Bellator General Discussion and Info

BorkLazer · Post #1461 » by **BorkLazer** » Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:40 pm

http://mmajunkie.com/2017/07/gegard-mousasi-signs-multi-fight-bellator-deal-after-4-year-ufc-run

Great signing for Bellator. They are really putting in a great effort to form a truly legitimate top-level roster. I don't think it will take long at all for Gegard to become champ.

On another note, I think Coker should try to steal Fitch and Shields away from whatever promotion they are in now. I know they aren't what they used to be, but it would help with roster depth and they wouldn't cost too much. Should also try to grab Askren.

cowboyronnie · Post #1462 » by **cowboyronnie** » Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:53 pm

Mousasi is fine at 205. Even HW. Didn't he fight Mark Hunt?

Point being: Him against Davis would be two undeniably world-class talents. Two guys who left the UFC witout being washed out, two guys who have been in the top 5 for most of the past half decade.

Post #1463 » by **Prez** » Mon Jul 10, 2017 11:13 pm

One of my favorite fighters, what a huge loss for UFC. Is Rockhold next?

Bernman · Post #1464 » by **Bernman** » Tue Jul 11, 2017 12:00 am

He's not maximizing his potential fighting at 205 though. He'd be a prizefighter there. At 185 we know he's elite.

Bellator is weak at 185, but they need to start somewhere in terms of building up and legitimizing that division. And I do think there are a couple interesting match-ups for him as of today.

I think Carvalho is an underrated, talented champ. He's won 14 straight, was more in control of the Halsey fight than the announcers were suggesting, just fought conservatively against a dangerous guy in the feet, before answering the critics coming out taking selective chances cruising and then finishing him via head kick. He's shown good sense of space, mixed up strikes well, and avoided td's with flexibility and strength.

And Shlemenko provides a fun fight and threat to almost anyone when fighting in his proper weight class. Just avenged the loss to Halsey easily.

Beyond that, there's nothing there that's developed, right now. Ideally Bellator would acquire another (or two) top 10-15 mw to provide rivals and measuring sticks. Rockhold and Khalidov? (Coker co-promotes). Then in the meantime they could build up and eventually legitimize interesting prospects like Lovato, Young, Honeycutt, and Kato.

Bernman · Post #1465 » by **Bernman** » Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:01 am

Mediocre main card for Bellator at best tomorrow night. But it's maybe the deepest one when you include the prelims they've ever put together. It's about the level of a typical UFC Fight Night Prelims I'd say.

Rafael Lovato (no relation to Demi, was Miletich's #1 MW prospect on AXS) vs. Biggie Rhodes (former RFA champ, UFC vet)
Logan Storley (5-0 in RFA/LFA, big prospect) vs. a 7-4 fighter
Guilherme Bomba (Demi Lovato's boyfriend, cut off 1 UFC fight) vs. EJ Brooks (previously promising Bellator prospect)
Justin Lawrence (most know him) vs. Treston Thomison (good journeyman)
Samoan Carl (would have ko'ed Mitrione if Big John didn't meddle) vs. Valentin Moldavsky (only 1 loss, by split, in Rizin)
Andre Fialho (had a lot of hype before getting ko'ed by Chidi Njokuani) vs. AJ Matthews (been around Bellator for a while)
4-0 guy (2-0 Bellator) vs. a guy who has won 8 straight
one of their debuting all-american wrestlers (Romero Cotton)

Definitely looks worth watching if you're free. That's about as good of an event you'd see on AXS.

REDDzone · Post #1466 » by **REDDzone** » Fri Jul 14, 2017 12:23 pm

I like Lovato, but War Biggie.

Bernman · Post #1467 » by **Bernman** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:09 am

Bellator just had their version of Gaethje-Johnson, only without the climactic finish. The doctor stops it after the 2nd rd because of the crater that opened up on Brandon Girtz' forehead. I thought Girtz was up 2-0 too, unfortunately. Hard shots and landing more, with those counter hooks and liver shots which were nasty. Jimmy Smith is the worst mma scorer I've seen. All about who is coming forward to him.

The prospects Lovato and Storley looked great. Very slick groundwork, with Storley tying up an arm and smothering the other to finish with unabated gnp, and Lovato slickly tying up the leg from the bottom to sweep, following up to get the back, and from there the world bjj champ is going to choke your ass out.

Bernman · Post #1468 » by **Bernman** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:48 am

Mousasi is debuting against Shlemenko in October. Sweet fight, but unfortunately it also sets up Carvalho vs. Sakara. Bellator doesn't value their titles. They should have done Carvalho-Mousasi and Shlemenko in some fun fight, and if he won he could have been next challenger.

At the same event, they're also staging McGeary-King Mo. Kind of a poor match-up choice also. I mean McGeary is the former champ, but coming off a couple recent losses, and will be facing a dominant wrestler who when he gets his way is boring.

I thought King Mo was fighting Bader. Maybe Bader is fighting Vassell, who lost to Mo a while back, but on the slip and slide, and Mo has since lost himself.

REDDzone · Post #1469 » by **REDDzone** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:49 pm

I love Biggie but that's what a purple belt vs a mundials champion looks like when the fight goes to the ground. I also think Biggie would be better off at 170 tbh, it keeps him disciplined.

Anyone see Lovato play deep half and even sweep from there? Brainwashed Gracie bros always talk about "sport jiu jitsu" and how ineffective it is and point to deep half guard, etc. as evidence of that. Good enough for Werdum, Big Nog, and Lovato to win mma fights with though. lol.

Jasen777 · Post #1470 » by **Jasen777** » Wed Aug 16, 2017 12:38 am

They signed Mir.

Bernman · Post #1471 » by **Bernman** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 12:37 am

Njokuani missed weight (again) by 4 lbs for his main event bout against Koreshkov. I was torn before, but now I definitely want the Russian to win. Lima/Koreshkov the trilogy would be worthwhile anyway. Njokuani should be forced to move up.

The co-main is actually being contested at a catch-weight. I think Ward wasn't going to come close to making weight for his fight against Gonzalez. Still should get docked.

Some excellent prelims between Honeycutt-Casey, Karakhanyan-Pineda, Lahat-Corrales, Lins-Nemkov, and Rainey-Stevens. That's as good as some of their main cards. Hell, it's probably better than this one. Didn't need a random chick fight and Mckee should have been matched up a lot tougher.

cowboyronnie · Post #1472 » by **cowboyronnie** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:36 am

Koreshov looks like he might have world-class talent, that was a really complete performance. Guy is 27. Wrestling, subs, striking on the ground, transition/MMA game, and his established stand-up. He seems dedicated where Schlemenko maybe wasn't.

Bernman · Post #1473 » by **Bernman** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 8:24 pm

We finally know the date of the Lima-Rory welterweight WORLD title fight. It's going to be Jan. 20th, live and free on Spike. The location is The Forum in LA.

Befuddled as the reason for delay. I thought it had to be because they'd hold it in Canada or Only on Pay Per View. Just seems like a regular ol' big event for them.

REDDzone · Post #1474 » by **REDDzone** » Thu Sep 21, 2017 1:15 pm

Yea, no idea why its not until January.

Susan · Post #1475 » by **Susan** » Sun Sep 24, 2017 1:30 am

GOAT PICO is about to fight!

cowboyronnie · Post #1476 » by **cowboyronnie** » Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:50 am

I don't know if I have ever seen a better boxing counter in MMA than Pico's left. He had pushed the guy back, closed into the pocket and established a wide puncher's stance. When he saw that elbow go up on the dude's right hand, he threw the perfect counter underneath it straight to the button. Look at the tension in his hips. Holy eff.

REDDzone · Post #1477 » by **REDDzone** » Sun Sep 24, 2017 12:10 pm

Look at the still of Pico's KO. He may have taken over the title of best non Romero physique in the sport from Alvarez. At least based on this one pic that sherdog just put on their fb page.

Susan · Post #1478 » by **Susan** » Sun Sep 24, 2017 1:49 pm

REDDzone wrote:Look at the still of Pico's KO. He may have taken over the title of best non Romero physique in the sport from Alvarez. At least based on this one pic that sherdog just put on their fb page.

Dude is the GOAT in all aspects of MMA. We're just fortunate enough to be alive to watch him ascend.

Bernman · Post #1479 » by **Bernman** » Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:45 pm

Hilarious interview with Mousasi after his controversial win over Shlemenko on Friday night.

Watch on YouTube

- said all critics can get in line and suck it, and according to him there's plenty to go around
- copped to reading them on Twitter or Sherdog about how he's overrated and was good, saying most other guys who have off nights don't get that stick, and claiming those people have the memories of goldfish
- talked about how he made his money so he doesn't care and has a better life than all those bums
- said Shlemenko was talking crap in Russian and told him to learn English (a European Persian said that)
etc.

It was pretty epic. He does get extra crap I think because he developed a rep among the hardcores outside the UFC and now willingly left UFC, while arguably deserving to lose against one of the best fighters in the division in the #2 org. The refrain from the ZZ's is he was always overrated because they want to believe all the best fight in one org, even though that's constantly proven wrong.

REDDzone · Post #1480 » by **REDDzone** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:13 am

You left out my favorite part...when he said the people who criticize him "are all just sitting behind computers eating potatoes".

IDK why but that killed me when he said it with his accent.