Bellator Paris Preview: MVP vs Houston; Kongo vs Johnson 2

Bellator MMA rolls into Paris, France for a show that is labeled the first major MMA event in la République After the sport was made official last January. A welterweight showdown between Michael “Venom” Page and former Cage Warriors champion Ross Houston tops the bill at Bellator 248. French MMA veteran Cheick Kongo steps in to fight Tim Johnson in a heavyweight rematch in the Euro Series section of the card.

Bellator 248 Fight Card

A clash between undefeated Ross Houston (8-0) and Michael Page (17-1) headlines here in the Accor Arena on Saturday night. On paper this fight looks like it should be easy work for Page. If you’re thinking that way you may want to think again as Ross Houston is no joke and provides a stern test for one of Bellator’s biggest stars.

Houston makes his Bellator debut and he called for MVP. That shows the confidence that the Scottish man has in himself and his abilities. During his Cage Warriors spell Houston picked up notable wins over Aaron Khalid x2, Nathan Jones and Stefano Paternò. His last bout was that memorable battle with Nicolas Dalby which was stopped in round three due to too much bloodshed which made fighting conditions unsafe. He takes a big step up here in fighting MVP.

The stage is set once more for Michael Page to put on a show for the 5000 fans that are set to be in attendance. He comes into on a three fight win streak. While his recent competition has not really set the world on fire, Page will take a step up in competition in fighting Houston. It’s always fun when MVP steps into the cage and I’m sure it will be no different this coming weekend.

The undercard has three more fights that are set to take place. Swede, Oliver Enkamp (9-2) throws down in another welterweight encounter against Emmanuel Dawa (9-3), who fights on home soil. Ryan Scope (10-3) looks to bounce back from his defeat in the Peter Queally fight. Scope’s dance partner is veteran Alan Omar (23-5) in what will be a hotly contested lightweight scrap. Last but not least is a fascinating bout between Darko Banovic (17-7) and former Cage Warriors and UFC fighter Mads Burnell (13-3).

Bellator Euro Series 10 Fight Card

Topping the bill on this section of the card is heavyweights Cheick Kongo (30-10-2) and Tim Johnson (14-6-0). Both guys previously fought on the Bellator 161 card in a fight that was nothing really to write home about. Let’s hope for a more entertaining fight second time around. This matchup will be a momentous fight for Kongo who hails from France and he’ll be eager to get the job done to mark the occasion.

The co-main event on the Euro Series card is a featherweight bout between Saul Rogers (13-3), who appeared on Season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter. Rogers squares off against Arbi Mezhidov (13-3) who steps in for his Bellator debut. SevereMMA zoom guest Terry Brazier (11-3) looks to bounce back from his defeat to Sorin Bak. Brazier’s opponent Yves Landu (15-8) has the job of defending his home patch in this lightweight battle.

Ilias Bulaid (2-0) will be looking to remain in the win column, he and Ivan Naccari (0-1) square off in the lightweight division. Undefeated Frenchman Fabacary Diatta (6-0) competes against Dominique Wooding (6-3), whos last outing was a defeat to SBG’s Frans Mlambo.

There are two Irish competitors on the card. First up is Dylan Logan (4-4) who fights out of SGB Headquarters. Logan looks to turn his fortunes around after a defeat in his last fight, he squares off against William Gomis (6-3) in the featherweight division.

His teammate and fellow featherweight Ciaran Clarke (2-0) looks to add to the blistering start to his professional career. Clarke steps in to fight Jean N’Doye (8-1) who makes a return to the world of Mixed Martial Arts for the first time in almost seven years.

BELLATOR 248 FIGHT CARD

• Michael Page vs. Ross Houston
• Emmanuel Dawa vs. Oliver Enkamp
• Alan Omer vs. Ryan Scope
• Darko Banovic vs. Mads Burnell

BELLATOR EUROPE 10 MAIN CARD

• Cheick Kongo vs. Timothy Johnson
• Arbi Mezhidov vs. Saul Rogers

BELLATOR EUROPE 10 PRELIMINARY CARD

• Terry Brazier vs. Yves Landu
• Ilias Bulaid vs. Ivan Naccari
• Fabacary Diatta vs. Dominique Wooding
• Ciaran Clarke vs. Jean N’Doye
• William Gomis vs. Dylan Logan