Bellator Dublin 275: Text updates, round-by-round coverage and analysis as Gegard Mousasi stops Austin Vanderford and Sinead Kavanagh beats Leah McCourt

Summary

Gegard Mousasi stops Austin Vanderford in one
Hammer fists gives Mousasi impressive win
Sinead Kavanagh digs deep to beat Leah McCourt in epic contest
Kavanagh now in line for second title crack at Cris Cyborg
Irish fighter Brian Moore loses to Jornel Lugo in close contest
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Live Reporting

Paul Battison

'3Arena is mindblowing'published at 21:09 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
Coral Barry
BBC Sport combat sports editor
I might be biased, but every MMA fan has to experience a Dublin fight night once in their life!
Conor McGregor's rise to fame in the UFC introduced the wider MMA world to the passion of the Irish, and Bellator have taken up the mantle in recent years.
Peter Queally was forced to pull out of his fight tonight earlier this week with an injury, but expect Brian Moore and Ciaran Clarke to get the kind of reception he normally does.
Gareth A Davies has been to many fight nights in Dublin and says the crowd is often delirious with excitement.
Gareth A Davies, MMA expert: "It is sure to be - as it always is – a stentorian atmosphere and an ambience of passionate intensity.
"Honestly, it is mind-blowing in the bear pit that the 3Arena so often can be. Hysterical, even.
"There is no end to the superlatives that can be offered up for Irish fans in a debate about the most passionate supporters in the world, unerring for a sport which has broken new ground time and again, year after year, breaking convention and perception carried by a generation of Irish MMA fans."
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'There's been a lot achieved but a lot still to go'published at 21:04 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
Fight fans can expect to see Conor McGregor back in the action this year after a miserable 2021. Back-to-back defeats to Dustin Poirier hit the Irishman hard but he insists he is working hard to get back into top shape.
Can the two-weight champion ever get back to his best?
Conor McGregor speaking to BBC Sport: "I'm finding that balance everyday. Everyday is a lesson and we're building to get better.
"I'm happy with my ground strikes from the bottom. I think people are going to start respecting different aspects of my game.
"My shots from the bottom. My shots from the top. I have many different styles of fighting. So, we'll get there, for sure.
"It's marathon not a sprint.
"There's been a lot achieved but a lot still to go and I'm excited for that and I'm excited to go for my fans."
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Postpublished at 21:03 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
It's a real carnival atmosphere in here now with the main card just moments away.
DJ Otzi's Hey Baby is ringing out around the arena with fans stood on their feet, belting it out at the top of their voices.
Even Conor McGregor joined in, who is stood only a few feet away from us at cage-side.
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'Queen of Irish MMA to be crowned'published at 20:54 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
Sinead Kavanagh and Leah McCourt's fight is considered the people's main event this evening.
Gegard Mousasi v Austin Vanderford is certainly interesting, but it's not the bout that has captured the imagination of the Irish fans.
Instead, it's a meeting of mothers, both of whom were born on the island, and their opportunity to take a significant step to title contention, that's the talk of the town.
Kavangh is a local to Dublin while McCourt has enjoyed a remarkable rise to prominence in recent years, becoming the first female to headline a Bellator card in Europe two years ago.
"The buzz around the fight is crazy," said 36-year-old Kavanagh.
"This is two women fighting on the biggest stage in front of the best fans in the world. It's a big moment and it's amazing to see the amount of interest in it."
Read more about their friendly rivalry here
Image source, Bellator MMA
Brett Johns impresses with big winpublished at 20:50 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
Coral Barry
BBC Sport combat sports editor at Bellator 275
That was really impressive from Brett Johns. Khurshed Kakhorov was unbeaten and a huge challenge for the Welshman, but he came through with flying colours.
Johns dominated for three rounds, enjoyed top position on the ground and was able to finish Kakhorov with strikes in the third round.
The dominance was such that Johns was looking at the referee to step in when he was pummelling Kakhorov. A super night for Johns and a massive confidence boost.
He got a hug from Conor McGregor at cageside as he made his exit too.
Conor McGregor makes an appearancepublished at 20:46 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
Conor McGregor rocked up at the very start of the prelims. The Dubliner is gym-mates with Lee Hammond and was in the cage congratulating him after he claimed his second pro win.
McGregor got a raucous reception as a two-weight UFC champion and he is still very much a hero round these parts despite his recent losses.
He is trying to keep a low profile sitting off to the side of the cage in grey sweats and a pink hat. Sinead Kavanagh, Brian Moore and Ciaran Clarke are all part of SBG Ireland so perhaps the 'Notorious' will stick around a little longer...
Media caption,
Bellator Dublin: Conor McGregor makes a surprise Dublin appearance
What's happened so far?published at 20:43 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
For those of you who haven't been watching the prelims on BBC iPlayer, we're already eight fights deep into tonight's event.
There have been impressive wins for home favourites Lee Hammond, Darragh Kelly and Nathan Kelly, but defeats for Daniele Scatizzi and Danni McCormack.
In the prelims main event, Wales' Brett Johns made a statement by finishing Germany's Khurshed Kakhorov with ground strikes in the third round.
Where can I watch the event?published at 20:37 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
Tonight represents an exciting new era for MMA in the UK and Ireland with the main card being shown live on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer from 21:00 GMT.
You can watch the live stream by clicking the link at the top of the page.
We will of course be with you every step of the way here too, bringing you live text updates from the 3Arena throughout the evening.
How will you be watching the event and which fight are you looking forward to in particular?
Tweet us via #bbcmma
Who's on the main card?published at 20:32 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
There's plenty to look forward to on the main card at Bellator Dublin tonight, which is expected to get under way at 21:00 GMT.
Fights include a middleweight title bout between MMA legend Gegard Mousasi and the unbeaten Austin Vanderford, and an all-Irish clash between featherweights Leah McCourt and Sinead Kavanagh.
Here's the full schedule:
- Gegard Mousasi (Netherlands) v Austin Vanderford (USA) - main event for the men's middleweight title
- Leah McCourt (Ireland) v Sinead Kavanagh (Ireland) - women's featherweight co-main
- Ciaran Clarke (Ireland) v Abou Tounkara (France) - men's featherweight bout
- Khasan Magomedsharipov (Russia) v Jose Sanchez (Spain) - men's featherweight bout
- Brian Moore (Ireland) v Jornel Lugo (USA) - men's bantamweight bout
Image source, BBC Sport
Welcome to the 'fight capital of Europe'published at 20:30 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2022
I've had a few people say to me this week that Dublin is the fight capital of Europe.
Being cage-side inside the the 3Arena for Bellator 275, feeling the passion and intensity first-hand from the thousands of Irish fans in attendance, it's easy to see why.
It is the perfect venue for a main card tonight bursting with must-watch fights.
Welcome to Bellator Dublin 275!
Image source, Getty Images