Bellator NYC Preview

DISCLAIMER: This article is covering one fight from the Bellator 180 card and four fights from the Bellator NYC Pay-Per-View card.

(C) indicates current champion.


On 24th June, at a sold-out Madison Square Garden in New York City, Bellator will host it's second ever Pay-Per-View event and it's an absolutely stacked card for a promotion that has gained some ground on their global rival, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, via frustration over the new owners' [WME-IMG] treatment of fighters, thus leading to many jumping ship to Bellator.




Phil Davis (C) vs Ryan Bader (Non-PPV Fight) (For The Light Heavyweight Championship)

Starting off on the non-PPV Bellator 180 card and a main event for the Light Heavyweight Championship.

Ryan Bader (22-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) signed with Bellator on 21st March after the UFC didn't match the contract that president Scott Coker had offered to Bader.

He was originally scheduled to face Muhammad Lawal (21-6 (1 No Contest) MMA, 10-4 BMMA) but was matched up in a rematch with Light Heavyweight champion Phil Davis (17-3 (1 No Contest) MMA, 4-0 BMMA) after Lawal withdrew due to injury. Davis and Bader fought at UFC on FOX: Gustafsson vs Johnson back on 24th January 2015, which Bader won by split decision.

Since then, the two have been down different paths in MMA, with Davis going on a four-fight winning streak inside the Bellator cage that saw him capture the Light Heavyweight title in his last fight against Liam McGeary (12-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA).

Bader ran out his UFC contract and jumped ship when he knew he wasn't wanted by the brass at WME-IMG.

Now, the two meet in an interesting encounter that will be a mix of high-level wrestling and an old school heavyweight slugfest.


PREDICTION: Davis wins via unanimous decision.





Douglas Lima (C) vs Lorenz Larkin (For The Welterweight Championship)

Another ex UFC fighter debuts in the Bellator cage at Madison Square Garden and it's former Middleweight, and later Welterweight, fighter Lorenz Larkin (18-5 (1 No Contest) MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

Larkin comes into Bellator off the back of a solid first-round win over Neil Magny at the biggest selling UFC event of all-time [UFC 202 which did 1.65 million buys] but seemingly wants to move on from talking about his former employer.

Larkin on the UFC: I don't want to say those three letters anymore.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 22, 2017

The Brazilian has won the majority of his fights via knockout so logic dictates that Larkin will look for takedowns to stop Lima's rythm and possibly get a stoppage from ground and pound.


PREDICTION: Lima wins via second-round knockout.








Michael Chandler vs Brent Primus (For the Lightweight Championship)

The fight for the Lightweight title is between Michael Chandler (16-3 MMA, 13-3 BMMA), a veteran inside the Bellator cage [with his first fight coming in October 2010 at Bellator 31], and Brent Primus (7-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), a fighter that has very little tape on him due to five first-round stoppages from his seven fights.

Whilst it could be seen as a mismatch in terms of experience, Primus' stunning professional record, which includes four straight wins via rear-naked choke, shows that he deserves to be in this fight against Chandler. No doubt Coker and co will be hoping for a strong display by the Oregon native.




Fedor Emelianenko vs Matt Mitrione (Heavyweight Bout)

Fedor Emelianeko (36-4 (1 No Contest) MMA, 0-0 BMMA).

The greatest Heavyweight fighter in MMA history and arguably the biggest signing in Bellator history.

The last Emperor has been the most powerful and dominate heavyweight in all the promotions that he's fought in and whilst many will look back on the Russian's career and wonder what could have been if he'd joined the UFC, there's no doubt that Fedor has laid waste to countless opponents.

His debut Bellator fight will come against ex-UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione (11-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA).

This fight was supposed to happen in February at Bellator 172 but was cancelled after Mitirone was reported to have passed a kidney stone.

Now, Mitrione looks to defeat a legend and be launched into not just Bellator, but MMA stardom.

For Fedor, it's the same as it's been his whole career.

Turn up, destroy opponent, leave.


PREDICTION: Fedor wins via second-round knockout.






Chael Sonnen vs Wanderlei Silva (Light Heavyweight Bout)

If you didn't know already, Chael Sonnen (29-15-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1 (1 No Contest) MMA, 0-0 BMMA) don't like each other.

It's not exactly clear what it is that set both men on a path of hatred towards one and other but it all results in money for Bellator.


The pair are polar opposites, with Sonnen the original cocky trash talker and Silva as the explosive brawler once the cage closes, but are now on course for a blockbuster main event fight that will end a rivalry that has spanned not just the world but seven years.


PREDICTION: Sonnen wins via first-round submission.