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Bellator Heavyweight Division coming along

4K views 35 replies 7 participants last post by  kantowrestler 
#1 ·
Bellator have recently announced the signings of several heavyweights. There are currently loads of guys in the mix for the season 7 tournament....

Bellator vets in contention
Thiago Santos (10-1)
Eric Prindle (7-2)
Mark Holata (12-3)
Ron Sparks (8-1)

New signigns in contention
Jon Madsen (7-1)
Brett Rogers (11-4)
Vinicius Queiroz (5-2)
Vitaly Minakov (8-0)
Ruslan Magomedov (8-1)
Alexei Kudin (14-4)
Kevin Asplund (15-1)
Mark Godbeer (8-1)
Ryan Martinez (7-1)


They of course also have Cole Konrad (9-0) who is their champion, and Blagoi Ivanov (6-0) who is recovering from a stabbing.
 
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#2 ·
My ideal 8 would be...

Thiago Santos (10-1)
Eric Prindle (7-2)
Jon Madsen (7-1)
Brett Rogers (11-4)
Alexei Kudin (14-4)
Vitaly Minakov (8-0)
Ruslan Magomedov (8-1)
Mark Godbeer (8-1)

With pairigns of
Santos v Rogers
Madsen v Prindle
Kudin v Magomedov
Minakov v Godbeer

I think this would be a good mix of guys coming back from the first season, UFC/Strikeforce vets, and unknown European fighters.
 
#3 ·
Goodbeer hasn't done anything to warrant a tourney spot outside of be British ahead of BFC's impending negotiations with major sports stations in the state after UFC's deal with ESPN expires in August. I could see him being included for that lone reason, but on merit and scouting, he should have to win a or maybe even two qualifiers.

Godbeer's contending with:

Mark Holata who has won 9 of 10 w/ victories over Jordan, Marrero, and Wagner.

Sparks who has the same record and beat Holata.

Prindle who has nearly as good of a record and upended Sparks, Beast Boy, and Wagner; plus was the last tourney champ (albeit by default).

Beast Boy with a similar record who has beaten Garner, Rinaldi, and Harris.

Martinez similar record and the would be Pro Elite finalist.

Magomedov who has the same record and at least has trumped Ricco Suave, plus passes the eye test better IMO.

I'd have Godbeer fighting on undercards until he earns a spot.

Grabowski parted ways with Bellator after edging Huckaba BTW.

This would be my field:

Vitaliy Minakov
Thiago Santos
Mark Holata
Eric Prindle
Alexei Kudin
Jon Madsen
Beast Boy/Ron Sparks winner
Ryan Martinez/Ruslan Magomedov winner

Unfortunately the winner of Brett Rogers/Kevin Asplund is going to get an undeserving (IMO) spot, crowding out a better heavyweight, but these things have a way of working themselves out. Last HW tourney lost like half its participants along the way.
 
#5 ·
Thiago "Big Monster" Santos - visa then weight issues
Blagoi "Zombie" Ivanov - injury then stabbing
Mike "300" Hayes - failed medical

It was "only" 3 of 8, but that's nearly half. So if a guy gets hard done by the choices this season, they still have a good shot of being inserted as an alternate later on, and maybe can even skip a round.
 
#7 ·
He was originally scheduled for the season 5 tourney until Visa issues excluded him.

Then he got those issues resolved and reentered as an alternate, replacing Mike Hayes in the semis. (hopefully Lins enjoys a similar break/path in the LHW tourney)

Then he of course got disqualified from the finals on the scales.
 
#11 ·
Hopefully they start putting the same effort to their LHW division. Their 8-man line-up for the summer series is pitiful! 2 guys that are 0-1 in Bellator are in the tournaments. And in other divisions you have past champions fighting in qualifiers to get in the tournaments.
 
#13 ·
There's still lots of European prospects though rather than experienced fighters.... Jan Blachowicz, Steve Bosse, Jimi Manuwa etc, and there's tonnes of unbeaten LHWs at a 5-0 sorta record that should be given qualifier fights. I also wouldnt mind guys like Gilbert Yvel, Satoshi Ishii, Seth Petruzelli being given a chance.

But guys like Zelg Galesic, Chris Davis & Emmanuel Newton really are of no interest to me.
 
#15 ·
there's tonnes of unbeaten LHWs at a 5-0 sorta record that should be given qualifier fights.
Oh, that's exactly what they planned on doing. Lins and Van Buren were both 5-0 and scheduled to fight each other, but the former couldn't get licensed and the latter got injured before the event. Vanttinen was 21-3 but carried a major knee injury into his pseudo qualifier w/ Hawk and couldn't get out of it unscathed.

But guys like Zelg Galesic, Chris Davis & Emmanuel Newton really are of no interest to me.
Your attitude toward this field closely mirrors mine, but at least out of the names you mentioned, I have a little interest in how Galesic looks at 205 because physically he looks lean and muscular, and I have a little interest in Newton because he could have gotten the nod against both Jimmo and Prangley. His fight against Jimmo was boring as hell though.

There is still a possibility Lins could get in through the back door like Big Monster and Spang did. That's what I'm hoping for because he appeared to be the original participant with the most potential. A semi of Lins, Hale, Boughton/Newton, and Vegh/Galesic would be solid.
 
#16 ·
Yea thats what i mean, the LHW bracket they origonally had planned looked decent (ish). Lins (5-0), Van Buren (5-0), Hollett (13-3), Desilets (13-3) were all guys i looked forward to seeing in the tournament; and if you add in Hale, Vegh, Wiuff & Tribolet to them, thats a pretty damn good field as LHWs go. But for one reason or another all of them 4 are unavailable, and they've dissappointingly been replaced with the guys i mentioned.

I'm still reasonably interested in some guys - if Hale, Vegh, Wiuff and Boughton advance to the semi's, i think it offers some good and interesting fights. But if we have semi's involving Davis, Newton & Galesic, i wont be interested i nthe slightest.

I'm just hoping whoever wins it beats M'Pumbu, don't know how the hell he won the fiurst tournament, let alone finishing every fight along the way!
 
#21 ·
These were the fighters I was most looking forward to seeing from the LHW tourney: 1. Phelipe Lins, 2. Richard Hale, 3. Matt Van Buren, 4. a healthy Marcus Vanttinen. That's even worse than the UFC has been getting hit lately.

E.J. Brooks was probably the most intriguing individual fighter on the card, and he couldn't make weight.

It's very frustrating. No question now the UFC event takes priority/full attention. I won't even watch the BFC prelims and the main card is being watched on the DVR on medium speed fast forward until things happen.
 
#23 ·
Lol just read a comment on Facebook by Eric Prindle, guy needs to get back in school -

Cody Bollinger:- Bellator doesnt test do they? Not implying at all that the guy above juices just curious.
3 hours ago · Like
(in comment of a picture of Travis Wiuff)

Eric Prindle;- The camition tests Cody. And all the light heaves are physical specimens ! Thay could eat top ramen and lemons and look like body builders. I'm trying to get ripped like them
3 hours ago · Like · 1
hahahaha
 
#26 ·
Reasonably happy with the semi-finals, thought the best 4 guys went through.

Semi's are Wiuff v Carpenter, and Vegh v Newton.

Interesting fights. I expect Wiuff to smash Carpenter and make the finals, but the other fight is much harder to pick. I think i'm edging towards Newton to get the upset.

If Newton or Wiuff win the tournament, i expect them to beat M'Pumbu.
 
#27 ·
I don't think Wiuff would win the rematch with M'Pumbu the way the first fight went and considering it'll be a 5-rounder this time around. M'Pumbu had Wiuff seriously hurt on a couple occasions and effectively beat himself by not pouncing when it happened in the third. M'Pumbu can learn this time around, and win a couple rounds on cardio alone if it goes to a decision. That would have won him the first fight on most judges cards I think. I thought that was clearly 29-28 through 3.

Newton or Vegh however I agree would beat M'Pumbu. They are both plus wrestlers, decent athletes, have solid jits, and their stand-up is good enough to at least be competitive with M'Pumbu.

Sharon said:
I have no idea what you talking about. I know they are addressing their division, just saying it needs to be better is all
It was at the very least odd phrasing in response to the thread topic. You didn't say it was "still" weak, implying that the additions weren't enough to save it. You just said it was weak, implying you were sharing your opinion on its standing before the changes, since Prindle got lucky by winning the last tourney. Do you even have perspective on all the heavyweights they did add?

BTW, they did add another now that Richard Hale has moved up to heavyweight.

Champion - Cole Konrad

Tourney Fodder - Thiago Santos, Vitaly Minakov, Alexei Kudin, Ryan Martinez, Richard Hale, Mark Holata, Ron Sparks, Brett Rogers, Eric Prindle, Ruslan Magomedov

DL - Blagoi Ivanov

That's pretty respectable. Nobody said it was UFC. Weak in comparison to what?
 
#29 ·
I don't think its massivley comparable to the UFC's division. Konrad is a stud dont get me wrong, but he's the only guy that would go to the UFC and be a top 10 guy. Thiago Santos and Blagoi Ivanov would probably be top 20. All the rest are either not good enough or unknown prospects (who one day may be good enough).

But the heavyweight division is definately a lot stronger than it was a year ago which is good.
 
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