Bellator sets up shop Saturday in Bridgeport, Connecticut at the Webster Bank Arena. The night will be headlined by a rematch at heavyweight, after their first bout ended in a no contest after an accidental groin strike. The card is full of Heavyweight fights, and should be an interesting night full of action.
Prelims
Welterweight: Khonry Gracie (1-1) vs Oscar Vera (0-1)- Gracie Submission
Catchweight (165): Aviv Gozali (2-0) vs Eduard Muravitskiy (9-8)- Gozali Submission
Welterweight: Sabah Homasi (12-8) vs Micah Terrill (13-7)- Terrill TKO
Middleweight: Austin Vanderford (7-0) vs Joseph Creer (6-0-1)- Vanderford Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight: Ricky Bandejas (11-3) vs Ahmet Kayretli (9-3)- Bandejas Split Decision
Catchweight (140): Michael Kimbel (3-1) vs Chris Disonell (3-3)- Kimble Unanimous Decision
Catchweight (175): Jon Manley (11-6) vs Thiago Rela (10-7)- Manley Unanimous Decision
Catchweight (165): Kastriot Xhema (3-3) vs Connor Dixon (0-0)- Xhema KO
Lightweight: Nick Newell (15-2) vs Corey Browning (4-1)- Newell Submission
Main
Heavyweight: Tyrell Fortune (6-0) vs Rudy Schaffroth (6-0)- Fortune Unanimous Decision
Fortune is a highly touted prospect who has made it look easy early in his Bellator career. Fortune is a former multiple time junior college champion in wrestling, as well as a NCAA Division II national champion for Grand Canyon University. He obviously is a standout wrestler, but also has shown legit knockout power on the feet. To this point, Fortune has not been tested on the mat so the jury is still out on his jiu-jitsu game. However, once he takes his opponents down he tends to ground and pound them into submission. Fortune has yet to face high level competition, and this will be a step up in that area. Schaffroth is not a credentialed wrestler, but has won five of his six pro bouts by way of knockout. He is a large man with legit knockout power on the feet. He trains with the legendary Team Quest in Portland, Oregon which is known for it’s standout wrestlers. Current and former fighters like Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Chael Sonnen, and Sam Alvey. It will be interesting to see if Schaffroth can keep this fight on the feet against such a talented wrestler. I am picking Fortune to win this fight, I just feel he has more ways to win. I have not seen anyone able to stop his takedowns so far, and until that happens I have to choose him.
Catchweight (175): David Rickels (21-5) vs Yaroslav Amosov (21-0)- Amosov Unanimous Decision
These two combatants decide to meet in the middle in terms of weight. Rickels is a intersting character known for his “Caveman” persona, and his over the top entrances. Rickels is underrated on the feet with some pop in his hands, but really excels in terms of wrestling with top control. Rickels has solid ground and pound, and has a solid submission game as well. Rickels is tough as nails, and has shown a lot of heart over the years in battles against Bellator’s elite. Amosov is a highly touted prospect that has all of the tools to be a future champion. The undefeated Ukrainian has a well balanced game with no real weakness. He is very technical on the feet especially with his kicks. He also has solid takedowns and submissions from his extensive background in Sambo. Amosov has outclassed veterans like Gerald Harris and Erick Silva in his last two fights. We have yet to see Amosov face real adversity against a mentally tough opponent like Rickels. I am going to pick Amosov, I just feel the youth and overall ability is going to be too much for Rickels. He also has the size advantage over “Caveman” which could disrupt Rickels effectiveness with the takedowns.
Women’s Bantamweight: Alejandra Lara (7-3) vs Taylor Turner (4-5)- Lara Submission
Lara has experience as she has been fighting since 2011. She is only 25 years old, and has shown an improving well-rounded skill set. She is technical on the feet, but also has shown a crafty submission game on the mat. She is a former title contender looking to earn another crack at the belt. Turner’s record isn’t impressive, but has been on a roll of late. She has won three in a row, including a victory over former Women’s Boxing world (IBO) champion Heather Hardy. Turner showed excellent ground and pound in that fight, and has won the majority of her fights by way of knockout. Early in her career she struggled mightily against superior grapplers, but has improved that aspect of her game. I am going with Lara in this fight, I believe she has an advantage on the mat and will use that to beat Turner. Turner has talent, but at this stage Lara is the more balanced fighter in all areas.
Heavyweight: Vitaly Minakov (21-1) vs Timothy Johnson (12-5)- Minakov TKO
Minakov is looking to bounce back after suffering his first defeat in a close loss against Cheick Kongo. Minakov is solid on the feet, but really excels in terms of wrestling. He is a master in the sport of Sambo, and tends to dominate his opponents on the mat. He likes to work in the clinch for takedowns, but can score them from distance as well. Most of his finishes come from ground and pound or submissions. Minakov was relatively untested up until his last fight, but it was his first fight in nearly two years which could explain his performance. Johnson will be the big underdog in this fight, but has scored several upset victories in the past. Johnson is a former Division II All-American wrestler at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He uses his size, takedowns, and ground and pound to throw his opponents out of their rhythm. Johnson does not have big time power, and the majority of his stoppages come from breaking his opponents with ground strikes. Johnson is not a great striker, and has had issues with powerful strikers in the past. Johnson is very tough and incredibly hard to stop. This is a interesting last minute change as Minakov’s original opponent had to be removed today for medical reasons. I still see Minakov winning this fight wherever it goes. He is the better striker, grappler, and you could make the case he is a better MMA based wrestler. I see him outworking Johnson on the feet, and eventually finishing Johnson in the later rounds.
Heavyweight: Matt Mitrione (13-6) vs Sergei Kharitonov (28-6)- Kharitonov Unanimous Decision
Mitrione and Kharitonov run it back after the first meeting ended with a accidental groin strike. Mitrione landed a hard kick below the belt that hurt Kharitonov badly and he was unable to recover from it. Mitrione is a former heavyweight contender in the UFC, and had been undefeated in Bellator before losing to current champion Ryan Bader. Mitrione is very athletic for the Heavyweight division, and has a background in football playing at the collegiate level and briefly in the NFL. He has really fast hands on the feet, and also has knockout power especially with his right. Another trademark of Mitrione is his footwork, and his ability to move at a unusually rapid pace for a Heavyweight. Mitrione has also added kicks to his game as well, and no longer strictly relies on his hands. Mitrione has had major issues in the past against superior wrestlers or grapplers. He has made some steps to improve this part of his game, and has solid ground and pound if he ends up in the top position. Kharitonov has been fighting since 2000, and has fought the best in the world in MMA and Kickboxing. He has fought in organizations like K-1, Pride, Strikeforce, and Glory further cementing his status as one of the best Heavyweights of all time. Kharitonov is aggressive on the feet, and tends to pressure his opponents from the opening bell. He has won the majority of his fights by knockout, and is especially dangerous when he senses the finish is near. The Russian is also solid in the clinch and has the ability to take opponents down when necessary. He holds ten submission victories although the majority of those were early in his career. At times, Kharitonov has struggled with his chin which is the result of so many previous battles. His cardio and striking defense have given him problems as well in the past due to his aggressive style to go for the finish. This is a tough fight to call, but there is a lot on the line as the winner could earn a title shot against Ryan Bader. I am going to lean toward Kharitonov in this fight. I just feel he has the ability to dictate where the fight takes place, and has more ways to victory than Mitrione. Kharitonov would be wise to make this a grappling affair, and avoid trading shots with the powerful Mitrione. This isn’t necessarily his style, but I think his tune could change especially if he is hit with a clean shot.
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