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Bellator season 6

19K views 81 replies 10 participants last post by  kantowrestler 
#1 ·
Thought i'd get a thread going with all the latest season 6 gossip. There will be 5 weight classes this year - Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight & Middleweight.

Some recent news - Rick Hawn & Brent Weedman are dropping to lightweight, War Machine is in the welterweight tournament, Travis Wiuff has been signed, Masakatsu Ueda signed to bantamweight tournament.

Below are a list of the fighters expected to be in the tournaments. Fighters in BLUE are official.

Bantamweight
Masakatsu Ueda (14-1) - New Entrant
Rodrigo Lima (10-0) - New Entrant
Hiroshi Nakamura (14-5) - New Entrant
Travis Marx (18-3) - New Entrant
Alexis Vila (11-1) - Season 5 Runner Up
Ed West (17-6) - Season 3 Runner Up, Season 5 Semi Finals
Luis Nogueira (12-2) - Season 5 1st round
Marcos Galvao (10-5) - Season 5 Semi Finals

Ed West vs. Marcus Galvao

Featherweight
Alexandre Bezerra (12-1) - New Entrant
Jeremy Spoon (12-0) - New Entrant
Roberto Vargas (12-1) - New Entrant
Mike Corey (11-2) - New Entrant
Marlon Sandro (20-3) - Summer Series Runner Up
Daniel Straus (17-4) - Season 4 Runner Up
Ronnie Mann (21-4) - Summer Series Semi Finals
Genair Da Silva (11-4) - Summer Series 1st round

Marlon Sandro vs. Roberto Vargas
Ronnie Mann vs. Mike Corey
Alexandre Bezerra vs. Genair da Silva
Daniel Straus vs. Jeremy Spoon

Lightweight
Ricardo Tirloni (13-1) - New Entrant
Thiago Michel (9-2) - New Entrant
Rene Nazare (10-1) - New Entrant
JJ Ambrose (17-3) - New Entrant
Rick Hawn (11-1) - Season 4 Runner Up
Patricky Freire (12-2) - Season 4 Runner Up
Lloyd Woodard (11-1) - Season 4 Semi Finals
Brent Weedman (18-7) - Season 4 Semi Finals, Season 5 1st round

Patricky Freire vs. Lloyd Woodard
Rick Hawn vs. Ricardo Tirloni
Thiago Michel vs. Rene Nazare
Brent Weedman vs. JJ Ambrose


Welterweight
Brian Foster (18-5) - New Entrant
Karl Amoussou (13-4) - New Entrant
Carlos Pereira (33-9) - New Entrant
David Rickels (9-0) - New Entrant
Raul Amaya (9-0) - New Entrant
Ben Saunders (12-4) - Season 5 Runner Up
Bryan Baker (16-3) - Season 2 Runner Up, Season 5 Semi Finals
Chris Lozano (9-2) - Season 4 1st round, Season 5 Semi Finals

Brian Foster vs. David Rickels
Ben Saunders vs. Raul Amaya
Karl Amoussou vs. Chris Lozano
Bryan Baker vs. Carlos Pereira

Middleweight
Maiqual Falcao (28-4) - New Entrant
Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (15-1) - New Entrant
Giva Santana (17-1) - New Entrant
Bruno Santos (12-0) - New Entrant
Norman Paraisy (10-1) - New Entrant
Vitor Vianna (12-2) - Season 5 Runner Up
Brian Rogers (8-3) - Season 5 Semi Finals
Victor O'Donnell (11-3) - Season 5 1st round

Maiquel Falcao vs. Norman Paraisy
Giva Santana vs. Bruno Santos
Vyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Victor O'Donnell
Vitor Vianna vs. Brian Rogers
 
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#3 ·
Good thread start. The Bellator tournaments are starting to take shape even though there haven't been many official announcements about their fields yet.

Some comments on your field projections:

Mello - that's a good suggestion. He looked great against Sharipov. He ragdolled him and showed some nice dirty boxing. He's won 5 straight now and I think he could surprise people at 135 because he fits their better w/ his reach (62.5") and lost to some real titans at heavier weights.

Riggleman - I don't think he should get an invite. He only won a split over the aforementioned Sharipov and you don't want a guy in the tournament who lost to a TUF participant (Dodson) even if he was the champ.

Weedman - dropped down to LW, but think he'll be a prelim guy/Feature fight guy in the interim.

Held - he qualified for the FW tourney.

Spoon - he a FW too.

Radley - yet again, think he's a FW. He originally joined for the FW tourney.

Cooper - he's a warrior and who will give just about everybody problems, especially those who are reliant on wrestling.

Rickels - Cooper-esque

Steinbess - not good enough

Baker - worn out his welcome for time being

Ford - don't know if his offer still stands after losing outside the org.

Costa - think he needed to win a qualifier at least.

Other members of the roster that I think are better options than fighters you listed - Thiago Michel (155), Cupcake Woodard (155), Dave Jansen (155), Sapo (170), Karl Amoussou (170), Jonas Billstein (185), Vitor Vianna (185), Brian Rogers (185), Norman Paraisy (185)

Additional comments:

I would like to see M'Pumbu drop to 185 and vacate the belt, but doubt it'll happen.

I'm sure there will be several more notable signings before now and March still. Holding out hope for guys like Miguel Torres, Mamed Khalidov, Paul Daley, Gunnar Nelson, Alex Sarnavskiy, and Hacran Dias. I heard there was another major signing from Japan (like Ueda) yet to be reported publicly.

From the names we do know, my favorites would be:

135 - Ueda
145 - Bezerra, although Spoon is close
155 - Tirloni
170 - Good, Pereira is close
185 - Falcao

FWIW I got 2-3 pre-tourney picks (Dantas, Lima) right for season 5, and picked Big Monster to win HW so it'll probably end up 3-4.

Once again, good topic.
 
#4 ·
Nice feedback, edited my post with many of your suggestions. Forgot about guys like Paraisy, Amoussou, Michel.

If they signed Torres, the Bantamweight bracket would be awesome - Torres, Ueda, Ratinho, Vila, Nogueira etc.
 
#5 ·
MMAjunkie running a story that Vasilevsky (15-1) is going to be in the season 6 middleweight tourney, so looks like they've sorted the contractual issues out.

Middleweight tourney looking quality - Vasilevsky (15-1), Falcao (28-4), Santana (17-1), Santos (12-0) etc.
 
#6 ·
Would you say those are your favorite tournaments?

They look solid to me, but lightweight and featherweight hold the most intrigue, IMO.

All 4 aforementioned divisions possess one fighter who stood out in another major organization, but 155 + 145 both include who look like they could reach that level or beyond in the future, i.e.: Tirloni, Freire, Michel, Bezerra, Spoon, and maybe even Mann and Straus.

The other 3 divisions don't boast as many of those type of guys.

I think 170 is overrated for Bellator. In last season's tournament at that weight, Lima was an elite talent, but he was the only one. I don't think that type of fighter exists among this group, unless Good has improved his sweeps significantly, or Indio is a bit better than even I think he is. People get attracted by the higher percentage of names from the UFC. But I still think it's an underrated division relative to other orgs' because Stinson, Wallhead, and James have done pretty well elsewhere even though they were low level tourney/prelim fodder at an earlier stage of Bellator's development.
 
#7 ·
I think their all quite open this year.

At Bantamweight i think Ueda and Vila ahve gotta be favourites.
At Featherweight, i favour Bezerra and Sandro.
At Lightweight, i like Alvarez if he's in it, if not maybe Hawn or Jansen.
At Welterweight, i think Foster will take it.
At Middleweight, i think its the most open. I wouldn't be suprised if any from Falcao, Vasilevsky, Santana or Santos wins. If pushed i'd say Vasilevsky.

Cant wait for season 6, think its the best season yet.

In other Bellator news, some sites are reporting Wagney Fabiano (14-3) has signed up for the featherweight tournament! Good addition, though can't see him beating Bezerra or Sandro.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Yeah, I could easily envision more than one fighter in every division winning.

I think you're giving too much respect to the former Zuffa members/guys who developed their names in other organizations, though.

Foster was a mid-tier WW in UFC, Jansen was a very game fighter but lost 2 of 3 against not so great comp in WEC, and while Alvarez and Sandro are fantastic they have flaws and their divisions are deep enough for at least one fighter to take advantage of that.

I think some of Bellator's own finds are better than them. Theoretically they can draw the same level prospects as the UFC because for the major orgs it's first come first serve and they offer competitive or even better financial opportunities. That's why you saw Lima, Dantas, Shlemenko, and Big Monster (was on the verge) showing the best in their tournaments last season.

And I don't think next season will be much different. Alvarez even is going to have a hell of a time dealing w/ such high level strikers as Tirloni, Freire, and Michel. Sandro will have a hell of a time stuffing all the TD's from Bezerra and Spoon and keeping up w/ them athletically. And if Foster got KO'ed by Brandao and roughed up on the feet by Story he's going to have a hell of a time w/ the likes of Indio and Good, not to mention any wrestlers he'll have to deal with. And I predicted Ueda to win orignially, but come to think of it he'll have a lot of trouble with Vila on the feet or ground, same with Ratinho. When the dust settles, only around 1 of the tournament winners will be established from another major organization. Bellator is always improving at locating, luring, and developing young talent.

Are you the only other poster who discusses Bellator here? That's sad. Bellator is the Rodney Dangerfield of MMA.
 
#9 ·
I really like Foster, think he's a really underrated fighter, he's improved a lot since the Story fight. Bar getting caught in a kneebar by Lytle, he's looked great in every fight since. And i don't think Jansen will win, but he's tough, never been finished and has a great submission game, and i could see him getting to the finals if he avoids Alvarez - i can see him giving guys like Tirloni (who i think is overrated) problems. And his only losses were to Shalorus and Lamas (both of which were very close decisions), i think their both better than not great comp.

Yea thats one of the reasons why i love Bellator, all the new talent they recruit every season. Every tournament is normally made up of at least 4 guys that havn't been in a tournament before, and it normally uncovers a gem or 2. 2 years ago none of us had heard of the Freire bro's, Chandler, Shlemenko, Good, Makovsky etc - I know i didn't know them at the time, and now their all top 20 ranked fighters.

And theres normally decent amount of talk when there's a bellator event, think its cause its the off-season that its dead!

In other Bellator news, they have signed Hiroshi Nakamura (14-5) to the Bantamweight bracket. Another good addition, though probably not the most exciting fighter as 12 of his 14 wins ahve been by decision! Just one more guy to be added, who i'd expect to be Fabio Mello.
 
#10 ·
Travis Marx (18-3) confirmed as the final entrant to the bantamweight tournament. 4 new fighters, 2 previous runners up included. Very well done bellator, its an exciting line up!

Wagney Fabiano, Ronnie Mann & Daniel Straus have been confirmed for the featherweight bracket.
 
#17 ·
I'm actually really looking forward to most of these tourneys.

There are at least 3 really good fighters in every one, and there's 5 different tournaments!! Holy cow.

Bellator has quietly put together a hell of a roster. Lets hope for no injuries/contract disputes. :pray01:

My picks:

BW - Marcos Galvao
FW - Marlon Sandro
LW - Eddie Alvarez
WW - Jay Hieron
MW - Maiquel Falcao

Although outside of Alvarez, and maybe Falcao, I don't see any clear favorites.
 
#21 ·
No he may not be in it, but not for that reason, Rebney has said that there won't be a rematch unless Alvarez wins a tournament.

But he may not be in it anyway, there's only 1 space left and its coule be Alvarez, Horodecki, Held, or even a new guy that they've signed.
 
#22 ·
It sounds like Bellator are preserving the final spot in their lightweight tourney for Alexander Sarnavskiy, who is being called the most coveted prospect since Edson Barboza. Tiger's contract w/ M1 expires at the end of the month, and he trains with Shlemenko and Koreshkov, the Bloody Elbow #1 WW prospect who Bellator also just signed.

Onto the MW tourney now, which should be their most improved for this season.

Their first tournament invitee is Brian Rogers. Rogers had their eventual champ, the aforementioned Alex Shlemenko, on the ropes, and he escaped in part with gamesmanship (pulling on the Predator's dreads as he kneed him). So I think Rogers was a smart pick by Sam Caplan.

Going back to my original pick of Falcao to win, I'd like to amend that. Carioca Santos didn't even lose a fight on any judge's card on the way to going 12-0. He's also faced all legit comp since his 2nd fight in MMA. Falcao faced a lot of cans, and suffered a couple slip-ups to the type of opponents Santos has been dominating, in addition to being swept by Maldanado in decisive fashion. The smart money in Bellator tourney betting is on the Brazilian noobs.
 
#23 ·
Cool, i've not heard that, would be awesome if he were in it, i thought he had 1 more fight on his contract, rather than 1 month though. Think he'd match up well with anyone in the lightweight draw, there's no elite wrestlers. Hawn may give him trouble, but he's been happy to stand and bang with guys.

Rogers is a fun fighter, he won't win it, but will put on a good fight against someone like Falcao.

I've not heard anything about Santos since they signed him a few months back, i hope he's still gonna be in it. And you heard any news about Vasilevsky? I've not heard anything since M1 came out and said he was still under contract with them, and Rebney said Bellator would look into it.
 
#24 ·
Hawn focused on attempting to exploit a weakness against Good. IMO he still lost the fight, but that was his strategy, so he might do the same against Tiger if Bellator can acquire him and Hawn views his wrestling as a weakness.

I think Rogers is at least a fringe contender. There are adjustments he can make from the Shlemenko fight like shave his head and don't foolishly play the 3 points equal a grounded fighter game. He's a good striker, wrestler, and has a sub victory.

Carioca has to be a virtual lock for the tourney. I haven't heard anything about the Vasilevsky issue being resolved since the lawsuit threat was made. I assumed he was in the fold because Bellator themselves posted an article about the signing, but my interpretation could have been incorrect.
 
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