Bellator 208 was the second straight night of fights for the promotion, and we now know who is going to meet in the finals of the Bellator Heavyweight Tournament. This card managed to live up to the action on Bellator 207’s card, even though there weren’t as many mainstream stars making the walk tonight. While everyone is still enjoying the violence they witnessed tonight, all of these fighters need to know what is next for them, and I think I know what matches should be made.
Andy Main vs. Tywan Claxton
Andy Main lost via TKO in the third round tonight, but he certainly showed promise in the fight. This was a back-and-forth battle that would have been hard to score, so Main losing in this fashion actually isn’t as bad as it sounds. While Tywan Claxton may be the future of the Featherweight division, Main is a much more experienced fighter, and a bout against each other could be beneficial for both men.
Henry Corrales vs. AJ McKee
Henry Corrales has only fought the best during his time in Bellator, and I don’t think that should change with his win tonight. AJ McKee is seen as a future champion by a lot of people, and with Corrales’ huge knockout victory tonight, he deserves to fight someone who is championship material. This fight was actually slated to happen once before, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the match makers wanted to truly give the fans this barn burner once and for all.
Alexander Shlemenko: Cut
While Alexander Shlemenko is a former Bellator champion, there is simply no reason to have a fighter with a three fight losing streak on your roster. However, Shlemenko isn’t so far gone that he cannot win a fight. I think that he is better off fighting for another promotion, and I wish him the best in his next evolution of life.
Anatoly Tokov vs. King Mo
Anatoly Tokov beat a true Russian legend tonight, and he deserves a fight that will get him to the belt. With the news that King Mo will cut down to the Middleweight division, you have to think that he is already at the top of the heap, so a win over him should grant Tokov a title shot. Whether or not he gets it done, I am certain that this will be an interesting fight between two grapplers, and I would love to see how it plays out.
Timothy Johnson vs. Steve Mowry
Timothy Johnson fell victim to a premature stoppage tonight, and he really didn’t get to show how good he actually is. Steve Mowry made headlines before his Bellator debut due to his sheer size, so a win over him would certainly put Johnson back into the mix at Heavyweight. This is a fight that I see as experience vs. potential, and I think it could be an indicator as to who really has championship potential.
Cheick Kongo vs. Sergei Kharitonov
While the stoppage was a bit early, Cheick Kongo still finished his opponent quickly tonight, and deserves to fight for the title soon. Sergei Kharitonov also picked up a devastating KO win last night, so a bout between these two men has fireworks written all over it. They both have extremely long win streaks going into this fight, so you can guarantee that they will both be fighting their hardest to get the win.
Saad Awad vs. Derek Campos
Saad Awad lost a clear cut decision to Benson Henderson tonight, but he is still at the top of the division, and he has dynamite in his hands. Someone else that is a noted power puncher is Derek Campos. When these two men fight, you can expect a knockout, and they could both use a win to bounce back.
Benson Henderson vs. Norman Parke
Benson Henderson picked up another decision win, yet he just hasn’t been finishing fights. Henderson needs to start finishing people in order to get a title shot, and he should start with Norman Parke. Parke is also a UFC veteran, so he has plenty of skills to challenge Henderson with, and I would love to see these two men battle it out as a title eliminator fight.
Chael Sonnen vs. Javy Ayala
Chael Sonnen lost in devastating fashion to the greatest Heavyweight of all time tonight, and while I don’t encourage him staying at Heavyweight, that may be what he does. An interesting match-up for him in that division is Javy Ayala. Ayala knocks people out cold, but he has been susceptible to wrestling before, so a fight against Chael may actually go either way.
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Ryan Bader
Fedor knocked out Chael tonight (to everyone’s surprise), meaning that he WILL fight Ryan Bader for the Heavyweight title. However, Fedor did get taken down a couple of times in his fight, and that provides some problems against Bader. This is going to be one of the most interesting fights in Bellator history, and I truly can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.