Other MMA Shows

[Egg Shen]

well, the positive thing here from a fans perspective is that the show is still happening and it really is a world class card. I think people will forever speculate what really happened with the PPV falling apart, but as a fan of the product i really hoped it'd go ahead and be somewhat succesful.

 

Ahhhh well, Alvarez/Chandler II next week

[wandshogun09]

Put a subscription for a years worth of painkillers on top of the Ultimate X and send Tito and Ken out there.

 

I shouldn't really laugh at that but I did. They'd fight harder than they have in a decade under those stipulations.

 

I think people will forever speculate what really happened with the PPV falling apart, but as a fan of the product i really hoped it'd go ahead and be somewhat succesful.

 

Yeah, I think everyone wanted it to be a success but it's hard to see how it would be right now. If this was in the big boom period in 2009/10 it would have still struggled. Affliction did shite on PPV with the likes of Fedor, Barnett, Arlovski, Sylvia, Belfort etc on the cards. I just don't think Bellator has the kind of depth or names who can make PPV a success. Doesn't mean it'll be that way forever but surely it's better to go the PPV route when they are ready not just to try to play with the big boys.

 

I love Bellator's fights. They've consistently pumped out a great product since they started. I haven't watched it regularly until the last year or so, but I've went back and watched a lot of the older shows as well. And very rarely have I finished a show and felt disappointed. They remind me of WEC a bit in that way, there's always usually something really enjoyable on the shows. But that doesn't always translate to selling PPVs. Great fights are always a positive but if no-one's going to buy the PPV you're wasting your time. I'm no expert but I think they'd be better to just continue what they were doing before Spike came in and Bjorn went all 'fuck the UFC'. Just build up the shows slowly on Spike and concentrate on getting people to watch that before worrying about going on PPV just to dick wave. It could take years before they are in a position to make PPV work for them but that's better than trying to run before they can walk and ending up in the MMA promotions cemetery next to EliteXC, Affliction, Strikeforce etc.

 

Chandler vs Alvarez 2 is going to be fantastic. I'm looking forward to that about as much as any UFC fight coming up, and that's saying a lot looking at how loaded the next two months are.

Edited October 26, 2013 by wandshogun09

[Magnum Milano]

There goes Alvarez's PPV points, eh? Not that it would have done enough buys for the PPV cut to kick in anyway, but this just further proves how ridiculous it was to suggest Bellator matched the UFC contract. Alvarez would have been on UFC 158, the biggest selling PPV of 2013 so far. He'd have made more money in that one night than he's probably made his entire career combined. Bellator stuck him on a PPV that relied on Tito Ortiz not getting injured. And now it's off. Yeah, they really matched that offer.

In this week's Observer, Meltzer writes that Alvarez ended up losing well over $1 million with what happened.

[wandshogun09]

Poor sod. You have to wonder if he'll ever get another chance to make that kind of dough again now as well. He's nearly 30 now and he's still locked in with Bellator. And if he loses next week, he's not going to get another offer like the one Zuffa gave him last time.

 

What's the deal with Alvarez now then? When he settled with Bellator and the Chandler rematch was signed, wasn't there some stipulation that if he wins they will do a rubber match, but if he loses he can walk away from Bellator? If he loses, obviously the UFC won't sign him coming off a loss. But in that case, I could see him getting out of Bellator, taking a 2 or 3 fight deal with WSOF or RFA or something and then going to UFC after that (providing he wins those 2 or 3 fights of course).

 

It sounds fucked up but it'll probably actually be better for Alvarez's career in the long run if he loses next week. If he wins - yeah he's avenged the loss and is champ again. Then what? Outside of a third Chandler fight there's not much else. He'll have gone as high as he can outside Zuffa. If he loses - rebuilding himself with 2 or 3 fights shouldn't be much of a problem, and crucially, he'd be free from all the contractual bullshit of the Bellator deal. He could be in the UFC by the end of 2014. Probably with a lesser deal than what was on the table this year, but I bet he'd still make more money than anywhere else.

[Egg Shen]

It would depend on how he loses i guess, part of me think Michael Chandler is gonna go into destroy mode and wins easily, if i was to harboir a bet on whos improved the most since last time i'd pick Chandler, you also dont know how the whole lay off/contract situation has fucked with Alvarez. Its gonna be interesting.

[METAL ON METAL]

Bjorn has said Alvarez will still get his PPV points from this show, which considering its on free TV, is strange.

 

Clearly he's only saying/doing that so he doesn't get yet another lawsuit coming his way.

[Egg Shen]

watched the weekend's Bellator and WSOF shows.

 

First off, World Series of Fighting 6 was excellent. These smaller shows benefit from being short and fast paced, cut the fat and pumping the fights out. That's what WSOF did...

 

* Amazing performance by Steve Carl in the main event, the fight itself was a quality grappling based MMA fight, lots of submission attempts and scrambles. Carl finally choked Burkman out cold in round 4 and becomes a very worthy first WSOF Champion. What was amazing about it was that Carl admitted post fight that 2 weeks ago he couldn't walk and had bulging disks in his back, he was very down on his performance but to do what he did not in shape was very impressive.

 

I think most people wrote of Carl going in, it all seemed set up for Burkman to win the belt. He was the guy being called the most underrated man in MMA, he broke 170lb top 10's and of course was coming off the Fitch victory. Carl whiped him out.

 

 

* Jon Fitch is good fight shocker!

 

Fitch/Alfaya was really good, Fitch was dominated in round 1 and i genuinely believed his fall from grace was continued but he gutted it out and won a split decision, although i definitely gave him rounds 2 & 3. Surprising to see Fitch clearly being the weaker man in the cage, Alfaya's a bit of a beast.

 

The next two fights were showcases for two guys the WSOF can lay claim to being 'their guys', when year end polls come up for best new fighter i'll include both Marlon Moraes and Justin Gaethje.

 

* If Moraes keeps whiping fools out at 135lb with such ease there's gonna be real calls to get him into the UFC, dynamite little puncher and very exciting to watch.

 

 

* Then there's Justin Gaethje, the guy just fights with no fear and throws to hurt. He's clearly not afraid to take one to give one and he battered Dan Lauzon. Gaethje has been one of the finds of the year, he's gonna be in some great fights too, he's just got that style.

 

 

BOINK.

 

oh, and i didn't see it, but Miguel Torres lost again on the undercard

 

fantatic little show.

 

Bellator 105 wasn't as good but featured some good stuff.

 

* MIGHTY FUCKING MO rolls on, by submission!!!, Ron Sparks tried taking Mo down from the bell, Mo ended up on top and finished Sparks with a keylock...be careful what you wish for Sparks! Im pretty sure Bellator will set up Might Mo to fight Peter Graham in the next tournament.

 

* Will Brooks frustrated in the main event mainly down the fact that his gameplan seemed to be to primarily shut down Saad Awad (a man who previously who KO'd him), all well and goood but Brooks did very little damage and didn't seem to have any intention of doing any.

 

* Tiger Sarnavsky just walked through Tirloni. Sarnavsky was probably the Russian with the most hype when he came into Bellator. He stumbled first time around but this season he's just creaming people. I don't see how Will Brooks can beat him save for applying the same gameplan he did against Awad.

 

Decent little show, but WSOF was much better. Bellator 106 next week is the one!

[Egg Shen]

somone hammer a nail into any hope of Tim Sylvia making it back to the big show, he lost his 3rd straight on Sunday in Russia. Dropped a decision to Ruslan Magomedov and apparently looked horrible. Sherdog are predictably ripping him...

 

 

poor Tim'eh.

[Egg Shen]

Right then!

 

Saturday is Bellator 106. I imagine once Rampage/Ortiz dropped off it killed a lot of people casual/morbid curiosity in checking out this show, but outside of of the 'name' value dropping, this still remains probably the best non-UFC show of the year and easily the best Bellator card in it's history, as an MMA fan you owe it to yourself to watch, esecially as there's no other MMA this weekend of note:

 

 

Main Card (on Spike TV):

-Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez - Lightweight Title Fight

-Muhammed Lawal vs. Emanuel Newton - Interim Light Heavyweight Title Fight

-Pat Curran vs. Daniel Straus - Featherweight Title Fight

-Joe Riggs (39-14) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (15-5) Fight Master Finale

-Mike Richman (15-3) vs. Akop Stepanyan (13-6)

 

Preliminary Card (on Spike.com):

-Alejandro Garcia (14-5) vs. Cristiano Souza (6-0)

-Mike Guymon (14-6-1) vs. Aaron Miller (14-8)

-Brandon Halsey (4-0) vs. Hector Ramirez (9-5-1)

-Joe Williams (10-3) vs. Jesse Juarez (20-8)

-Darren Smith (4-3) vs. Josh Smith (8-5)

-Joe Camacho (13-18-3) vs. Cleber Luciano (8-5)

 

Kongo/Spartan dropped off the main card as well, but it fills out with two fights that will likely be much better.

 

Chandler/Alvarez II - it's no bullshit when Bellator claim it to be one of the greatest MMA fights in history, an absolute classic. The 2nd fight has a bit of a dirty feel to it because of all the bullshit Alvarez has been through and we all to hope Eddie's coming in here to make a statement (and that the lose and get released thing isn't in his mind), because if he does this could be another classic. Michael Chandler is, in my opinion as good as any lightweight on the planet, the guy is the full package and it's time the majority cotton'd on. WATCH IT!

 

 

THE FIRST FIGHT IN FULL

 

Newton/Mo II - first off, it's bullshit that this is an interim title fight, but Bellator obviously thing is looked good on the poster for the PPV. Regardless this is a grudge match. The talk between the two is very strange, there's race been brought into it, lifestyle and all kinds of shit, check this out:

 

Mo & Newton trade words on The MMA Hour.

 

 

You can't help but feel that Newton aint gonna land another shot like that, and i expect tp see Mo put a bit of a beating on him but you never know.

 

Curran/Straus II - Whilst Michael Chandler is pretty much Bellator's poster boy, Pat Curran is probably the unsung success story of the promotion. When he joined Bellator he was bit of a middle of the pack 155'lber expected to be fodder for the new Canadian poster boy Mike Ricci. Curran dropped him and has been on tear ever since, 9-1 now in Bellator with a sole loss to Eddie Alvarez (which prompted the drop to 145) and he's been destroying people ever since. Guy deserves his plaudits.

 

Daniel Straus is a grinder that has also made a name of himself in Bellator, on a ridiculous 17-1 streak. Straus is the kind of guy that makes good fighters like bad. Sets a ridiculous pace, strong wrestler with a full arsenal of MMA skills. This is gonna be a battle.

 

Curran damn-near kills Joe Warren.

 

It's rematch (with Curran winning the first fight via choke), it was a long time ago though.

 

Riggs/Bronzoulis - Joe Riggs Fight Master run was one of the comeback stories of the year. I think Riggs had long ago been placed in the journeyman folder but he came into Fight Master in great shape and just walked through the competition, he teamed back up with Greg Jackson again and looked the best he has in years, im rooting for the Diesel!

 

Richman/Stepanyan - don't be surprised if this steals the show, Richman is another guy who came into the spotlight in Bellator, a crowd pleasing style with the habit of KO'ing people in spectacular fashion...Stepanyan's Armenian so that'll tell you all you need to know, he's coming off a loss to Justin Wilcox in an insane fight and is a guy who will go down swinging.

 

Richman at work.

 

THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME.

Edited October 30, 2013 by Ebb

[Swift89]

Rampage will face Joey Beltran on Nov 15th.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah it's a cracking card. In a way I think it's kind of benefitted from losing Rampage vs Tito in a way. I mean, I'd have still watched it but the fight was a bit of a joke as headliner. With that fight out of the way, now Chandler vs Alvarez 2 takes the spotlight which it deserves. Plus with it now being a free TV card, more people will be watching.

 

I think Chandler is among the best in the world at 155. The sad thing is he can't prove that for sure in Bellator. His biggest win to date has been the Alvarez fight, but Alvarez also has the slight taint of never having been tested in the UFC. You get the feeling Chandler could hang in the UFC, but until he fights there it's hard to tell. As much as I enjoy watching Bellator, there comes points with some fighters where you feel like they've kind of outgrown the company and it's time to test themselves in the big show. Chandler and Alvarez are those two for me. Alvarez maybe even moreso because he doesn't have as long left to make the move as Chandler does most likely. And people have been talking about him against UFC guys since about 2008 when he was having FOTY contenders in DREAM with Hansen and Kawajiri. Chandler is younger and with less miles on the clock. He's got more time. But I think you could drop those two on any UFC card against any UFC lightweight and you'd at least get a good fight. Whether they won or lost I think they'd make it competitive and exciting at least.

 

I've gone off track a bit. But I can't wait for this fight. If anyone hasn't seen the first fight, click the link in Ebb's post. Awesome fight.

[Egg Shen]

Yeh Chandlers is gonna find himself in the Gilbert Melendez position before long. The difference with Chandler is he really seems to appreciate and relish in the position he finds himself in. Dunno if thats just a case of him being professional, but he really seems to love being a Bellator champion.

[Ross18]

Really can't wait for this show on Saturday. Definitely going to make an effort to try catch it live.

 

Im not sure why but I always get more excited when King Mo is on the card. Big fan and pretty confident he can avenge this loss and win. Hopefully keep the belt after Veigh is back too. I've seen Chandler v Alvarez (although not at the time) but definitely going to check that out again before Saturday and also got a tab open with the first Curran v Straus fight cause I haven't seen that yet. Riggs v Bronzoulis should be good too. The Greek has been underdog is all his fights on FightMaster and has come through them all. So could cause Riggs some problems, but think Riggs will just be too good and experienced in the end.

 

Also on a side note just seen that Kongo will now face Peter Graham in the Heavyweight Final on the November 8th show. Not seen what happened to the orginal opponent whose name escapes me at the moment.

Edited October 30, 2013 by Ross18

[Egg Shen]

eh!? Peter Graham wasn't even in the tournament? regardless Kongo should have no trouble getting through Graham, just don't expect him to stand up with him. Guess their exercising that new rule they put in where they put a replacement in via a 'vote'? the whole thing's bollocks

[jimufctna24]

Im not sure why but I always get more excited when King Mo is on the card.

Me too

 

I think he brings that superstar aura that few fighters have, plus he has the ability in his wrestling chops and natural talent to be something quite special. I will watch this weekend, just because he is on. ALverez vs Chandler is a treat also, as I have become a fan of Chandler's ability, I think he could be top 5 at least at 155lbs.

 

I have not watched Bellator since Mo and Chandler's last fights, and I might even skip Page vs Beltran as I do not think it is really relevant in 2013 as anything but a novelty fight.