Sky Sports Action at 3am & Sky Sports Main Event on Saturday morning at 3.30am
Tuesday 20 August 2019 12:56, UK
Chael Sonnen features alongside two major world title fights as Bellator MMA returns to Sky Sports Action at 3am & Sky Sports Main Event on Saturday morning at 3.30am.
Sonnen faces fellow veteran Lyoto Machida in a fight of contrasting styles at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Sonnen, 42, has won two of four Bellator fights since coming out of retirement. His wrestling offence will be tricky to implement, however, against Brazilian striker Machida.
Fellow southpaw Machida, 41, is on a three-fight win streak which includes a stunning knockout of Vitor Belfort. His movement will be a problem for Sonnen unless the American can drag him, and hold him, to the floor.
Rory MacDonald, arguably the best fighter under the Bellator banner, puts his welterweight title up for grabs in the semi-final of the World Grand Prix tournament against Neiman Gracie.
MacDonald is still just 29 but has endured a bruising 26-fight career highlighted by wins over Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley and Douglas Lima.
But he admitted to questioning his own future after his most recent fight, a draw against Jon Fitch. That opens the door to the unbeaten but far less experienced Gracie to spring a shock. His best bet will be via submission, where eight of his nine wins have come from.
Darrion Caldwell will defend his bantamweight title against Kyoji Horiguchi, an opponent he has previously lost to.
Horiguchi submitted Caldwell to win the title of rival organisation, Rizin, but now bids to claim the Bellator equivalent.
Dillon Danis, part of Conor McGregor's training group and a jiu-jitsu specialist, has the second MMA fight of his budding career. He meets Max Humphrey. Danis needed less than two minutes to win his debut by submission.
