Bellator MMA officials held the weigh-ins for Bellator 149 on Thursday and you can watch them here: Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie will take place on February 19, 2016 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event will air live in prime time on Spike TV while the prelims will air live on Spike.com.
Bellator MMA officials held the weigh-ins for Bellator 149 on Thursday and you can watch them here:
Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie will take place on February 19, 2016 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event will air live in prime time on Spike TV while the prelims will air live on Spike.com.
Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie will headline the event while Kimbo Slice vs. “Dada 5000” will serve as the co-main event. The main card features five bouts. This is the first pole event for the promotion in 2016.
Here are the weigh-in results:
Main Card
Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)
Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. “Dada 5000” (2-0)
Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-5) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5)
Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Derek Campos (15-6)
Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)
Preliminary Card:
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Wren (11-2) vs. Juan Torres (4-4)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Davis Sylvester (5-3) vs. Jeremy Mahon (5-4)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Charlie Ontiveros (6-4) vs. James Christopherson (2-2)
On Friday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, two of the biggest names in MMA will clash for the third time. Royce Gracie will face Ken Shamrock in the main event of Bellator 149.
Gracie is 49 years old, and Shamrock is 52. This bout sh…
On Friday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, two of the biggest names in MMA will clash for the third time. Royce Gracie will face Ken Shamrock in the main event of Bellator 149.
Gracie is 49 years old, and Shamrock is 52. This bout should be contested in MMA’s senior division—if such a thing should even exist.
If that wasn’t bizarre enough, the co-main event pits two notorious street brawlers against each other. Kimbo Slice will take on Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris in what should prove to be a short, brutal and amateurish brawl. While the combined age of the combatants in the co-main event is less than a century, neither Slice nor Harris is a spring chicken.
Slice is 42, and Dada 5000 is 38 years old. Nevertheless, the fights will go on. Here’s the viewing information, full TV card and predictions for the televised fights.
When: Friday, February 19 at 9 p.m. ET
TV: Spike
Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3); Shamrock by TKO
Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0); Slice by TKO
Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-5) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5); Newton by unanimous decision
Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Derek Campos (15-6); Campos by submission
Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11); Sanchez by TKO
In Shamrock’s last fight, he lost via TKO to Slice at Bellator 138 in June 2015. In this Vine from Bellator MMA, Shamrock said he believes Gracie is looking to take advantage of him:
MMA Roasted, among others, poked fun at the Bellator main event:
ESPN.com’s Brian Campbell, however, lauded Bellator‘s success with “guilty pleasure MMA.”
This is the type of card that has to be put into the proper perspective to enjoy. Traditional MMA fans who look for substance in each fight may be put off by the main event and co-feature. However, those who are able to look at it as a one-off, circus-like event that doesn’t take itself too seriously will likely tune in.
Shamrock Is Too Strong
It’s always hard to predict an outcome when two over-the-hill fighters clash. Oftentimes, the one who would have had an edge when the two were younger will be at a disadvantage in the post-prime scrap.
That will be the case on Friday. In their first meeting, Gracie defeated Shamrock via rear-naked choke back in 1993 at UFC 2. The second fight happened in 1995 at UFC 5, and it ended in a draw. Here we are 21 years later, and the two legends are set to battle again.
Like most of Gracie’s opponents, Shamrock will be bigger and stronger than the Brazilian legend. That wasn’t the deciding factor in the two previous scraps, but it will be on Friday. At Gracie’s age, he’ll have an issue overcoming the strength and size of Shamrock.
Neither man will have a surplus of stamina, so the first to gain an advantageous position should win. The prediction here is that it will be Shamrock who gains top position and wins the fight via TKO from ground-and-pound.
Slice Is King of the Streets
In another fight that figures to be decided in the first round, Slice’s edge in organized combat will be the difference. He’s had seven pro boxing bouts and seven MMA matches. Dada 5000 has had only two MMA scraps.
While it may appear that these two are simply going to duke it out in a back-alley brawl, Slice is smart enough to know that he has a rare technical advantage in this fight. He’ll pick his spots early and take advantage of Dada 5000’s clumsy footwork and tightness.
Expect Slice to land a big right hand that puts Dada 5000 in peril early. Slice will pounce and win by first-round TKO.
Newton by Decision
Rematches fill the card, as former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton will face off with Linton Vassell for the second time. Their first fight was a war.
Newton won by submission (rear-naked choke) in the fifth round. Both men landed some heavy strikes, but The Hardcore Kid proved to be the toughest. He will again outlast Vassell to snap a two-fight losing streak.
Newton lost his title to Liam McGeary in February 2015, and Phil Davis defeated Newton by submission in September 2015. Vassell lost his last bout against MuhammedLawal on the same card.
The 32-year-old from England has always been a tough out, but he’s never shown the ability to beat the best fighters in Bellator‘s light heavyweight division.
The pre-Bellator 149 promotional show “Shamrock/Gracie/Kimbo/Dada 5000” premiered this past weekend on Spike TV, and has now been added to Bellator’s YouTube channel. The special is about 39 minutes long and is devoted to Bellator 149 headliners Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, and co-headliners Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000.
The event takes place this Friday in Houston, TX, and will feature the third fight between Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie in their legendary careers. Gracie defeated Shamrock at UFC 1 via submission, and they fought to a draw at UFC 5.
The pre-Bellator 149 promotional show “Shamrock/Gracie/Kimbo/Dada 5000” premiered this past weekend on Spike TV, and has now been added to Bellator’s YouTube channel. The special is about 39 minutes long and is devoted to Bellator 149 headliners Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, and co-headliners Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000.
The event takes place this Friday in Houston, TX, and will feature the third fight between Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie in their legendary careers. Gracie defeated Shamrock at UFC 1 via submission, and they fought to a draw at UFC 5.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) has come a long way. Titles have changed hands, promotions have died, disciplines have transformed, and fighters have evolved in just a short period of time. The state of today’s sport is one jam-packed with skill, high-level expertise, highlight reel finishes, brutal blood fests, and international opportunity for prospects around the
Mixed martial arts (MMA) has come a long way. Titles have changed hands, promotions have died, disciplines have transformed, and fighters have evolved in just a short period of time.
The state of today’s sport is one jam-packed with skill, high-level expertise, highlight reel finishes, brutal blood fests, and international opportunity for prospects around the world. It is the product of promotional development, eager bank accounts, and the sport as a whole being absorbed by the mainstream.
But in order to truly appreciate where MMA is today, the pioneers of the sport must be the recognized. From former champions to trend-setting pathfinders, from ground-and-pound wizards to one-punch knockout artists, the cage has played host to an assortment of memorable and equally influential characters.
In accordance with championships won, life-time victories, everlasting footprints around the sport, and downright barbaric tendencies, here are the Top 10 old school legends in MMA history.
The 2016 MMA year began with a roar. In its first major event, held just two days into January, Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit produced an instant classic that will be a tall order to supplant as the best fight of the year. It was filled with sharp te…
The 2016 MMA year began with a roar. In its first major event, held just two days into January, Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit produced an instant classic that will be a tall order to supplant as the best fight of the year. It was filled with sharp technique, brilliant fight IQ, unrelenting ferocity and unwavering will.
That was then. Now? We are in the midst of a brief, but unnecessary return to the sport’s sideshow roots.
To be blunt, both of MMA’s largest promoters—Bellator and the UFC—are showcasing the worst the sport has to offer.
If you follow the UFC, you noticed an inordinate amount of time spent promoting two neophytes on last Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card. Mickey Gall was 1-0, while his opponent, Mike Jackson, walked into the cage 0-0. To encourage media attention, the two were included in the UFC’s fight week media day events.
Who were these guys and what were they doing on a major MMA card? Well, mostly the bout between them served as a lead-in to the upcoming UFC debut of former professional wrestler CM Punk, who himself has never competed in a professional MMA bout.
There is rarely anything beyond a purse at stake for a newcomer other than a job and a win bonus, so these stakes were…something. I just wouldn’t classify them as particularly good or important. While seeking out new talent is paramount to any organization in any industry, few fighters are ready for the big leagues straight out of the chute, so the regional promotions play an important role as filters.
Generally speaking, the UFC won’t look at signing fighters unless they have six or seven fights in the books. Even its reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, limits tryouts to those who have at least three professional fights. Before Saturday, Gall, Jackson and Punk didn’t have three fights between them.
There is an argument to be made that sports are meant to be fun, and such fight setups are little harm as long as they are occasional. That’s a fair stance, but UFC president Dana White and the UFC brass have never been shy about reminding us that they have the best fighters in the world.
It reminds me of when I asked White for his reaction to Strikeforce signing former NFL star Herschel Walker.
“It’s ridiculous,” and “it’s completely disrespectful to the sport” were two of his answers, as he also questioned what athletic commission would sanction a fight with Walker, who at the time was 47 years old.
To be fair, it’s not an exact parallel. Punk is 37, a full decade younger than Walker. But his athletic resume doesn’t hold a candle to Walker’s, who, aside from being a football star, was an Olympic bobsledder, a track star and a black belt in taekwondo.
Walker’s signing wasn’t “completely disrespectful” to the sport, but it also wasn’t a decision made on athletic merit. It was a cash grab—same as Punk’s signing for UFC. White doesn’t get to trash Walker’s participation and get a pass on Punk’s. That it also included the satellite programming of Gall-Jackson is both smart (on the promotional side) and troubling (because neither had proven themselves to be worthy of competing at the sport’s highest level).
The fight between Punk and Gall is projected for UFC 199, sometime around June, which means there is plenty of hyperbole to come in the next few months. We’ll probably hear about all of the sacrifices they’ve made in the gym, Gall’s future stardom and Punk’s brave departure from pro wrestling to chase his dream. That’s all well and good. They are not at fault; they are just two guys embracing opportunity.
But the fact is we have no idea whether either of them is any good. And for a league that promotes itself as the home of the best fighters in the world, that is a problem.
Meanwhile, over in Bellator, we’re about to ramp up the ol‘ hype machine for a Feb. 19 event that features Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie and Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 5000 in the two headlining fights.
Shamrock is about to turn 52 years old. Gracie is 49. Slice is 42. Dada 5000 is 38. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s see how many fights these guys have won in the last five years, since the start of 2011:
Shamrock is 0-1
Gracie hasn’t fought since 2007
Slice is 1-0 (his win is over Shamrock)
Dada is 1-0
So the four have an average age of 45 and three combined pro fights between them in five years. What else needs to be said, really? Despite the honest efforts of the fighters involved, this isn’t high-level or even mid-level MMA; it’s circus-level. It’s just a thing to gawk at and later forget.
Every professional athlete has an expiration date, but expiration dates are easy to ignore when there is money to be made and eyeballs to draw. This is, after all, a business grown at least partially by a prurient interest in violence, and after having invested ourselves in these athletes’ careers for so long, it’s hard to look away, even for the final crash. That does not make it good, it just means we all hold some level of responsibility.
In the year 2016, Punk, Gall, Jackson, Shamrock, Gracie, Slice and Dada don’t deserve to be fighting in major MMA. The time has passed for most of them; for others, it’s in the future or not at all. And that means that while these events may be sports, they are most certainly a circus.
As loyal readers of CagePotato through thick and thin, you know what kind of respect we have for UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn. We’ve sung his praises from the highest mountain tops. We’ve named our future children after them (at least, BG has). Hell, we’ve even been luckily enough to be graced with his presence in the form of a brief but glorious mailbag column back in the day. Simply put, “The Beast” is the ultimate man’s man, a legend, and the kind of guy that could turn Ron Swanson into a prepubescent-voiced, salad-eating socialist if he so desired.
But like many fighters before him, Severn hasn’t exactly settled into retirement easily since collecting his 101st win back in 2013, especially when it comes to his former rivals Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie. Back in 2011, Severn tried to draw the Brazilian out of retirement for a match a UFC Rio that, for better or worse, never came to fruition. So from the moment it was announced that Gracie and Shamrock would be doing the damn thing one more time at Bellator 149, you just knew that Severn would have something to say about it.
As loyal readers of CagePotato through thick and thin, you know what kind of respect we have for UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn. We’ve sung his praises from the highest mountain tops. We’ve named our future children after them (at least, BG has). Hell, we’ve even been luckily enough to be graced with his presence in the form of a brief but glorious mailbag column back in the day. Simply put, “The Beast” is the ultimate man’s man, a legend, and the kind of guy that could turn Ron Swanson into a prepubescent-voiced, salad-eating socialist if he so desired.
But like many fighters before him, Severn hasn’t exactly settled into retirement easily since collecting his 101st win back in 2013, especially when it comes to his former rivals Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie. Back in 2011, Severn tried to draw the Brazilian out of retirement for a match a UFC Rio that, for better or worse, never came to fruition. So from the moment it was announced that Gracie and Shamrock would be doing the damn thing one more time at Bellator 149, you just knew that Severn would have something to say about it.
Now 57 years old, Severn is still ready to strap on the wrestling boots and manties at the drop of a hat, it would seem. Speaking with MMAJunkie, Severn not only preemptively put the Shamrock-Gracie winner on blast, but called for a “Masters Division” to give the Mark Colemans and Randy Coutures of the sport a place to keep throwing down.
“Well, they were on my to-do list in the first place,” said Severn. “So sure, I’d do it.”
“I think there is an appetite for, I don’t know, call it a masters division, like they have in other sports. And as long as it’s done right and those masters compete against other masters, I think it’s something people want to see. You just can’t put the 50-year-old guy against a 25- or 30-year-old guy, because the reality is that no matter how good your skills are, they are diminishing.”
In all honesty…this isn’t the worst idea we’ve ever-HEAR US OUT.
Look, guys like Severn, Gracie, Shamrock, and so on; they live to compete no matter how bad it affects their health. Us high-minded, all-seeing Internet writers can’t try and act like we understand the mindset of these guys all we want, but the truth is that we have no clue and never will until we step into the cage ourselves. The desire to test oneself at the ultimate level of any sport isn’t something that can simply be shut off, not by the worries of their training partners, life coaches, doctors, or even their damn families. So if soulless promotions like Rizin are content to sit idly by and continue giving guys like Kazushi Sakuraba fights until they literally beaten to death in the ring — which, they are — then shouldn’t we at least try to level the scales by having these old dudes compete against each other? We’re not being cruel, we’re simply softening the blow!
I dunno, I’m just saying that if these grizzled SOB’s still have some fight left in them, we let them fight. Not to mention, we’re sure that Royce could use the extra cash.
On Friday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, two of the biggest names in MMA will clash for the third time. Royce Gracie will face Ken Shamrock in the main event of 
