Tonight marked the 200th event in Bellator MMA’s history, and I have to say that they put together quite the card for the event. There were a lot of impressive performances and quick finishes on tonight’s card, meaning that there are a lot of fighters who want to get back in the cage pretty soon. I think I have a few matchups that would make sense after Bellator 200, and I hope you enjoy!
Linton Vassell vs. Rafael Cavalcante
Linton Vassell fell victim to a devastating Phil Davis head kick on the main card opener, yet he still proved that he came to fight. Vassell is somebody that fought for the Bellator title before and has beaten former champions, so why not give him another former champion in Rafael Cavalcante? Cavalcante needs a dancing partner for his Bellator debut, and since there’s no doubt that the company wants to fast track him to a title shot, a fight against Vassell could make a lot of sense.
Phil Davis vs. Vadim Nemkov
Phil Davis put up a performance that should probably get him a title fight, but having already lost to the current champion twice, chances are he needs a few more fights before he’s allowed another crack at Ryan Bader. Someone else that’s on the edge of title contention is Vadim Nemkov. Nemkov put up an impressive performance against Liam McGeary his last time out, winning the fight due to a leg kick TKO, and a matchup with Davis could put the winner in title contention.
Anastasia Yankova vs. Heather Hardy
Anastasia Yankova lost to the veteran Kate Jackson not because she wasn’t a good enough fighter, but because she wasn’t a good enough grappler. Someone who definitely won’t try to grapple with Yankova is former professional boxer and Bellator MMA sensation Heather Hardy. Both of these women are highly touted prospects, and if put into the cage together, could give the fans an all out stand-up war.
Kate Jackson vs. Lena Ovchynnikova
Kate Jackson put on a true veteran performance against Anastasia Yankova, and although she just recently lost to Valerie Letourneau, she could be only a couple fights away from the title. Lena Ovchynnikova could be the fight that really tells us if Jackson is could enough to be a contender or not. I feel like their styles match-up well, and the winner would undoubtedly face the champion eventually.
Carl Noon vs. Will Fleury
Carl Noon suffered a brutal knockout at just 10 seconds of the first round tonight, meaning that he’s at a very desperate point in his career. Will Fleury, who is only 4-0 in MMA, could be the perfect opponent to try to stage a comeback against. While Fleury will likely open as the betting favorite, Noon has a wealth of more MMA experience, and I could honestly see the fight going either way.
Mike Shipman vs. Romero Cotton
Mike Shipman is quickly becoming one of Bellator’s most promising fighters, and I think a fight with Romero Cotton could be good for his career. After you knock someone out in 10 seconds, you pretty much get to decide yourself who you fight next, and Cotton is a wrestling prospect that has a lot of fans waiting for his next fight. I think this could be an interesting fight for both athletes, and the different styles could certainly prove to give each other a true test.
Ash Griffiths vs. Javier Torres
Ash Griffiths proved tonight that Aaron Chalmers is a legitimate mixed martial artist, but that wasn’t good for him. After being put to sleep by a standing guillotine choke, it’s safe to say that Griffiths has fallen on hard times, so why not give him another fighter in the same boat? Javier Torres hasn’t had much luck inside the Bellator cage either, and if the two were to meet, it could determine who wants to stay in the promotion more.
Aaron Chalmers vs. Dillon Danis
Aaron Chalmers proved himself to be a force to be reckoned with at Bellator 200, and so impressively that I think he deserves a big fight. While Dillon Danis is obviously one of the best BJJ practitioners in the United States, he is still only 1-0 in MMA, and has to get past Chalmers’s big right hand in order to use his grappling. Both of these men are talkers who love to promote their own fights, and putting them in the ring together could prove to be one of the biggest fights Bellator has had in a long time.
David Rickels vs. Brennan Ward
David Rickels may have lost some fans tonight by just quitting midway through the round against Michael “Venom” Page, but he’s honestly an extremely smart and veteran fighter. He knew he couldn’t see due to there being blood in his eyes, he knew he was in there against a better fighter, and now he’ll live to fight another day. He was previously scheduled to fight Brennan Ward before Ward had to pull out due to injury, and I honestly think they should just reschedule this bout to see who truly has a future in the Welterweight division.
Michael Page vs. Paul Daley 
Let’s face it, this is the fight that everyone wants to see. Both guys knock people out with consistency, they don’t like each other and they’re both Brits as well. Set up this fight on another UK card, and the arena would sure to be packed out.
Rafael Carvalho vs. King Mo
Rafael Carvalho sadly ended his title reign tonight with a vicious TKO loss to Gegard Mousasi, but that’s not to say he’s not still on top of the division. With news of King Mo planning on moving to Middleweight, it’s obvious that he wants another crack at Mousasi (who he beat in their first meeting to claim the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight belt), and Carvalho obviously wants to get his title back. I think it would be a good crossroads bout between both fighters, and I think this fight would produce a logical contender for the Middleweight strap.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Rory MacDonald
Gegard asked for it after his fight, and I think he should get it. Rory MacDonald and Gegard Mousasi were both at the top of their divisions when they decided to leave the UFC for Bellator, and now that they’re both champions in the promotion, it seems likely that Bellator would want to make the superfight happen. This would be one of the biggest events in Bellator’s history, and both men are so well rounded that the fight could go either way.
