Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
With five big MMA events this weekend alone, each promotion is doing their best to garner attention from the fans. The Bellator Fighting Championships is putting forth an effort that includes the lightweight tournament semi-finals. The Bellator 105 Preliminary Card is worth checking out as well, with a few former tournament participants in action.
Kicking off the action is a featherweight division bout as Desmond “The Predator†Green (8-2-0) competes against Angelo “The San-I Warrior†Sanchez (12-3-0). Green participated in the season nine featherweight tournament, losing to Fabricio Da Silva in the opening round. Sanchez is coming off of a nine fight run in the King Of The Cage promotion, where he won eight fights total. This is a really good fight that is on the preliminary card, but it will be Green getting back into the win column.
Heavyweight division action is next as Raphael “The Silencer†Butler (6-0-0) is in action against Joseph Bryant (4-2-0). Butler is currently undefeated in Bellator competition, having defeated Jeremiah O’Neal by knockout at Bellator 96. Bryant will enter the fight riding a two fight winning streak, but has only fought once in the last two years. The lack of activity is going to affect Bryant in this fight, as it will be Butler remaining undefeated in the end.
More heavyweight action is up as Josh “Big Country†Lanier (3-7-0) does battle against Volkan “Cousin†Oezdemir (9-0-0). Lanier has only won one of his last seven bouts and is currently winless thus far in Bellator competition. Oezdemir is currently undefeated as a professional MMA fighter, with only one career fight going to the judge’s scorecard. Why Bellator put on such a mismatch is beyond my comprehension, but it will be Oezdemir staying undefeated.
A bantamweight division affair is up next as Frank Baca (16-3-0) will be duking it out with Luis “Betao†Nogueira (15-3-1). Baca competed in the Bellator 2013 Summer Series Bantamweight Tournament, losing to Anthony Leone in the opening round. Nogueira has competed in two separate bantamweight tournaments, making it to the finals in season eight. This is another great fight worth checking out on the prelims, but it will be Nogueira winning this battle of the bantamweights.
Another bantamweight division fight is up next as Jesse Brock (15-7-0) takes on Adrian “Killa†Cruz (5-0-0). Brock is currently winless in Bellator competition, having dropped a fight to Jimmie Rivera at Bellator 83. Cruz has already competed twice in Bellator, with victories coming over both Nick Gonzalez and Felipe Chavez. Cruz has yet to really stumble in his MMA career and he will continue with his undefeated streak intact when he defeats Brock.
Up next is a middleweight division encounter as “Fast†Eddie Larrea (17-23-0-1NC) battles Rocky “The Angry Aztec†Ramirez (4-4-1). Larrea has won two of his last four fights, but his last fight was a loss to Zak Ottow at a King Of The Cage event. Ramirez will enter the fight riding a two fight losing streak and he has not won a fight in well over two years. This could be one of the more pointless fights in recent Bellator events, but it will be Ramirez pulling out the victory.
Headlining this portion of the card is a bantamweight division fight as Shawn “Bunch The Great†Bunch (2-0-0) faces Steve “The Assassin†Garcia (9-5-0). Bunch has spent his entire career in the Bellator promotion, last defeating Russell Wilson at Bellator 97. Garcia has only won one of his last three fights, with one of those losses coming to UFC veteran Will Campuzano. Bunch is facing the biggest test of his career thus far and he will fail that test as Garcia ends his undefeated streak.
Follow me on Twitter @DaveTeesMMA
Contact me at bigteesps3@yahoo.com
