Dario Bellandi vs Aldo Pereira

💪 Bellandi returns to action after losing his Cage Warriors championship belt. Back in February, the Italian suffered a first-round TKO defeat to Paddy McCorry, snapping an impressive eight-fight winning streak. Prior to that, Dario had successfully defended his title and regularly went the distance against seasoned opponents. Pereira, meanwhile, has a far less consistent record—13 wins, 11 losses, and two draws. This year alone, the Brazilian has fallen to Leon Hill via TKO and dropped a split decision to Max Alves. Notably, he steps in on short notice after Bellandi’s original opponent withdrew.

The key advantage for Bellandi is his proven pedigree within Cage Warriors and his ability to dictate the pace in longer bouts. He holds a size advantage and can mix up his striking with solid grappling, whereas Pereira often struggles when facing more structured opposition. The Brazilian’s experience makes him a dangerous underdog—he’s pulled off upsets before—but taking the fight on short notice only adds to the challenge of facing a former champion. Our prediction: Dario Bellandi gets his hand raised, and likely inside the distance. The smart play is on under 2.5 rounds.