The second leg of Bellator’s heavyweight grand prix takes place Friday with Bellator 194’s main event, which features former UFC fighters Matt Mitrione and Roy Nelson.

Although the headliner will draw eyes on its own, I feel there is a lot to like about the rest of the main card, which air on Paramount from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Despite Bellator often being associated with its big-name acquisitions, the organization still does a great job of cultivating talent of its own. Below, are some examples of what I think this card has to offer.

Forging a contender in the co-main event

Bellator 194’s co-main event features a fun rematch between Patricky Freire and Derek Campos.

Freire (18-8 MMA, 11-7 BMMA), a longtime staple of the organization, initially came onto the scene as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who preferred to bang it out on the feet. But after the seven years spent battling through Bellator’s lightweight ranks, he has steadily matured his skills as a fighter.

Working for years with Eric Albarracin, Freire has quietly made upgrades to his wrestling game, which in turn allows the 32-year-old to dictate the terms of action. Whether he’s sticking and moving, or stalking down his prey,  Freire’s accuracy is impeccable, and he hits with a surprisingly thudding force.

From his check-hooks to counter right-hands, Freire can find his shots in even the most desperate of times. Considering what happened in his previous contest with Campos, I suspect the Brazilian to be laying in wait here.

Campos (19-6 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), a veteran of the Bellator scene himself, has been slugging it out with anyone in the neighborhood of 155 pounds since joining the promotion in 2013. Now riding a four-fight winning streak since entering the organization, the 29-year-old seems to be riding high into Bellator 194.

Combining his bases of boxing and wrestling, Campos brings an explosive game to the table.

An athlete who stays loaded on the feet, Campos can close distance deceptively fast when he chooses to. Although he has a crushing left hook, Campos carries power in the both of his hands and does a well when variating his targets.

Historically, the common culprit for Campos has been his propensity to get into a brawl. However, in a recent interview with MMAjunkie, Campos addressed his past criticisms and cited a game plan he had in store for Freire.

For me, that speaks to what this matchup is about: Who will finally mature as a fighter?

Both men have come up short in spotlight slots before, and neither is looking to revisit those days. With this bout likely determining the next contender for Bellator’s lightweight title, expect each fighter to come with his A-game.

Dark horse approaches at 205

In a fight that has me intrigued, Liam McGeary
will do battle with Vadim Nemkov.

Nemkov (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is a prospect to keep an eye on going forward. A three-time national combat sambo champion, Nemkov is also most notably one of Fedor Emelianenko’s training partners.

A well-rounded talent who appears to have athletic potential to boot, Nemkov has the boxing ability get it done standing and transitional chops to finish things on the floor. Considering who the Russian fighter is facing, it will be interesting to see which path Nemkov takes.

McGeary (12-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA), has steadily made a name for himself in Bellator’s light heavyweight stable. A long-framed fighter with a filled out arsenal of offense on the feet, McGeary is most known for his slick submission abilities on the floor.

Whether he is hitting armbars or inverted triangles, the 35-year-old demonstrates an impressive command of his frame as he elevates his hips and utilizes leg dexterity brilliantly. And though his takedown defense has historically troubled him, McGeary has claimed to have addressed his wrestling deficiencies in the leadup to this fight.

If McGeary can more sternly dictate the terms of this matchup on Friday, then we could see him get back on track by sending a young gun back to the drawing board. But if Nemkov continues his uptrend in performances, then we could have another light heavyweight contender on our hands.

Possible saga with two crossover talents

Bellator 194’s main card also features a female attraction at flyweight between Heather Hardy and Ana Julaton.

Don’t let the records fool you: These ladies quietly carry more championship titles than most of their colleagues on the card.

Hardy (1-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) took the MMA world by surprise this past year at Bellator 180. A WBC titleholder in both the international featherweight and super bantamweight divisions, Hardy’s boxing was on full display.

Akin to a female Chris Lytle, Hardy is also a boxer who doesn’t mind winging her shots once finding her groove. Whether she is dipping, slipping or ripping, she has a knack for flowing with offense no matter the weather. That said, she is coming off of a crushing loss to Kristina Williams, a fighter who taxed Hardy for her boxing-centric head movement and tendencies.

Now, in her third professional MMA fight, Hardy is matched up with another deceptively experienced talent.

Julaton (2-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) has long been calling for a fight with Hardy, and the two have apparently been on each other’s radars since their days on the boxing circuit.

However, Julaton has been a bit more active in the MMA world, accruing experience over in Asia at ONE Championship. Not only is Julaton a WBO and IBA super bantamweight world titleholder, but she also grew up surrounded by traditional martial arts like karate.

Typically fighting from a southpaw stance, Julaton is a versatile striker who can make hay from either side and is comfortable in all ranges. From well-placed punches to whipping kicks, Julaton offers offense that will keep Hardy honest. And with Julaton coming off a frustrating loss in her last time out, she will likely be looking to make up for it in spades here.

This fight also comes with the talks of a second installment that will take place in a boxing ring, an interesting caveat considering the current climate of our sport. For that reason, this fight will be quietly carrying some weight.

One-hit wonder or a future stunner?

In a fun featherweight opener, Tywan Claxton meets Jose Antonio Perez.

Claxton (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is coming off of a knockout of the year contender performance when he hit a flying knee on Jonny Bowman at Bellator 186. Although there’s not much to take away from a first-round finish, the rookie fighter shows signs of promise.

Before delivering a knee that was right out of a comic book, Claxton first flashed measured and composed offense, clearly establishing his range and presence with straight punches. And despite not getting to see Claxton’s ground game, it is an area that he claims is one of his strongpoints.

In fact, Claxton has recently been working with catch-wrestling guru Neil Melanson in South Florida, a respected ground coach in MMA who is also high on the 25-year-old. However, we have seen prospects crash and burn in this organization before, and Claxton will need to be careful.

Slated to face Perez (0-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), you could easily claim that Claxton is the one who is being put over. The nature of matchmaking and prospect building aside, what do we really know about a fighter with one professional fight?

In Perez’s last fight, he faced another talented debutant in Kevin Carrier. Although he appeared gun shy as he came up short on punches for the first couple of rounds, Perez eventually found his rhythm in third, demonstrating his comfort on the feet.

Despite inevitably losing the bout, Perez ended up in decent standings considering where he is at now. With the pressure and eyes on Claxton, Perez will have his chance to get his first professional win and steal the spotlight at Bellator 194.

For more on Bellator 194, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.