Since January, Bellator MMA has been putting on some good shows on Spike TV, the former home of the UFC. With a good number of elite fighters on their roster, Bellator is a promotion worth keeping an eye on. Many fans of the sport, however, remain unsu…
Since January, Bellator MMA has been putting on some good shows on Spike TV, the former home of the UFC.
With a good number of elite fighters on their roster, Bellator is a promotion worth keeping an eye on. Many fans of the sport, however, remain unsure about what is now one of the largest promotions in the world.
Well, for all the folks out there who are curious about the promotion, or those just looking to learn names to drop around the water cooler each Friday morning, this is the guide for you. Welcome to The Definitive Guide to Bellator MMA!
Prepare to learn who the top dogs of the promotion are, and get ready to know who to root for, and what to watch.
UFC parent-company Zuffa has made it a practice of purchasing any promotion to hold a noteworthy roster of fighters. Over the years Zuffa’s purchased and collapsed some powerhouse promotions in Pride Fighting Championships and the World Extreme C…
UFC parent-company Zuffa has made it a practice of purchasing any promotion to hold a noteworthy roster of fighters. Over the years Zuffa’s purchased and collapsed some powerhouse promotions in Pride Fighting Championships and the World Extreme Cagefighting to name just a few.
While they don’t appear poised to stop the run of Bellator anytime soon, they’re already eyeing some of the promotion’s top talent.
But as powerful as Zuffa may be, there will always be other existing promotions, and if they aim to exist for any significant period of time, they’ve likely signed a few recognizable names and upper-echelon talents.
Believe it or not, the UFC isn’t host to every elite fighter in the business. Here and there you’ll find a memorable prospect or seasoned veteran of high regard competing in smaller shows. This is a look at 25 of the best combatants still waging war beneath a banner that reads something other than ‘UFC.’
(Sorry Ben, I don’t think we can count those as “significant strikes.” GIF via ZombieProphet/BloodyElbow)
For the first time since his controversial technical submission of Ryan Thomas during his Bellator debut three years ago, Ben Askren has finished an opponent. Sure, it was one of those sort-of-assisted finishes where the doctor steps in between rounds to wave the fight off, but let’s not take anything anything away from Funky Ben, here: The undefeated Bellator welterweight champion smashed the living dog-poop out of Karl Amoussou for three full rounds last night, and might have permanently injured him had the fight gone on any longer.
It was a prototypical performance from Askren, who spent most of the fight on top of Amoussou, throwing down punches and elbows. Still, there seemed to be a greater sense of urgency from the champ in this fight, a little more intention with his strikes. He slashed open a cut above Amoussou’s eye with an elbow in the first round, and by the end of round three, Amoussou’s left eye was swollen shut and his face was a wet canvas of blood. The fight was mercifully stopped before the fourth round could begin, giving Askren a well-deserved TKO victory.
“I told you guys that it was just a matter of time before my hands got some power in them,” Askren said after the fight. “I dominate positionally, and my hands [have] power too. Welterweights anywhere in the world better watch out, I’m coming.” Askren’s next challenge will likely be the winner of this season’s welterweight tournament, which produced four semifinalists last night…
(Sorry Ben, I don’t think we can count those as “significant strikes.” GIF via ZombieProphet/BloodyElbow)
For the first time since his controversial technical submission of Ryan Thomas during his Bellator debut three years ago, Ben Askren has finished an opponent. Sure, it was one of those sort-of-assisted finishes where the doctor steps in between rounds to wave the fight off, but let’s not take anything anything away from Funky Ben, here: The undefeated Bellator welterweight champion smashed the living dog-poop out of Karl Amoussou for three full rounds last night, and might have permanently injured him had the fight gone on any longer.
It was a prototypical performance from Askren, who spent most of the fight on top of Amoussou, throwing down punches and elbows. Still, there seemed to be a greater sense of urgency from the champ in this fight, a little more intention with his strikes. He slashed open a cut above Amoussou’s eye with an elbow in the first round, and by the end of round three, Amoussou’s left eye was swollen shut and his face was a wet canvas of blood. The fight was mercifully stopped before the fourth round could begin, giving Askren a well-deserved TKO victory.
“I told you guys that it was just a matter of time before my hands got some power in them,” Askren said after the fight. “I dominate positionally, and my hands [have] power too. Welterweights anywhere in the world better watch out, I’m coming.” Askren’s next challenge will likely be the winner of this season’s welterweight tournament, which produced four semifinalists last night…
Douglas Lima used a series of savage leg kicks to chop down Michail “The Lonely Wolf” Tsarev, forcing a stoppage in the second round. Though Lima looks like a favorite to win the welterweight bracket — again — he’s already suffered a loss to Ben Askren, during their title fight last year. Also on the main card, Ben Saunders out-grappled, out-struck, and out-classed Bellator newcomer Koffi Adzitso, winning all three rounds on the judges scorecards.
Two other welterweight tournament bouts were relegated to the prelims: Raul Amaya scored a first-round TKO against Jose Gomes, while Marius Zaromskis continues to under-perform in the U.S., losing a unanimous decision to Brett Weedman. Zaromskis was docked a point in round three for a pair of blatantly illegal knees (not cool, bro). On the bright side, he added a couple more completely absurd somersault moves to his highlight reel:
Finally, the Mo’-ment we’d all been waiting for — DO YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE? DO YOU SEE IT?? — Muhammad Lawal‘s light-heavyweight quarterfinal bout against Przemyslaw “Don’t Bother Learning How to Pronounce This Name” Mysiala was even more lopsided than we thought it would be. Lawal’s training at the Mayweather gym was fully evident, as he lit up Mysiala with jabs thrown from Money May’s loved/loathed “Philly shell” stance. I can’t recall if Mysiala landed a single punch. It honestly looked like Mo was having a sparring session with an inanimate object.
After bloodying up the hapless Pole’s face with his precision striking, Lawal ended the match with a short counter-right that turned Mysiala’s brain off. After the fight, Lawal explained that his gameplan was to knock Mysiala out, and his strategy in the tournament is to knock everybody out. Alright…no need to complicate things, I guess. He’ll now face Emanuel Newton in the light-heavyweight tournament semi-finals.
Complete Bellator 86 Results
MAIN CARD
– Ben Askren def. Karl Amoussou via TKO (doctor stoppage), 5:00 of round 3
– Muhammed Lawal def. Przemyslaw Mysiala via KO, 3:52 of round 1
– Douglas Lima def. Michail Tsarev via TKO (leg kicks), 1:44 of round 2
– Ben Saunders def. Koffi Adzitso via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
PRELIMINARY CARD
– Hunter Tucker def. Javier Obregon via submission (guillotine choke), 3:17 of round 2
– Jason Sampson def. Chris Pham via submission (armbar), 4:55 of round 3
– Brent Weedman def. Marius Zaromskis via unanimous decision (29-27 x 3)
– Raul Amaya def. Jose Gomes via TKO, 3:12 of round 1
– Damon Jackson def. Zach Church via submission (rear-naked choke), 2:43 of round 2
– Cortez Coleman def. Matt Jones via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
A bout between Mike Maldonado and Jospeh Salas was cancelled due to time constraints
If there was any comparison in last night’s Bellator Fighting Championships to the company’s explosion onto the scene it was probably King Mo’s first round knockout. Jab, jab, jab…knockout. That’s essentially what the Ne…
If there was any comparison in last night’s Bellator Fighting Championships to the company’s explosion onto the scene it was probably King Mo’s first round knockout.
Jab, jab, jab…knockout. That’s essentially what the Newport Beach based company has done over the last few years as they have grown and got their knockout in the ratings surging on Spike.
Bellator has become a legitimate contender to grow MMA and possibly take some of the UFC’s market share while developing fighters of the future. The debut event and subsequent follow up on Spike has given Bellator its biggest audience in the company’s three-year history and created buzz across the sport of MMA.
And seemingly, they are doing it the right way.
Other organizations have stepped up and tried to go blow-for-blow with Dana White and the UFC. Bellator, on the other hand, has continued to build its brand with great fights, good production value and tournaments that help to grow an audience slowly over time.
Last night was a well-produced television broadcast and the most popular Bellator fighter. King Mo, came away with a win and that’s definitely good for business.
The smartest thing the company is doing is trying not to fool MMA fans into thinking their product is better than the UFC. Rather, it’s different and allows fans to track the entire league week to week for free.
The inability to throw elbows in the tournament actually helps the company and its young fighters. There is less laying and clinching in fights that go to the ground, which makes for better TV. Fighters are forced to throw punches, kicks or have to stand up if they lack ground skill.
But when a championship fight comes, you had better make sure you know how to throw or defend them, or else you will end up like Karl Amoussou at Bellator 86, eating Ben Askren elbows and fists all night.
Bellator has momentum and the worst thing they can do right now is lose focus on the game plan. Their product is good and they don’t need to make any crazy changes. They just need to keep putting on great fights that entertain the Spike television audience and their company will grow just like it has since its inception, slowly but surely.
In the de facto main event of Bellator’s second Spike TV card, Ben Askren once again defended his welterweight belt. This time from Frenchman Karl Amoussou. Amoussou won the Season 6 welterweight tournament to set up this title shot by submitting Chris…
In the defacto main event of Bellator‘s second Spike TV card, Ben Askren once again defended his welterweight belt. This time from Frenchman Karl Amoussou.
Amoussou won the Season 6 welterweight tournament to set up this title shot by submitting Chris Lozano, out-pointing David Rickels and forcing Bryan Baker to tap. Askren, however, is one of the top wrestlers in the welterweight division, courtesy of his background with the United States Olympic Wrestling Team.
While Amoussou actually criticized Askren for this, labeling him a “lay-and-prayer”, there is no question that his distance-focused style has served him well. Askren owned a 10-0 MMA record entering the fight, and defended his welterweight belt from both Jay Hieron and Douglas Lima with his powerful wrestling.
Tonight was no different as, aside from a brief heel hook scare in the second round, Askren maintained top position and laid punches onto the Frenchman from bell to bell. A well-placed elbow opened up Amoussou in the second round and constant punishment eventually forced his eye shut. The doctor would call the fight to a close between the third and fourth rounds.
This is a rare finish for Askren, who has not scored a TKO since his professional MMA debut in 2009. Before this fight, his last non-decision victory came when he choked out Ryan Thomas with a guillotine at Bellator 14 in 2010.
This advances Askren to 11-0 in his MMA career, and 8-0 in Bellator. Askren‘s next opponent will be Season 7 welterweight tournament winner Andrey Koreshkov.
Almost a million people watched Bellator’s Spike TV debut last week, a card with two title fights and some serious action. Fans who stuck with it got a heck of a show.How could the promotion possibly equal that introduction?To give it a shot, they enli…
Almost a million people watched Bellator‘s Spike TV debut last week, a card with two title fights and some serious action. Fans who stuck with it got a heck of a show.
How could the promotion possibly equal that introduction?
To give it a shot, they enlisted their big gun free agent, former wrestling champion “King” Mo Lawal, who made his Bellator debut as part of the light heavyweight tournament and made his unknown opponent look like a chump as expected.
The welterweights were also on display, with Douglas Lima and Ben Saunders advancing in the latest tournament and champion Ben Askren looking better than ever in his title defense over Karl Amoussou.
That, of course, isn’t the the entire story. In mixed martial arts, unlike traditional ball and stick sports, winning and losing is often a little gray. A fighter can win on paper, but lose respect by fighting in a boring fashion. Likewise, a loser can walk away with his head held high if he gives it his all and shows fire and fighting spirit.
So who were the real winners and losers tonight on Spike? Click on to find out.
If there was any comparison in last night’s