3 champions put their titles at the series at Bellator 300 on Saturday. 3 champions ruled.
The development at Pechanga Area in San Diego confirmed off some high-level command from two champs and a tiny workmanlike mastery from the 3rd. Light-weight champ Usman Nurmagomedov did the incredible in the principle tournament, outshining a legend, ladies’s featherweight titlist Cris Cyborg, who’d simply placed on a thrashing within the co-main. And Liz Carmouche, generation now not an entertainer in her ladies’s flyweight identify protection, were given an emotionally difficult task executed with unemotional potency.
As for the “300” phase connected to the tussle card, that’s a pleasant, fat quantity, appearing Bellator has endured since its initiation 14 years in the past. The promotion has delivered some fat moments, in addition to some extraordinary ones. However used to be this a milestone for the corporate or a roadside marker indicating the top is correct up forward? Stories and rumors were swirling that Bellator is at the verge of being purchased via the PFL, striking the promotion’s era in suspicion. At this level, the one tournament scheduled is then day’s Bellator 301. Is that the ultimate we’ll see of Bellator?
Jeff Wagenheim and Brett Okamoto do business in some ideas on all issues Bellator — what took place Saturday evening at Bellator 300 and what it way for the warring parties’ futures, in addition to what would possibly occur in Bellator’s related era and what it way for the tussle promotion.
Nurmagomedov is a top-10 light-weight in all of MMA
Wagenheim: Let me start via declaring that my sorting of the peak 10 is completely unofficial, ESPN-wise, because it’s Brett, now not I, who comes to a decision on our divisional ratings. However I do have an opinion — miracle, miracle, longtime readers — and personally Nurmagomedov has proven himself reliable of a place.
Which spot, regardless that? I’m leaning towards the decrease finish of the ratings, in keeping with the 25-year-old’s light-weight identify protection at Bellator 300 and alternative contemporary performances. Nurmagomedov is undefeated, similar to his cousin Khabib used to be. Usman has been dominant, similar to Khabib. However the point of pageant issues. While Khabib Nurmagomedov completed his profession with whuppings of Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, Usman Nurmagomedov’s ultimate 3 wins have come in opposition to up-and-down Brent Primus, one-step-in-the-retirement-home Benson Henderson and Patricky “The Lesser Pitbull” Freire. This isn’t probably the most definitive measuring stick.
I’d love to look Nurmagomedov face a stiffer take a look at, one who disrupts his wave atmosphere. Saturday’s tussle in opposition to Primus gave the look to be unfolding in sluggish movement for Nurmagomedov, who gracefully dodged almost the whole lot thrown his method via keeping up a moment and a distance the place he may just clash and now not get struck again. It used to be a preserve, successful technique, and the champ confirmed poise and command. Nevertheless it felt like he used to be coasting. We wish to see him driven and spot him chase away.
Nurmagomedov is slated to then tussle within the ultimate of the Bellator Light-weight Global Brilliant Prix in opposition to the winner of the Nov. 17 semifinal between Freire and Alexander Shabliy. We’ve already not hidden how the champ fits up with “Pitbull,” however Shabliy, winner of 8 in a row and 15 of his ultimate 16, would possibly give his fellow Russian a run.
Possibly indisposed the street, we’ll see Nurmagomedov in with the alternative (and higher) “Pitbull,” Patricio, or dynamic AJ McKee. Or possibly we will be able to measure him in opposition to ESPN’s Disagree. 1 light-weight and arguably the Disagree. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, UFC champ Islam Makhachev. They struggle all of the era as coaching companions at American Kickboxing Academy in California. Oh, to be a fly at the wall at one in every of their sparring classes. That could be all we wish to method a extra actual opinion of the place Nurmagomedov belongs within the peak 10.
How do Cyborg and Carmouche measure up as champs pushing 40?
Wagenheim: Cyborg and Carmouche scored finishes at Bellator 301. However this is the place the comparability ends.
In truth, that’s the place the comparability in their tide atmosphere as warring parties ends. Within the fat image of girls’s MMA historical past, each were key contributors in seminal moments. When Cyborg knocked out Gina Carano — the game’s first crossover superstar — in a 2009 Strikeforce ladies’s featherweight identify bout, it used to be the primary era a ladies’s tussle headlined a big MMA tournament. And in 2013, Carmouche fought within the first ladies’s bout in UFC historical past, falling to Ronda Rousey via — what else — armbar submission. However Carmouche just about completed “Rowdy Ronda” early in that tussle nearest gaining again keep an eye on, and boy would that experience modified the tale of girls’s MMA.
Past the ones breakthroughs, the 2 ladies’s paths diverge. Carmouche has had a couple of great moments over time, generation Cyborg has authored a mythical profession. And at Bellator 300, Cyborg confirmed she isn’t slowing indisposed. In truth, she is slowing indisposed — however in an effective way. In lieu of charging out of her nook on Saturday with the vintage Cyborg blitz, which gained her some highlight-reel fast finishes previous in her profession, Cyborg confirmed poise in strolling indisposed Cat Zingano on the best way to a TKO overdue within the first spherical. She took Zingano aside extra methodically than explosively.
Cyborg is 38 years vintage, and pace is the very first thing to journey for a fighter. So, her newfound endurance will lend her neatly. It could be the article that helps to keep her related the peak of the ladies’s sport for years.
If the Bellator sale to the PFL is going via, Cyborg will paintings for a similar corporate as Kayla Harrison and Larissa Pacheco. Fights in opposition to the ones can be two of the largest in ladies’s MMA, true legacy enhancers for whoever will get her hand raised.
As for Carmouche, she isn’t on Cyborg’s point — now or ever — however she confirmed on Saturday that she residue sturdy and mischievous 4 months clear of turning 40. Combating longtime buddy and previous coaching spouse Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Carmouche didn’t let release with anything else comparable to enrage however progressively beggarly indisposed the previous champ with leg kicks. And generation that low engagement frustrated the public, it ensured that the champ would now not get stuck via a determined shot. It used to be a sustainable technique for Carmouche.
However who is aware of what the era will reserve for Carmouche? If the Bellator sale occurs and warring parties are assimilated into the PFL, would there be a house for the ladies who tussle at flyweight? Keep tuned.
What are probably the most attention-grabbing fights at Bellator 301?
Okamoto: A few weeks in the past, in a 5 Rounds section, I wrote that Bellator’s bantamweight identify tussle between Sergio Pettis and Patchy Combine is probably the most underrated tussle for the left-overs of the 12 months. I problem any person to argue any in a different way.
Pettis is on a six-fight win streak, together with his ultimate two coming in opposition to tricky pageant in Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and Kyoji Horiguchi. Sooner than that, he confronted Juan Archuleta, who is not any simple process, both. Pettis is ESPN’s Disagree. 7-ranked bantamweight, with a case to be within the peak 5. And that’s probably the most stacked section within the game presently, specifically on the peak. Combine could be probably the most underrated warring parties on the planet presently. He’s a man who finishes fights at 135 kilos and he’s bringing a ton of momentum into this identify tussle. That is only a world-class matchup in a section that’s on hearth presently — particularly within the UFC. In the event you added those two to the UFC’s roster, on peak of what’s already going, it will be the most powerful section the UFC has had in years.
The left-overs of the Bellator 301 card is superb as neatly. AJ McKee will proceed his unutilized run at light-weight. Ukrainian welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov is a reliable headliner. However for me, this card is basically in regards to the 135-pound identify tussle, which I believe one of the most peak fights at the MMA calendar.
Will there be a Bellator 302?
Okamoto: To be enthusiastic. Rumors of Bellator MMA’s death (or its absorption via PFL) were swirling for the simpler a part of this 12 months. Showtime’s long-term hobby in fight sports activities, normally, would appear to be on its deathbed. If Bellator does reserve every other tournament occasion Bellator 301, it will most probably happen in December, despite the fact that disagree fights are formally booked at this era. One trade member most probably put it very best to me in a textual content message: “It’s up in the air.”
For the game, it will be splendid to look Bellator survive by itself, however from a industry standpoint, this walk would most probably be neatly past due for Showtime — and its guardian corporate, Viacom. Bellator has some world-class warring parties below word of honour, however as an entire, the promotion has lacked path and exuberance for moderately at some point now. There were complicated talks of a PFL acquisition, and that’s the consequence I wait for on the date.
Bellator president Scott Coker’s remark over the weekend that “these things take time” used to be one of the most correct, insightful replace he may just lend. The hobby and want are there to mix firms, however all the finding out of main points takes era. How a lot era, we’ll see. However Bellator’s days do appear numbered.
