The lineup for Bellator’s fall return to Ireland continues to build with the addition of four new matchups.
Dublin’s own Peter Queally (13-8-1 MMA, 2-4 BMMA) will return to fight in front of his home fans in a welterweight bout against Italy’s Daniele Miceli (10-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA). Promotion officials announced the new booking Monday for Bellator 299, which takes place Sept. 23 at 3Arena in Dublin. The main card will air on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
In addition, Bellator officials announced the inclusion of featherweight fights between unbeaten Irishman Ciaran Clarke (7-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and Przemyslaw Gorny (5-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and Darragh Kelly (4-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) vs. Jelle Zeegers (2-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), plus Charlie Ward (10-6 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) vs. Gregory Babene (22-11 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).
Queally will attempt to snap a three-fight skid. After a May 2021 win over Patricky Freire in Connecticut due to a doctors stoppage, the pair rematched later that year for the vacant lightweight title. But when they ran it back, Freire knocked out Queally in the second round and started his current skid ahead of losses to Benson Henderson and Bryce Logan.
Miceli got back in the win column this past November with a first-round submission win in France. After a loss in his lone Bellator fight in 2016, he has bounced around the European regional circuit.
Clarke is one of Bellator’s homegrown prospects. The 28-year-old Irishman is unbeaten in his pro career and has racked up three rear-naked choke wins in his first seven fights, all for Bellator. Gorny will make his Bellator debut on the strength of three straight wins, including two straight stoppages in 2022.
Kelly has three of his first four pro wins by stoppage, including a D’Arce choke finish of Andre Ferreira at a Clan Wars event earlier this month. Zeegers, from the Netherlands, will be making his Bellator debut.
The 42-year-old Ward will try to get back on track after back-to-back decision losses to Fabian Edwards and, most recently, Mike Shipman in February at Bellator 291. Prior to that, the longtime fighter had won seven of eight under the Bellator banner. France’s Babene is a perfect 4-0 for Bellator, including a first-round knockout of Shipman at Bellator 280 in 2022.
With the additions, the Bellator 299 lineup in Dublin now includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 4 p.m. ET)
- Champ Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards – for middleweight title
- Pedro Carvalho vs. Aaron Pico
- Sara Collins vs. Sinead Kavanagh
- Mads Burnell vs. Daniel Weichel
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie/YouTube, 11 a.m. ET)
- Daniele Miceli vs. Peter Queally
- Gregory Babene vs. Charlie Ward
- Ciaran Clarke vs. Przemyslaw Gorny
- Kenny Mokhonoana vs. Josh O’Connor
- Luke Trainer vs. Laurynas Urbonavicius
- Brian Moore vs. Otto Rodrigues
- Darragh Kelly vs. Jelle Zeegers
- Roman Debienne vs. Nicolo Solli
- Mark Ewen vs. Noah Gugnon
- Chiara Penco vs. Mackenzie Stiller
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator Dublin.
