Although he has been at Bellator’s helm for more than a year, Bellator 142: Dynamite marks the true encapsulation of Scott Coker’s run as the organization’s head. After several months of placeholder shows following the blowout spectacle of Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice and the attendant spike in ratings, Bellator returns with another big-time event that’s sure to spark curiosity and interest from MMA fans.
The event will feature both a ring and a cage, and a few Glory kickboxing bouts in addition to the heartier fare of a four-man, one-night light heavyweight tournament under MMA rules that features King Mo Lawal, Emanuel Newton, Linton Vassell and longtime UFC competitor Phil Davis.
In addition, former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson, fresh off a stint in the UFC, makes his promotional debut against Mike Bronzoulis. A 205-pound title fight between the venerable Tito Ortiz and rising champion Liam McGeary caps off the event.
Dynamite could turn out to be a fantastic, oddball treat with an incredible mixture of action in two different combat sports, or it could be an unwieldy mess with plodding fights between faded stars. The most likely scenario is a mixture of both, with light heavyweight kickboxers Saulo Cavalari and Zack Mwekassa dropping bombs, Paul Daley knocking an unfortunate challenger’s head off and reasonably entertaining MMA bouts.
This over-the-top event, along with the Shamrock-Kimbo card earlier this year, is the embodiment of Coker’s vision for the new-look Bellator. It offers a fundamentally different product than the UFC, and in the crowded landscape at the peak of mixed martial arts, that’s just fine.