Knockout of the year contender?

Levan Chokheli put himself in the mix for that award with a perfectly placed kick to the face of Sabah Homasi.

Paul Battison
BBC Sport at the 3Arena, Dublin

One of the best ovations of the night for Sinead Kavanagh as swathes of Irish fans get to their feet to sing along to her walkout song.

Kavanagh told the media on Thursday "no one can argue" if she receives the next shot at the featherweight title, should she beat Sara Collins tonight.

Remember that belt is on the line on 7 October when Cris Cyborg defends against Cat Zingano at Bellator 300.

A lot riding on this one.

Here comes the final Irish representative of the night with Dublin's Sinead Kavanagh getting a great reception.

She stands at the top of the ramp and soaks it in as the 3Arena belts out 'Celtic Symphony' by The Wolfe Tones.

Kavanagh is ranked number four in the featherweight division.

Her opponent, Sara Collins, is ranked number six and makes just her second appearance with Bellator.

Just wait for the pop when Dublin's own Sinead Kavanagh hits the 3Arena tonight.

It's her third fight in succession on home soil and she's looking to make it three wins in a row.

Cast your mind back to Bellator 275 in February 2022 when she showed "pure Irish heart, a fighting heart" to earn a gritty win against Northern Ireland's Leah McCourt, despite struggling with a knee injury.

Fortunately for Kavanagh, after getting her arm raised following victory by unanimous decision, former two-weight UFC champion and team-mate Conor McGregor was on hand to carry her out.

John: Mads Burnell looked good today as he picks up the unanimous decision over Daniel Weichel. Fun fight. Daniel Weichel is retiring from MMA.

Mads Burnell gets the job done by unanimous decision and that brings an end to Daniel Weichel's career.

Weichel, aged 38, has placed his gloves down on the canvas and has decided to call it a day.

The German made his professional MMA debut in 2002, fighting 57 times, winning 42 and losing 15, and he has been with Bellator since 2014.

"I love you all" and "thank you for everyone who has supported me", he says.

Image source, Getty Images

Huge punch lands from Mads Burnell on Daniel Weichel as the fight goes the distance.

We've had a few eye-catching finishes tonight and Attila Korkmaz's stoppage of Davy Gallon is right up there.

Scott: Can't walk out to Stone Cold's music and not be Stone Cold. Sets unrealistic expectations.

Over to the featherweights now with Mads Burnell and Daniel Weichel in the cage.

Number four ranked Burnell is looking to get in the title conversation after beating Justin Gonzales last time out following successive losses.

Weichel is ranked number nine and has twice lost in Bellator featherweight world title contests - Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire beat him on both occasions.

We know heavyweights pack a punch but you don't see many with this type of athleticism.

Fine work from Sergei Bilostenniy.

That's going to hurt tomorrow.

Paul Battison
BBC Sport at the 3Arena, Dublin

There are always a few recognisable faces in the crowd at these events, mostly in the form of fellow fighters.

I've spotted two so far in UFC pair Paul Craig and Johnny Walker.

Scotland's Craig competes at middleweight now after dropping down from light-heavyweight, so he may be keeping a close eye on the main event, while Brazil's Walker trains in Ireland and will be here in support of many of his SBG team-mates.

No sign of Conor McGregor yet, who has been known to show up to Bellator Dublin events in the past...

And the main card continues the trend set in the prelims... another knockout.

Levan Chokheli throws a kick straight up the middle and catches Sabah Homasi flush in the face.

Homasi is not in a good way, after being checked on by the medics he gets to his feet and is helped out of the cage.

That first-round win should see Chokheli jump up into the top 10 in the welterweight rankings.

Image source, Getty Images

This event has been running for five hours already!

We've had 15 fights in the prelims with 10 finishes inside the distance, four decisions and one no contest.

Some pretty entertaining stuff along the way, hopefully it continues.

What are we thinking for the main event? Will Fabian Edwards deliver another world title for the family? Can Johnny Eblen extend his unbeaten record? How will it finish?

Get in touch using X (formerly known as Twitter), WhatsApp or text - all the details are above.

Image source, Getty Images

Leon Edwards has been heavily in the spotlight over the past 12 months after beating Kamaru Usman to win the UFC welterweight title.

It was just that he stunned one of the best-ever 170lb fighters to pull off a shock victory - it was the manner of that triumph as he stopped the Nigerian with a head-kick in the final minute of the final round.

He has since defended against Usman, sealing a majority decision win at UFC 286 in London in March.

While all of that has been playing out, brother Fabian has been putting himself in a position to challenge for the Bellator middleweight title.

Fabian was in his brother's corner for both of those victories over Usman and the roles are reversed tonight.

It's Fabian's turn to try and upset the odds when he takes on Johnny Eblen and Leon will be willing him on from cageside.

We're closing in on the start of tonight's main card.

For now, how about a bit of mythbusting from Irish duo Peter Queally and James Gallagher.

Gallagher returned from almost a two-year absence to beat James Gonzalez in August, so he's not featuring in Dublin.

Paul Battison
BBC Sport at the 3Arena, Dublin

Nobody wants to see a fight end that way and both fighters will be majorly disappointed.

As the doctors checked on Peter Queally's swollen eye and the realisation set in he would not be able to continue, Daniele Miceli could be seen punching the air in frustration.

For Queally, it's devastating as he admitted pre-fight this was the first time in four bouts he was competing without an injury, and he wanted to prove he still has what it takes at this level.

Unfortunately he never got the chance to show it tonight.

Oh no!

That's it.

Less than 30 seconds into the fight and the referee has been forced to stop the contest.

Daniele Miceli caught Peter Queally with a calf kick, sending the Irishman down the floor and then he followed with a kick to the face.

Queally was a grounded fighter and that's an illegal shot.

Miceli's toes scraped through the left eye of Queally, leaving him unable to see out of it.

They've deemed it accidental from the Italian so it is called as a no contest.

That's heartbreaking for Queally as he looked to try and get back in the win column after three straight losses.

Image source, Getty Images

It's goosebumps time.

The atmosphere is well and truly building now as Peter Queally makes his walk accompanied by his trademark song 'Zombie' by The Cranberries.

That's got to be pretty intimidating for his Italian opponent Daniele Miceli as the 3Arena rises to its feet and shouts every word.

Can he halt this losing run?

Image source, Getty Images

As you'd expect, tonight's event in Dublin is overflowing with Irish talent.

Peter Queally is one of those flying the flag.

The Dungarvan-born fighter, now aged 38, is at a crossroads in his career after losing three in a row.

His losing streak started with a defeat against Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire for the vacant lightweight title, before losses to Benson Henderson and Bryce Logan.

He closes out tonight's prelims as he looks to get back on track against Italy's Daniele Miceli.

"The last three fights - you know me, I never make excuses, but I've had some time and I feel I can divulge what's been going on. I had no business fighting," said Queally.

"Especially the Benson Henderson one, I'd had surgery on my shoulder in March and it tore again in July. In hindsight looking back on it, it just wasn't me at all. My shoulder didn't feel right until about May this year

"After the last fight I was trudging through training. I don't mind a bit of hard work, but it's when you can't do it and you want to do it. But soon as I started getting healthy at the start of this summer, everything dramatically changed."