Bellator 170 Ortiz VS Sonnen

               

                Forget that Chael Sonnen hasn’t competed since a 2013 First Round TKO loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 167 and that he has lost three of his last four bouts to TKO. And pay no attention to Tito Ortiz going 3-7 in his last 10 fights. Both fighters are competing for Bellator now, with a new company brings new hope and possibilities.

Sonnen and Ortiz are resilient, both have had their shares of bad times throughout their respective MMA careers. Sonnen was suspended 6/28/14 for two years by NSAC for failing the second random drug test of his career for performance enhancers. Making matters worse, Chael was later terminated as a UFC analyst.

Likewise Ortiz has had his share of personal issues including domestic abuse accusations with former girlfriend and Porn Actress, Jenna Jameson and a 2014 DUI charge. The two have plenty of other skeletons in the closet as well, but somehow find a way to bounce back.

Chael Sonnen is now Thirty-nine years old and host of a successful podcast “You’re Welcome”. He enters the Bellator cage on January 21^st for his forty-third Pro MMA bout 28-14-1. The NCAA Division I All-American (University of Oregon) has won seven fights by KO/TKO and five more by Submission. Chael has competed for both the WEC and UFC Middleweight Titles and the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, despite being close he never wore a Zuffa belt. He has donned Gold for smaller promotions: Danger Zone, Gladiator Challenge and Hitman Fighting Productions in the LHW division.

Tito Ortiz is competing in his fourth fight with Bellator (2-1) and has stated he will retire following. In his last, Liam McGeary submitted Ortiz in the First Round (4:41) by Inverted-Triangle to retain McGreary’s Bellator LHW Championship at Bellator 142 (9/19/15).

Unlike Sonnen, Tito had a successful run as UFC Champion, he beat Wanderlei Silva at UFC 25 (4/14/00) in Tokyo for the vacant Title. Ortiz defended his belt five times before losing it to Randy Couture at UFC 44 (9/26/03) by Unanimous Decision. Ortiz began his Pro MMA career at UFC 13 (5/30/97) while opponent, Chael Sonnen began his twenty days earlier at Battle of Fort Vancouver (5/10/97).

Both fighters are polarizing characters, experiencing as much hate as love from MMA fans, but there is no denying the pair’s individual accomplishments in the sport. This fight is long overdue, but as the saying goes, better late than never.

Bellator 170 Jan 21^st, 2017 from the Forum in Los Angeles,

Airs Live on Spike TV check local listings.

Night Two, Bellator 167

               

                                              Saturday Night’s Bellator 167 continues the Bantamweight Division action the promotion started the previous night in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Bellator takes over WinStar Casino and Resort for a two-night stint, offering back-to-back events. Friday, Bellator 166 is headlined by Champion Eduardo Dantas and challenger, Joe Warren for Bellator’s Bantamweight Crown. Top BW’s Marcos Galvao and LC Davis also battle it out Friday evening. Saturday the show doesn’t hit the road, in fact they stay put and offer Bantamweights, Joe Taimanglo and Darrion Caldwell in the Main Event.

               

Joe The Juggernaut Taimanglo is riding a four-fight win streak, including a Third Round Guillotine-Choke Submission (0:09) of opponent, Darrion Caldwell at Bellator 159 (7/22/16). The 23-6 Guamanian has been a pro since 2004 and is the former Pacific Xtreme Combat Featherweight Champ. Thirty-two year-old, Taimanglo is 6-2 in Bellator (2Subs, 1KO).

               

Darrion The Wolf Caldwell missed weight in his July fight with Taimanglo and received his first career loss in the effort. Convinced he could perform better, Caldwell desired the rematch. The Wolf won the biggest fight of his 9-1 career in March at Bellator 151 by choking former champ, Joe Warren to sleep with a First Round Rear-Naked-Choke (3:23). All five of the 2009 NCAA Wrestling National Champion’s MMA finishes have come in the first round (4Subs). At 5’10” Caldwell is tall for the division and will enjoy a nine inch reach advantage Saturday night.

               

Ilima-Lei MacFarlane will take on Oklahoma City’s own, Emily Ducote in a Flyweight Fight. Twenty-six year old, MacFarlane is 4-0 (2Subs, 1KO/TKO) and has competed for Bellator her last three bouts. The Ilimanator has Submitted her previous two opponents: began 2016 at Bellator 148 in January with a First Round (2:09) Arm-Bar of Amber Tackett and followed that performance with a Second Round (3:00) Rear-Naked-Choke of Rebecca Ruth in June. MacFarlane was also undefeated as an Amateur at 5-0.

               

4-1 Emily Gordinha Ducote lost her Pro debut, but has since rattled off four straight including a pair of Submission wins in her most recent appearances. The Twenty-three year old is competing in her fifth fight of 2016. At Bellator 159 Gordinha caught Bruna Vargas in a Second Round (0:29) Rear-Naked-Choke, less than two months later at Bellator 161 she stopped Kenya Miranda da Silva with an Arm-Bar in the Second Round (4:37).

               

In the Featherweight Division, 20-1 John Teixeira faces 9-3 Justin Lawrence. Thirty year old, John Macapa Teixeira has finished fourteen of his twenty wins (10 Subs). The Brazilian’s only loss came in his single UFC appearance, a Split Decision loss to Hugo Viana (6/23/12). The Nova Uniao talent is on a five fight win and nine fight unbeaten streak (6/23/13 Draw). He should forever avoid fighting on June 23^rd.

               

Justin The American Kid Lawrence fights out of Pacific, Missouri and is coming off a 6/24/16 TKO win over Isao Kobayashi (2^nd Round, 2:49) in his home state at Bellator 157.  Lawrence was Dominic Cruz’s first pick in The Ultimate Fighter Live Season 15. Although losing in the Semis to (Show Winner) Michael Chiesa, The American Kid appeared in the TUF 15 Finale (6/1/12), Head-Kicking cast-mate, John Cofer unconscious in the Third Round (0:19).

               

Also on the card, 6’3” Welterweight, Chidi Njokuani takes on undefeated, Andre Fialho in what should be a slugfest. Twenty-seven year old Chidi Chidi Bang Bang Njokuani earned his ninth career TKO/KO win in June, stoping Thiago Jambo Goncalves in the Third Round (2:39). The Las Vegas scraper is 15-4-1.

               

Portugal’s Andre Fialho has finished six of his seven wins (6TKO/KO, 1 Sub) in the opening round (the other came in the second round). This is Fiahlo’s third fight of 2016, in February the striker made quick work of Manuel Meraz, Knocking him out in just twenty-nine seconds and at Bellator 154 Rick Reger made it to 2:11 before falling to the same fate.

Back-to-Back Bellator Events, Bellator 166 Breakdown

               

                                              Bellator kicks off the year’s final month by bringing back-to-back events to Thackerville, Oklahoma. Friday December 2^nd WinStar World Casino and Resort hosts Belator 166 and the following night the promotion promises to pack the house again with Bellator 167.  The Main Event for Friday night’s card is for the Bantamweight Title. BW Champ, Eduardo Dantas is 8-1 in Bellator. He puts his belt on the line against the man that gave him that loss, Joe Warren.

               

Champion, Eduardo DuDu Dantas has bounced back since his 10/10/14 loss to Warren by winning two straight and reclaiming the Title with a win over familiar foe and Nova Uniao teammate, Marcos Galvao in a five round Unanimous Decision at Bellator 156 (6/17/16). Twenty-seven year old, Dantas defeated Alexis Vila to become the Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament Winner (2011). The following year DuDu submitted Zach Makovsky with a second round (3:26) Triangle-Choke to capture the BW Title the first time at Bellator 65. Dantas defended the strap two times, finishing both opponents, (Anthony Leone 2^nd round Rear-Naked-Choke 3/17/14, Marcos Galvao 2^nd round KO 2/14/13) before losing a UD to Warren at Bellator 128. At 5’10” Dantas will have a sizeable height and reach advantage over Warren. DuDu has finished ten of his eighteen career wins (6 subs).

               

A one fight win streak is all you need when you’re the only guy in Bellator with a win over the champ. The former Bellator Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion, Warren seeks to prove that styles make fights and history will repeat itself in his rematch with Dantas. Warren has a strong history in Greco-Roman Wrestling, Gold Medalist in 2006 Pan American Games and NCAA D-1 All-American are just a couple of the Forty year-old’s achievements. Warren lost the Title he’d taken from Dantas (10/10/14) last time to Marcos Galvao by second round Knee-Bar (0:45) at Bellator 135 (3/27/15). He bounced back with a UD win over contender, LC Davis (9/25/15). However Warren was choked to sleep earlier this year (3/4/16) by Darrion Caldwell’s First Round (3:23) Rear-Naked-Choke at Bellator 151. In Warren’s last effort (9/16/16) at Bellator 161 he stopped Sirwan Kakai with a Third Round (1:04) Guillotine-Choke to set up the rematch for the belt.

               

Undefeated, AJ Mercenary McKee has fought all five of his Pro bouts with Bellator. More importantly, all five of the Twenty-one year-old’s wins have been by stoppage (3 KO/TKO, 2 Sub) in the First Round. The Long Beach native has been busy since turning Pro in April of 2015. In his last fight, Mercenary caught Cody Walker with a Guillotine-Choke just thirty-two seconds into the contest at Bellator 160. In April McKee displayed his diverse skill set with a TKO of Danilo Belluardo at 2:44 of the opening frame. McKee had an eight fight (7-1) amateur career as well, dating back to 2012. He was originally scheduled to face 13-3 Emmanuel Sanchez.

Bucksport, Maine’s Ray All Business Wood steps up on short notice to face McKee in the Featherweight fight. 7-2 Wood is eager to return to action following a First Round Sub loss to Adam Piccolotti in May (both Wood’s losses are by submission). The loss halted a two fight win streak, including a First Round TKO of Chris Jones at Belator 151 (3/4/16) earlier this year. Twenty-seven year old Wood has only been to decision once, in his nine fight pro career, an April win over Brandon Phillips.

Last March Marcos Galvao avenged a loss from his Bellator debut and won the BW title with one, award-winning Knee-Bar of Joe Warren in the Second Round at Bellator 135. 17-7 Galvao looks to get back in the Title picture when he faces Thirty-six year-old, LC Davis. Teammate, Eduardo Dantas took the Belt Galvao won from Warren with a UD at Bellator 156. The loss broke a four fight win streak (2TKO, 1Sub). This is Galvao’s Thirteenth fight (8-4) with the promotion.

               

Kansas City’s LC Davis has been a pro fighter for over a decade, having competed for: IFL, Affliction, TitanFC, WEC in addition to Bellator. The former Victory FC BW Champ has finished fifteen of his twenty-three wins early. A UD loss at Bellator 143 to Joe Warren halted a three fight win streak in Bellator’s BW Division. Davis looks to get back to his winning ways in this BW contenders fight with Galvao.

The fun doesn’t stop there, Bellator 167 is the following night and also airs on Spike TV . For a Breakdown of Saturday night’s event click the link: http://fightpage.blogspot.com/2016/11/saturdaynights-bellator-167-continues.html

Bellator 162 Breakdown

               

                                             Bellator Heavyweight contender, Bobby Lashley appears casted from a superhero mold, his physique looks more natural at his other gig, Professional Wrestling. Lashley performs in TNA Wrestling and formerly the WWE. The Dominator recently (10/6/16) lost the TNA HW World Championship, just in time to focus on his October 21^st showdown with Josh Appelt at Bellator 162. The pair will square off in the Co-Main, proceeding Main Eventers, Kendall Grove and Alexander Shlemenko in Memphis, Tennessee. Click link for Main Event coverage: http://fightpage.blogspot.com/2016/10/da-spyder-and-storm.html

               

Bobby Lashley is on a seven fight win streak, including four submissions and two by TKO. Most recently he avenged his last career loss (5/6/12) to James Thompson, stopping Thompson in the first round (0:54) by TKO at Bellator 145 (11/6/15). This is Lashley’s first fight of the year, but in 2015 the Army Veteran (in addition to Thompson) also TKO’d Dan Charles in the second round (4:14) at Bellator 138. The Dominator has stopped eleven of his fourteen wins, seven by submission. The Musclebound wrestler groomed his skills at Missouri Valley College where he was a three time National Champion. This is Lashley’s fifth scrap with Bellator, he has stopped his four previous opponents in the promotion’s HW division (2TKO, 2Sub). Lashley faces a hard-striking Heavyweight from Olivehurst Ca, 12-5 Josh Appelt.

               

Appelt is also coming off a pair of TKO wins, at West Coast Fighting Championship 16 (1/23/16) he stopped Roy Boughton in the second round (4:58) and ruined Joe Hernandez’s night at WFC 15 (10/10/15) in the first round (1:58). The Juggernaut hasn’t fought for Bellator since a 4/4/14 Unanimous Decision loss to Freddie Aquitania. Appelt is 3-1 with the promotion one win by TKO and one Submission. He has stopped ten of his twelve wins (8 KO/TKO). The Thirty-three year old’s last four fights have been with WFC where he is the HW Champion. He is also the former Gladiator Challenge HW King.

               

Hisaki The Japanese Musketeer Kato is a French and Japanese fighter, born in Paris, living in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. All eight of the 6-2 striker’s fights have ended by KO/TKO. Kato hasn’t been out of the second round with two KO/TKO wins in the round’s opening minute. Kato is 4-1 in Japanese promotion, Heat. At Heat 31 it took Kato only 0:53 to TKO Yuki Niimura and go home with the Middleweight strap. The Japanese Musketeer Knocked Out Joe Schilling in his US and Bellator debut with a second round (0:34) Superman Punch 6/26/15. In June Kato, again stopped Schilling in the second round, this time in Kato’s Pro Kickboxing debut at Bellator Dynamite 2. Schilling is 19-9 with eleven KO/TKO wins in Kickboxing. In his last MMA action (4/17/16) Kato TKO’d Yuta Watanabe in the first round (1:04) at Rizin 1. He faces 8-5 AJ Matthews in a Middleweight contest.

               

 Carlsbad, California’s AJ The Mercenary Matthews is 2-3 in fights that go to the judges’ scorecards. Matthews is a finisher that has KO/TKO wins in six of his eight wins. The Mercenary has dropped his last two: in June he lost a UD to Ben Reiter at Bellator 156 and was KO’d by Anatoly Tokov at Rizin FF (1/29/15). Prior to the pair of losses Matthews scored two consecutive, first round TKO wins, at Bellator 141, Emiliano Sordi never returned from the stool following the opening round and Kyle Bolt was stopped at 1:39 of the first frame at Bellator 131. With two heavy-hitting Middleweights going at it the action should be thrilling and likely brief.

                 Injury caused a late replacement for Ryan Couture's opponent at Bellator 148, which proved to be bad news for 10-4 Couture. Patricky Pitbull scored a first round KO (3:00) of Couture (1/29/16). The loss halted a four fight win streak, which all ended with Couture cinching a Rear-Naked-Choke on his adversaries' throats (three in the first round). At Bellator 135 Couture caused Dakota Cochrane to tap at 3:23 of the opening round. The Las Vegas fighter has six subs in his ten wins and faces Japan’s Goiti Yamauchi who has fifteen submission wins of his own.

                Yamauchi is 5-2 in the Bellator cage with three wins by RNC and a first round KO of Saul Almeida at Bellator 109 (11/22/13). Yamauchi is 19-3, all three losses were by Decision, and sixteen fights were stopped early (more than Couture has fights). The Twenty-three year old lost a UD to Bubba Jenkins at Bellator 151 last fight, ending a four fight win streak (all Subs).

                Another son of a famous MMA fighter, Kevin Baby Slice Ferguson Jr makes his pro debut opposite Rick Bing of Mississippi (also debuting) on the undercard.

Bellator 162 airs live from the Fedex Forum in Memphis on Spike TV Friday night.

Da Spyder and the Storm

               

                          At 6’6” Kendall Grove is long for the Middleweight Division and enjoys a sizeable reach advantage over most opponents with his massive seventy-nine inch wingspan. Friday night will be no different for Da Spyder, when he faces former Bellator MW Champion, Alexander Shlemenko in the Main Event at Bellator 162, in Memphis, Tenn.  Shlemenko at 5’11” will be out-armed by eight and a half inches, but the Thirty-two year old Russian fighter effectively implements spinning punches and kicks to close distance with his opponents. One of the most interesting factors of this match-up, distance and who controls it. Two true veterans of the sport compete: Grove won The Ultimate Fighter Season 3, ten years ago and this is the sixty-fourth fight of Shlemenko’s pro career, dating back to 2004.

               

Hawaiian, Kendall Grove has stopped seventeen of his twenty-three wins early. Two of his seven KO/TKO wins have been in his last two appearances. In February he Knocked Francisco France cold in the second round (0:35) at Bellator 150 and halted, always game, Joey Beltran’s night with a third round (2:27) TKO at Bellator 143 last September. If Grove’s new found power, isn’t cause for Shlemenko’s concern then the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt’s submission game should be, Da Spyder has wrapped those long limbs around ten opponents and forced the tap. Four of Shlemenko’s nine losses have come by Submission, including back to back naps in 2014 to Ortiz and Halsey.

               

                    Thirty-three year old, Grove always looks for the finish. He is 4-2 in Bellator, with only his promotional debut making it to the judges’ scorecards, a Unanimous Decision over Joe Vedepo at Bellator 104. His aggressive style does leave him vulnerable, those two losses came by TKO/KO to Brandon Halsey at Bellator 137 and Brett Cooper at Bellator 114. Facing a Russian mauler with twenty-nine career KO/TKO wins, Grove should look to take Shlemenko to the mat and work for a submission.

               

Alexander Storm Shlemenko is also coming off a pair of wins, both over former M-1 MW champ, Vyacheslav Vasilevsky. A February Majority Decision at M-1 Challenge 64 wasn’t convincing enough so Storm stopped Vasilevsky with a third round Guillotine at M-1 Challenge 68 (6/16/16).

The former MW Champ, Shlemenko experienced a slide in 2014, beginning when he stepped in to face Tito Ortiz at Light Heavyweight. A neck injury delayed Ortiz’s return from retirement and promotional debut, leaving him without an opponent. Shlemenko offered to step in at Bellator 120. The mammothly larger Ortiz dragged the Russian to the ground, sunk in an Arm-Triangle and choked Alexander unconscious in the opening round. Storm returned six months later at Bellator 126, to defend his Belt and was again choked to sleep, this time by Brandon Halsey in just thirty-five seconds.

An impressive Spinning Back-fist Knock Out of Melvin Manhoef (2^nd round 1:25) at Bellator 133 (2/13/15) was later ruled a No Contest and Shlemenko suspended for three years for failing a post-fight drug test for elevated Testosterone levels by California State Athletic Commission. This past July, Shlemenko won an appeal lifting his suspension and reducing his fine to $5,000. Storm has remained active, despite the suspension, competing in Russia for M-1 twice in 2016.

At 53-9-1 with thirty-eight wins by stoppage, Alexander Shlemenko has seen it all and will likely use his spinning attacks to prevent Grove from picking him apart from the outside. He should also avoid the clinch where the sharp elbows and knees of Grove serve him best. Both fighters have multiple ways to win and the fighter that implements their game plan best will likely come away with an early stoppage win.

For continued Main Card Coverage click the link: http://fightpage.blogspot.com/2016/10/bellator-162-breakdown.html

Breakdown Bellator 161

Heavyweights, Cheick Kongo and Tony Johnson are scheduled to meet in the Main Event of Bellator 161, in HEB Center Cedar Park, Texas on September 16^th 2016.

The 6’4” Kongo is entering his ninth fight with Bellator, he has gone 6-2 to date. He is coming off a pair of decision victories over Alexander Volkov (6/26/15) and Vinicius Kapple de Queiroz (2/26/16). The hard hitting, Forty-one year old has finished sixteen of his twenty-four victories, twelve by KO/TKO.

At 10-2 Tony Johnson is still building his name. The Texan has finished half of his victories by TKO/KO. Johnson looks to add Cheick Kongo to an already impressive list of past wins. The list includes: Alexander Volkov by Split Decision (4/10/15), Former UFC HW Champ, Tim Silvia by 3^rd round TKO (5/31/13), and current UFC HW Phenom, Derrick Lewis at BFC 46 by Unanimous Decision. At Bellator 148 (1/29/16) Johnson stopped Raphael Butler by TKO with only :36 remaining in the third round of his most recent fight.  

Thirty-nine year old Bantamweight, Joe Warren enters the Bellator cage with a record of 13-5 with 9 wins by decision. Warren looks to rebound after being choked unconscious at Bellator 151 (3/4/16) by Darion Caldwell. Getting back to Texas might just be what Warren needs. Last September he earned a UD win over LC Davis at Bellator 143 in Hidalgo, TX. A tough guy to beat in a three round contest, Warren’s five losses have all come by stoppage (2KO/TKO, 3Subs). He faces Gothenburg, Sweden’s Sirwan Kakai.

Kakai is also coming off a loss at Bellator 151, dropping a close Majority Decision to Joe Taimanglo. “Zohan” has finished ten of his twelve victories (6 submissions), but all four of his losses have been by decision.

A pair of undefeated female Flyweights will battle it out when Moscow Russia’s Anastasia Yankova faces Boise, Idaho native Veta Arteaga. Yankova has finished all three opponents by submission. She caught the last two in first round arm bars. At Bellator 152 (4/16/16) she snared Anjela Pink’s arm in the opening 1:35.

The Twenty-eight year old, Arteaga has won both of her pro fights by decision thus far. In May she outpointed Jackie Vendenburgh at Bellator 155.

Derek Campos is no stranger to the Bellator cage, he has fought inside of it nine times previously (5-4). In his most recent affair he KO’d Melvin Guillard just :32 into the second round at Bellator 149 (2/19/16). “The Stallion” has five wins by TKO/KO five by Sub and another six by Decision. He takes on fellow Lightweight, DJamil Chan.

Chan is on a seven fight win streak, dating back to 2/16/13 a first round :18 TKO of Angelos Zampakikas. In fact eight of his ten finishes have come in the first round, including his Bellator debut earlier this year (4/22) at Bellator 153, when he stopped Richard Patishnock in the first round.

The rest of the fight card can be seen at: bellator.spike.com