Bellator, MMA News

Ciaràn Clarke vs Keir Harvie finalises the Bellator 291 card

Aaron East

January 26, 2023

BELLATOR MMA announced yesterday the last main card bout and two additional preliminary bouts ahead of Saturday, February 25’s BELLATOR 291: Amosov vs. Storley 2 event at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. All three match-ups feature high-level featherweight prospects, showcasing the depth of BELLATOR’s 145-pound division.

Kicking off the main card will be the return of undefeated Irish standout Ciaran Clarke (6-0), who will battle Scotland’s Keir Harvie (5-2-1) in a match-up of rising up-and-comers. Joining the preliminary card will be two additional featherweight fights, as SBG Ireland’s Asaël “The Sultan” Adjoudj (4-1) will take on a new opponent in the form of unbeaten English finisher Liam McCracken (3-0), while 22-year-old Russian wonderkid Khasan Magomedsharipov (7-0) will put his perfect record on the line against Rafael “Apocalipse” Hudson (6-4).

BELLATOR 291: Amosov vs. Storley 2 will air in the UK LIVE on BBC iPlayer from 4:30 p.m. GMT.

Tickets for the event are selling fast and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com now.

Ciaran Clarke looks poised to be the next big thing to emerge from the Emerald Isle, and he will seek to score another thrilling win in front of his hometown fans on February 25 against a dangerous opponent in Keir Harvie. The 27-year-old is a perfect 6-0 with four finishes in his professional career, the entirety of which he has spent fighting under the BELLATOR banner. Representing SBG Ireland, Clarke submitted Brazil’s Rafael Hudson with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their BELLATOR 285 contest back in September, sending the Irish fans into a frenzy. Against Harvie, Clarke will look to demonstrate the strides he has made in his development and keep his perfect record intact as he once again takes the spotlight at the 3Arena in Dublin.

24-year-old Keir Harvie will be making his BELLATOR debut when the cage door closes behind him on February 25, and the Scottish fighter will hope to make a strong first impression against the surging Clarke in this main card featherweight tilt. The owner of two submission victories as a professional, Harvie believes his skills match up well with Clarke’s, and he will look to put on a career performance under the brightest lights he has yet to fight under in his mixed martial arts career.

Asaël Adjoudj is one of the featherweight division’s most promising talents, and recognition of his enticing potential has grown following his viral first-round head kick knockout of Jordan Barton at last September’s BELLATOR 285 event. The SBG Ireland product has looked sensational of late, notching four straight wins replete with three finishes. At just 23, the sky is the limit for the talented French-born striker, and Adjoudj will look to continue his upward trajectory against a fellow standout prospect, replacement opponent Liam McCracken.

Just 21 years old, Liam McCracken has emerged as one of Europe’s top featherweight prospects since his professional debut in January of 2022. In three fights on the English regional scene, McCracken has amassed three dominant finishes to the tune of two submissions and a knockout. A Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt, the former Cage Warriors Academy champion will look to make an immediate impact in BELLATOR’s featherweight division, where he will be one of the youngest competitors around.

The brother of fan favourite Zabit Magomedsharipov, Khasan Magomedsharipov has become a household name himself as an undefeated featherweight prospect. The 22-year-old Russian is a perfect 2-0 since signing with BELLATOR in 2021, including a second-round TKO of Jonathan Quiroz and a unanimous decision victory over Jose Sanchez in his last outing. The rangy five-foot-eleven featherweight will look to remain unbeaten and score his sixth career finish on February 25 when he faces Rafael Hudson.

Rafael Hudson last competed for BELLATOR in Dublin, and he will make his promotional return at the 3Arena on February 25 when he faces the unbeaten Magomedsharipov in what promises to be a fun featherweight fight. Since the fight with Irish star prospect Ciaran Clarke, Hudson picked up a first-round submission win on the Spanish regional scene, and he hopes that 2023 will see him score his first BELLATOR victory.

BELLATOR 291: AMOSOV VS. STORLEY 2 MAIN CARD:

BBC iPlayer (U.K.)

Saturday, Feb. 25 – 9 p.m. GMT

Welterweight Title Unification Main Event: (C) Yaroslav Amosov (26-0) vs. (IC) Logan Storley (14-1)

Featherweight Co-Main Event: #3-Pedro Carvalho (13-6) vs. #5-Jeremy Kennedy (18-3)

Lightweight Bout: #9-Peter Queally (13-7-1) vs. Bryce Logan (12-7)

Featherweight Bout: #3-Sinead Kavanagh (8-5) vs. Janay Harding (6-6)

Featherweight Bout: Ciaran Clarke (6-0) vs. Keir Harvie (5-2-1)

BELLATOR 291: AMOSOV VS. STORLEY 2 PRELIMINARY CARD:

BBC iPlayer (U.K.)

4:30 p.m. GMT

Light Heavyweight Bout: #9-Karl Moore (10-2) vs. Maciej Różański (14-3)