still game, and firing kicks of his own. To the midway pint of the second, the fight had been entirely a stand-up battle. That, despite both men being comfortable on the ground. Henderson meanwhile was slightly more active, and slightly more effective on the feet, giving him an edge heading into the third.

Jury fired at the midsection with a kick, while Henderson attacked the lead leg, as kicks continued to be a story in the third round of Henderson vs. Jury. Later in the round ‘Smooth’ would connect with a straight left. End result, a bit of a wake-up call for Jury. While the fight was close, Henderson seemed to be half a step ahead of Jury at every turn. And it showed on the scorecards.

Benson Henderson def. Myles Jury by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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SBG Ireland’s Kiefer Crosbie, a training partner of Conor McGregor, was back in the Bellator cage on Friday night at the 3Arena in Dublin. There, in his fourth fight for the promotion, he faced promotional newcomer Hugo Pereira. The fight served as the co-main event of the Bellator 227 card, aired via tape delay on Paramount Network Friday night in North America.

Crosbie was on the outside early, and wound up pushed back into the fence by Pereira. The Irish fighter then complained about a foul, possibly a low blow, but the ref instructed the pair to fight on. Once Crosbie was able to create some space, he went to the body with a kick. But Pereira was able to control Crosbie, turning the fight into something of a grinding affair, outside Crosbie’s wheelhouse.

Pereira opened the second round with a little windmill action with his right hand, but stopped short of getting too show-boaty. A good call given Crosbie had the power advantage. Pereira fired an overhand right, and attacked Crosbie’s lead leg. Crosbie returned fire with a high kick, then a kick to the thigh and an axe kick. Opening things up with his kicks, Crosbie would finally connect with a left hand. Crosbie would soon switch stances, taking his lead leg out of firing range. The pair traded kicks, traded strikes, and overall, the second was a very close round.

Round three was quite possibly a tie-breaker, but Crosbie could easily have been down two rounds. The bad news for the Irish fighter, he had a kick caught early, and Pereira planted him on his back. A high closed guard ensued. Crosbie would make it back up, but Pereira would scale his back, looking for a choke. Crosbie, however, would shake him off, sliding out the back. He then worked for a takedown by the fence, only to be reversed. They’d battle to the bell, but you could feel the fight slipping through Crosbie’s fingers in the final frame. Instead, the judges gave him two rounds. Or two of them did, at least. One judge scored the fight a highly dubious 30-27 for Crosbie, giving  him a unanimous decision win.

Kiefer Crosbie def. Hugo Pereira by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

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Norbert Novenyi Jr. entered the Bellator cage an undefeated 19-year old prospect at Bellator 227. His opponent, Will Fleury, was 22 years his senior, with a couple of inches of reach and height on the Hungarian-born fighter. But Novenyi Jr. certainly had the pedigree, as the son of an Olympic wrestling champion. And he put on a show in Dublin, Ireland on Friday.

Novenyi employed a sideways stance, reminiscent of Lyoto Machida and Stephen Thompson. He was moving fluidly, but when Fluery attacked, Novenyi was forced to retreat. In the clinch, Novenyi found himself turned and driven into the fence, with Fluery slowly taking him down. Novenyi appeared to defend with a setup for a choke, but Fluery was able to maintain side control, before moving to half-guard. He’d eventually wind up in guard, but not before Novenyi ate some shots.

Then, back on the feet following a scramble, Novenyi connected, knocking Fluery down! Fluery was caught with his hands down off a kick. Novenyi followed, laying down some hammer fists on the wobbled Fliery. Fluery somehow survived, but did not have his full faculties functioning. He fanned a spinning attack, Novenyi grabbed a body lock, and briefly took him down. He didn’t stay down, but another big overhand right connected for Novenyi, then another, then another!

Fluery was saved by the bell, but bloodied. Another right hand would land within the first minute of round two. Fluery was on his back. Novenyi moved to side control. He was in control period. When Fluery tried to wall-walk, he ate punch after punch, blood flowing again. Fluery, however, would make it up, and take Novenyi down. That wouldn’t last, but if nothing else, Fluery was proving resilient.

The pair had slowed a step to start the third. Fluery needed a finish. Novenyi probably just wanted one, wondering what it would take to actually stop his opponent. In the end they’d go the distance, but the fight never really felt close.

Norbert Novenyi Jr. def. Will Fluery by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

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On Saturday, Bellator was expected to announce the debut date and opponent for one of the biggest female MMA stars of all time, Cris Cyborg. A day earlier in Dublin at Bellator 227, they hosted the latest scrap in Cyborg’s native featherweight division. That saw Leah McCourt taking on Kerry Hughes, second fight in on the event’s televised main card.

Hughes swung early, while McCourt looked calm under pressure, firing kicks, and answering back with her hands. Hughes would connect with a right, but McCourt ate it and fired back. McCourt looked like the bigger, more athletic girl, and soon enough, she’d land a right of her own. As McCourt initiated thai clinches, she would fire knees; a judo toss by the fence got Hughes down to the mat. From there, McCourt controlled the back, peppering her opponent with strikes. Then the hooks went in — at least one — and so was the rear-naked choke. The ref might have been a little late noticing the tap, but for McCourt, it was a good clean win, her first via submission.

Leah McCourt def. Kerry Hughes by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:14

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Bantamweight action at Bellator 227 saw Frans Mlambo face Dominique Wooding in the televised card opener. Mlambo, another product of SBG Ireland, had won his promotional debut back in June. Wooding, from England, had also won his Bellator debut earlier in the year, at the promotion’s Birmingham show in May.

After two successful coming out parties, one fighter was set to suffer their first loss in Bellator. Both did their best to avoid it, of course.

Mlambo found himself outside early, Wooding firing off a leg kick. But it was Mlambo who connected first, still in the opening minute. That right hand sent Wooding falling back, though he was quick to regain his feet. From there, Mlambo tied his opponent up against the fence, with the pair trading body shots, then punches upstairs. But still in the clinch, Wooding ate a low blow, leading to a break in the action.

On the restart, Wooding took control, getting Mlambo to the canvas, taking the back with one hook in. Mlambo fought that off but gave up his neck in the process.

Surviving the opening frame, they’d head to the second, where Wooding once again got in the driver’s seat. Having moved past the early knockdown, Wooding began utilizing his pressure game, grinding away at Mlambo, driving him into the cage. Mlambo tried dropping elbows and hammer fists, but he was penned in.

The final minute of the second saw the pair open up, trading heavy leather along the fence. But just as things were getting going, it was Mlambo being hit low. Back underway, Mlambo, who had fanned on a head kick earlier, fired a couple of leg kicks, perhaps setting up another head kick attempt — but the round would wind down first.

After some back-and-forth, the third saw Mlambo look for a takedown as Woodling came forward, leading to a clinch. Wooding’s back was to the cage, with Mlambo taking control, firing knees. After breaking, Woodings would try a switch kick, but Mlambo was able to evade it. He was not, however, able to evade a takedown with ninety seconds left in the bout. He’d make up for that by firing away til the final bell.

Frans Mlambo def. Dominique Wooding by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-28)

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Bellator: Dublin and Bellator 227 offered a double bill from the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday. While the Bellator 227 main card would air on Paramount Network for fans in the west, Bellator: Dublin could be streamed for free on the Bellator App. Topped by a main event featuring James Gallagher vs. short-notice replacement Roman Salazar, the event also brought with it some preliminary fights that could be streamed by fight fans tuning in early.

Among the early fights to take note of, UFC alum Richie Smullen continued his journey. The SBG Ireland fighter was paired up with BAMMA vet Sean Tobin. And a women’s strawweight contest saw Danni Neilan take on Camila Rivarola. That fight stood out simply due to Bellator not currently operating a 115lb weight class on a regular basis.

Tune in to watch the official Bellator 227 / Bellator: Dublin preliminary card live stream below! The action kicks off at 11:45 AM ET.

Bellator 227: Henderson vs. Jury – Live Tonight on Paramount Network & DAZN

Bellator 227 Preliminary Card Results:

Light Heavyweight: Karl Moore def. Lee Chadwick by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Featherweight: Dylan Logan def. Adam Gustab by submission (triangle choke), Round 2, 2:14
Featherweight: Richie Smullen def. Sean Tobin by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:43
Welterweight: Philip Mulpeter def. Keith McCabe by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29_28)
Welterweight: Constantin Gnusariev def. Ian Coughlan by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Featherweight: Ilias Bulaid def. Vitalic Maiboroda by knockout (knee), Round 1, 4:59
Lightweight: Ryan Roddy def. Patrik Pietilla by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Flyweight: Jacob Hadley def. Blaine O’Driscoll by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 3:14

Post-Lims

Featherweight: George Courtney vs. Ciaran Clarke
Women’s Strawweight: Danni Neilan vs. Camila Rivarola

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It’s a rare day when not one but two main event fighters miss weight, for separate main events. Yet that’s where things sit with Bellator: Dublin and Bellator 227 after a tumultuous day at the scales.

Bellator 227 main event lightweight Myles Jury missed the non-title fight lightweight limit of 156lbs by just 0.2lbs — and will be allowed to compete without paying any fine whatsoever. In his promotional debut, Jury faces former UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson.

Bellator: Dublin headliner Roman Salazar, a short-notice replacement, came in at 145.4lbs for a catchweight 140lb fight. There’s no getting off the hook for Salazar, who was over five pounds above the agreed catchweight. Gallagher has accepted a featherweight bout, and Salazar will forfeit 20% of his purse.

Bellator 227 Main Card (Paramount/DAZN, 9PM ET [tape delay])

Benson Henderson (156) vs. Myles Jury (156.2)*
Kiefer Crosbie (163.8) vs. Hugo Pereira (164.8)
Will Fleury (186) vs. Norbert Novenyi (185.6)
Leah McCourt (145.8) vs. Kerry Hughes (145)
Frans Mlambo (135) vs. Dominique Wooding (135.6)

Bellator: Dublin Main Card (Bellator app, Sky Sports, 5PM ET)

James Gallagher (139.8) vs. Roman Salazar (145.4)**
Richard Kiely (171) vs. Michael Page (170.6)
Peter Queally (168.4) vs. Ryan Scope (170)

Bellator 227 Preliminary Card (Cageside Press, Bellator App, 11:45AM ET)

Danni Neilan (115.5) vs. Camila Rivarola (115.6)
Ciaran Clarke (146) vs. George Courtney (144.6)
Richie Smullen (144.8) vs. Sean Tobin (145)
Patrik Pietila (155.4) vs. Ryan Roddy (154.8)
Ilias Bulaid (145.4) vs. Vitalic Maiboroda (146)
Lee Chadwick (206) vs. Karl Moore (205.8)
Keith McCabe (168.6) vs. Philip Mulpeter (170.2)
Jake Hadley (125.6) vs. Blaine O’Driscoll (124.8)
Adam Gustab (145.6) vs. Dylan Logan (145.5)
Ian Coughlan (170.4) vs. Constantin Gnusariev (167)

* Jury missed weight, bout moves on as planned with no fine

** Salazar missed weight by 5.4lbs, fined 20% of his purse, bout will proceed as a featherweight contest

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Bellator MMA will be heading back to Dublin, Ireland on the 27th of September for a dual-card. Bellator: Dublin will see the return of James Gallagher, an Irish talent and teammate of Conor McGregor. Plus another big return in Michael ‘Venom’ Page, who was last seen being knocked out by Douglas Lima, and as a result, was knocked out of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix. Bellator 227, meanwhile, will be topped by former UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson, who will take on another ex-UFC fighter, the newly signed Myles Jury.

On Tuesday, the promotion held a press conference promoting the double feature, with Leah McCourt Bellator 227), Ryan Scope (Bellator: Dublin), Peter Queally (fighting Scope), and others present. Later, the Bellator: Dublin co-main event players Michael Page and Richard Kiely would join in.

You can watch the full press conference video above. Bellator 227 will air via tape delay in North America on Paramount Network and streaming service DAZN. Bellator: Dublin, meanwhile, will stream live on the Bellator app, as well as on Cageside Press and other media outlets.

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The promotion announced the Bellator 227 main event in a press release.

Benson Henderson was thrown to the wolves when he joined Bellator, getting matched up with Andrey Koreshkov in a welterweight title fight in his promotional debut. You could say the same thing about Myles Jury, who will be fighting Henderson in his promotional debut.

Former UFC champion Benson Henderson signed with Bellator in 2016 on the heels of a two-fight win streak in the UFC, including a victory over Jorge Masvidal. “Smooth” went through the gauntlet in his first four fights, taking on Koreshkov, both Pitbull brothers, and Michael Chandler, earning a 1-3 record. The MMA Lab product has bounced back with wins in his last three fights against Roger Huerta, Saad Awad, and Adam Piccolotti.

Myles Jury joins the promotion on a two-fight losing streak. The TUF alum won his first six fights in the Octagon with wins over Michael Johnson and Diego Sanchez. As a result, the 30-year-old (then-26), was matched up with Donald Cerrone, who soundly defeated him. The loss sent Jury down to featherweight, where he proceeded to go 1-4. Jury has now committed to fighting at lightweight.

Bellator 227 will take place on September 27 in the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. In addition to Benson Henderson vs. Myles Jury, James Gallagher will take on Cal Ellenor, and Michael Page will face striking specialist Richard Kiely.

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