Matches to Make After Bellator 274

It’s complicated at the top of Bellator MMA’s welterweight division, but this much is certain: Logan Storley is very much a contender.

The four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at the University of Minnesota made history on Saturday night, as he earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over Neiman Gracie in the first five-round, non-title main event in promotion history at a href="/events/Bellator-274-Gracie-vs-Storley-91678" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bellator 274. Storley has won eight of nine in Bellator competition, and his lone loss was a split decision at the hands of current 170-pound ruler Yaroslav Amosov. While Storley might not be quite ready for a rematch with Amosov, his ability to prevail through the championship rounds bodes well for his future title hopes.

In the wake of Bellator 274, here are some matches that ought to be made.

Logan Storley vs. Jason Jackson-Douglas Lima Loser

There’s a decent chance that the winner of the Bellator London co-headliner between Jackson and Lima gets the next welterweight title shot — and that goes double if Jackson is victorious. Either way, Storley is still lacking for signature victories on his record. Outside of Gracie, his best career win is probably a decision over viral knockout artist Joaquin Buckley in April 2018. A victory over either Jackson or Lima would improve Storley’s résumé significantly, and solidify his position as the next No. 1 contender at 170 pounds.

Andrey Koreshkov vs. Paul Daley

Koreshkov’s record includes losses to just four men: Douglas Lima (twice), Lorenz Larkin and Ben Askren. Two of those are former champions and the other is a high-level striker and perennial contender. That said, the 31-year-old Russian is still somewhat underrated in Bellator’s welterweight division, which he proved with a spectacular spinning back kick finish of four-time Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Chance Rencountre in Saturday’s co-main event. In the aftermath of his latest triumph, “Spartan” didn’t ask to be included in the title picture. Instead, he vowed to leave his wrestling behind for a striker’s showcase with Paul Daley, who plans on having his swan song at Bellator London on May 13. Koreshkov vs. Daley is a matchup that jumps off the page, though it’s quite possible the British slugger will want a softer matchmaking touch for his retirement fight.

Adam Piccolotti vs. Bobby King

Piccolotti was impressive in using his takedowns and grappling to capture a hard-fought three-round verdict against well-traveled veteran Georgi Karakhanyan in a featured lightweight affair. In the past four years, Picolotti has only dropped split decisions to the likes of Sidney Outlaw and Benson Henderson, both of whom are highly-ranked in the promotion’s 155-pound Top 10. King, meanwhile, was equally impressive in ending the undefeated run of ranked Israeli submission specialist Aviv Gozali in a first-round technical knockout victory on the undercard. King has undoubtedly attracted some attention following the signature win of his career. Piccolotti would be an appropriate test following King’s upset victory, and after competing on the same event, the timeframe should line up well for both men.

Brennan Ward vs. Sabah Homasi

After his first mixed martial arts victory since 2016, Ward called for a Top-10 opponent while declaring a willingness to be the promotion’s gatekeeper. While it was undeniably entertaining to see Ward piece up Brandon Bell in a 175-pound catchweight bout, his comeback trail isn’t quite ready for someone so highly-ranked just yet. However, Ward is always good for an all-action fight, and he remains a popular draw at his hometown Mohegan Sun Arena. If the promotion really wants a crowd pleaser, it should book a surefire slugfest between Ward and UFC veteran Sabah Homasi, who has finished 10 of his 16 career triumphs via knockout or technical knockout.

Davion Franklin vs. Linton Vassell

Franklin remained undefeated at Bellator 274, edging American Top Team representative Said Sowma via split-decision in a featured heavyweight contest. The Jackson-Wink MMA representative remains a work-in-progress, as evidenced by his swing-and-miss approach on Saturday night. It’s also difficult to look good against Sowma, a cardio machine who chips away with a wide array of kicks. However, every Franklin attack arrives with the sense of imminent danger, so if he can fine tune his game a little bit more, he will be an interesting contender in the division. Following his victory, Franklin called for a matchup with former light heavyweight title challenger Linton Vassell, who is riding a streak of wins over Tyrell Fortune, Ronny Markes and Sergei Kharitonov in the big men’s division. It would be another step up for Franklin, but since he made the most of his microphone time, give the man what he wants.