Corey Anderson predicts he will beat Ryan Bader in the #1 V #2 match up that will determine who goes through the final of Bellator‘s light-heavyweight Grand Prix.
Bellator 268 has a slew of great light-heavyweight fights including a battle of former UFC contenders Corey Anderson and Ryan Bader. Bader is the current Bellator heavyweight champion and the former light-heavyweight champion. Bader has impressed only losing once in the promotion to the current light-heavyweight champion Vladim Nemkov. Over the past four years since joining the promotion has gone 6-1-1(NC), holding wins over the likes of Fedor Emilianenko, Phil Davis and Lyoto Machida.
Since leaving the UFC, where he was ranked #4, Anderson has gone 2-0 in Bellator, beating Melvin Manhoef in his debut and Dovletdzhan Yagshirmuradov in the quarter-final of the Grand Prix.
In an interview with LowKickMMA, Anderson had this to say about Bader, “He’s well rounded but not as well as me.” When asked about a prediction, Anderson replied, “I see my hand raised in victory.”
Across the bracket Vladim Nemkov defends his title against late replacement Julius Anglickas, who is stepping in for Anthony Johnson.
“Oh 100%” replied when asked if he was disappointed to see Anthony Johnson was out. “Rumble is a friend of mine, every time we talk we’ve talked quite a few times during the tournament, and every time we talk whether it be in person or on the phone, it would always with an ‘alright bro, I’ll see you in the finals.’”
Anglickas will be coming in as a big underdog against Nemkov who is currently ranked #4 pound-for-pound on Bellators official rankings. Anderson had this to say on his chances “He’s got really crisp, basic striking but it works but the thing to deal with the champ he needed more time to prepare for a fight like that.
“He’s not as fast and athletic to deal with Nemkov’s movement and pressure.”
What do you think? Who wins, Corey Anderson or Ryan Bader?