Bellator Season 7 Tournament Winner Predictions
Bellator season 7 delivered some new promising fighters to watch, but overall, it was a bit lacking in star power. This was mostly due to Bellator hoarding its better known talent for their upcoming Spike debut in 2013.
There were four tournaments this season in the featherweight (145 lbs.), lightweight (155 lbs.), welterweight (170 lbs.), and heavyweight (265 lbs.) divisions.
The featherweight division was probably the best display of overall talent as Bellator presented proven WEC veteran Wagnney Fabiano, and young prospects Rad Martinez, Shahbulat Shamhalaev, and Mike Richman. It was literally a pick’em contest to figure out who would move onto the tournament finals. When the dust settled, Rad Martinez and Shahbulat Shamhalaev were left standing. Shamhalaev has thus far been a beast in the Bellator cage. He took out fellow prospect Cody Bollinger in dominating fashion before scoring a stunning knockout of Mike Richman. Meanwhile, Rad Martinez has won both his fights via decision, taking out veterans Wagnney Fabiano and Nazareno Malegarie. Martinez will possess the wrestling advantage over Shamhalaev, but Shamhalaeav should be the the fresher, more talented striker. In the end, I believe Martinez’s wrestling, strength, experience, and conditioning will help him grind out a decision victory.
Featherweight Tournament Winner Prediction: Rad Martinez
The Bellator season 7 lightweight tournament was supposed to be all about newly signed Russian phenom Alexander Sarnavskiy, but in a shocking upset, UFC veteran Rich Clementi was able to use his takedowns and grappling to grind out a split decision. The remaining fighters left in the semifinals are Ricardo Tirloni, Dave Jansen, and Marcin Held. Whoever ends up winning this tournament will likely stand little chance at defeating Michael Chandler, but at this point, it will be nice to just finally see Chandler defend his title. Clementi took out the supposed #1 seed, but he absorbed a lot of punishment in the process. I think he can get past Held, but I don’t like his chances against either Tirloni or Jansen. Tirloni vs. Jansen should be a solid fight, but Tirloni’s chin has looked too fragile for my liking. If Tirloni can get the fight to the ground in a favorable position he can submit Jansen, but I believe this is Jansen’s tournament to win.
Lightweight Tournament Winner Prediction: Dave Jansen
Lyman Good has shown why he was a former Bellator champion, as he has looked sharp in both of his tournament wins over Jim Wallhead and Michail Tsarev. On the other side of the bracket was top prospect Andrey Koreshkov. Koreshkov got a stiff challenge from Jordan Smith before moving on to knock out Marius Zaromksis. Good vs. Koreshkov is a solid battle between two of the most underrated welterweights in the sport. Good has shown an excellent chin and should have the overall strength and wrestling advantage to take Koreshkov down and keep him there. The problem with Lyman Good winning this tournament is he poses little threat against the man who took his title a few years ago, Ben Askren.
Welterweight Tournament Winner Prediction: Lyman Good
Bellator’s season 7 heavyweight tournament should have once again proven to fans why there should not be another Ultimate Fighter season of heavyweights. There is just simply not enough talented big men in the sport. Bellator did an admirable job trying to put together a patchwork set of matchups, but overall the tournament was lacking any true gamechangers, especially considering former light heavyweight Richard Hale looks to be the runaway favorite. Bellator had signed Brett Rogers and Ryan Martinez to go along with former tournament participants Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos. When it was all said and done though, Rogers and Martinez were complete non-factors, and Prindle vs. Santos once again ended in baffling controversy. Richard Hale and Alexander Volkov surprisingly emerged as the finalists, which should once again hit home just how bad the MMA heavyweight scene is outside of the UFC. Volkov’s takedown defense is not stellar and he will have to hope that Hale will be willing to just stand and trade with him. Hale has sometimes displayed a questionable fight IQ, but if he wants to win this tournament he needs to use his strength and muscle Volkov up against the cage and take him down. Hale used his wrestling to defeat D.J. Linderman in the light heavyweight tournament semi-finals a couple of years ago, and I expect him to do the same here.
Heavyweight Tournament Winner Prediction: Richard Hale
