When discussing the best featherweights in Bellator history, three names come to mind: Pat Curran, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and Daniel Straus. The latter two will meet in the main event of Friday’s Bellator 132 card at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California.
Freire dethroned Curran to win the Bellator featherweight title in September.
The main event is a rematch, as Freire and Straus faced each other in May 2011. Freire won that bout by unanimous decision. Straus will be looking to gain a better result in the second meeting.
He stopped Justin Wilcox in the first round at Bellator 127 on Oct. 3. Just before that, he split two bouts with Curran. Without question, this is a scrap between the best of the best at 145 pounds in the Bellator promotion.
Here’s a look at the complete card, viewing information and predictions for Friday’s action. Just beneath the table is a look at the top main card bouts.
Houston’s Wrestling Will Win Out
After battling to a controversial draw at Bellator 129, veteran Houston Alexander and Virgil Zwicker are going to get it on again.
The two men have great respect for each other, and both hail from Nebraska, but this is a big fight for both fighters.
Alexander is 42 years old, and any loss could be disastrous for his career. Zwicker is still trying to make his mark with the promotion. A win over a recognized name in Alexander would be the biggest of Zwicker’s career.
Unfortunately for him, Alexander’s grappling game is more advanced. His power on the inside will be the deciding factor, and he’ll earn a unanimous-decision victory.
Georgi Is About to Join Bubba’s Highlight Reel
After an early setback in his career, Bubba “The Highlight Kid” Jenkins has reeled off four straight impressive wins. Because of his athleticism and strong wrestling base, Jenkins is one of the top eight featherweights in the world, regardless of promotion, in my opinion.
He’ll have a solid test on his hands in Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan. After a nearly four-year absence from Bellator, Insane returns, but he’s going to get a crazy beatdown from Jenkins.
Karakhanyan’s game is rooted in his submission prowess, but Jenkins is vastly superior as a striker and an athlete. His wrestling is so good that it’s hard to see Karakhanyan gaining an advantageous position on the mat.
As long as Jenkins maintains his composure, he should stop Karakhanyan in impressive fashion.
Pitbull Still Too Explosive for Straus
The biggest impediment most Freire opponents face is keeping the pace set by Pitbull. Straus is a skilled, smart and vicious contender. He’s also confident, per this tweet from MMAFighting.com:
I doubt he can effectively counter the aggression and speed the champion will bring into the cage, though.
Not only is Freire quick and ferocious, but he’s also tough. Even if Straus is able to catch Freire with a few counters, there’s no assurance Pitbull will slow down. This fight will likely end the same way the first fight did, and that’s with Freire winning by unanimous decision.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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