The Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, will host Bellator 293: Golm vs. James on March 31, 2023.
The heavyweight contest between Marcelo Golm, rated No. 5, and Daniel James, ranked No. 8, will serve as Bellator 293’s main event.
The co-main event of the program will pit No. 1 Cat Zingano against No. 4 Leah McCourt. The No. 4-ranked John Salter versus the No. 6-ranked Aaron Jeffrey in the middleweight division and the No. 10-ranked Jaleel Willis versus the 13-time UFC veteran making his Bellator debut, Rustam Khabilov, in
The welterweight division will also be in the main event.
The lightweight contest between Mandel Nallo and Jay Jay Wilson was originally planned for this event, but Wilson withdrew and Adam Piccolotti took his place.
Golm, a four-time UFC veteran, comes into Bellator 293 on a winning four-bout run in which he has submitted all of his opponents within the distance. Most recently, Davion Franklin was defeated by the 30-year-old Brazilian during their fight at Bellator 283.
A technical knockout victory over Tyrell Fortune in the second round of Bellator 288 gave James, whose two promotional outings were more than eight years apart, his greatest win to date. “The Predator” has a lifetime record of 14-6-1, which includes appearances in the Absolute Championship Akhmat and the Legacy Fighting Alliance
The Bellator 293 lineup features a number of new entrants, with undefeated welterweight Joey Davis being one of them.
The promotion revealed last month that Davis will wrestle Jefferson Creighton in a qualifying matchup for 170-pounds. Bellator 293 prelims will also feature three additional bouts: Sullivan Cauley vs. Luke Trainer at light heavyweight; Maria Henderson vs. Mackenzie Stiller at strawweight; and Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Vladimir Tokov at lightweight.
Davis, a four-time NCAA Division II national winner in the sport of wrestling, will resume active competition after a gap of more than two years. The Team Bodyshop athlete, 29, last competed at Bellator 253, defeating Bobby Lee on November 19, 2020. With five victories occurring inside the distance, he has an 8-0 career record.
After fighting for teams like Fury FC, Cage Warriors, and King of the Cage, Creighton will make his Bellator debut. He has a 6-2-1 record overall.
Archie Colgan vs. Justin Montalvo, Mike Hamel vs. Nick Browne, and Jay-Jay Wilson vs. Mandel Nello at lightweight were also added to the preliminary fight schedule for Bellator 293. At 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, the prelims are broadcast on the Pluto TV, Bellator, and Showtime Sports YouTube channels.
Between David Pacheco and Khonry Gracie Sullivan Cauley vs. Luke; Maria Henderson vs. Mackenzie Stiller Trainer Vladimir Tokov will take on Lance Gibson Jr. Jefferson Creighton vs. Joey Davis versus Sarah Collins is Pam Sorenson. Rakim Cleveland will face Christian Edwards. Ashley Cummins will face Randi Field versus Brandon Carrillo is Bryce Meredith. Josh San Diego will face Lucas Brennan. Mandel Nallo and Adam Piccolo
Bellator 293 Fighting Card-
- Main Event- Marcelo Golm vs Daniel James for Heavyweight
- Cat Zingano vs Leah McCourt for Featherweight
- John Salter vs Aaron Jeffery for Middleweight
- Jaleel Willis vs Rustam Khabilov for Welterweight
- Adam Piccolotti vs Mandel Nallo for Lightweight
- Archie Colgan vs Justin Montalvo for Lightweight
- Joey Davis vs Jefferson Creighton for Welterweight
- Lucas Brennan vs Josh San Diego for Featherweight
- Lance Gibson Jr. vs Vladimir Tokov for Lightweight
- Pam Sorenson vs Sara Collins for Featherweight
- Christian Edwards vs Rakim Cleveland for Heavyweight
- Bryce Meredith vs Brandon Carrillo for Bantamweight
- Randi Field vs Ashley Cummins for 120lb Catchweight
- Sullivan Cauley vs Luke Trainer for Light Heavyweight
- Mike Hamel vs Nick Browne for Lightweight
- Maria Henderson vs Mackenzie Stiller for Strawweight
- Khonry Gracie vs David Pacheco for Welterweight
