Mandel Nallo is set to take the next step on Bellator’s lightweight ladder on Friday night.
Bellator's lightweight division has been one of the promotion's most competitive for years — a deep pool of international talent where a single win can jump a fighter several rungs, and Nallo getting a second marquee bout on a big card is exactly the kind of opportunity his record deserved.
Canada’s Nallo (7-1) will square off with Brazil’s Ricardo Seixas (9-2) at Bellator 255 in Uncasville, Conn. in his first action of 2021.
The Uncasville setting at Mohegan Sun has become Bellator's home base — the promotion ran essentially all of its cards from the same Connecticut venue through the pandemic era, which makes the trip a familiar one for fighters who've been on the roster through 2020 and 2021.
When looking at the landscape of Bellator’s lightweight division, Nallo, 31, believes his skill set ranks up with the best of the weight class, but said he still needs to prove he belongs there.
The self-belief is grounded in the record — Nallo was one of Canada's most credentialed lightweight prospects before signing with Bellator, and his 7-1 mark built against real regional opposition means the technical confidence isn't just talk. What the division demands next is consistency against bigger-name opposition.
“It’s a pretty high-skilled division, but as far as my skill level, I think I’m right up there at the top,” said Nallo in an interview with MMA Empire.
“As far as what I’ve done in the sport thus far, I still have some proving to do. Hopefully, this week I get to move up a little more, and if they decide to do a lightweight tournament, that would be great.”
Bellator's occasional tournament format is exactly the kind of opening a fighter like Nallo should be angling for — a bracket of elite lightweights is the fastest possible path from contender to champion, and the willingness to put his name forward publicly is exactly how a fighter ends up on the shortlist.
After a 7-0 start to his professional career, Nallo’s last two outings didn’t go as planned. In Oct. 2019, Nallo suffered his first loss, but in unfortunate fashion after suffering an ankle injury in the final round. In his most recent outing in October, his bout with Saad Awad was declared a no contest after Awad was unable to continue due to an accidental low blow.
The nature of the first defeat matters — losing a fight you were winning on a cut or a freak sequence is different from being beaten, and it explains why Nallo's record reads 7-1 while his confidence reads like an undefeated fighter's. The last two outings are context, not a ceiling.
Although the results of his last two bouts may have been bitter pills to swallow at the time, Nallo said he focuses on staying positive and not dwelling on what he can’t control.
“In a sport like MMA, you can’t get too caught up in the negativity. The fight I lost, I lost in a strange way. Then I spent a year trying to get a fight, then that one happened in a weird way as well,” said Nallo.
“You just kind of have to count your blessings; no injuries, life’s generally good. If you’re going to wallow in sadness, this isn’t the sport or job for you.”
The Tristar Gym product was originally scheduled to face Keoni Diggs (9-0) on Friday night before Diggs was forced to withdraw due to undisclosed reasons.
The late opponent change is a staple of the era — with Diggs out, Seixas steps in on short notice carrying a 9-2 record of his own, which means the caliber of the test doesn't actually drop even if the preparation picture changes. Nallo fighting anyone Bellator puts in front of him is the mentality of a fighter who intends to be champion.
Although Seixas presents a different test stylistically, Nallo said he’ll possess the same edge he believes he holds in any fight.
“Obviously, I think that technically I have an edge. That’s what I think will pull through in every fight I compete in,” said Nallo.
“It’s no secret; every interview I say Tristar is a technical gym. We’re focused on technique and I think that’s what shines through in most of our fights.”
The Tristar technical identity is earned — the Montreal gym has produced champions at the highest level precisely because it builds fighters on fundamentals rather than attributes, and Nallo is one of its most committed products. That technical edge is exactly what he believes separates him in a division full of dangerous athletes.
Although many restrictions due to COVID-19 have begun to be lifted in the United States, the majority of Canada is still under many mandates and restrictions, including a mandatory two-week quarantine when returning from international travel.
Earlier this year, the Canadian government imposed a new set of rules for travellers returning to Canada, which includes a potential stay in a government-authorized facility while awaiting a COVID-19 test result.
The quarantine reality is one of the weirder obstacles of the pandemic era for Canadian fighters — competing internationally while your home country maintains mandatory hotel quarantine on return means every fight comes with a logistical second act nobody signed up for. Nallo rolling the dice anyway is the kind of commitment the career actually requires.
Nallo said there’s a lot of uncertainty involving his return to Canada and said he’s unsure what to expect when that times comes.
“We’re just kind of rolling the dice and seeing what happens,” said Nallo.
“I don’t really know what I’m in for upon my return. It’s kind of a gamble.”
Follow Nallo on social media: INSTAGRAM
