Heavyweight GP finalists will be defined this weekend (Photo: Disclosure/Bellator)
The weekend will be special for Bellator fans. This Friday (12) and Saturday (13), the company brings a 'double' with the semi-finals of the heavyweight GP with Ryan bader x Matt Mitrione on one side of the key and Fedor Emelianenko x Chael Sonnen from the other. Other highlights are the clashes between Roy Nelson x Sargei Kharitonov, Benson Henderson x Saad Awad and Cheick Kongo x Timothy Johnson.
See too
Bellator 207
Protagonists of the 207th edition of Bellator, the ex-UFC duo Ryan bader and Matt Mitrione entered the heavyweight GP as the biggest favorites to take home the belt. The switch then put them face to face in the semi-finals.
The first to take action was Matt Mitrione, who overcame Roy Nelson by majority decision at Bellator 194, in February this year, in the second fight of the quarterfinals. Previously, Meathead, as he is known, had scored three knockouts in three fights at the house, including Fedor Emelianenko on your list of victims.
Light heavyweight champion, Bader secured his place in the semifinals without any difficulty with a knockout King mo Lawal in a measly 15 seconds, last May, at Bellator 199. 'Darth' arrived at the company with morale, already winning the belt against Phil Davis, on points, and successfully defended against Linton Vassale, by technical knockout.
Another valid duel in the heavyweight division is between Roy Nelson and newcomer Sargei Kharitonov. Known for his 'big belly' since his UFC days, 'Big Country' debuted in Bellator with a lukewarm victory over the unknown Javy Ayala, before being eliminated from the GP by Mitrione.
A veteran with stints at events such as Pride, K-1, Strikeforce and M-1 Global, Kharitonov has two performances in the house, with a 50% success rate. At 38 years old, the Russian comes from three triumphs and one fight without result.
Bellator 208
On the one hand, a legendary fighter, known for his calm and cold posture, always respected and respectful. On the other, an athlete recognized worldwide as the 'creator of trash talk', a born provocateur. With contrasting styles, Fedor Emelianenko e Chael Sonnen they duel for the last place in the final of the heavyweight GP.
Fedor is far from the dominant champion of the early 21st century, when he remained undefeated for a decade, having beaten legends like Rodrigo Minotauro, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Coleman and company, still in the now defunct Pride. Despite this, the 42-year-old Russian showed in the lightning knockout against Frank mir that he can still produce good fights and dream of the heavyweight belt and, who knows, have the chance to get revenge on Matt Mitrione, who knocked him out in June 2017.
Although he has never been spectacular inside the cage, Sonnen has an enviable resume, feats that few men in the world have achieved. He has already faced Anderson Silva (twice), Jon Jones, Demian Maia, Rashad evans, Tito Ortiz, Mauritius Shogun, Wanderlei Silva e Quinton jackson, having beaten the last three names on the list. The triumph over Rampage, in fact, was his ticket to advance to the next stage in the tournament, seven months after debuting in Bellator with a victory over arch-rival Wand.
In the second most important fight of the night, Benson Henderson tries for the first time to achieve a series of victories in the company. The former UFC lightweight champion has yet to make the jump to Bellator, with just two wins in five appearances. His opponent is veteran Saad Awad, on the back of four consecutive victories and with an extensive number of fights in the organization chaired by Scott Coker: 11 negative results and five negative results.
Fresh from the UFC, Timothy Johnson will have the tough task of debuting against Cheick Kongo, who also played for Ultimate, but has been part of the Bellator squad for five years. In 12 fights in the company, the Frenchman won 10, the last six in a row.
Comments