Bellator 288 pre-event facts: Patricky Freire can take sole possession of all-time knockout record

Bellator returns on Friday for its penultimate event of 2022 with Bellator 288, which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A championship doubleheader serves at the top of the card. In the main event, Vadim Nemkov (14-2 MMMA, 7-0 BMMA) and Corey Anderson (16-4 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will try for a second time to determine the Bellator light heavyweight and grand prix champion when they meet in a rematch of their April fight that ended in a no contest due to a head butt.

The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see lightweight gold up for grabs as Patricky Freire (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) looks to kick off his reign with a defense against the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov pupil Usman Nurmagomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).

For more on the title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about Bellator 288.