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Bellator 60 Results: As Spike TV Nears, Have We Seen the Start of a New Era?

Last night, upstart promotion Bellator Fighting Championships continued its quest for the No. 2 spot in the world of MMA promotions with the start of another new season live on MTV2.With a move to Spike TV more or less confirmed, one would think that B…

Last night, upstart promotion Bellator Fighting Championships continued its quest for the No. 2 spot in the world of MMA promotions with the start of another new season live on MTV2.

With a move to Spike TV more or less confirmed, one would think that Bellator might make the safe choice and opt into a holding pattern of “good but not great” shows until they can put all their efforts into a Spike TV mega-event. That’s not the case at all, as Bellator 60 had one of the best “Bellator moments” I’ve ever seen. Here are the full results with some early commentary.

Pat Curran defeats Joe Warren by KO at 1:25 of Round 3.
Daniel Straus defeats Jeremy Spoon by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Mike Corey defeats Ronnie Mann by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Marlon Sandro defeats Roberto Vargas by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:35 of Round 1.
Jake Nauracy defeats Cory Galloway by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:22 of Round 2.
Travis Wiuff defeats Anthony Gomez by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Sean McCorkle defeats Richard White by submission (neck crank) at 1:02 of Round 1.
Josh Shockley defeats Shamar Bailey by unanimous decision (scores not announced).
Alexandre Bezerra defeats Kenny Foster via submission (rear naked choke) 4:57 of Round 2.
Genair da Silva defeats Bobby Reardanz TKO (strikes) 0:51 of Round 3.

The start of Bellator 60 was an incredibly dominant performance by Marlon Sandro—unquestionably the night’s most dominant victory.

Sandro is still fighting to get out of the shadow of his KO loss to Pat Curran, and he took a big step towards getting back his aura of a monster with this victory. The way he totally dominated his opponent on the feet and then submitted him with a slick choke was nothing short of super-impressive and awesomely entertaining.

Ronnie Mann, unfortunately, continues to see his hype die in Bellator. I’m a fan of Mann and definitely a fan of the way he comes in looking to knock his opponent out, but this fight clearly demonstrated that his ground game needs serious work in one key area: getting back to his feet.

I hesitate to call this a boring fight or call Mike Corey a “Lay and Pray” wrestler. Corey was always fishing for something, Mann’s ground game was simply good enough for him to threaten with submissions and, if all else failed, get Corey back into his guard.

I’ve always believed that you deserve to get taken down if you can’t defend the takedown, so props to Mike Corey for knowing his opponent’s weaknesses and taking full advantage of them.

It’s always nice to see Daniel Straus win. He’s become one of my biggest “dark horse favorites” in Bellator. He’s incredibly humble, but he’s a diamond in the rough. He’s not just another grinding wrestler. There’s something about him that leads me to believe that one day he’ll be a Bellator champion. I’ll keep cheering for Straus and hoping that he gets his shot at Bellator gold one day.

And in the main event, Pat Curran KO’ing Joe Warren gave me the kind of raw, super-charged emotional reaction that I normally only reserve for big-time UFC main event mega-matches.

It’s simple math, actually: a fighter I really like and respect plus a fighter I really don’t like plus an amazing finish featuring the good guy beating the bad guy in highlight-reel fashion equals me jumping out of my chair shouting “YEAH!” at the top of my lungs.

All in all, Bellator continues its track of excellent shows with Bellator 60. Bellator’s been on a good roll for a good while now, and I’m seriously thinking about reversing my stance and making Bellator my official “dark horse favorite” promotion.

I’ll leave you with this: with the amount of good things happening to Bellator lately coupled with the amount of blows Strikeforce has been hit with following Zuffa purchasing them, Bellator may surpass Strikeforce as the No. 2 promotion by the end of 2012.

Even if Strikeforce makes more money, Bellator could still take the No. 2 spot (at least in my eyes), thanks to their consistently superb shows, especially since Strikeforce’s events have been very “hit and miss” since the Zuffa purchase.

Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan, and lifelong video game nerd. For more news, views, previews, and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.

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UFC on FX 2: Kampmann vs. Alves Picks and Predictions

UFC on FX 2 may just be the best UFC card that…I’ve let completely slip my mind.It’s been a busy week for me in general, and I was honestly surprised when I realized there was a UFC event on today. I got here just in time, though, an…

UFC on FX 2 may just be the best UFC card that…I’ve let completely slip my mind.

It’s been a busy week for me in general, and I was honestly surprised when I realized there was a UFC event on today. I got here just in time, though, and hopefully my eagerness to watch the show makes up for the fact that I forgot this show existed. Here are my predictions for UFC on FX 2.

Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann: It’s tough to pick a winner in this fight, since both men’s positions in the welterweight rankings always seems to be in flux.

Kampmann is a versatile striker, but the judges seem to hate him. Alves simply hasn’t looked the same since losing to Georges St. Pierre. I honestly think Alves has fallen off while Kampmann is still a great fighter, he just gets some bad calls against him.

With that said, Martin Kampmann wins by unanimous decision, although knowing the judges, it may end up a split decision or even going the other way.

But my prediction remains that Kampmann will be able to weather Alves’ early storms and then proceed to drown him in deep waters with precise counter-punching and constant movement.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani: Benavidez is one of the best lighter-weight fighters in the world, period. Based on his performances as a bantamweight, I know for a fact that there’s a champion inside of Joseph Benavidez that’s just waiting for an opportunity to break out.

This will be that opportunity. It’ll be a three-round war, but by the second round at the latest, Benavidez should leave no question as to who deserves to walk away with a win. Joseph Benavidez wins by unanimous decision.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall: I hate picking against Demetrious Johnson, I really do. He’s one of my favorite lighter-weight fighters, so I’ll be more than happy to eat some humble pie if he proves me wrong.

But I simply can’t shake the feeling that Ian McCall is going to show up to the UFC ready to prove that he really is the greatest flyweight in the world.

McCall will show up at his absolute best, live up to the hype and he’s going to catch Johnson and give him the first stoppage loss of his career. Ian McCall wins by TKO in Round 2.

Court McGee vs. Constantinos Philippou: I definitely think this is McGee’s fight to win. In his last fight, McGee showed improving stand-up, good cardio and a penchant for not backing down. Philippou is not an easy opponent, but he is the exact kind of opponent that McGee needs right now.

Philippou will threaten McGee and he will test his skills, but based on what I’ve seen so far, McGee should be able to pass this test. Court McGee wins by unanimous decision.

Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan and lifelong video game nerd. For more news, views, previews and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.

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Rousey vs. Tate: Why Is Ronda Rousey a 4-1 Favorite over Miesha Tate?

In many ways, Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey is the biggest women’s Mixed Martial Arts bout since Cristiane Santos faced Gina Carano in the first-ever women’s MMA fight to headline a major event.With a combination of good looks and great tale…

In many ways, Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey is the biggest women’s Mixed Martial Arts bout since Cristiane Santos faced Gina Carano in the first-ever women’s MMA fight to headline a major event.

With a combination of good looks and great talent, both Tate and Rousey have quickly catapulted to the forefront of MMA. Recently, oddsmakers have seen fit to place Rousey as a virtual four-to-one favorite over the defending champion. These people are stupid.

Check the odds for yourself here. Strikeforce: “Tate vs. Rousey” is currently scheduled for Saturday, March 3, 2012 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to the aforementioned Women’s Bantamweight Championship fight headlining the card, the event also boasts notable Strikeforce talent like Josh Thomson, Paul Daley, Ronaldo Souza and Scott Smith.

This will be Miesha Tate’s first defense of her belt after beating Marloes Coenen by submission in July of 2011. It was the first submission loss of the veteran Coenen’s career, and it extended Tate’s current win streak to six straight fights. Overall, Tate is 12-2 with a majority of her wins (eight of twelve) by stoppage, with a majority of those wins (five of eight) by submission.

Ronda Rousey, meanwhile, is well-known as the outspoken, always-controversial former Olympian that has earned a shot at the title after only four fights as a professional Mixed Martial Artist.

All four of those wins have been by armbar, all four of those wins have been in the first round, and even more impressive, all four of those wins have come within the first minute of action. Rousey even has two wins that were earned in under 30 seconds.

Let me get this out of the way right away: I’m not disrespecting Ronda Rousey. I love me a “badboy” fighter (regardless of gender), and Rousey is a breath of fresh air in a division that is filled with a huge amount of talent but not that many personalities.

Rousey is an incredibly scary woman to get in the cage with, and I’m honestly not surprised that she’s gotten a title shot this quickly. I even think she deserves one: History is on her side, as is marketability and the promotional force of Zuffa.

The situation is what it is: She’s very popular, very attractive, very marketable and most importantly, she’s a very good fighter. And whenever you have that perfect storm of ingredients in MMA, of course you can expect to be catapulted to the top.

But a four-to-one favorite over Miesha Tate? That’s just plain disrespectful to Tate and the skills she’s shown inside of the cage. Miesha Tate is more than worthy of the belt that’s currently wrapped around her waist.

As a pretty face, she’s very marketable as well, but she’s also got a huge amount of skill in wrestling and takedowns, her stand-up is constantly improving, and yes, she does have a submission game. Maybe it’s not as good as Rousey’s, but it’s good enough that she’s won more times by submission than anything else.

If you want my opinion, I’d have Tate the slight favorite. Tate has shown an ability to stay calm and collected under pressure, and she’s got a lot of experience in deep waters, having competed twice in one night and having fought to the fourth round when she won the belt.

I think Tate is going to take Rousey down and rearrange her face for five rounds. There’s a strong possibility that Rousey will grab something in those 25 minutes of getting grounded and pounded, but that’s why I have Tate as only the slight favorite.

But a four-to-one underdog? I just don’t see it. The bookmaker’s lack of faith in Miesha Tate both confuses and angers me. I think Tate is going to prove a lot of people wrong in this fight, and if you’re a betting man, you could make a decent chunk of change from that bet.

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King Mo’s Future in Doubt, Will the Former Champion Ever Return to the Cage?

Muhammed Lawal, a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion known to fans worldwide as “King Mo,” is no stranger to adversity. Usually that adversity comes in the form of the best Light Heavyweight competition Strikeforce has to offer a…

But according to a recent report, Lawal is facing a far more serious battle: the battle to save his career. Here are all the details.

According to MixedMartialArts.com, Lawal is suffering from a major bout of staph infection after undergoing ACL surgery that nearly cost him his leg. According to the report, Lawal’s staph infection has returned worse than ever before, and the former champion has undergone six surgeries in just one month and is now connected to a tube that gives him antibiotics 24 hours a day.

Currently, Lawal is 8-1 with one no-contest as a professional mixed martial artist. In his most recent bout, Lawal scored a dominant KO win over rising star Lorenz Larkin. The win was recently overturned and ruled a no-contest when it was revealed that Lawal had tested positive for a banned substance after the fight. Before that, Lawal was coming off a major KO victory over Roger Gracie.

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t always a fan of King Mo. I never really bothered to follow him when he was making waves on the Japanese circuit.

When he came to Strikeforce, though, I started paying attention. And it’s hard not to pay attention to King Mo: He’s never afraid to give a controversial interview, he’s known for his extravagant ring entrances, and he’s got a large majority of his pro MMA wins (six of eight) by (T)KO.

Once you wash away all the controversy, I think King Mo is a good person. He has a lot of controversial interviews out there, of that there can be no doubt. But I’ve also seen a lot of really heartfelt interviews from him. Once you get past the “King Mo” character, Muhammed Lawal is a well-spoken, very intelligent and very interesting person.

He’s also only 31 years old, which is one of the main reasons why I wish him nothing but the best and I really hope he’ll be able to come back from all this adversity. I think King Mo does deserve a second chance, and I think he is definitely one of the best Light Heavyweight fighters not currently competing in the UFC.

But like so many other fighters, I honestly wonder how all this will affect Lawal’s performances in the future. It’s always a fantastic story when an athlete returns after facing so much adversity, but the reality of the situation is that some fighters are never the same. So not only do I hope to see Lawal back in the cage one day, I hope that he’s able to return to form as well.

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UFC 144 Results: The Top 5 Moments from the Edgar vs. Henderson Card

UFC 144 was a great event from top to bottom, featuring several star performances from UFC newcomers and veterans alike. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the m…

5. Hatsu Hioki proving he’s UFC-ready

Bart Palaszewski is one of the UFC’s strongest assets in its featherweight division. He may not be championship-caliber, but he’s always entertaining, he always fights to finish, and he’s got enough versatility and veteran savvy to pose a threat to anybody. In short, he’s a great gatekeeper, and most people can’t pass his test.

Hatsu Hioki did, though, and he did it with flying colors. I’m finally starting to believe some of Hatsu Hioki’s hype.

4. Anthony Pettis KO’ing Joe Lauzon

Joe Lauzon is a really entertaining fighter, and I always feel gutted when he loses. But I felt incredibly happy when Anthony Pettis scored his first stoppage win in the UFC, even if it came at the cost of Lauzon getting KO’d.

It’s taken a few fights, but Pettis seems to have finally found firm ground to stand on in the UFC. Moving forward, I can’t wait to see if Pettis can capitalize on this victory and make a serious run at the title.

3. Mark Hunt dropping and stopping Cheick Kongo

How can you not love Mark Hunt? The guy puts it all out there every single time he fights, and it’s finally starting to pay off for him.

I honestly consider Mark Hunt’s current run to be one of the most spectacular resurrections of an MMA fighter’s career that I’ve ever seen. No matter where Mark Hunt goes from here, I’ll definitely be pulling for him.

2. Tim Boetsch rallying and stopping Yushin Okami

You couldn’t write a better comeback than this one. Tim Boetsch was done but not out, he was losing two rounds to none but never stopped thinking that he could finish the fight.

Yushin Okami, to his credit, did everything right in this fight and was five or so minutes away from getting a dominant decision victory.

But sometimes…sometimes you just get caught.

That’s exactly what happened to Okami, and it resulted in a spectacular come-from-behind stoppage win that I know we’ll all still be talking about for weeks to come.

And my personal pick for the best moment of UFC 144 is…

1. The main event, of course

If Benson Henderson vs. Frank Edgar hadn’t lived up to its hype, I would’ve been severely disappointed. Both men are on my list of favorite fighters, and I think the two of them are two of the most entertaining fighters the UFC has to offer.

For five rounds, these two gave us a stellar back-and-forth fight. It was non-stop action with a number of twists and turns, and even a few close calls. In the end we got a new UFC lightweight champion, and that was pretty awesome to see as well.

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Brian Stann Calls Out Michael Bisping, and This Fight Needs to Happen

We haven’t heard much from Brian Stann since October, when he was dealt one of the most humbling losses of his career in the form of a second-round submission by Chael Sonnen.It was Stann’s first loss as a Middleweight, and it came after a …

We haven’t heard much from Brian Stann since October, when he was dealt one of the most humbling losses of his career in the form of a second-round submission by Chael Sonnen.

It was Stann’s first loss as a Middleweight, and it came after a fantastic three-fight win streak with all three fights by stoppage, with highlights including the dramatic TKO’ing of both UFC mainstay Chris Leben and international star Jorge Santiago.

Recently, Stann has found himself back in the spotlight after a video emerged where he called out Michael Bisping. And as a fan of both men, that’s definitely one fight I would love to see.

Check out the full video for yourself here. In the video, Stann immediately calls out Bisping when asked who he would like to fight, and says that he didn’t take too kindly to the negative words Michael Bisping had for him after his submission loss.

Stann, a former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, has an overall record of 11-4. Stann went 2-2 as a Light Heavyweight in the UFC before making the aforementioned drop to Middleweight.

Regardless of what weight he competes in, Stann is known as a heavy-handed knockout artist. Of his 11 wins as a professional Mixed Martial Artist, eight of those wins have been by (T)KO.

Michael Bisping, meanwhile, is coming off a somewhat-controversial loss to Chael Sonnen. On a four-fight win-streak, coming off of a season coaching “The Ultimate Fighter” that ended with an incredibly dominant victory over Jason Miller, the fight with Sonnen was the closest Bisping had ever come to a title shot.

With a mixture of solid takedown defense for two out of the three rounds of the fight and solid/crisp striking, a vocal section of the fanbase felt that Bisping did enough to win.

I personally would love to see a Stann/Bisping fight for several reasons. First and foremost, it’d be an all-out brawl. Both men are strikers that go in to finish their opponents, and both men have a large amount of finishes on their records to prove how successful they are at that.

For some reason, people still seem to doubt that Michael Bisping has knockout power, but 14 of his 22 wins as a professional Mixed Martial Artist have been by (T)KO. Stann, meanwhile, definitely does have that aura of a guy that can really KTFO you.

In terms of a pure style-vs.-style fight, I think it would be immensely entertaining to see these two get into the Octagon and try to knock each other out.

In addition, I think this fight is going to get a lot of attention, both in the media and with the fans, so long as it takes place in either America or Britain. This is one fight I’d honestly rather not see in Canada, or Brazil, or anywhere else.

This is the dedicated former Marine, the man whose nickname is “All-American,” taking on the brash, cocky British bad boy. It’s a match-up made in promotional heaven. If you thought the American fans hated him before, just wait until the UFC puts Michael Bisping up against Brian Stann in America.

When it comes to Britain, I can say with confidence that Brian Stann vs. Michael Bisping could easily headline a UFC event across the pond.

Overall, I think this fight makes a whole lot of sense right now. Where they’re at right now in the division, their styles, their stories…it all matches up. This is one fight I definitely hope happens.

Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan, and lifelong video-game nerd. For more news, views, previews and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com