If you are like me, and can't spend a weekend without watching an MMA event, well you are lucky because Bellator returns at the Mohegan Sun Arena, with a featherweight Grand Prix Semi Finals.
The main event, is a rematch between Patricio Freire "Pitbull" (31-4-0) vs Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4-0), the winner will move on to the Featherweight final and will be one step closer to win $1,000,000.
Their first fight in 2018 ended up by a win of the current champion "Pitbull" by unanimous decision, but the fighters have both progressed a lot since their fight in Tel Aviv.
They are both BJJ black belts, but if the fight goes to the ground Pitbull will have an advantage due to his superior wrestling skills and his ability to apply heavy pressure on his opponent.
After rewatching their first fight, I was shocked how Freire was dominating the fight, until round 3 when Sanchez uses more his range, his kicks, it's really weird that he did not apply the same game plan in round 1, though it's always easier to give tactical advice comfortably sitting on a couch 😁.
It's interesting to note that Pitbull has a victory over current UFC title contender Michael Chandler (via TKO punches), it just shows you that Bellator's roaster level isn't too far behind UFC's roaster.
You can expect some heavy pressure from the Brazilian in top position, Pitbull is the smaller man but truly hits like a truck, you could already see the damage on Sanchez in the early rounds, and I expect pretty much the same thing this time around.
My prediction is a win for Pitbull, by unanimous decision (this isn't gambling advice, just my opinion).
The second fight of the evening that I am very interested in, is a familiar name:
Usman Nurmagomedov (11-0-0) vs Mike Hamel (7-4-0)
To be honest, this is the fight I am tuning in for. It's been years that Usman has been hyped, and this is an exciting and long awaited Bellator debut.
Khabib's cousin has fought 11 professional bouts since 2017, and is ready for the big stage. Out of this 11 fights, 10 of them were won by stoppage, with 3 by submissions.
Can we expect the same type of game plan as Khabib? Well, not really, Usman is a completely different fighter from Khabib.
First, he is a finisher ,and I am not saying that Khabib "The Eagle" never finished a fight, but is well known for using a totally different approach to the game, with always a emphasis on the grind, by making his opponent give up.
On the other hand, Usman is a true striker, and I would even say a sniper:
Flying knees, interrogation mark kicks, a crisp jab, picking up his shots, Jerry had absolutely no chance! This guy is the real deal, and don't let me get started on his ground game, which in some ways make him more dangerous than Khabib, a more complete fighter you may say.
His cousin will be in his corner, as you already know Khabib has officially retired few days ago, and would like to focus on his coaching career, Usman will surely have an extra pressure to deliver on the night, and carry on his shoulder the Numagomedov Legacy.
Let's see if he can handle the pressure, and the magnitude of the event. Let's talk about his opponent for a minute, Mike Hamel.
He is 28 years old, has a mullet, and a 7-4 record, needless to say that he isn't probably the biggest competition, but after watching him throw his jab, it could get interesting. He seems to overextend a little bit too much in his exchanges, maybe out of hunger, check this out:
I really don't like the way he leans forward, this won't cut against Usman's superior striking. He will be able to absorb a little bit more shots, as they are competing in the lighweight division and this fight above was a featherweight bout, more fats around the cranium, meaning less chance to get knocked out that easily, but I still believe that the Dagestanese fighter will have a clear advantage.
You also will notice that he kind of gave up on the armbar, once again, easier said than done, sometimes when you are tired, it's easier to accept the submission, and we might see something similar on Friday night.
I predict a win for Usman, probably in round 1 by TKO.
Neiman Gracie (10-1-0) vs Jason Jackson (13-4-0)
Neiman Gracie is the son of Carla Gracie and Márcio Stambowsky. His father is one of the "Famous Five" Rolls Gracie black belts, needless to say that Neiman was born to fight.
Incredible Ju-Jitsu skills, he has only tasted defeat once against Rory Macdonald via unanimous decision in 2019, and there is absolutely no shame to lose against that man.
Let's dive into one his latest fight against Jon Fitch:
The submission move he is using is called a "(Inverted) Heel Hook", and a very common submission technique. I personally hate it, but it's because I find joint manipulation around the heel very dangerous and could be permanently damaging. I also struggle to defend against these submission attempts, and I tapped out in training by fear of getting hurt, SO MANY TIMES!
Still, you will see some of the best Ju-Jitsu practitioners using it constantly, Jon Fitch was smiling while in the saddle, but he must have known that it was the beginning of the end, once Neiman started attacking his leg.
I have not heard of Jason Jackson too much, but he seems to be pretty fast and evasive. If he was a part of the Blackzilians, he surely have more than enough experience to give Neiman some problems. I've found another fight here that you can check if you are interested.
I still predict a win for the Gracie descendant, by submission, but Neiman better watch out for Jackson, he is pretty fast!
Rest of the card
Main:
Heavyweight bout: Tyrell Fortune (9-1-0) vs Jack May (9-3-0)
Flyweight bout: Alejandra Lara (9-3-0) vs Kana Watanabe (9-0-1)
Prelims:
Bantamweight bout: Magomed Magomedov(17-1-0) vs Cee Jay Hamilton (15-7-0)
Middleweight bout: Jordan Newman (2-0-0)vs Branko Busick (2-1-0)
Welterweight bout: Roman Faraldo (4-0-0) vs Trevor Gudde (2-1-0)
Light Heavyweight bout: Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros (6-2-0) vs Jonathan Wilson (9-3-0)
Catchweight bout: Roger Huerta (24-12-1) vs Chris Gonzales (5-0-0)
Middleweight bout: Fabio Agular (17-1-0) vs Khalid Murtazaliev (14-2-0)
Lightweight bout: Mendel Nallo (7-1-0) vs Ricardo Seixas (9-2-0)