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411 Fact or Fiction MMA: Will Fedor Fight for Bellator?
Welcome back to another edition of 411 Fact or Fiction MMA, and I’m your host, Wyatt Beougher! Last week, Todd Vote and Jonathan Solomon stepped into the Fact or Fiction cage and discussed CM Punk’s future after recent back surgery, Jon Jones’ future after another traffic stop, and more, and when the polls opened, both guys were neck-and-neck, with the Draw option at one point holding the lead. By the time the polls closed, though, Todd pulled away and easily picked up the 24-16 win. Great effort from both guys, and I expect nothing less this week with Dan Plunkett and Eric Moore set to face off.
TALE OF THE TAPE
RED CORNER
Eric “Gimme Some” Moore
Commenter/Fact or Fiction Participant, 411Mania
1-2-2
VS
BLUE CORNER
“Handsome” Dan Plunkett
Contributor, 411 MMA Zone
2-3-1
1.) The circus-like atmosphere of Bellator 149, specifically the endings to the top two fights on the card, overshadowed a weekend that featured great fights from OneFC, Victory FC, WSOF, and the UFC.
Eric Moore: FACT, along with Bellator 149 pulling nearly 2mil average viewership, peaking around 2.5mil, the circus stole the weekend. Anyone who knows anything about the fight game went in and expected nothing short of disappointment for both “main events”, and they were not disappointed because they were otherwise awful fights. UFC FN 83 was a decent card with Cowboy vs Cowboy, with the Cowboy of the Cerrone variety getting a solid win in his 170 debut, plus good showing by both Garbrandt and Brunson. The Moraes fight, on the other hand, was kinda just there, and I missed the rest. Maybe I’ll circle back through YouTube and check them out (recaps I’ve read seemed decent enough). But the UFC card alone was of better quality than that of the Bellator one, though it probably had half the viewership, and because of that, the freakshow overshadowed the better card(s).
Dan Plunkett: FACT There were fights beside Kimbo vs. Dada 5000 and Gracie vs. Shamrock this weekend? Could’ve fooled me. Of course, the freak show matches stole all of the attention over the weekend. Even on Sunday, more than 24 hours after Royce kneed Ken in the shamrocks and just before a UFC event, Bellator was still the talk of the town. The next day, after a nice win from a star fighter in Donald Cerrone, Bellator’s ratings dominated the conversation. Marlon Moraes is out there clobberin’ fools and reportedly nearing the end of his contract, “Sapo” Santos is bowling over dudes, and all anybody wants to talk about is the legendarily lackluster Kimbo vs. Dada. There is no question that Bellator overshadowed everything else this weekend.
2.) Between Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris spending the weekend on life support in a Houston hospital and the spectacle that was Shamrock/Gracie, Bellator is going to need to be very careful if they continue matchmaking the way they have been since Scott Coker took control of the promotion.
Eric Moore: FACT You know they are going to continue with the freakshow acts because, quite frankly, it gets them the best ratings they’ve seen. Shamrock vs a paper bag would probably still get ratings, even though the bag would be favored -130 (I kid, but seriously, it world result in the first submission via paper cut…). Harris being garbage wasn’t their fault. His gassing to the point where he and Kimbo both shambled around like extras from The Walking Dead isn’t Bellator’s fault. But at the same time, they are still responsible for what occurs, so I would say some care needs given in future freakshow bookings, you know, just to at least try to prevent someone’s death (either the fighter’s by way of exhaustion, or the audience’s by way of boredom).
Dan Plunkett: FACT Freak show fights are often fun to watch or laugh at, but throwing one or two people that are far from high level athletes in a cage and hoping for all to go well will eventually end in disaster or tragedy. The near-tragedy with Dada 5000 should force Bellator to reexamine what fights and fighters they allow in their cage. Dave Meltzer noted on his podcast that Scott Coker told him they were considering doing 3-minute rounds for such bouts, which is an improvement, but when they have a questionable fighter or match-up, they need to ensure the fighter’s safety with rigorous medical testing that goes beyond the commission’s requirements. It would also help if they brought fights to states that have reputable commissions, rather than specifically seeking out a state whose commission is regarded as laughably incompetent like they did on Friday. If they don’t make changes, at some points it’s going to end very badly and will hurt the promotion.
3.) Justin Wren calling out Kimbo Slice actually makes sense as the next fight for both fighters.
Eric Moore: FACT I will say FACT, only because I feel Wren will school Kimbo and finish him with relative ease, which could in turn aid in preventing Kimbo from being on my television in the future, and I am all for that. But for more of the matter at hand, Wren is on a 2-fight win streak coming off a long layoff from being a fantastic humanitarian and could use the “name” on his resume. Kimbo is what he is, and will sadly draw regardless of who he fights. I would like those eyes who want to see Kimbo also see a relatively young fighter with some skill show it off on the big stage, which only aids in the promotion of said fighter (kinda what I was talking about up in #2). This is the perfect kind of fight because intrigue brings eyes in and, if Bellator is lucky, those eyes might like what they see. If Wren wins, he gets a boost. If he loses, he has time to recover. The upside outweighs the downside. This fight makes sense to me, so let’s hope it makes sense to Coker as well.
Dan Plunkett: FICTION Hell no. Justin Wren is a great person with a great story, but if I’m Bellator I want him nowhere near Kimbo Slice. Fighting on the same card is cutting it close. Wren doesn’t have the name to fight Kimbo, he doesn’t have any sort of grudge with him, and it’s very likely he’d beat Kimbo with relative ease. Kimbo isn’t nearly the fighter he was six years ago; he’s gotten old. His movement is much slower, his knees are in bad shape, and he’s fallen technically. Wren wouldn’t be a fair fight for him. If Bellator’s line of thinking was to make a new star, perhaps they’d look to Wren, who is likeable although he doesn’t have the charisma that would peg him for a major star. However, they’re looking to make the biggest fights possible. I think they’ll go after a Herschel Walker fight, which should be much bigger than the Dada fight and makes more sense competitively.
SWITCH!
4.) With an impressive win in his welterweight debut, Donald Cerrone made the right decision in deciding to move up a weight class.
Dan Plunkett: FACT I don’t think he’ll be an elite contender in the weight class as he was at lightweight, but for now Cerrone at welterweight is refreshing. It’s probably best for his health, because he certainly wasn’t a small lightweight, and it keeps him out of that nasty Rich Franklin position that some fighters have found themselves in. At welterweight, there are a number of fresh, exciting match-ups to keep Cerrone busy. Meanwhile, the lightweight division will churn on and eventually, a Cerrone return to that weight class will make a lot of sense. But for now, welterweight is a good spot for the Cowboy.
Eric Moore: FACT Man, this column is turning into Fact or Fact. I think this one is easy. Cerrone has shown at 155 that he can beat nearly anyone who isn’t elite. He has risen a handful of times only to get inopportune losses against, frankly, better competition. If he were to go back and remain at 155, he is still a Top 5 guy, but I just don’t have the confidence that he could beat the guys above him. Moving to 170 gives him a little breathing room, both as far as the weight cut goes (he is a pretty big 155er) and as far as fresh competition goes. WW has some exciting fights ahead for him and, with his skill set, both being able to stand and go to the ground comfortably, he can flourish. Add in the potential wars he can have with guys like Brown and Condit, and I’m pumped to see what the future will bring.
[Editor’s Note: Obviously, this was sent out – and returned – before Cerrone threw his hat into the ring to replace the injured Rafael dos Anjos against Conor McGregor, heralding a potential return to lightweight for Cowboy. -W]
5.) Alistair Overeem vs Andrei Arlovski in Rotterdam, Netherlands, makes perfect sense from both a matchmaking standpoint and a promotional one.
Dan Plunkett: FICTION I thought this was a weird matchup when I saw it had been made. Overeem is a title contender on a winning streak, while Stipe Miocic decisively knocked Arlovski out of title contention in January. Considering how crowded the UFC heavyweight title picture is with Overeem, Miocic, Cain Velasquez, and Ben Rothwell gunning for title shots, and how infrequently the heavyweight title is defended, I figured we’d get at least one title eliminator. If Miocic is fighting Werdum for the title next, Velasquez vs. Overeem is a great feature fight and would put the winner firmly in the #1 contender spot.
The fight only really makes sense in the fact that it’s in the Netherlands and Overeem is Dutch, and it should end in a knockout, which UFC likes. Perhaps they wanted Overeem against a safer opponent than Cain Velasquez (which is no knock on Arlovski, since that includes almost everyone in the division) or Velasquez will be out longer than initially believed, but there are fights that make more sense than Overeem vs. Arlovski.
Eric Moore: FACT Sure, makes sense to me. Both guys are close to the top. Reem has a 3-fight streak going, so a win here probably gets him in the title picture. Arlovski is 6-1 in his last 7 (his streak ended by Miocic…CLE represent!), so this would be a solid rebound win for him, getting him back in the conversation. Either guy wins, he benefits. Either guy loses, he moves back a few spots and carries on. As for the promotional aspect, Reem in the Netherlands is a no-brainer, and with Arlovski also holding notoriety overseas, it should be an anticipated clash by the fans. Yup. Makes sense.
6.) Scott Coker’s claims that Bellator are negotiating with Fedor Emelianenko will bear no fruit, and the Last Emperor will not fight in the promotion in 2016.
Dan Plunkett: FACT With Fedor and fighting in the US, the safe bet always seems to be “no” when there are other viable options out there. The problem with Fedor is that Bellator has to shell out pay-per-view level money for a television rating that won’t come close to the record number they did on Friday (unless they put him against Kimbo, I suppose). They could have him fight Bobby Lashley, Tito Ortiz, or whomever, but he’s a major investment that may not bring equal returns. Plus, for the second part of this statement, Fedor’s fights get delayed so often due to hand injuries, I wouldn’t be surprised if he fights only once this year in Japan.
Eric Moore: FICTION I honestly don’t care about Fedor anymore. He is more or less an irrelevant fossil in the world of MMA. I will go FICTION here because I would not be surprised in the least if Coker and Co throw everything at him to lure him in for even just a single fight. Coker has shown the propensity to cut all corners and try his damnedest to get the name he wants, and I see no reason to believe otherwise here. With Bellator’s past experience with Rizin (which by all accounts seems favorable), Fedor may be more willing to listen to their proposals and negotiate. A truckload of money, favorable contract terms, and an opponent with a name (like Tito Ortiz, for example) could be enough to snare him for a PPV card. Where they go past that, who knows. Either way, I probably won’t find myself caring that much…
So who won? Did Dan pick up his final win before the tournament or was Eric able to generate some momentum with only two weeks to go? You’ve got until midnight eastern on Saturday to vote, so make sure you make your voice heard!
And that’s it for today, but we’ll be back next week with another contest! As always, if there’s anything you’d like to see featured in a future edition, leave your statement in the comments and I’ll add it in. Let me know what you thought in the comments or on Twitter. And please, be sure to vote!
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