Bellator Fighting Championships: Round 2

[Mickey Massuco]

Mir knocks out Bader in the finals.

 

[909]

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/02/the-terrifying-rise-of-alt-right-fight-clubs/

Yankova is apparently a Nazi.

 

[Youth N Asia]

They finally found a fight Benson could win in Bellator. What a joke matchup. Huerta hasn’t been honest to goodness relevant in nearly a decade. He’s won 4 out of his last 13. And not a meaningful win out of the four.

Sick flying knee finish on the show though.

 

[909]

FEDOR TAKING OUT THE FUCKIN TRASH

 

[Brocklock]

Those two old beefy men had an action fight for the 48 seconds it lasted. The Fedor slam was nice and I'm glad he has one last KO in him. I think he could beat Chael if he bombs on him early. Chael probably catches him off balance with takedowns and gets a boring decision win.

 

[KanadianKrusty]

How weird was it to have the Bellator announcers talk about the speed advantage of a 41 year old who hadn't won a fight for real in years. Great card tho.

 

[Youth N Asia]

Fun card. Submissions out the ass.

I just don’t like Mauro calling MMA. “Fedor has turned back time!” Ehh. Nah, went down to a shot that a younger Fedor would have eaten and not felt a thing.

Didn’t think Fedor would win tonight. That chin is so far gone that I was expecting a real embarrassing loss here. Very glad that wasn’t the case.

Chael’s trash talk in 2018 comes off prehistoric.

 

[NoCalMike]

Watching Fedor fight in the current era is kind of sad. Regardless of opponent he just looks like he is in there recklessly swinging away and he is getting hit as much as he is hitting his opponent. Every fight he looks on the verge of being destroyed himself and it's just a matter of if he gets his opponent first.

 

[Youth N Asia]

I really don’t like Mauro on commentary. Kongo having one exciting finish in years doesn’t make him not boring.

Bader practically one-punching Mo warmed my heart. I’m so tired of Mo being sold as a big superstar. Like Kongo, he’s just a a drag to watch.

Was hoping to see Daley sleep Fitch.

Bader vs Mitrione would have been my finals pick had they been on opposite brackets.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Lyoto Machida has signed with Bellator. Huh.

Also Michael Chandler's deal is up soon, hopefully he signs with UFC.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/6/20/17483780/wanderlei-silva-says-fighting-rampage-jackson-in-september-bellator

Coincidentally, I heard this news as I was reading a book on Ali fighting as an old man, leading to even more health issues for him.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Interesting to note that the UFC matched Lyoto's Bellator offered and he still wouldn't re-sign with them. I think that's a first because IIRC in the cases of guys like Davis, Rory, Larkin, Bader and Mousasi they let them walk without a counter offer.

Also on the September 29th card Bellator will be kicking off a Welterweight Grand Prix. Rory gets a bye and will be entered into the tourney after the opening round but it's expecting that we'll see Douglas Lima vs Andrey Koreshkov III and possibly Paul Daley vs MVP on that card too.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

WW Tournament Participants....

Rory MacDonald
Michael Page
Andrey Koreshkov
Doug Lima
Ed Ruth
Neiman Gracie
Lorenz Larkin
Jon Fitch

Not too shabby.

 

[Youth N Asia]

WW Tournament Participants....

Rory MacDonald
Michael Page
Andrey Koreshkov
Doug Lima
Ed Ruth
Neiman Gracie
Lorenz Larkin
Jon Fitch

Not too shabby.

Seems like this will go on forever. Page may finally have to fight someone now.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Almost all of those guys are wrestler/grapplers and in the case of Ed Ruth a seriously high-level wrestler. I figure he gets Larkin or Gracie, they're his best shots at making it past the opening round. I think I read that they want to do Koreshkov/Lima III for the opener too and Rory is getting a bye to the second round.

 

[AA484]

How does he get a bye with 8 participants?

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Hmmmmm. Good point. I swear I read that because of his fight with Mousasi that he'll move onto the second round but yeah you're right they can't really do that with 8 guys unless they are still working on terms with Paul Daley because I'd figure he'd want to be in this.

 

[AA484]

Yeah, seems kind of weird they announce this and the Mousasi/MacDonald match simultaneously. What if Rory gets hurt/medically suspended in the latter fight?

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Unless Rory isn't getting a bye and whomever he's facing will match up against him sometime in 2019.

 

[Just Call Me Dan]

This is silly. If you want to figure out who the baddest WW is in Bellator, why does one guy have a shiny gold belt around his waist already?

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Why does the UFC have rankings when they give title shots to whomever they want?

 

[Just Call Me Dan]

I’m really only referencing the fact that Rory will be in it.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Yeah I know. My point is that mma orgs can do whatever the fuck they want.

Helwani is saying that Bellator has come to terms with Paul Daley and he's expected to face MVP in the opening round. Also per Brett Okamoto of ESPN Rory's belt will be on the line for this tournament so the winner either way will be the Bellator WW champ and all tournament fights will be five rounds.

 

[Just Call Me Dan]

I'm just going to shut the fuck up, then. That is awesome. You'd potentially have more than one title change in the one tourney.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Opening round brackets for the WW GP announced....

Rory vs Fitch
Daley vs MVP
Ruth vs Gracie
Koreshkov vs Lima III

Alternate: Larkin vs Amasov

 

[Youth N Asia]

Kinda surprised that MVP is finally getting a real fight. He’s been getting the prospect treatment for far too long.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

As far as step ups go it's not the worst fight they could have made for him as far as the tournament goes. I don't think there's a high possibility that Daley tries to take it to the ground.

 

[Youth N Asia]

As far as step ups go it's not the worst fight they could have made for him as far as the tournament goes. I don't think there's a high possibility that Daley tries to take it to the ground.

Paul Daley bitches more than anyone when someone tries to wrestle in his mma fights. I think he’ll stand and trade. MVP is a more dynamic striker, but Daley could sleep him badly with the right shot. Kinda want to see that.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

If MVP fights long and keeps Daley at the end of his jab I think he can UD him, people who get caught by Daley only do so by allowing it to happen. He's got a nuke of a left hand but it's not like he achieves his knockouts by using top-level boxing.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

I think MVP embarrasses Daley if it stays on the feet. This guy's ground game is mad suspect though.