Bellator 293 was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held on January 21, 2022, at the Ratiopharm Arena in Ulm, Germany.The event also featured several exciting matchups in other weight divisions, including featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight.
Date: Friday 03.31.2023 at Main Card 10:00 PM ET
Both Golm and James will try to get a win with the hope of becoming the next Bellator Heavyweight title contender. They are both on a four-fight winning streak, finishing their opponents decisively. However, Golm is ranked fifth in the division and will attempt to defeat James to keep his spot in the rankings.
Maintaining a lengthy winning streak can be difficult in a division as dangerous as heavyweight, but Bellator 293 headliners Marcelo Golm and Daniel James will both enter the cage on Friday night riding four-fight winning streaks and with the opportunity to pick up a victory that positions them as a potential title challenger.
For more information about Bellator 293: Golm vs. James, Date, Venue, Cage location click on the Read more.
Bout Information Event: Bellator 293: Golm vs. James, Date: Friday 03.31.2023 at Main Card 10:00 PM ET, Venue: Pechanga Resort Casino Enclosure: Cage Location: Temecula, California, United StatesBout Billing: Main Event (fight 15 of 15), Pro/Am: Professional, Weight: 265 lbs (120.2 kg)
MARCELO GOLM VS. DANIEL JAMES
HEAVYWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
10-3-0 MMA RECORD 14-6-1
6'3" HEIGHT 6'5"
255 lbs WEIGHT 263 lbs
Brazil COUNTRY USA
Golm may be the more familiar man for fans of mixed martial arts. He had a four-fight stint in the UFC that started with a 47-second submission win but finished up after dropping three straight fights. After picking up a pair of wins on the regional scene, Golm received the opportunity to jump into the Bellator cage and quickly found success, first stopping Billy Swanson with punches and then forcing Davion Franklin to tap out to a rear-naked choke.
He now faces James, a fighter with more professional experience, but who has only fought once on a stage as big as Bellator. In that opportunity James' most recent fight he scored an impressive second-round TKO of Bellator veteran Tyrell Fortune.
Golm didn’t exactly have the career he had imagined when he signed with UFC in Oct. 2017. Sure, he started things off great with a first-round submission win over Christian Colombo, but he then went on to lose three straight which resulted in him parting ways with the promotion. After picking up two wins on the regional circuit, the Brazilian bomber inked a contract with Bellator and earned back-to-back stoppage wins over Billy Swanson and Davion Franklin, good enough to earn him the No. 6 spot on the official rankings.
Now, Golm is eying his third straight win and a spot in the Top 5, which will undoubtedly get him closer to the championship conversation. But standing in his way is a hard-hitting big man who isn’t wasting any time making his presence felt with the promotion. Making his debut at Bellator 288, James (No. 7) pulled off a big upset by knocking out Tyrell Fortune in round two, extending his win streak to four in a row, all stoppages.
In fact, of 14 wins James has 10 knockouts and three submissions to his credit. If he can take Golm out in impressive fashion it will be him inching closer to the Top 5. Golm has knockout power, as well, but trading strike-for-strike against James may not be the best course of action here. For Golm, softening up his foe before taking it to the ground for a submission win will be the key to victory.