Shlemenko vs. Rogers from last night’s Bellator 54
If last night’s Bellator 54 in Atlantic City, New Jersey was a preview of things to come, then under no condition should you skip the finale of this season’s middleweight tournament. Unless you don’t like watching exciting brawls and devastating knockouts. In that case, I really don’t know why you’re here in the first place.
Alexander Shlemenko and Brian Rogers both promised a knockout before the fight, and it quickly became apparent that neither man planned on breaking that promise. A back and forth battle from the opening seconds, the fight saw each fighter land hard shots to his opponent. In the second round, however, Shlemenko’s superior clinch game helped him get the better of Rogers, as Shlemenko rocked Rogers with knees to the head before the referee stopped the fight. Alexander Shlemenko is now 42-7 in his MMA career, and 6-1 in Bellator.
The evening’s co-main event, Vitor Vianna took home a quick TKO over Bryan Baker. From the start of the fight, Baker showed little respect for Vianna’s striking. Bryan Baker chose to throw bombs at Vianna in hopes of getting a quick finish. Bryan Baker chose poorly.
Shlemenko vs. Rogers from last night’s Bellator 54
If last night’s Bellator 54 in Atlantic City, New Jersey was a preview of things to come, then under no condition should you skip the finale of this season’s middleweight tournament. Unless you don’t like watching exciting brawls and devastating knockouts. In that case, I really don’t know why you’re here in the first place.
Alexander Shlemenko and Brian Rogers both promised a knockout before the fight, and it quickly became apparent that neither man planned on breaking that promise. A back and forth battle from the opening seconds, the fight saw each fighter land hard shots to his opponent. In the second round, however, Shlemenko’s superior clinch game helped him get the better of Rogers, as Shlemenko rocked Rogers with knees to the head before the referee stopped the fight. Alexander Shlemenko is now 42-7 in his MMA career, and 6-1 in Bellator.
The evening’s co-main event, Vitor Vianna took home a quick TKO over Bryan Baker. From the start of the fight, Baker showed little respect for Vianna’s striking. Bryan Baker chose to throw bombs at Vianna in hopes of getting a quick finish. Bryan Baker chose poorly.
In a non-title bantamweight scrap, Bellator champion Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky took home a first round north-south choke against a game, but overmatched Ryan Roberts. The victory marks Makovsky’s eighth straight. Meanwhile, Roberts is still searching for his first victory in Bellator, having lost a unanimous decision to Eric Marriott at Bellator 32 in his last appearance with the promotion.
Also of note, those of you who watched the prelims on Spike.com have noticed that Bellator has signed UFC veteran Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao. The 28-4 Chute Boxe product is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with twenty three of his victories ending via knockout. Unfortunately, you probably remember him for beating Gerald Harris at UFC 123 in a fight so boring that both men were subsequently bounced from the UFC. To be fair, Big Rig was technically cut due to legal issues. Hopefully Falcao will add more exciting fights to a middleweight division already full of them.
Zack Makovsky‘s nickname seems to apply to more than just his size.
Makovsky’s “Fun Size” nickname is mostly a playful jab at his physical stature. But the Bellator bantamweight champion is making the size of the fun he has carry over elsewhere, too.
Makovsky said spending his time just trying to improve as a fighter and compete to the highest of his ability is what keeps mixed martial arts fun for him.
“I think I definitely am understanding how to compete in MMA more,” Makovsky told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.” “I really think I’m trying to put everything together. My mentality is probably the biggest part of it. I revamped my whole mentality, especially from when I was (wrestling) in college. I try not to care if I win or lose. I just try to have fun with it and do the best I can.”
So far, that philosophy has translated quite well for Makovsky (13-2, 5-0 Bellator). On Saturday, at Bellator 54, Makovsky has what amounts to a stay-busy fight against Ryan Roberts. His 135-pound title will not be on the line. He won’t put his belt up for grabs until next year, when he fights the winner of the ongoing Bellator bantamweight tournament.
Makovsky said he likes Bellator’s tournament format – after all, winning the inaugural bantamweight tourney is what put him on the major MMA map. But at the same time, he said it has some drawbacks.
“Going into the tournament, I was unknown to the majority of the MMA community,” Makovsky said. “I like that about Bellator – it’s a tournament and you control where you go yourself. I like how they let you get there on your own.
“(But) there’s a downside as far as once I won the tournament, I’ve had a lot of downtime. I fought six times in 2010, and I’ll only fight twice in 2011 with no title fights. There’s ups and downs.”
Makovsky even joked that because of the downtime this calendar year, he may have been better off not winning the first bantamweight tournament – just making the finals. That way, he could compete in this year’s bantamweight tourney and make more money.
Still, the product of the Fight Factory, in Philadelphia, where he trains alongside Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, said winning the $100,000 tournament a year ago put him in the position, financially, where he can just concentrate on becoming a better fighter. He no longer has to pay the bills by being an assistant wrestling coach at Drexel University, where he competed collegiately.
“I wasn’t making a living (fighting) by any means until I got into Bellator,” Makovsky said. “My first fight, I fought for $300 to show and $200 to win. I saved a little bit from winning the tournament, but it’s definitely different (not having a job). I’m very happy doing what I love for a living. I get to sleep in when I want and set my training schedule – so I’m living the dream.”
Though he’s on a seven-fight winning streak and holds a title for one of the most prominent MMA promotions in the world, Makovsky said he’s not prepared to say he’s a Top 10 bantamweight in the world. Not that he isn’t confident in his skills, but it’s just not his style.
“I think my skills are up there with those guys, (but) I don’t like to say where I should be ranked,” Makovsky said. “That’s up to the media. I want to continue to grow and be the best I can be, and something like that would put extra pressure on myself. That’s not where I’ll have the most success. I’ll have the most success when I’m focusing on me and getting better. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Zack Makovsky‘s nickname seems to apply to more than just his size.
Makovsky’s “Fun Size” nickname is mostly a playful jab at his physical stature. But the Bellator bantamweight champion is making the size of the fun he has carry over elsewhere, too.
Makovsky said spending his time just trying to improve as a fighter and compete to the highest of his ability is what keeps mixed martial arts fun for him.
“I think I definitely am understanding how to compete in MMA more,” Makovsky told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.” “I really think I’m trying to put everything together. My mentality is probably the biggest part of it. I revamped my whole mentality, especially from when I was (wrestling) in college. I try not to care if I win or lose. I just try to have fun with it and do the best I can.”
So far, that philosophy has translated quite well for Makovsky (13-2, 5-0 Bellator). On Saturday, at Bellator 54, Makovsky has what amounts to a stay-busy fight against Ryan Roberts. His 135-pound title will not be on the line. He won’t put his belt up for grabs until next year, when he fights the winner of the ongoing Bellator bantamweight tournament.
Makovsky said he likes Bellator’s tournament format – after all, winning the inaugural bantamweight tourney is what put him on the major MMA map. But at the same time, he said it has some drawbacks.
“Going into the tournament, I was unknown to the majority of the MMA community,” Makovsky said. “I like that about Bellator – it’s a tournament and you control where you go yourself. I like how they let you get there on your own.
“(But) there’s a downside as far as once I won the tournament, I’ve had a lot of downtime. I fought six times in 2010, and I’ll only fight twice in 2011 with no title fights. There’s ups and downs.”
Makovsky even joked that because of the downtime this calendar year, he may have been better off not winning the first bantamweight tournament – just making the finals. That way, he could compete in this year’s bantamweight tourney and make more money.
Still, the product of the Fight Factory, in Philadelphia, where he trains alongside Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, said winning the $100,000 tournament a year ago put him in the position, financially, where he can just concentrate on becoming a better fighter. He no longer has to pay the bills by being an assistant wrestling coach at Drexel University, where he competed collegiately.
“I wasn’t making a living (fighting) by any means until I got into Bellator,” Makovsky said. “My first fight, I fought for $300 to show and $200 to win. I saved a little bit from winning the tournament, but it’s definitely different (not having a job). I’m very happy doing what I love for a living. I get to sleep in when I want and set my training schedule – so I’m living the dream.”
Though he’s on a seven-fight winning streak and holds a title for one of the most prominent MMA promotions in the world, Makovsky said he’s not prepared to say he’s a Top 10 bantamweight in the world. Not that he isn’t confident in his skills, but it’s just not his style.
“I think my skills are up there with those guys, (but) I don’t like to say where I should be ranked,” Makovsky said. “That’s up to the media. I want to continue to grow and be the best I can be, and something like that would put extra pressure on myself. That’s not where I’ll have the most success. I’ll have the most success when I’m focusing on me and getting better. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (22-2) has suffered an undisclosed injury and has been forced to pull out of an October 15 title bout with undefeated Season 4 lightweight tournament winner Michael Chandler (8-0) that was slated for Bellator 54 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
In spite of the setback, Bellator chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney is optimistic that Alvarez will defend his belt in the fall, but wouldn’t say whether or not Chandler will wait in the champ to heal.
(Photo courtesy of Bellator)
Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (22-2) has suffered an undisclosed injury and has been forced to pull out of an October 15 title bout with undefeated Season 4 lightweight tournament winner Michael Chandler (8-0) that was slated for Bellator 54 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
In spite of the setback, Bellator chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney is optimistic that Alvarez will defend his belt in the fall, but wouldn’t say whether or not Chandler will wait in the champ to heal.
“Eddie suffered an injury that will keep him out of our October 15th show at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City,” said Rebney. “Eddie Alvarez has a huge heart and if there was any way for him to fight on the 15th, I know he would. Ed’s in spectacular condition, so both of us are hopeful that this fight can potentially still occur later this fall.”
The prelims of the card, which will feature the semifinals of Bellator’s middleweight tournament, as well as Bellator Bantamweight Champion Zack Makovsky in a non-title super fight against former UFC veteran Ryan Roberts, will be broadcast on Spike TV at 7 p.m. ET, while the main card will air at 9 p.m. ET on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX.
Filed under: Bellator, NewsBellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez has suffered an injury that will prevent him from his scheduled title defense against Michael Chandler at Bellator 54 on Oct. 15 in Atlantic City, N.J.
Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez has suffered an injury that will prevent him from his scheduled title defense against Michael Chandler at Bellator 54 on Oct. 15 in Atlantic City, N.J.
Bellator says the fight will be rescheduled and possibly for later in the season.
“Eddie Alvarez has a huge heart and if there was any way for him to fight on the 15th, I know he would,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a statement. “Ed’s in spectacular condition, so both of us are hopeful that this fight can potentially still occur later this fall.”
Alvarez (22-2), who has won seven straight fights, competed once this year, making a successful title defense against Pat Curran at Bellator 39 in April. Chandler (8-0) earned his shot against Alvarez by beating Patricky Freire at Bellator 44 in May to win the season four lightweight tournament.
At the Bellator 54 event, bantamweight champion Zack Makovsky will remain on the card in a non-title fight against UFC veteran Ryan Roberts. In tournament action will be the two middleweight semifinals between Alexander Shlemenko vs. Brian Rogers and Bryan Baker vs. Vitor Vianna.
Bellator