Bellator General Discussion and Info

[Bernman]

I'd be frigging pumped for this event tonight if Big Monster had made weight a couple months ago. You could have put Konrad-Monster smack dab in the middle of the all heavyweight card tomorrow night at UFC 146. Instead this is a pretty lopsided, predictable main event. Konrad is an 18:1 favorite.

This event also suffered attrition from the stretching out of the WW tourney and the robbery of Michel.

This main card would look pretty pimp:

Konrad-Monster
Hawn-Michel
Amoussou-Baker
Nogueira-Nakamura

But there could end up being a couple really good fights on the main card that did come to fruition. While I think it's highly likely Hawn will ultimately win, I think Weedman will pose plenty of problems. Hawn struggled with length in the WW tourney in spite of doing solidly, and you need to go back about 24 fights in Weedman's career when he was finished/handled.

[REDDzone]

Just got home, put it on spike.com randomly, and see that the stream is letting you watch the whole replay of the event. Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice, it usually doesn't do that.

[Bernman]

Rick Hawn was solid in victory last night. He did a good job of neutralizing Weedman's reach advantage with lateral + head movement and timing. He was connecting with some powerful shots, but Weedman's got a beard. He's never been finished with strikes. Weedman stifled some throws at the beginning, but Hawn got him to the ground many times in the later rounds. 30-27 for Hawn. IMO he should be the 12th rated LW in the world after this fight. He was 18 beforehand, and that was a little low. He should have gotten the nod over Hieron and be riding a 4-fight win streak w/ victories over him, Cupcake, Tirloni, and Weedman.

Cole Konrad did what I expected. I don't think fans should be calling Konrad a boring fighter anymore. He's finished two out of the last three fights in the first round and in the other wanted to show off his stand-up so he proceeded to put out a consistent strike-rate on the way to a 30-27 victory. He has evolved and he tries to please fans, unlike Askren. Prindle wasn't a good challenge for Konrad but he got into that position due to unfortunate circumstances for Big Monster and Ivanov. Hopefully Bellator can keep building up their HW division before the fall tournament so they can ensure Konrad receives a legit challenger next time. In the meantime they should have him face Big Monster for the title to bridge the gap. Otherwise Konrad will be going into hibernation for far too long again, and besides Big Monster was as qualified as Prindle going undefeated at 2-0 in the tourney.

Luis Nogueira keeps looking better and better every appearance. He used to have a problem pulling the trigger but he exploded on Nakamura's face tonight. Now the BW finale has more luster than it did previously. I still would lean toward Galvao because both their TDD's are epic, so it'll be a stand-up battle, where Galvao has the reach and output advantages. Nogueira is capable of winning on movement and straighter strikes though. That one is almost surely going to decision.

One fight to check out from the preliminary card is Matthews-Rader. It resulted in the first legal soccer kick KO in America under the current rules that I can recall.

[Nemesis21]

Rick Hawn was solid in victory last night. He did a good job of neutralizing Weedman's reach advantage with lateral + head movement and timing. He was connecting with some powerful shots, but Weedman's got a beard. He's never been finished with strikes. Weedman stifled some throws at the beginning, but Hawn got him to the ground many times in the later rounds. 30-27 for Hawn. IMO he should be the 12th rated LW in the world after this fight. He was 18 beforehand, and that was a little low. He should have gotten the nod over Hieron and be riding a 4-fight win streak w/ victories over him, Cupcake, Tirloni, and Weedman.

Cole Konrad did what I expected. I don't think fans should be calling Konrad a boring fighter anymore. He's finished two out of the last three fights in the first round and in the other wanted to show off his stand-up so he proceeded to put out a consistent strike-rate on the way to a 30-27 victory. He has evolved and he tries to please fans, unlike Askren. Prindle wasn't a good challenge for Konrad but he got into that position due to unfortunate circumstances for Big Monster and Ivanov. Hopefully Bellator can keep building up their HW division before the fall tournament so they can ensure Konrad receives a legit challenger next time. In the meantime they should have him face Big Monster for the title to bridge the gap. Otherwise Konrad will be going into hibernation for far too long again, and besides Big Monster was as qualified as Prindle going undefeated at 2-0 in the tourney.

Luis Nogueira keeps looking better and better every appearance. He used to have a problem pulling the trigger but he exploded on Nakamura's face tonight. Now the BW finale has more luster than it did previously. I still would lean toward Galvao because both their TDD's are epic, so it'll be a stand-up battle, where Galvao has the reach and output advantages. Nogueira is capable of winning on movement and straighter strikes though. That one is almost surely going to decision.

One fight to check out from the preliminary card is Matthews-Rader. It resulted in the first legal soccer kick KO in America under the current rules that I can recall.

Wow! Did not see that. Went to my cousins to watch TUF and Bellator, his DVR didn't record the first 70 mins of the Bellator card. That or he forgot to record it.

[Bernman]

My guide mistakenly showed the event as Bellator 69, which means if you recorded the series but chose not to include reruns, this show wouldn't have been recorded. They had a similar problem only worse for Bellator 66 (their biggest event) when my guide said the program in their normal slot was TBA. I think that might have contributed to their peculiarly low rating for such a great card. It's a conspiracy, man. Dana has declared war on Viacom/Bellator.

[Nemesis21]

My guide mistakenly showed the event as Bellator 69, which means if you recorded the series but chose not to include reruns, this show wouldn't have been recorded. They had a similar problem only worse for Bellator 66 (their biggest event) when my guide said the program in their normal slot was TBA. I think that might have contributed to their peculiarly low rating for such a great card. It's a conspiracy, man. Dana has declared war on Viacom/Bellator.

Right on, thanks for the heads up.

[Bernman]

RZ, Bellator might be coming to Wisconsin this summer.

Although that's been inkled attached to some bad press for the state. According to Brazilian MMA insider Matheus Aquino, Bloody Elbow #2 LHW prospect Phelipe Lins' tournament spot is in jeopardy because Wisconsin's athletic commission won't license him due to lack of fights. That does seem kind of curious because Lins already has 5 pro bouts on his record and I know of a number of Wisconsin fighters who've turned pro in the last couple of years without so much as one amateur bout on their record. Sergio had 4, but they all came before his 18th birthday. He turned pro as soon as minimum age requirements would allow him. Aquino could be mistaking Wisconsin for West Virginia, the location of the first summer series event, as they both start with an W.

If this report is true, it would be bittersweet. Bitter because our state prevented Bellator's arguably most promising LHW from being in a thin tournament to begin with, but sweet because it would mean high-level MMA was returning to Wisconsin. Patricio Pitbull-Pat Curran it was announced would be going down in August. That's right up there with Alvarez-Chandler as the best Bellator fight ever on paper entering the match. That would be unbelievable if that fight was in our backyard. Pat Curran is from northern Illinois, not far away from Milwaukee area, so I could see it happening.

[Cammo101]

My DVd has done the same thing 2 weeks in a row. I can only help Eric Prindle's friends and family had that happen as well. So they did not have to watch him set Bellator's HW division back 5 years.

[Bernman]

Prindle and Big Johnson are basically the same guy. He wouldn't have been there if not for Big Monster missing weight and Ivanov getting injured and then subsequently stabbed. Bellator's HW division needs a lot of work, but Prindle was far from their #2.

If Bellator has a peculiarly low rating again for this event, we'll know one of the reasons why.

[Bernman]

Nemesis is from the Tampa area, right? BFC 72 on July 20th is taking place in the USF Sun Dome in Tampa. I think this will be the biggest venue BFC has held an event in to date (10,000+ capacity). To wit expect a deep card. So far they've announced the WW finale of Amoussou-Baker and the third edition of the marred but exciting series between Marius Zaromskis and Waachim Spiritwolf. I have also read from a Brazilian website that the BW finale between Galvao and Betao would also be included, but I'm not sure about the validity of the report. Also expected for the event are 2 LHW semis, Sparks-Asplund redo, Rad Martinez v. TBA, and a number of prospects and qualifiers. They should schedule a qualifier involving Ben Saunders for the WW tourney. Of course Killa B is from Florida and has clamored to fight in his home state before.

In other notes:

- Bellator has made a number of prospect signings lately which included Jack Hermansson (#9 MW per BE), Roy Boughton (#5 LHW per ultmma), Guillame De Lorenzi (#9 LW per BE), and BW Rafael Morcego Silva (16 straight fights without unavenged loss, win over Lineker among others). With Dream going under maybe we see a plethora of established fighters signing too. Hellboy is a good possibility. He said, "I will never fight in the UFC...I would prefer to have my testicles kicked in by a horse full of steroids" Outside of Dream, Khaldov refused the UFC's offer because he can be a big draw in Poland, so maybe Bellator can steal him because of their willingness to share fighters unlike Zuffa.

- Also, Blagoi Ivanov was released from the hospital after being stabbed in the heart a few months ago, winding in a coma, and it looking likely he wouldn't make it. In spite of his issues, he still hopes to return to the cage in the future.

[REDDzone]

RZ, Bellator might be coming to Wisconsin this summer.

Just seeing this post now. Any updated on that. I wonder where the event would be held? I would definitely be down to go to some bellator. Been way too long since I have watched some live mma.

Would be really disappointed if there was licensing issues here.

[Bernman]

RZ, Bellator might be coming to Wisconsin this summer.

Just seeing this post now. Any updated on that. I wonder where the event would be held? I would definitely be down to go to some bellator. Been way too long since I have watched some live mma.

Would be really disappointed if there was licensing issues here.

Just remembering I posted that and Aquino has since corrected his original statement:

https://twitter.com/matheusdcaquino/status/206866924859174912
https://twitter.com/matheusdcaquino/status/206950259644039170

At least it's not our fault, right? We're always getting erroneously blamed for everything, i.e.: obesity, serial killers, coldness, and now this.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that he knew the states for the summer series, one was Wisconsin, and he got confused with W. Va. because they both start with W's. But the more likely explanation is that he merely incorrectly recalled West Virginia as Wisconsin.

However, now that Bellator is showing a willingness to hold an event in a 10,000+ seat arena in a college area, that makes a place like Alliant Energy Center in Madison a plausible destination. Madison does have a solid MMA fan base. In fact Madtown Throwdown featuring top ww prospect Andrew Trace and Lenny Nelson will be happening in August too.

[REDDzone]

Bellator signs Brett Rogers.

[Bernman]

I'll wait to see how he's used before I judge. Because Bellator signs, Signs, and SIGNS fighters. I mean some fighters they use in a capacity to sell a card in a one-off, others they use to build the names of their own original finds, and others they sign long-term to compete for a title. It's not like UFC where everybody they sign is added to their roster.

If he gets invited to the tournament then that's a disappointment, goes against Bellator's normal philosophy, and I'm worried about what that means about Viacom's influence. If he doesn't get invited to the tournament and is there to sell a lackluster BFC 71 card and build a name for one of their prospects, namely one of the talented Russians like Kudin or Magomedov, well that's a perfectly reasonable choice. When they release his opponent, which has to be soon, that'll be pretty telling. Ironically, before Dream folded, Rogers was to face former BFC top HW prospect Tony Johnson Jr. outside the organization.

[Cammo101]

Falcao, Lawal, Rogers...

If you were once under the Zuffa banner but got fired for breaking a law, you are now most likely in Bellator.