Anyone excited to see what the show is like? I know that I am, I watched the sneak peak 11minute video, and I think that this going to be a great show with more focus on the fights than the drama like the TUF. Plus it has a great coaching cast, even though I can't stand Joe Warren lol
Well, the first episode was not bad. Handful of fights with some decent action. The level of reality tv in the fighters fighting then interviewing with then selecting coaches and camps is kinda interesting I guess. Don't know if it's gonna catch on really well though, we'll see.
The coaches got to do my MMA watching dream except that it was Bellator wannabe's not UFC fighters in a PPV event... pulling your easy chair up to the cage to watch up close, and they were raised up to cage floor level too.
Here's how the fights went in the first episode if anybody would rather read than watch (they're already replaying it)
FIRST ELIMINATION FIGHT: Chip "The Surgeon" Pollard (7-4) vs. Tim "The Ginga Ninja" Welch (9-4).
The pair trade jabs to open, feeling out the distance as they move well around the cage. Pollard looks the faster fighter to open, but Welch lands clean with a right-left combo that sends Pollard to the floor. Welch pounces with a few follow-up shots, and he's awarded the first-round knockout.
COACH SELECTION: Welch elects to become the first member of Greg Jackson's team.
* * * *
SECOND ELIMINATION FIGHT: Eric "Easy E" Scallan (11-4) vs. Chris "The Action Man" Curtis (7-3)
Scallan kicks the body early as Curtis is trying to touch gloves. Curtis answers immediately with a flash knockdown on a straight and another on a knee shortly after. But Scallan answers back with several takedowns in a round that's aired in highlight form. The second frame is also shortened, but it shows Scallan again working to control the positioning. At the end of two rounds, Scallan is awarded a majority decision.
COACH SELECTION: Behind the scenes, Joe Warren admits he's not sure Scallan is a proper fit for his squad. Unaware of that concern, Scallan elects to become the first member of Warren's team.
* * * *
THIRD ELIMINATION FIGHT: Brendan "Tiny Shorts" Tierney (10-5) vs. Nick "The Phoenix" Barnes (6-0)
An aggressive Barnes opens with a flurry and drives through a takedown on his larger opponent. Tierney turns for a leg, and while the submission won't come, he does escape to the feet. Barnes fires punches on the restart, but Tierney moves to a Thai clinch and drops his foe with big knees. Tierney immediately moves to the back and looks for a series of submissions. Barnes somehow survives the tight hold and sweeps to the back, where he earns an impressive rear-naked choke finish.
COACH SELECTION: Frank Shamrock offers up the hard sell, and Barnes bites. He's the first member of Shamrock's team.
Cobb opens with a power-based game, firing heavy strikes and driving in for a takedown. Matthews answers back in the second frame with hard kicks on the feet and nearly securing the back. With the score even, the pair moves to a third frame. Matthews gets a key takedown and spends much of the frame there, earning him the fight by decision.
COACH SELECTION: Matthews hears positive feedback from all four coaches but ultimately elects to become the first member of Randy Couture's team.
* * * *
FIFTH ELIMINATION FIGHT: Josh "Quay" Quayhagen (6-1) vs. Chris "The Cleveland Assassin" Lozano (10-3)
Lozano seems to outmuscle Quayhagen in the opening frame. A tired Quayhagen tries valiantly to answer, but Lozano takes him to the floor and pummels his face until the final bell in a brutal beatdown.
COACH SELECTION: All four coaches have positive words for Lozano after the impressive performance. Greg Jackson has an inside track with past experience training Lozano, but the fight elects to get a new look and chooses to become the second member of Shamrock's team.
So how was the first episode? Seems like an interesting concept but I can't stand any of the coaches except for Warren. I imagine they'll take up majority of the show so it'd be hard to ignore them.
Did anyone else notice the looks couture an shamrock gave warren when he said they had never been in the Bellator cage and hoisted that belt? I can't believe he said that shit to two incredibly accomplished fighters and they both looked like they were getting trolled
Yes, I thought I recognized him via tattoos and blonde hair. It's also confirmed on his wiki, take that for what it's worth. In the previews, it looks like his first fight goes to a decision. I am very pumped for this show!
Every fight end with the two guys standing between an official to call the winner. The guy who he was set to fight had his head down and looked defeated so I assume Joe wins his fight. I also assume he's the last fighter to go on because one guy doesn't get to pick his coach and it makes sense that it would be a vet like Riggs.
Anyone have any thoughts now that the fight in contests are complete? As in thoughts about the quality of fighters who made it on more so then the reality production. Does this group stack up to the kind of guys they have been getting for TUF the past few years, better or worse in your opinion thus far?
I didn't get the point of the whole ranking thing. They go through that whole process of ranking everyone. Then say top rank guys get to pick their fights first. Then they say something about it being random and then lower guys pick their fights first. Did I miss something?
The special focuses on Bellator's Russian fighters (including Alexander Volkov, Alexander Shlemenko, Andrey Koreshkov and Shahbulat Shamhalaev), and also includes commentary from notables such as Bjorn Rebney, Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, Greg Jackson, Alexi Zhernakov, Anthony Pettis and Duke Roufus.
Joe Warren drives me nuts. Just quit on his fighter after literally giving no coaching except get up...that's not coaching there needs to be technical advice on how to do things not just hey get up.
I'm also really starting to like Shamrock more. He really seems to care about his guys and his enthusiasm is great.
Joe Riggs is an awesome fighter as far as I can see. I really hope he keeps it together because he looks Top 10 WW at least. Really enjoyed his last fight
Honestly I think he went on a more round about way to get into Bellator. He's got sixty pro fights and went into a reality tournament. This is the equivalent of Roy Nelson going through the Ultimate Fighter in order to get into the UFC.
That is what I thought, I would have thought they would take him without going through that. Maybe they are paying him more or something to get some more name recognition in the show?
Well now that I think of it that winner of Fight Master does get money. His motivation may have had to do more with that then the actual Bellator tournament. Fight round and second round winners don't get that much compared to the grand prize.
Honestly I would think this would be harder on him cause of the weight cutting. However, I do agree that this is a good way of testing to see if his issues are under control. I also agree it looks like they are.
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