Bellator 87 is taking place at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The main card features the four quarter final fights in the Lightweight Tournament, and features some names like David.
Bellator 87 is taking place at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The main card features the four quarter final fights in the Lightweight Tournament, and features some names like David Rickels and Patricky Pitbull.
Delorenzi vs. Pitbull
The main event features the Canadian prospect Delorenzi fighting out of the world famous Tristar camp, against the always entertaining Patricky Pitbull. At a glance this fight would be easy to call in the favor of Pitbull, but if you look closely this is actually a close fight. Pitbull is coming off of two straight losses, and not decisions one is a KO and the other is a submission. Pitbull has not won a fight since 2011. Delorenzi on the other hand is on a five fight win streak with his one loss coming at the hands of Warmachine. I think the Canadian is going to get the upset and win by TKO.
Woodard vs. Rickels
This in my opinion is going to be a phenomenal fight. You have two men with a majority of their wins by submission, and I think it is going to end up being a stand up fight. In my opinion Rickels’ is the better striker, and I think most would agree. I don’t see Woodard winning this fight unless he gets Rickels on his back, but then he needs to be careful of Rickels’ great triangle. I see this being a submission win for Rickels.
Michel vs. Sarnavskiy
This fight has two up and comers fighting out of Brazil and Russia. The Brazilian Michel is a pro kick boxer turned MMA fighter and he is coming off a spit decision loss to Weedman. Sarnavskiy is only 24 years old and holds an impressive record of 21-1. This is going to come down to one simple point, can Michel keep it standing? Sarnavskiy is a very well rounded fighter, of his 21 wins 6 are by KO, 11 by Submission, and 4 by decision. Michel is a finisher with 9 wins by KO but has not found a way to do so in Bellator. I think Sarnavskiy takes this one by submission.
Tirloni vs. Brooks
Both these men are very well rounded; Brooks is coming off a TKO win in the Japanese promotion Dream, while Tirloni is coming off a split decision loss to Dave Jansen. Brooks is a very good up and comer with an undefeated record, but he has not been tested enough. Tirloni has had four fights in Bellator and while he is by no means the favorite in this tournament I believe he will take a decision over Brooks.
Edwin Figueroa vs. Francisco Rivera This bout is definitely a contender for fight of the night, as both fighters prefer to stand and strike. Figueroa may be the more technical striker, but Rivera is the.
Edwin Figueroa vs. Francisco Rivera
This bout is definitely a contender for fight of the night, as both fighters prefer to stand and strike. Figueroa may be the more technical striker, but Rivera is the more aggressive, and possess the heavy hands. In his fight with Alex Soto, Rivera kept a vicious pace for three rounds and he was even more impressive in his fight Roland Delorme. Although his first round knockout win over Delorme was overturned to a no contest after discovering he tested positive for a banned substance, his stellar performance wasn’t out of the ordinary following his dominate win over Alex Soto. Figueroa hasn’t fought in almost a year, while Rivera has stayed active, which may give Rivera yet another advantage. I see too many factors in Rivera’s favor to side with Figueroa, and if this fight ends up being a striking war, which many fans believe it will, this fight may not go past the first round with Rivera clipping Figueroa on the chin.
Pick : Francisco Rivera
Chico Camus vs. Dustin Kimura
The UFC didn’t make Camus’ debut easy, but to everyone’s surprise, he out grappled talented grappler, Dustin Pague, where Camus executed excellent takedowns, and found the dominate position in the majority of the scrambles. Not only did he show great offensive grappling, but also proficient submission defense, as he transitioned out of all compromising positions for the brief moments he was in potential danger. The majority of Kimura’s wins have been by submission, which is a battle that he’ll come up short in, if he challenged Camus to a grappling match. However, even on the feet, Camus is deadly, as he has finished five of his opponents via strikes. Camus will only be more comfortable in his second UFC fight, and I don’t see the newcomer overcoming such a tough debut.
Pick : Chico Camus
Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Edwards is coming off a knockout performance over Jeremy Stephens, so what gives me reason to think the less experienced, newcomer to the lightweight division can defeat him? Absolutely nothing.
Pick : Yves Edwards
Jacob Volkmann vs. Bobby Green
There’s wrestlers, and then there’s Jacob Volkmann. He has the ability to out grapple larger grapplers, such as Shane Roller and Danny Castillo, but also imposes his will on talented strikers like Efrain Escudero. Bobby Green is no exception, and will fall victim to the elite wrestling that Volkmann possess.
Pick : Jocob Volkmann
Tyron Woodley vs. Jay Hieron
Woodley’s last fight should’ve been a wake up call to the previously undefeated welterweight. Most fighters need a loss to push them to train harder, become a more complete athlete, and come back stronger than ever. That’s exactly what I suspect Woodley is going to do, and Hieron will have his work cut out for him. Hieron is a great wrestler as well, but not quite on the same level as Woodley, and another thing that comes to mind is the fact that Woodley went three rounds with Nate Marquardt who is an excellent striker. Hieron nullified the wrestling in his bout with Jake Ellenberger, but was bested by a less talented striker. Woodley should have the advantage on the feet, or on the ground, giving him a unanimous decision win.
Pick : Tyron Woodley
Gleison Tibau vs. Evan Dunham
Dunham is a fighter who usually enjoys an advantage in the grappling or the striking, depending on his opponent, but in his fight with TJ Grant, where I though he clearly would have a striking advantage, it was Grant who got the better in the exchanges on the feet. Dunham rarely faces an opponent who has superior Jiu-Jitsu, but this is one of those fights. Even with his superb Jiu-Jitsu, Tibau is no slouch on the feet, as he has the power to clip and hurt any one of his opponents. Dunham will fight his heart out, but in the end, Tibau is just too skilled and physically strong for him. Dunham will have a very active guard when Tibau takes him down, but it won’t be enough in the judges eyes to steal any of the rounds.
Pick : Gleison Tibau
Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall
You could argue that Benavidez is the better wrestler, after all, he is a member of team alpha male. However, McCall has excellent striking and could very easily have the skills to nullify the wrestling of Benavidez with his own. Giving McCall the benefit of the doubt, if the wrestling is dead even, who has the Jiu-Jitsu advantage? Benavidez of course. Even if McCall has a slight edge in the technical striking, it’s not so significant that Benavidez will be overwhelmed. With more ways to win, “Jobi Wan Kenobi”, is my pick for this bout.
Pick : Joseph Benavidez
Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia
Maia has been on fire since his move down to welterweight, with two first round finishes. He’s known for his ability to submit his opponents, but Fitch is statistically the most difficult fighter in the UFC to submit. Fitch’s game plan is usually to grind down his opponents with his wrestling and ground and pound, but Maia has one of the most deadly and active guard in the UFC. Mark Munoz had success in taking Maia down and avoiding submission attempts, and even though it was a middleweight bout, Fitch should be able to implement a similar strategy and steal a close, and probably controversial, decision just from being the man on top.
Pick : Jon Fitch
Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva
In his fight with Travis Browne, Silva reminded everyone that in addition to being a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, he was also a Karate black belt. However in this fight, he should go back to utilizing his Jiu-Jitsu, because his striking will be no match for Overeem’s. Silva has been bullied by fighter with heavy hands, such as Mike Kyle, Daniel Cormier, and Cain Velasquez, and Overeem is the best striker of them all. He may also be the strongest opponent that Silva has faced, and therefore, Silva will be completely overpowered by the striking and strength of Overeem.
Pick : Alistair Overeem
Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Nogueira
There’s no question that Nogueira has outstanding submissions and could tap any opponent he goes up against, but he struggled to amount any offense with his Jiu-Jitsu against strong wrestlers, Ryan Bader and Phil Davis. Evans was able to control Phil Davis with his wrestling, so I can only imagine how much control he will have over Nogueira, which will take away his opportunities for submission attempts. Nogueira is proficient in his boxing, but Evans has a more diverse striking game, throwing kicks knees and using a lot of movement, rarely planting his feet in one spot. Evans isn’t afraid to throw head kicks when least expected, and this could catch Nogueira off guard and cause him to be more tentative in his offense. Since his return at UFC 133, Evans has looked like a different kind of animal and I don’t see Nogueira defeating the elite light heavyweight who has really been on his game.
Pick : Rashad Evans
Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar
Aldo is a phenomenal striker, but wrestling is his kryptonite. Every round that Aldo has lost was because a fighter was able to implement their wrestling effectively, and no one does that better than Frankie Edgar. Another question about Aldo is his cardio, one of Edgar’s strengths, so even if Edgar has trouble with the takedown in the early rounds, he will control the last three and win a unanimous decision.
Pick : Frankie Edgar
Feel free to comment on your own personal picks. I’d like to hear why you agree or disagree, there’s always room for dissension.
After a dominant unanimous decision victory over Rampage Jackson, the big question in Glover Teixeira’s future is who should he fight next? The Brazilian top contender has made it very clear that he wants to.
After a dominant unanimous decision victory over Rampage Jackson, the big question in Glover Teixeira’s future is who should he fight next? The Brazilian top contender has made it very clear that he wants to stay active, and that he does not believe that he is the number one contender. With the majority of the Light Heavyweight division’s top contenders busy, there aren’t too many options that will bring Teixeira to a title shot. One option would be a man who fought on the Fox 6 card, and that is Ryan Bader. Bader is two and three in his last three, with the only loss coming to Lyoto Machida. Bader is undoubtedly a top ten fighter, but the question is will this fight bring Teixeira closer to a title shot. In my opinion, no. Another option would be Mauricio Shogun Rua. This fight was supposed to happen a while back, but Shogun thought it was too much risk for so little reward. There is no doubt now that this fight would be a war, and Shogun can’t deny that Teixeira has made a name for himself. Other than that, Glover would have to wait for some other fights in the coming months to resolve. With the way that fighters have been getting injured, if I were Teixeira I would be staying in shape in case the UFC comes calling for a replacement. Regardless I think that Teixeira will probably get Bader or he will wait for maybe the loser of Henderson vs. Machida, or Gustafsson vs. Mousasi.
Let me know what you guys think in the comment section.
– Josh Leduc.
Matt Wiman came into this fight riding a significant amount of hype after coming off his submission win over submission specialist, Paul Sass, and for that reason, many of the prediction experts picked him to.
Matt Wiman came into this fight riding a significant amount of hype after coming off his submission win over submission specialist, Paul Sass, and for that reason, many of the prediction experts picked him to extend his win streak. However, Grant had other plans to derail the hype train, and prove that for good reason, he was the favorite to win the fight. What was thought to be one of the most closely contested fights on the card, ended up being the most devastating finish of the night, and TJ Grant’s UFC career.
In a performance that was so obviously robbed of knockout of the night honors, Grant displayed his newly found Muay Thai striking, incorporating a plethora of elbows and knees from the clinch. Wiman’s chin held up for some time, but eventually he was unable to take anymore punishment, as he crumbled under the vicious strikes of Grant that lead up to the inevitable knockout.
His improved Muay Thai makes him one of the most well rounded fighters in the division, as his wrestling and submissions are outstanding. It’s difficult to fathom a fighter who ranks outside of the top ten that will be able to make for a competitive fight if matched against Grant. Now riding a four fight win streak, Grant is due for a bout with a top ten lightweight for a chance to prove that he is among the division’s elite.
There are several potential opponents that would make excellent fights, such as Joe Lauzon, Nate Diaz, or Donald Cerrone, but for the most intriguing and potentially exciting fight, I have to suggest Jim Miller. Both Grant and Miller aren’t afraid to stand toe to toe and throw punches, but also have exceptional grappling skills. This bout has fight of the night written all over it.
Whether or not he fights Miller, Cerrone, or any top ten contender, Grant will look to showcase his well rounded skills against any opponent the UFC puts in front of him in a diehard attempt to pursue a title fight.
Amaya vs. Gomes This is bound to be battle between two tough Welterweights in the Bellator Welterweight Tournament quarter finals. Both these guys are well rounded and Gomes has the experience advantage. Amaya, as we’ve.
Amaya vs. Gomes
This is bound to be battle between two tough Welterweights in the Bellator Welterweight Tournament quarter finals. Both these guys are well rounded and Gomes has the experience advantage. Amaya, as we’ve seen in his fight with Saunders just doesn’t know when to quit. I believe Amaya has too much power, and is too good of a wrestler for Gomes to win his fight. I’m picking the young up and comer Amaya by TKO.
Zaromskis vs. Weedman
The Dream Welterweight champion is returning to the Bellator cage and the Welterweight tournament to take on the journeyman in Weedman. This is a bad fight for Weedman in my opinion. He’s a tough and durable fighter, but just not on the level of Zaromskis. I expect Zaromskis to make quick work of him in the stand up and finish impressively with a KO.
Saunders vs. Adzitso
The Bellator Tournament vet Ben Saunders is taking on Adzitso in fight that could become very interesting. Saunders is obviously a favorite in this Welterweight tournament based solely on his experience. Adzitso is a dangerous fighter though that will go for the finish, and the “Lion King” has been all over the world with his fights. This fight could be a close one, but I believe Saunders is going to do what he does best and smother Adzitso and probably take a decision.
Lima vs. Tsarev
This is the closest fight of the evening. We have two fighters who have great submissions and decent stand up. Tsarev is coming off a loss to Lyman good in his last fight, and I can tell you that this Russian does not like to lose. Tsarev is going to come in in shape and ready to battle it out. Lima on the other hand is coming off a knockout win against Ortiz. I think Tsarev kind of has his back against the wall, and that is a scary place to see this man. I think he is going to come out and submit Lima.
Lawal vs. Mysiala
This is the biggest mismatch of the night. You have a man in Mysiala who doesn’t like to take a punch on the chin, and you have Lawal who has the power to put any man out. Lawal by knock out, no need to further explain.
Askren vs. Amoussou
I wouldn’t necessarily call this a mismatch because Amoussou is a great fighter, but I think this is going to go like any Ben Askren fight. Amoussou is going to be taken down and grinded for five rounds. I hope that Ben Askren shows some impovements to his overall MMA game, because this guy is for real and I wouldn’t mind seeing him face some tougher competition, if he has improved his striking.
