the_mole Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 I think out the two women's fights only one had a winning record and they had about 5 pro fights between the 4 of them, you see girls with a lot better winning records on TUF. They really need to cut the amount of events they do with the current roster they have, they are very top heavy almost like a Boxing card. Ariel Helwani said last week they have 7 events until Christmas and if you look at some of them they are pretty shit cards and that's not mentioning the prelims that don't really matter as they aren't aired. Mousasi struggled he's now gone full DX and telling fans to suck it but he did struggle and he fought most of the fight with one eye. I'm taking nothing away from Shlemenko who hurt his eye and and won the striking exchanges, it was a close decision that just depended on how you scored the second round, I had it just for Mousasi but I wouldn't have complained if Shlemenko got the nod, apparently he's appealing the decision but that just seems like a waste of time as they won't change their minds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted October 24, 2017 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 yeh, Bellator shows are very top heavy. I don't really have a problem with it because a Bellator 4-5 fight main card is a nice 2 hour watch, their undercards usually feature local talent that is on the shows to help shift extra tickets. What's bad about that model is that fighters dropping out really hurts a card, last Saturday's show was cursed, 3 main card fights dropped out leading in so we were left with scraps really, if the main event had fallen apart they probably would have pulled it. Bellator seems to be more intent on getting into different markets at the moment too which leads to disjointed looked cards. Before Xmas they are in Ireland, Italy & Israel as well as the US. Those cards always feature home-bred fighters mixing alongside Bellator regulars. Best case in point...Allesio fucking Sakara is fighting for the Middleweight title in Italy! The bad luck continues though, James Gallagher is out of his main event on the Irish show on November 10th. Sucks because that was a nice spotlight slot for Gallagher who's arguably Bellator's best prospect in terms of star power. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mole Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Yeah I don't mind guys like Gallagher getting a main event in Ireland, was he not scheduled to fight AJ McKee which is mental as his father was about 50-0 before the UFC went near him and couldn't wait to get rid of him because his style was so boring but his son seems a lot more exciting and it's the two top prospects of that division in Bellator. Â Sakara getting a title shot is fine as well as besides the two guys who just fought nobody really deserves a title fight anyway and Mousasi should easily beat either of them and they can then do a second Shlemenko fight. I don't watch it but I really don't understand why they waste money on Bellator Kickboxing, it does atrocious ratings and the top guys earn decent pay. I hope with the rebrand into Paramount Network they maybe make a few changes as they have a decent product and maybe crown a new Heavyweight champion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted October 24, 2017 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 Coker has said they have something big planned for heavyweight in 2018, has to be a Grand Prix. Gallagher was not meant to fight AJ McKee, but both were on the card. Bellator are doing a decent piece of building for that actual fight, i'd imagine it would take place sometime early next year if all goes to plan, risky business though keeping two guys away from each other for so long. The Sakara thing is only happening because it's an Italian show really, Bellator's 185lb division is a bit muddled and Sakara gets a bit of a fairytale title shot at home because of it. It'll probably be some spectacle because Sakara's treated like a superstar there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted October 24, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 I love a Grand Prix but they don't really have the depth at heavyweight for that do they? I mean, their heavyweight division's better than it used to be but not really enough to warrant a tournament surely. Fedor, Big Country, Kongo, Meathead. I'd watch but it's hardly Pride 2004. And half those possible fights have already happened. They should just bring Cro Cop in and finally do Fedor vs Cro Cop 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted October 24, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 They've still got Lashley, haven't they? And he's currently on an 8-fight streak. Sure, he's getting on at 41, but they could at least chuck him in if Fedor's there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted October 24, 2017 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 Lashley's just kind of stuck in limbo, he's winning fights but they are so few and far between he never really creates any buzz. Heavyweight in Bellator could create a nice GP though. Fedor, Roy Nelson, Javy Ayala, Sergei Kharitanov, Frank Mir, Matt Mitrione, Cheick Kongo, Justin Wren. That's 8 off the top of my head, i'd watch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted October 24, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 It's not as bad as I thought looking at that list. Forgot about Mir and Big Sergei. Although it's bad enough Meathead having a win over Fedor, I think I'd actually cry real tears if fucking Mir beat him as well  I want Cro Cop in there though. He's mentioned a Fedor rematch a couple of times and he'd add some name value. Having a GP with both Fedor and Cro Cop (and possibly Sergei) involved would give me that warm fuzzy Pride feeling. If they managed to put together a tournament with say Fedor, Cro Cop, Mir, Nelson, Kongo, Sergei, Lashley, Meathead etc then I'd be up for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted October 24, 2017 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 yeh, it's a lot of past their best heayweights but other than someone like Kongo who's spent the twilight years of his career boring everyone to tears but fighting very smart and prolonging his run, the rest of the guys are usually in exciting scraps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted October 24, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 Shame Kimbo's not still with us  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Dead Mike Posted October 24, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 Dada 5000's still about though. Every cloud..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mole Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 (edited) Sergei Kharitonov is fighting Vitaly Minakov in Russia next year I think in that EFN promotion. Minakov doesn't want to fight in Bellator or fight EFN's champion because it's his training partner that apparently has the belt, I'm guessing he hopes Bellator just release him and he can fight in the UFC. Blagoi Ivanov should maybe be a free agent soon, WSOF of PFL seem to be doing just tournaments and I'm guessing they don't need a Heavyweight champion but who knows what his contract says. Â I'm pretty sure Cro Cop says he's going to retire after his next fight which I'm guessing will be at NYE in Rizin. Edited October 24, 2017 by the_mole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted October 24, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 (edited) It's about time to be fair. The man's an absolute legend. Any word on who he's going to fight in Rizin? Guessing not given Japanese promotions' love of last minute fight announcements. Probably be announced a week before NYE or something. Edited October 24, 2017 by wandshogun09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted October 24, 2017 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 24, 2017 i'll start a Rizin New Year's Eve thread shortly, but i heard today that Takanori Gomi has been released from the UFC and will be on the NYE show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted November 3, 2017 Author Paid Members Share Posted November 3, 2017 as if this weekend's schedule wasn't full enough, tonight... Ryan Bader vs. Linton Vassell - Light Heavyweight Title Emily Ducote vs. Ilima-Fey Macfarlane Phil Davis vs. Leo Leite Ed Ruth vs. Chris Dempsey Zach Freeman vs. Saad Awad The shows at Penn State University where Phil Davis & Ed Ruth were big deals during their college wrestling years so i expect a pretty wild response for those two. Bader/Vassell could be a snoozefest but it's nice to see another Brit get a shot at the belt, basically a case of whoever can impose their will in that one. Has no idea who Leo Leite was but a quick google search shows he's 10-0 and comes in with high credentials of his own, 4 time BJJ World Champion and pretty high ranked in Judo, could be trouble. Zach Freeman is you've forgotten is the guy who ruined Aaron Pico's debut earlier in the year. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.