UFC Fight Night 289: Rodolfo Bellato vs Christian Edwards Preview & Prediction

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Brazilian finisher Rodolfo Bellato looks to build on his first-round knockout at UFC 326 as he takes on the rangy Christian Edwards at light heavyweight.

Rodolfo Bellato vs Christian Edwards facts

What time are Rodolfo Bellato and Christian Edwards expected to walk out? 27 September 2026 at 12:35 am

Where is UFC Fight Night 289: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA

Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 289: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 289

What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 289: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount

Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 289: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass

UFC Fight Night 289: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos main card

Raul Rosas Jr. vs Raoni Barcelos (Bantamweight)

Norma Dumont vs Ailin Perez (Women's Bantamweight)

Luis Hernandez vs Sedriques Dumas (Light Heavyweight)

Mehemmedeli Osmanli vs Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu (Bantamweight)

Melissa Amaya vs Valesca Machado (Women's Strawweight)

UFC Fight Night 289: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos prelims

Brady Hiestand vs Rinya Nakamura (Bantamweight)

Rodolfo Vieira vs Robert Bryczek (Middleweight)

Rodolfo Bellato vs Christian Edwards (Light Heavyweight)

Josiah Harrell vs Elves Brener vs Josiah Harrell (Lightweight)

Montel Jackson vs Ricky Simon (Bantamweight)

John Castaneda vs Alateng Heili (Bantamweight)

Vanessa Demopoulos vs Yazmin Jauregui (Women's Strawweight)

Rodolfo Bellato: “Trator” looks to bulldoze a step down in competition

Rodolfo Bellato (13-3-1, 1 NC) got back in the win column in March with a first-round TKO of Luke Fernandez at UFC 326. That came after a draw with Jimmy Crute, a no contest against Paul Craig and a decision loss to Navajo Stirling. Only one of his thirteen wins has gone the distance, and his other two losses both came against Vitor Petrino. A high-level BJJ player, Bellato would still rather do his damage with heavy hands and ground and pound. He isn’t the most technical of strikers and can be very hittable, but his pressure, volume, and unpredictability make him an absolute nightmare to deal with.

Christian Edwards: “Pain” searching for his first UFC win

Christian Edwards (8-5) lost a split decision to Modestas Bukauskas on his UFC debut in May, following a 5-3 run in Bellator and a regional title fight loss to Luke Fernandez. Standing 6’5” with a 78-inch reach, he’s a rangy kickboxer who sticks to the fundamentals, with straight-shot combinations, good low kicks and an opportunistic submission game. He’s durable too, with his only KO loss coming against Ben Parrish back in 2021. When the range game isn’t working, he’ll shoot a blast double to force the clinch and wear opponents down with control and knees.

Rodolfo Bellato vs Christian Edwards prediction

There’s a telling shared opponent here. Luke Fernandez beat Edwards on the regional scene last year, and Bellato ran through him inside a round in March.

On paper, a long, rangy kickboxer is exactly the type of fighter who gives Bellato problems, but Edwards doesn’t look high-level enough to fight the game efficiently. Bellato may not be the most technical striker himself, but it takes sharp high-level kickboxing to expose those holes, and Edwards will struggle to stay on the outside for long without eating something big.

Edwards’ best route is to shoot the blast double, settle for the clinch and grind out rounds that way, mixing in ranged striking here and there. Bellato does most of his damage early, so dragging this into a wrestling-heavy decision is a boring but legitimate path. However, Bellato’s takedown defence is very good, and if Edwards does get this to the floor, he’s rolling with a far superior grappler.

Expect Bellato to catch Edwards with something heavy early, whether he finishes it on the feet or clubs and subs him.

Prediction: Rodolfo Bellato to win in round one