Tag: Bellator

Bellator: Michael Page and the Knockout Punch That Wasn’t

Michael Page set the Twitter world on fire after a 10-second Bellator debut that left his opponent, Ryan Sanders, bloody and beaten, helplessly balled up in the center of the cage. The finishing blow—an unorthodox right hand—looked phe…

Michael Page set the Twitter world on fire after a 10-second Bellator debut that left his opponent, Ryan Sanders, bloody and beaten, helplessly balled up in the center of the cage. 

The finishing blow—an unorthodox right hand—looked phenomenal at first glance. 

From the punch itself to the its setup to Page’s lanky frame and agile movements, the fight reminded MMA fans of a certain Brazilian fighter who happens to be the pound-for-pound king of today. 

No, not Cesar Gracie, silly. 

It’s terribly hasty to compare any young, relatively unproven fighter to Anderson Silva, but there was simply no denying the similarities between Page and “The Spider” in this bout. 

Page was powerful. 

He was quick. 

He was inhumanly accurate. 

He was…fighting in a rigged bout?

 Note the question mark there. I am not saying this fight was rigged.

I am, however, saying that we should take a closer look at the finishing blow. 

Check out this gif of Page’s finish at Bellator 93 courtesy of @Zprophet_mma. 

What do we see here, class? 

A rocketing right hand is thrown, yes. But does it land? 

To me, it looks like it barely glances Sanders’ cheek, certainly not a cause for the dramatic reaction on his part. 

The worst part of this—if it is eventually revealed to be a work—is that Page probably would have crushed Sanders anyway…in a real fight. 

Thanks to his already impressive highlight reel, undefeated record and undeniable swag, Page was primed to be a superstar without the help of business executives pulling strings to ensure his success. 

Then again, if that is the case, it is hard to blame Bellator in this instance. 

I mean, this just happened to their marquee fighter at Bellator 90, so maybe a little “assistance” was necessary to make sure Page sailed into his next fight with a still-unblemished record.

Like I said, though. I’m not trying to say Sanders definitely took a dive against Page at Bellator 93 10 seconds into Round 1. 

But I’m also saying I’m not blind, and neither are you (presumably), so check out the gif and let me know what you think. 

Did Bellator try to dupe us or was the punch just that incredible? 

 

For fans of MMA, heavy metal or general absurdity, 

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Four Reasons to Be Moderately Excited for Tonight’s Bellator 93 Event

Since switching to the “Thursday Night Fights” format, Bellator has been consistently cranking out high quality fight cards that often compensate for their lack of name value with exciting finishes and entertaining brawls to boot. Then again, with all of their biggest starts consistently underperforming, Bellator’s cards often live and die by the performances of their lesser known fighters. Tonight’s Bellator 93 card is no different, featuring a slew of relative unknowns and up-and-comers that are all but guaranteed to deliver in terms of entertainment. Here’s why you should be watching when they do…

1. Michael. F’in. Page. 

Despite his short time in the sport, Michael “Venom” Page might just be the most hyped fighter currently outside of the UFC. At just 3-0, the British phenom has already drawn comparisons to Jimi Manuwa and even Anderson Silva for his flashy yet devastating style of striking. Just check out the above video of Page clowning Ben Dishman in his professional debut (fight starts at the 3 minute mark) and tell us that the sky isn’t the limit for this kid. On the heels of a doctor stoppage TKO victory at Super Fight League 7, Page will be taking on relative unknown Ryan Sanders, who has dropped three of his past four fights. Yeah, this is not going to end well for him. But it probably will for fans of horrifying knockouts.

Since switching to the “Thursday Night Fights” format, Bellator has been consistently cranking out high quality fight cards that often compensate for their lack of name value with exciting finishes and entertaining brawls to boot. Then again, with all of their biggest starts consistently underperforming, Bellator’s cards often live and die by the performances of their lesser known fighters. Tonight’s Bellator 93 card is no different, featuring a slew of relative unknowns and up-and-comers that are all but guaranteed to deliver in terms of entertainment. Here’s why you should be watching when they do…

1. Michael. F’in. Page. 

Despite his short time in the sport, Michael “Venom” Page might just be the most hyped fighter currently outside of the UFC. At just 3-0, the British phenom has already drawn comparisons to Jimi Manuwa and even Anderson Silva for his flashy yet devastating style of striking. Just check out the above video of Page clowning Ben Dishman in his professional debut (fight starts at the 3 minute mark) and tell us that the sky isn’t the limit for this kid. On the heels of a doctor stoppage TKO victory at Super Fight League 7, Page will be taking on relative unknown Ryan Sanders, who has dropped three of his past four fights. Yeah, this is not going to end well for him. But it probably will for fans of horrifying knockouts.

2. Marcin. F’in. Held. 

Despite suffering a setback in his Bellator debut (via submission to lightweight champ Michael Chandler), Marcin Held has quickly established himself as one of the promotion’s fastest rising lightweights. In the past two years, Held has racked up five straight victories including a submission via toe hold over UFC vet Rich Clementi at Bellator 81 (video above). The win propelled him into the tournament finals, where he will take on Dave Jansen — who also riding a five fight win streak — for the right to a much wanted rematch with Chandler.

3. Barnburner Alert: Waachiim Spiritwolf vs. Marcus Davis

Aside from possessing the greatest tattoo in MMA history, Waachim Spiritwolf — like his father Nightwolf before him — is never afraid to shy away from a good old fashioned slugfest. Sure, he’s dropped his last four fights and six of his last seven overall, but the dude always brings it, which is all that really matters anymore, right? Anyway, he’ll have no trouble convincing UFC veteran Marcus Davis to throw strategy to the wayside for the sake of entertainment, as it’s been something that Davis has been doing nearly his entire MMA career. Would a win for either man have a resounding impact on the MMA landscape? Hell no, but sometimes, we like to set things like “technical abilities” and “status” aside and just watch two old dudes throw down until one of them falls over. This fight all but guarantees that.

4. Travis Weeufff: The Ultimate Can Crusher

I’d like to start by immediately apologizing for misleading you with that subtitle. Travis Fulton is the *ultimate* ultimate can crusher, but Travis View (somehow spelled Wiuff but pronounced as such) comes in a damn close second. In fact, Wiuff is so good at crushing cans that he occasionally takes out a Bellator champion in a non-title bout. And tonight, Wiuff will be taking on 8-2 Ryan Martinez, who to his credit has yet to achieve true “can” status. That being said, Wiuff is going to crush him, and I mean crush him, all the same. At 68-16, Wiuff’s experience will simply be too much for Martinez, and the fight will likely end in similar fashion to Wiuff’s Bellator 71 destruction of Chris Davis. Again, it probably wont be the most technical affair, but it’s a free night of fights that is guaranteed to end with at least one person’s skull being caved in, so what the hell are you complaining about?

–J. Jones

Bellator 92: Dave Jansen & Marcin Held Both Ready to Move onto Michael Chandler

The upcoming lightweight tournament final between Dave Jansen and Marcin Held is a long time coming, and both fighters are ready to get this fight behind them and move on to a title fight against Michael Chandler. Originally scheduled for last December…

The upcoming lightweight tournament final between Dave Jansen and Marcin Held is a long time coming, and both fighters are ready to get this fight behind them and move on to a title fight against Michael Chandler.

Originally scheduled for last December, the fight was delayed when Bellator held their event at a casino in Indiana. But because Held was only 20 years of age at the time they could not allow him entry, and the bout had to be delayed.

It was pushed back to early March when yet another delay forced the fight to get moved to this weekend’s card in Maine. 

Both Held and Jansen voiced their frustration with the situation because as every fighter prepares for a showdown, the goal is to peak at the right time and make sure their body is perfectly conditioned for a certain date.

“It’s been a little frustrating,” Jansen told Bleacher Report about the situation.  “I try to remain in the moment and not make a problem out of it.  It’s a situation and like anything I try to deal with the situations in my life, not focus on the negative.  There are some positives.  I got more time to prepare and work a solid strategy and still cleaning up my boxing and got to focus on some more leg lock defense as well.”

Held was on board with his opponent, and while neither fighter was upset with the other about the delays, they are both ready to move on to new challenges.

“I’ve been waiting for this fight for a long time. I can’t wait anymore,” Held said.

The end goal when this fight is done will be a matchup against Bellator lightweight champion and undefeated top-10 fighter Michael Chandler.  Since making his debut for Bellator, Chandler has been an unstoppable machine going through opponent after opponent including his title fight win over former champion Eddie Alvarez.

Held actually faced Chandler in March 2011 and lost the fight by arm triangle choke as the former Missouri wrestler marched towards a tournament win and the eventual championship.  Now two years later, Held is excited for the chance to show Chandler the kind of fighter he’s grown into since their last encounter.

“I would like to fight with him.  I’m more experienced, I’m older, I’m stronger, so I would like to try again, but first I have to win the fight with Dave Jansen,” said Held.

As much as Jansen would like to say he hasn’t thought about facing Michael Chandler, he can’t ignore the reality of what happens should he win on Thursday night.  Chandler has grown to become one of the true faces of Bellator, and getting the chance to fight him and battle for the gold is a dream worth dreaming.

Jansen is confident that his mind is solely zeroed in on Held right now, but he’s thought about how he matches up with Chandler, and he likes his chances.

“I think about it no doubt, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.  I feel like having a title fight in the future has been on my mind, but it’s not distracting me.  The fight in front of me is the biggest fight of my life, and then when I face Michael Chandler that will be the biggest fight of my life,” said Jansen.

“Everyone’s got holes in their game. I’ve got holes in mine, Marcin’s got holes in his, and Michael Chandler is human like the rest of us.  I like my chances against any fighter at 155-pounds.  I’m looking forward to these opportunities and what doors they will open for me.”

Only one of them will actually get the chance to face Chandler and that will be determined on Thursday night when Jansen and Held battle in the main event of Bellator 92.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted

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Oh, The Irony: Ben Askren Not Impressed by GSP’s Performance, Is “100 Percent Sure” He Could Beat Him


(“You see, Georges? THIS is how you dominate someone for five full rounds without ever coming close to finishing them!”) 

Likely because he has failed to stir up any interest in the cage with his fighting style, which often feels like watching The English Patient at half speed, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren has become quite the prominent Twitter troll over the years. And honestly, his Twitter beefs and troll tactics have quickly become the most entertaining part of his mixed martial arts career.

Just last week, for instance, Askren lashed out at Michael Bisping — who is scheduled to face Askren’s friend/training partner Alan Belcher at UFC 159 — via one hilariously xenophobic and self-deprecating rant. And now, he’s got his sights set on UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, who apparently did not do enough in his title defense against Nick Diaz at UFC 158 to earn Askren’s much sought after hespect. Via Askren’s Twitter:

Have we seen GSPs dark side yet? Or is he saving it for rounds 4 & 5?? I saw more viscous things happen at the youth wrestling tourney!

After tonight I am 100% sure I could beat GSP… GSP is no longer an aggressive striker. He will not out wrestle or grapple me. He gets tired. Simple enough.


(“You see, Georges? THIS is how you dominate someone for five full rounds without ever coming close to finishing them!”) 

Likely because he has failed to stir up any interest in the cage with his fighting style, which often feels like watching The English Patient at half speed, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren has become quite the prominent Twitter troll over the years. And honestly, his Twitter beefs and troll tactics have quickly become the most entertaining part of his mixed martial arts career.

Just last week, for instance, Askren lashed out at Michael Bisping — who is scheduled to face Askren’s friend/training partner Alan Belcher at UFC 159 – via one hilariously xenophobic and self-deprecating rant. And now, he’s got his sights set on UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, who apparently did not do enough in his title defense against Nick Diaz at UFC 158 to earn Askren’s much sought after hespect. Via Askren’s Twitter:

Have we seen GSPs dark side yet? Or is he saving it for rounds 4 & 5?? I saw more viscous things happen at the youth wrestling tourney!

After tonight I am 100% sure I could beat GSP… GSP is no longer an aggressive striker. He will not out wrestle or grapple me. He gets tired. Simple enough.

You hear that, guys? Georges St. Pierre is boring and Askren is the only one boring enough to out-boring him! If only Askren hadn’t already screwed himself out of a future UFC career with (years of forgettable fights and) a Twitter rant last year, Joe Silva would probably be all over this superfight, which would effortlessly destroy the UFC’s current records for attendance and PPV buys. Make it happen, Joe!

Now that Askren is a bona fide finisher, does anyone find his criticism of GSP’s recent performance valid? Or should he just shut the hell up and focus on finishing his own fights without doctoral assistance?

–J. Jones

Bellator 92 Results: The Real Winners and Losers from Sandro vs Frodo Khasbulaev

Frodo Khasbulaev is the best kind of young fighter—fearless. The 26-year-old from Dagestan was stepping in against one of the all-time featherweight greats. But rather than give Marlon Sandro too much respect, he seemed to give him none at all….

Frodo Khasbulaev is the best kind of young fighter—fearless. The 26-year-old from Dagestan was stepping in against one of the all-time featherweight greats. But rather than give Marlon Sandro too much respect, he seemed to give him none at all.

Frodo controlled the action standing, with a total strikes advantage of 134-16, took Sandro down easily and even navigated the submission game with grace and skill, surviving an arm triangle and nearly finishing the fight with his own kimura.

What I like about Frodo is the chip he carries on his shoulder. After touching gloves to open the third round, Khasbulaev even snuck in a little hook for good measure. Pay back for a first-round blow to the groin that had him moaning in pain? We can only speculate.

One thing is for sure—Frodo has emerged from this inaugural season on Spike as one of Bellator’s most compelling young stars. The featherweight tournament final between Khasbulaev and Mike Richman has just vaulted onto my list of must-see fights.

Frodo, of course, wasn’t the night’s only winner. Nor was Sandro the only loser. Sometimes in MMA, winning and losing is subjective. You can win a fight on the cards but lose respect with a tepid performance. Likewise, an official loser can score major points with fans if he fights with passion and heart.

So who were the real winners and losers? Read on to find out.

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Bellator 92 Results: Mike Richman Survives Ugly Round 1, Outlasts Popo Bezerra

The chance to compete for $100,000 is something that only happens to a very small fraction of MMA fighters. Mike Richman has now earned that opportunity after his victory over Alexandre Bezerra during Thursday night’s Bellator 92 event. Richman…

The chance to compete for $100,000 is something that only happens to a very small fraction of MMA fighters. Mike Richman has now earned that opportunity after his victory over Alexandre Bezerra during Thursday night’s Bellator 92 event.

Richman survived a borderline disastrous Round 1 which saw Bezerra, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, take his back with nearly three minutes left in the round. Richman stayed calm, though, and was able to make it out of trouble.

The striking abilities of the Minnesotan took over in Round 2 when Richman peppered “Popo” with punch after punch, bloodying the nose and evening the fight at one round a piece.

Round 3 would determine the winner, and what a back-and-forth round it was.

Richman started off strong again, out-striking Bezerra the same way he did in Round 2. But things took a sudden turn for the worst when Bezerra shot in and got another takedown. Bezerra took his back yet again and looked for the rear-naked choke over and over again.

Sensing the fight slipping away, Richman used every bit of strength and technique that he had in him to flip the positions, putting Bezerra on his back for the first time in the fight. With only about 1:15 left in the round, however, Richman knew he had to bring the fight back to the feet if he wanted to win the round. He did just that by standing up, forcing Bezerra to get back up with him.

An exhausted Bezerra looked for another takedown, but was unable to get Richman back to the mat. Richman unloaded once again, tagging Bezerra repeatedly before the round finally came to an end.

The split decision (29-28 Richman, 29-28 Bezerra, 29-28 Richman) told the story of this very close bout which pitted an excellent striker against an excellent grappler. On this night, the striker, Richman, did just enough to win and move on to the finals of the Bellator MMA featherweight tournament.

“[It was the] Biggest victory of my career,” Richman said in the post-fight interview in the cage on Spike TV. “He’s got a granite chin. I hit really hard and he took every shot of it.”

When asked about the other semifinal bout between Frodo Khasbulaev and Marlon Sandro, Richman couldn’t pick a winner, but did give a vote of respect for both men.

“I’m so excited to bang with either of them,” Richman said.

Richman will now relax for a couple days before getting back into the gym at The Academy where he will prepare for the next “biggest fight of his career” in the finals of the Bellator featherweight tournament.

 

For more fighter interviews, news and opinions, please follow Nick Caron (@nicholascaron) on Twitter. 

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