Bellator Predictions: Bellator 14 Preview & Predictions
Pro Fighting Fans is the home of Bellator MMA fans across the globe and we now bring you the best place to find the latest Bellator news as well as the latest preview & predictions. Bellator Fighting Championships 14 is the second event of Bellator's second season taking place on on April 15, 2010 and our Bellator predictions & fight previews will be posted below for MMA fans across the globe to enjoy. Check out the Bellator 14 results and buy Bellator MMA tickets online here through Pro Fighting Fans!
James Krause vs. Toby Imada
WEC castoff, James Krause (11-2), will take on submission specialist, Toby Imada (23-12) in a Bellator 14 lightweight quarterfinal bout. Krause was ousted from the WEC after dropping back-to-back bouts but has since got back in the win column. Imada was in action in late-January earning a TKO victory over Daisuke Hanazawa for King of the Cage.
Krause is a dangerous finisher, and in particular, an excellent submission specialist. He debuted in 2007 and fought for a variety of organizations while building a 10-0 record. He was good enough to earn a WEC contract, but, after losing to Donald Cerrone and Ricardo Lamas, he was quickly turned away from the Zuffa-owned promotion. He did rebound with a victory over Kalel Robinson at Titan FC 15 in December to get back on track.
Imada, 31, is also a submission specialist who trains out of the Los Angeles-based “Dawg Pound”. He made his pro debut in 1998 and carried a mediocre record for several years including losing 5 straight from 2001-2005. He finally hit his stride in 2007 by winning eight consecutive fights leading up to his Bellator lightweight title bout with Eddie Alvarez. Although he lost in his title appearance last June, he has since recorded another victory while fighting in Japan this January.
Prediction – Imada over Krause via submission
Pat Curran vs. Mike Ricci
Team Curran fighter, Pat Curran (9-3), will step into the cage against training partner of UFC welterweight champion GSP, Mike Ricci (5-0), in a Bellator 14 lightweight quarterfinal bout.
Curran debuted over two years ago and went on to win his first three fights before dropping a C3 Fights bout in November 2008 to current UFC lightweight Darren Elkins. He turned it around and won five of his next six before losing a December 2009 bout to Travis Perzynski at XFO 34. In February he rebounded with his fourth decision victory of his career defeating Robbie Oliver at Trojan MMA.
Ricci also made his debut in 2008 for the popular Canadian TKO organization. His first two career bouts were both finishes and both contested under the TKO banner. His last two bouts took place in Quebec, for the Ringside MMA organization, including his most recent unanimous decision victory over Canadian veteran Jordan Mein in November.
Prediction – Ricci over Curran TKO
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Ben Askren vs. Ryan Thomas
Former University of Missouri wrestler and United States Olympian, Ben Askren (3-0), will be in action at Bellator 14 against former UFC welterweight, Ryan Thomas (10-3), in a welterweight quarterfinal bout.
Askren, 25, joined the Lion’s Den fighting team after his amateur career ended and made his professional MMA debut in February 2009. He fought in the Missouri-based Headhunter Productions organization for his first two career fights and for the Iowa-based Max Fights for his last bout. He won his first fight via TKO and the last two via submissions.
Thomas, 25, is an Illinois-born fighter who is known mostly for his submission game. He made his debut in April 2007 and won his first five fights in organizations all over the Midwest. After being defeated by UFC fighter Jesse Lennox, he won his next four in a row to earn himself a trip inside the octagon. He was submitted in both of his UFC bouts, first against Ben Saunders and then to Matt Brown. His latest action was in August 2009 where he submitted Ryan Stout at the Indiana-based War in the Yard event.
Prediction – Askren over Thomas submission
Patricio Freire vs. William Romero
Team Nogueira fighter, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (12-0) will be making his North American debut against Ontario, Canada-based William Romero (5-0) in a featherweight quarterfinal bout at Bellator 14.
“Pitbull”, 22, is a proud Brazilian who has fought exclusively in his homeland over the last six years. While fighting for several different promotions, he has finished ten of his twelve opponents including his last four. His last fight was in December when he submitted Johnny Iwasaki at Platinum Fight Brazil 2.
Romero, 27, is a Canadian fighter who trains and fights out of Tiger Muay Thai. He made his debut in June 2008 and went on to win his first three bouts, all with the Iroquois MMA organization, via stoppage. His most recent victory was perhaps his most impressive. In August 2009, he connected flush with a punch that knocked his opponent, Guillaume Lamarche, out in 17-seconds.
Prediction – Romero over Pitbull TKO
Wilson Reis vs. Shad Lierley
Bellator veterans, Wilson Reis (8-1) and Shad Lierley (5-2), will compete in the Bellator 14 main event in a featherweight quarterfinal bout.
Reis, 25, is a Brazilian-born fighter who now splits his training sessions in gyms throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He made his debut in July 2007 and went on to win his first seven bouts including becoming the first Elite XC bantamweight champion and winning last season’s featherweight quarterfinal bout. He lost to eventual tournament champion, Joe Soto, in the semi’s, but has since put together back-to-back victories. In November, he won a unanimous decision over Dwayne Shelton to become Extreme Force featherweight champion.
Lierley, 29, is a Utah-born fighter who now trains in Seattle, Washington. He debuted in 2007 for the Seattle Tigersharks in the IFL. He won his first two bouts and then lost his next two, although his losses came against WEC fighters Chris Horodecki and Wagnney Fabiano. Since his losses, he has won three consecutive including a Bellator 9 bout (May 2009) over Nathan Murdock.
Prediction – Reis over Lierley submission
By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer
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