5 Fights to make after Bellator 271

Bellator 271 featured a great night of fights and an entertaining event overall for fans this past Friday.

The promotion showcased some of their young prospects and closed the event with another dominant title defense for Cris Cyborg. There were plenty of highlight-reel moments from the prelims, with Bellator's young prospects taking full advantage of the opportunity.

There was a who's who of MMA fighters in attendance at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The added attention was a great opportunity for Bellator to capitalize and it seems like they did just that. After Cyborg's win, free agent Kayla Harrison was immediately brought up, which got fans interested in what may be in-store.

Based on what transpired at Bellator 271, it won't be difficult for matchmakers to figure out which fights to book next. The promotion could book rematches, title-eliminators and a massive superfight as a result of Bellator 271.

Here is a list of 5 fights to make following Bellator 271.

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#5. Linton Vassell vs. Tim Johnson - Bellator heavyweight title-eliminator

Kicking off this list of fights to make after Bellator 271 is a heavyweight clash between Linton Vassell and Tim Johnson.

Based on the rankings, Vassell and Johnson would be a great title-eliminator bout that helps keep the division going. Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader and interim-champion Valentin Moldavski are expected to fight in early 2022. With that in mind, a Vassell-Johnson bout would make sense.

Vassell vs. Johnson will ensure there's another clear number-one contender following the title unification bout between Bader and Moldavsky. The timing also works out well because Vassell and Johnson both recently competed. The promotion could even have both fights at the same event.

Vassell defeated No.5-ranked Tyrell Fortune by split-decision at Bellator 271. Prior to the bout, Vassell was the No.6-ranked heavyweight, so both Fortune and he will likely be swapping spots in the rankings. Now on a three-fight winning streak, Vassell moving to fifth would set him up for a bout with No.4-ranked Tim Johnson.

Johnson is currently on a two-fight losing streak, however, the losses came against current interim heavyweight champion Moldavsky and legend Fedor Emelianenko. With that said, he should still be in the title mix as he was on a three-fight win streak prior to the losses.

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#4. Arlene Blencowe vs. Cat Zingano - Bellator women's featherweight title-eliminator

Another fight that can be made following Bellator 271 is a title-eliminator bout between Arlene Blencowe and Cat Zingano.

Blencowe extended her winning streak to two after her unanimous decision win over Pam Sorenson at Bellator 271. With the win, Blencowe remained the No.1-ranked women's featherweight and can get closer to another title shot against Cyborg.

If Bellator goes in another direction with Cyborg, a bout between Blencowe and No.2-ranked Zingano would make the most sense. Since joining the promotion, Zingano is also on a two-fight win streak and could make a statement with a win over Blencowe.

After her recent win, it looked like Zingano would receive the next title shot against Cyborg, but that wasn't the case as Sinead Kavanagh fought her instead. Since her UFC tenure, a bout between Zingano and Cyborg had always been talked about but never came to fruition.

Blencowe-Zingano is intriguing and could be another marque matchup in Bellator's women's featherweight division. A win over Blencowe would undoubtedly be the clear number-one contender for the Bellator women's featherweight championship.

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#3) Valerie Loureda vs. Hannah Guy 2

Another fight that makes sense following Bellator 271 is the rematch between Valerie Loureda and Hannah Guy.

'Master' Valerie Loureda had an impressive performance against Taylor Turner in the prelims. It was an entertaining bout that showcased Loureda's striking and saw her get back in the win column.

In the stand-up, Loureda had success against Turner, who had a significant reach advantage. Loureda won the bout by split-decision with the judges scoring the bout 30-27, 29-28, and 28-29.

WIth the win, Loureda improved her MMA record to 4-1 and could earn an opportunity to avenge her loss to Guy. Loureda and Guy fought at Bellator 259, in a bout that saw Guy get the victory by unanimous decision.

Loureda successfully landed combinations, but Guy was resilient and took over the fight with her grappling. Although Loureda escaped armbar attempts, Guy's takedowns and ground control were enough to win the fight.

After the loss, Loureda made many changes that she felt would lead to her getting back on track. The biggest change was bringing former UFC title-challenger Thiago Alves in as her new coach. During an interview with Loureda prior to her fight with Turner, she reflected on what she learned from the loss to Guy.

My last fight was not a proper representation of the fighter I am, although I showed a lot of heart and it was a fun fight to watch. She's [Hannah Guy] not better than me and I'm looking forward to a rematch of that fight in the future. - Valerie Loureda to Vibe 105.5FM Toronto

With the recent change in her camp and the win over Turner, it makes all the sense to see if Loureda can avenge her lone loss.

#2. Aaron Pico vs. Adam Borics 2

Another fight to make after Bellator 271 is the rematch between Aaron Pico and Adam Borics.

Pico is widely regarded as one of the greatest prospects in MMA history. His background in boxing and pankration, and his overall athletic ability, is impeccable. As a result, his bouts always have high interest.

Pico is a very entertaining fighter as well, and puts on a show every time he's in the Bellator cage. While there are many highlight-reel knockouts on his resume, Pico's submission skills make him dangerous on the ground.

Pico's most recent loss came to Borics at Bellator 222 in June 2019. Borics got the TKO win following a flying knee and punches. Since then, Pico has looked like a completely different fighter.

He's found a great balance and has mixed up his striking and wrestling well. Pico is now on a 5-fight winning streak and the No.6-ranked featherweight in Bellator. Borics on the other hand, is on a three-fight winning streak and the No.3-ranked featherweight in Bellator.

Based on Pico's performance in his unanimous decision win over No.8-ranked Justin Gonzalez, he'll most likely break into the top-5. Pico used his wrestling to dominate the fight and his chin was tested on a few occasions.

Pico vs. Borics 2 makes the most sense next, especially with the improvements Pico made since the last fight.

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#1) Bellator women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg vs. Kayla Harrison

Topping this list of fights to make following Bellator 271 is Bellator women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg vs Kayla Harrison.

Cyborg made quick work of Sinead Kavanagh as she defeated her by knockout at 1:32 of the first-round. The chatter prior to and following the fight was whether PFL women's lightweight champion Kayla Harrison would sign with Bellator. The two-time Olympic gold medalist is currently a free agent and can now make the superfight a reality.

Harrison was in attendance and was even shown on the broadcast and mentioned on the broadcast during Cyborg's post-fight interview. Cyborg was asked whether she'd be open to fighting Harrison and she decided to leave it to Bellator President Scott Coker to figure out.

During his post-event press conference, Coker stated that he plans on having a conversation with Harrison. Coker would like to book the Cyborg-Harrison fight, which would be a huge superfight for the promotion.

I really appreciate Kayla Harrison coming to the fight. If she wants to fight me one day, that would be great. - Cris Cyborg post-fight Bellator 271

The fight taking place will all depend on what Harrison wants to do. She's a highly sought after free agent and both the UFC and Bellator will likely make a strong offer.

Harrison could sign with the UFC to fight her ATT teammate Amanda Nunes for the UFC women's featherweight championship. She could also sign with Bellator for a chance to join Nunes on the shortlist of women to defeat Cyborg.

Regardless of which promotion Harrison decides to join, she'll likely earn an immediate title shot. If she joins the UFC, she could earn PPV revenue, but if she joins Bellator MMA, she could earn revenue from her own sponsors.

However if Harrison's landing spot ends up being Bellator, there is no easier fight to book than the Cyborg bout.