Bellator 273 is in the books, and with a new set of answers comes a fresh set of questions. Here are a few things to keep an eye on in the aftermath of the promotion’s latest offering this past weekend.

Ryan Bader should remain a full-time heavyweight

.@RyanBader will face @Kongo4Real on May 6th for a heavyweight championship bout rematch! pic.twitter.com/Dzy6bPA1HH

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) January 30, 2022

Ryan Bader (29-7) went more than 28 months in between heavyweight title defenses. That’s not how things were originally planned, of course. Bader was the Bellator light heavyweight champion when he entered the heavyweight Grand Prix tournament in 2018, in a quest to become a promotional “champ-champ.” He succeeded, defeating Fedor Emelianenko in the finals.

“Darth” subsequently lost his 205-pound belt to Vadim Nemkov the following year and entered the promotion’s light heavyweight Grand Prix in a failed attempt to regain the title. Add in the havoc wreaked upon everyone’s schedules by the pandemic, and yeah, it’s been a minute since Bader fought at heavyweight.

Still, Bader was in fine form as he unified the title with a unanimous decision over interim champ Valentin Moldavsky (11-2) in Bellator 273’s main event. At this stage of the game, it makes sense for Bader to stick with the higher weight class at age 38 rather than cut down. And he just happens to have a ready-made opponent in Cheick Kongo. The duo fought to an unsatisfying no-contest at Bellator 226, after Bader eye-poked Kongo. The champ accused Kongo of faking it afterward. The rematch will be held on May 6 in Kongo’s home country France adding another layer of intrigue into this unique grudge match.

Benson Henderson enters free agency following Bellator 273

No, Benson Henderson (29-11) did not have the cat-like moves he used to display during his prime on Saturday night. The former UFC lightweight champion has lost a half-step. But he did show the sort of veteran tenacity that can stymie younger competitors when he eked out a split decision win over Islam Mamedov (20-2) in the evening’s co-featured bout. While Mamodev might not be the biggest-name fighter out there, he’s no joke. Henderson ended a 19-fight win streak that included a win over former Bellator 155-pound champion Brent Primus.

“Smooth” teased retirement after the fight, and a win in his hometown of Phoenix would make a nice way to go out. But he’s not committing either way. Who knows? After his victory, he also revealed he is now once again a free agent. With a three-fight losing streak now in his rear-view mirror and his first win since 2019 under his belt, perhaps Henderson has one more run left, but in a new fighting home.

Is this the end for Darrion Caldwell in Bellator?

Former NCAA wrestling champion Darrion Caldwell (14-6) was one of Bellator’s much-lauded blue-chip prospects when he debuted with the company in 2014. He won 10 of his first 11 fights and took the Bellator bantamweight title along the way. Now it’s starting to look like the game has passed Caldwell by. He was finished via third-round technical knockout by Enrique Barzola (17-5), who was making his Bellator debut after going 1-2-1 in his final four UFC fights. That’s now three losses in a row and five of seven for Caldwell, who is badly in need of a fresh start if he is going to stay relevant.

Considering his previous status as a contender and the likely contract numbers that came with it, one has to wonder if the promotion is still willing to continue to pay that rate for a fighter who is badly trending in the wrong direction. “The Wolf’s” days in Bellator could be numbered.

–Field Level Media