This is one of the most anticipated Saturdays of 2024 in the world of combat sports. If you’re in the Eastern Time Zone, run, don’t walk, when you wake up on Saturday morning to go downstairs and put on a pot of coffee. You’re going to need to consume every last drop of the stuff to get you through another one of those marathon days you spend all year dreaming about.
To kick it off, the MMA world tour makes a stop in the United Kingdom, where London is the host city for the fifth Bellator MMA event this year. One week removed from a trip to San Diego and Pechanga Arena for Bellator Champions Series 4, the promotion heads to OVO Wembley to kick off the second half of its schedule this season.
Bellator Champions Series 5 begins Saturday afternoon at 12 noon ET/ 9 am PT on MAX (formerly known as HBO MAX) inside the United States. For those of you watching in the UK, DAZN will carry the show live at 5 pm local time Saturday evening.
Restructured Main Event Takes Place Saturday in London
Just like the San Diego card that preceded it, Bellator Champions Series 5 features 10 MMA bouts on the itinerary, but there’s been an adjustment to the fight order for Saturday. Initially, the Bellator MMA Middleweight Championship was to have been contested in the main event between incumbent titleholder Johnny Eblen (15-0 MMA, 10-0 Bellator) and challenger Fabian Edwards (13-3 MMA. 9-3 Bellator).
This contest was postponed ahead of the show due to undisclosed reasons, with Bellator intending to rebook this rematch between Eblen and Edwards for another card. In that fight’s stead, what was originally booked as the co-main event has been moved up to the Bellator Champions Series 5 main event at women’s featherweight.
Leah McCourt (8-3 MMA, 7-2 Bellator) meets up with undefeated Sara Collins (5-0 MMA, 2-0 Bellator) in the new Bellator Champions Series 5 main event. Its winner becomes the top contender in the division. Given that this was originally slated to have been the co-main event, this is a three-round affair at five minutes per round to close the show.
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Bellator Champions Series 5 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the Bellator Champions Series 5 main event on Saturday afternoon, Leah McCourt stands as the taller combatant at 5-foot-10, compared to the 5-foot-7 frame of Sara Collins. McCourt owns a half-inch reach advantage (69 inches even to 68 1/2 inches) over Collins.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Sara Collins installed as a -120 favorite on the money line, while Leah McCourt counters as a +100 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight in MMA and/or combat sports this weekend, please wager responsibly.
McCourt Returns After Injury Hiatus
Leah McCourt enters the restructured Bellator Champions Series 5 main event on Saturday afternoon having posted a 3-2 mark in her last five fights. Most recently, she scored a first-round knockout due to ground and pound strikes against Sara McMann (14-7 MMA, 1-1 Bellator) during the landmark Bellator 300 on Oct. 7, 2023.
Following that victory, McCourt was supposed to make her return in the Bellator cage during Bellator Champions Series 1 in Belfast this past March, only to be sidelined by a rib injury that postponed a fight against Sinead Kavanaugh. Back in May, she talked about her injury with Kaz Crossley.
“I was sparring. It was, like the first week of my fight camp,” McCourt recalled. “It was an accident. My training partner, we were scrambling and sparring. I slipped and they landed on me with their knee on my rib. It was a complete break and it tore my oblique (muscle), as well, so I couldn’t eat, or sleep, or breathe for weeks.”
With McCourt cleared to return, will she stay in the win column after the Bellator Champions Series 5 main event? Tune in and find out.
Collins Gets First Bellator Main Event in Third Fight with Promotion
In the other corner, Sara Collins has yet to lose thus far in her MMA career. Slightly under a year ago, she battled Sinead Kavanaugh (9-7 MMA, 6-7 Bellator) to a split decision victory after three rounds. Much like McCourt, Collins also has had a lengthy hiatus in-between fights.
She was scheduled to have fought Olena Kolesnyk (9-6, 1 NC MMA) in what was to have been the latter’s Bellator debut this past June before she suffered an injury. To have been booked in a co-headlining affair in her third fight under the Bellator MMA banner is no doubt an impressive feat for Collins and her team.
It’s even more amazing since Collins’ tilt versus McCourt is now elevated to the headlining affair, something that she learned while scrolling through social media last week. Only time will tell how she handles the pressure.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
Expect a classic strength versus strength matchup in the Bellator Champions Series 5 main event. Who will emerge victorious?
Leah McCourt Can Flip the Script
Leah McCourt has been known to complete the dramatic comebacks in her career. Just watch the tape of the second round of her 2021 fight vs. Janay Harding.
During that round, Harding seized control of the contest with furious ground and pound shots. When it seemed that McCourt was in peril from the bottom position, she connected on an up kick to begin turning the tide in her column.
From there, she quickly went to work on an arm-triangle choke, rolling over and forcing Harding to tap out. Should Leah McCourt find herself under a state of duress in the Bellator Champions Series 5 main event, she has the skills to turn things around.
Collins Equally Adept at Submissions
In the other corner, of her five professional wins, Sara Collins has won two by submission, including her Bellator promotional debut versus Pam Sorenson last year.
During the first round of a scheduled three, Collins dropped Sorenson and softened her up with ground and pound shots. From there, it was only a matter of time before Collins had the armlock wrapped up thanks to her tight squeeze on her opponent.
Look for Sara Collins to shoot for the takedown as soon as possible in the Bellator Champions Series 5 main event. If Collins is able to drop McCourt, she’ll have this one in the bag.
Final Thoughts
While it won’t be the headliner that Bellator had initially planned for Saturday night, there are still high stakes to be had in the Bellator Champions Series 5 main event.
Prediction: Sara Collins by First-Round Submission.
