Bellator 287 Recap: Barnaoui’s Dominant Debut and Event…

Bellator 287 took place on October 29, 2022, at the Allianz Cloud Arena in Milan, Italy. Mansour Barnaoui made a successful Bellator debut by submitting Adam Piccolotti in the lightweight main event. Fabian Edwards defeated Charlie Ward in the middleweight co-main event, while the preliminary card included a submission win for Costello van Steenis.

Main Event: Barnaoui vs. Piccolotti

Barnaoui finished Piccolotti with a rear-naked choke at 2:51 of round two. The debuting lightweight converted his grappling advantage into a submission and left Milan with a clear victory.

A promotional debut brings the challenge of establishing a place among a new set of opponents. Winning a main event against an experienced Bellator fighter gave Barnaoui a particularly visible introduction, with the finish supplying a stronger statement than a close decision would have.

Co-Main Event: Edwards vs. Ward

Edwards beat Ward by unanimous decision, with scores of 30–27, 30–27 and 29–28. This was the evening’s co-main event and a middleweight contest.

Elsewhere on the main card, Tim Wilde defeated Saul Rogers by split decision. Justin Gonzales earned a unanimous decision over Andrew Fisher, receiving 30–27 scores from all three judges.

Preliminary Highlights

Van Steenis submitted Kamil Oniszczuk with a D’Arce choke at 3:02 of round two. Their bout was on the preliminary card. Alfie Davis beat Thibault Gouti by unanimous decision, with three 30–27 scores.

Daniele Scatizzi also defeated Davy Gallon by unanimous decision. These results added established European fighters to an event centered on Barnaoui’s arrival.

Divisional Perspective

The main event introduced a lightweight contender, while Edwards added a win at middleweight. Their achievements were distinct from a championship victory: neither headline bout awarded a belt. Barnaoui’s submission nevertheless gave the night an emphatic ending.

Barnaoui’s submission made a strong first impression in a headline bout, but Bellator 287 was not limited to that result. The event also gave Edwards a unanimous decision, while Wilde’s split decision reflected a closer contest. On the preliminary card, van Steenis’s choke and Davis’s clear scorecards supplied different routes to victory.

Sources

MMA Fighting: Bellator 287 results; Sherdog: event recap; Event results record.

Article Tags

Bellator, Bellator 287, Mixed Martial Arts