Just last Friday Bellator had their most recent bout in their Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament to determine the new Bellator Heavyweight champion, and it was a good night of fights. There were knockouts, three round wars, and no lack of controversies. However, despite who won the fights, every one of these athletes need a new opponent, and I have a few matches in mind.
Jose Perez vs. Gabe Carassco
Jose Perez just lost his second MMA fight, bringing him to 0-2, and that is more than a good enough reason to cut him from the promotion. He has to make a major change in order to remain in Bellator, and I think that change could be going down to Bantamweight. He didn’t even make the Featherweight limit in his last fight, telling me that he doesn’t cut any weight, and gives up size in every one of his fights. Gabe Carassco hasn’t debuted in the promotion yet, but making the walk against a fighter with Perez’s record is sure to boost his confidence. Jose Perez needs a major step down in competition, and the debuting Carassco could give him that opportunity.
Tywan Claxton vs. Chinzo Machida
Tywan Claxton racked up his second consecutive knockout with another flawless victory at Bellator 194, and it’s obvious that the promotion is trying its best to market this fighter. They’re going to try to put him in bigger fights that everyone will want to watch, and Chinzo Machida falls into that category. Everyone wants to watch Chinzo fight, perhaps just because of who his brother is, but he’s been spotty in his last few fights. I think this could be a good style matchup, pitting boxing against karate and wrestling against jiu-jitsu, and this fight would come down strictly to who could impose their will.
Liam McGeary vs. Rafael Cavalcante
Liam McGeary had one of the rarest knockouts you’ll find at Bellator 194, the problem is that he was on the receiving end of it. Despite getting TKO’d by leg kicks, McGeary is still a former champion, and could be the perfect person to welcome Cavalcante to the Bellator cage. He’s already fought legends such as Tito Ortiz, and could look to add another huge win to his resume by beating the former Strikeforce champion Rafael Cavalcante.
Vadim Nemkov vs. Linton Vassell
Vadim Nemkov is a Fedor Emelianenko trained prospect that everyone was watching with baited breath, and he more than delivered against the former champ McGeary. He beat the man with leg kicks. There are only a handful of fighters in MMA with a knockout by leg kicks. I personally think he should be fast tracked to a title shot, and the only way to do that is to give him the most recent challenger for the belt. Will he have the same success against a high level competitor like Vassell? Is he worthy of a title shot? This fight has to happen for Nemkov’s future to be determined.
Ana Julaton vs. Brooke Mayo
Ana Julaton improved her MMA record to a whopping 2-4 with her loss to Heather Hardy, and it’s clear that she needs a give me fight if Bellator is going to keep her on the roster. Brooke Mayo has a record of 0-2, and also, in my opinion, doesn’t belong on the Bellator roster. Make them fight, see who wins, cut one of them. Cut them both, I don’t care. Ana Julaton does have upcoming boxing match with her opponent Heather Hardy, so perhaps she should limit herself to that in the future instead?
Heather Hardy vs. Bruna Ellen
Heather Hardy bounced back at Bellator 194 after her first loss, and although the decision was controversial, I think she should face stiffer competition. Bruna Ellen has twice as many wins as Hardy, and could cause some problems for her inside the cage. Like I mentioned earlier, Hardy and Julton are supposed to step into a boxing ring next, but once Hardy returns to MMA, she needs to be truly tested. Her ground game is atrocious, and she needs to be put against someone who could push her in that department. If her skills don’t improve soon, then Ellen would be able to score takedown after takedown on Hardy, and hand her yet another loss. That’s why this fight is integral to improving Hardy as a mixed martial artist, instead of just a boxer who fights inside a cage.
Derek Campos vs. Goiti Yamauchi
Derek Campos and Goiti Yamauchi are two Bellator Lightweight veterans coming off of hard losses to former champions, so I think it’s time for them to step in against each other. You have a powerful boxer and wrestler in Campos against a high level jiu-jitsu practitioner with karate style kicks in Yamauchi, so the contrast in styles would be interesting to watch, especially since they are both such experienced warriors. Neither of these fighters are especially close to a title shot, so facing each other just to get back in there could be both beneficial and detrimental, depending on the outcome.
Patricky Pitbull vs. David Rickles
Patricky Pitbull had a beautiful first round TKO over Derek Campos, and needs at least one more win over a Bellator veteran to get in line for another title shot, so why not Rickles? These two have surprisingly never fought before, and this could easily be a main event for any Bellator card. I feel like Pitbull has a better chance to finish this fight, either on the feet or on the ground, but if Rickels can stay on the outside and use his length to pick his opponent apart, I think he can pull out a decision win.
Roy Nelson vs. Rampage Jackson
The first two fighters to be eliminated from the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix, they were both victims of tough decisions. Rampage clearly lost his fight, and was almost finished more than once, but Roy Nelson could be given the benefit of a doubt. He scored a huge third round, almost finishing the fight he lost, and I thought it was a draw through three rounds. Roy Nelson didn’t win the fight by any means, but he should have been given another chance to finish his battered opponent. However, Nelson’s extremely low fight IQ also lost him the fight, not shooting for takedowns until the final minute of each round, and not making an adjustment until the third. A fight against Rampage could be good for him to get into a position to challenge the winner of the tournament, and if he actually learned something from this fight, it’s that he needs to actually do something with a takedown. That could be what helps him beat Rampage Jackson.
Matt Mitrione vs. Ryan Bader/King Mo winner
This matchup is obvious, Matt Mitrione advanced in the tournament, and will fight the winner of Bader vs. Mo. Unless something happens such as a draw or an injury, this fight is 100 percent happening. However, Mitrione had better hope that King Mo somehow beats Ryan Bader, or his eyes are going to hurt from looking up at the lights all night. Meathead kept getting taken down by Roy Nelson, and although Ryan Bader is nowhere near as heavy as Big Country, he is twice as good of a wrestler. I think that Mitrione would be able to stuff King Mo’s takedowns and knock him out, but Bader has better technique and a better chin, so he could upset the favorite to win the tournament. Either way, this will be a good fight, and you can bet that I’ll be watching when it happens.
