MMA Titles on top: MacDonald v. Gracie to headline Bellator 222 in NYC Fighting on short notice, MacDonald will be facing a fresh Gracie, who is an early favorite to win the Welterweight Grand Prix. by Daniel Yanofsky June 1, 2019 Traditionally, a title bout would main event a premier event, whether it be for MMA, boxing or pro wrestling. In regards to MMA, there are some occasions when a showcase fight will take priority over a title fight. Originally in that mindset, Bellator President Scott Coker had a change of heart. Bellator 222’s main event inside Madison Square Garden was supposed to be Chael Sonnen v. Lyoto Machida. Now, that match has been pushed to co-main event status in favor of Rory MacDonald v. Neiman Gracie. MMA Junkie were the first to report the news. MacDonald (20-5-1) will be defending his Welterweight Championship in the semifinals of the Welterweight Grand Prix. He barely beat Jon Fitch at Bellator 220, which took place on April 27th. The fight ended in a majority decision draw, but due to MacDonald being the champion he was able to advance. Gracie (9-0) last fought in December, beating Ed Ruth via rear-naked choke. A member of the legendary Gracie family, Neiman is going to be fresh in this fight. Some would say he is the true favorite to win the entire tournament. The fight may be questionable considering the timing, but Bellator has been planning this for quite some time. Having an important title fight on last is valid. As for Sonnen and Machida, they will get their moment to shine, but if they aren’t fighting for anything a “demotion” may have been necessary. Bellator 222 takes place on June 14th and tickets are currently still available. You can buy your tickets now at the MSG box office and at Ticketmaster.com. Post Views: 883 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Daniel Yanofsky Baseball Editor, Misc. Sports Editor. Covers all things combat sports (MMA, Pro Wrestling and Boxing). When he's not writing, Daniel hosts a podcast, The Main Event. Latest posts by Daniel Yanofsky (see all) Mets hire Luis Rojas to replace Carlos Beltran as manager - January 23, 2020 An Outsider’s 2020 Hall of Fame Ballot - January 21, 2020 A Wild Yo Sighting: Yoenis Cespedes participates in running, fielding and hitting drills - January 21, 2020 Following Conor McGregor’s win at UFC 246, is “The King” truly back? - January 20, 2020 Related TopicsBellator 222Bellator MMABellator Welterweight Grand PrixChael SonnenLyoto MachidammaNeiman Gracierory macdonald 1 Comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Women in Sports: Podcast Host, New York Riptide Sideline Reporter, Dani Wexelman by Luke Porco | posted on March 3, 2020 From Paramus High School to CBS Sports, Spero Dedes is making waves in sports broadcasting by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on October 27, 2020 Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky all Chasing Gold at 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Anthony Paradiso | posted on April 18, 2021 “Overtime” l Ep. 28: TopSpin Celeb-Athlete Tournament – Dec. 6, 2018 by Stefany Romero | posted on December 19, 2018 More in MMA The Mockery of A Sport: Paul vs. Askren Jake Paul and Ben Askren are set to fight tonight, and as a fan... The Leverage Game: What’s Going on Between Jon Jones and UFC? After Francis Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic, fight fans everywhere were already excited about... Athletes and their “Charitable” Contributions The other day I was watching TV when I saw a commercial for Conor... Should the Holloway vs. Katter fight have been Stopped in the 4th Round? Dana White thought so… In my honest opinion, when it comes to sports there is nothing like watching... Updated Standings For PFL Season 2 Following PFL 13 PFL 14 (Season 2): Magalhaes v. Sordi Live Results