The Big Men Throw Down at Bellator Heavyweight Tournament

Find Intimidation MMA clothing & apparel online available through Pro Fighting Fans!

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 52 took place on Saturday, October 01, 2011 and our Bellator predictions & fight previews are posted below for MMA fans across the globe to enjoy. Check out the Bellator 52 results and buy Bellator MMA tickets online here through Pro Fighting Fans!

Bellator always seems to put off excellent events. This past Saturday’s heavyweight tournament opening round, while perhaps overshadowed somewhat by the UFC event taking place that same evening, was no exception. The fighter's showed heart, grit, heavy hands, and brutal power as they fought for their chance to fight the Bellator heavyweight champ Cole Konrad. The majority of fighters competing in the tournament, however, are unknown to most fans, with a couple of exceptions. That will likely change as the tournament progresses, especially if the rest of the tournament turns out to be as great as last Saturday's card. Below I present a analysis of the fights and fighters and make a prediction regarding which will win the competition.

The first heavyweight tournament matchup was between Mark Holata and Ron Sparks, two very large men. Sparks, in fact, had to cut to make the 265lbs weight limit. Both fighters started a little cautious, feeling each other out with jabs, knowing that any one punch could mean lights out. It did not take long, though, for fists to meet faces, as Sparks landed a nice combination on Holata early. This only seemed to encourage Holata, as he then pressed forward looking to land some punches of his own, leading to exchanges which saw both fighters landing. Holata might be regretting his decision to exchange with the big man, because it led to a brutal knockout courtesy of a huge left hook by Sparks.

The next fight between Abe Wagner and Erik Prindle did not end in spectacular fashion like the one previous. This fight, instead, lasted three rounds, but was spectacular in its own right. Wagner, best known for his TKO victory over former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Silvia, came into the fight visibly smaller than the he-man-esque Prindle, who cuts down from nearly 300lbs. That did not seem to intimidate Wagner though, as he was able to catch an early kick and bring the bigger man to the canvas where he controlled and mounted Prindle early. Prindle showed his inexperience in ground fighting, making several rookie mistakes from the get-go, like giving up his arms, then almost giving his back. His brute strength allowed him to bully his way out of trouble, however, and Prindle soon ended up on top of Wagner. After doing a little damage from the top, Prindle fell victim to an omoplata sweep and the fight resumed on the feet, where both fighters landed good, damaging shots.

While Wagner likely won the first round on points, Prindle began to land with more frequency in the first half of the second round until he dropped Wagner, who held on desperately to the leg of his giant opponent, dragging him to the ground. Prindle looked to establish position and land some shots from the top, but his inexperience as a ground fighter came through once again, as he was not able to keep Wagner where he wanted him and failed at several submission attempts. The round ended with Wagner torquing Prindle's heel, looking for a heel foot, but to no avail.

Both fighters looked tired and sluggish going into the third round. Regardless, they both kept swinging, and landing. A lazy shot for Pridle's legs left Wagner on the bottom of the big man-not somewhere he wanted to be, especially since fatigue had set in. Prindle used his body weight to hold the position and land hammer fists and eventually achieved mount. As Wagner turned, Prindle attempted a rear naked choke but was not in position. Just before the bell, Wagner found a way to escape with an upa and ended the round on top. But it was not enough to win the round, or the fight, which Prindle took by decision.

After watching the first two fights something dawned on me. In a previous article I wrote about the technical mastery displayed by flyweight fighters like Jussier da Silva and Momoru Yamaguchi. These men are forced to use technical ability over strength, as they simply do not have the power to rely on one punch knockouts or on muscling their submissions. These 265lbs men, on the other hand, showed just the opposite much of the time: a reliance on power over techniques. Now, there was some good techniques displayed in the first two matches of the tournament, and there would be more in the matches to come, but it is impossible to deny that these men threw more looping punches, and looked more clumsy on the ground than their flyweight counterparts. So why was I, someone who is a fanatic when it comes to learning and watching proper technique, enjoying these fights so much? The same reason everyone else loves a good heavyweight showdown: the potential for a knockout finish or drawn-out slugfest! Sounds barbaric doesn't it? Oh well. I like to think I am a cultured barbarian at least. Anyway, on with the analysis.

> Buy TapouT shirts & apparel through Pro Fighting Fans as well as great MMA clothing as well as Round 5 MMA toys online!

A familiar face to some, Zak Jensen of The Ultimate Fighter TV show was featured in the next bout as a replacement for the Brazilian Thiago Santos. His opponent was relatively unknown Bulgarian fighter, Blagoi Ivanov, who is perhaps best well known for his combat sambo victory over Fedor Emelianenko in 2008. Blagoi gave up over twenty pounds to Jenson, but it did not seem to matter much once the fight got underway. It was evident from the start that Jensen came to fight! He began stalking the Bulgarian right from the start, looking like a man possessed. Ivanov opted to circle and pick his shots as the big man chased him down. As Jensen threw, Blagoi used excellent head movement to avoid and counter, landing very hard and accurate shots. Ivanov eventually clinched and used a beautiful throw to put Jensen on his back. Jensen eventually made it back to his feet, but not before receiving a number of punches to the head courtesy of Ivanov. Jensen did not fare any better on his feet, where Ivanov again avoided almost all damage while countering effectively. Ivanov began to light Jenson up, knocking his head back and bloodying him as he continued to walk forward, absorbing all of the damage that the Bulgarian could dish out.

After a brief exchange at the beginning of the second round, Ivanov took the fight to the canvas once again with an outside trip takedown. This marked the beginning of the end for Jensen. Blagoi began right away to attack with his submissions. First he caught Jensen in a keylock which he came very close to finishing. When Jensen slipped out of the submission, Ivanov delivered some ground and pound from the mount until Jensen tried to roll out. Ivanov then transitioned to a guillotine and choked Zak unconscious as he tried to make it back to his feet.

At 228lbs, Mike Hayes was the smallest fighter entering the tournament. While tall, Hayes looks as if he could probably make the cut to 205lbs without much trouble. The same could not be said about his opponent, Neil Grove, appropriate named “The Goliath.” Grove is perhaps the best known fighter in the whole tournament, making it to the finals of the 2010 Bellator heavyweight tournament before losing to eventual champion Cole Konrad. At six feet six inches and 265.5 lbs, Grove dwarfed his slightly shorter but much lighter opponent. The fight looked to be a mismatch; but only until the actual fighting began. From the opening bell Grove appeared very hesitant, while Hayes showed a lot of footwork and movement, making himself a hard target. Grove waited, threw some leg kicks, then waited some more. Hayes, on the other hand, rather than waiting for an opportunity, worked to create them. He feinted with jabs and front leg inside thigh kicks to get Grove to react, but had trouble doing so as Grove chose to do nothing but throw the occasional leg kick. Hayes eventually got a little more busy with his body kicks, but did not do much damage. In fact, by doing so he gave Grove the opportunity to land with his hands as Hayes tried to close the distance. In the last minute of the fight Grove finally decided to make a move, clinching with Hayes, who then tried a trip takedown which failed due to nice use of the whizzer by Grove. The fighters soon resumed standing, and the round closed as it began.

It is hard to say who one the first round. The kicks that Grove was able to land did more damage than any shot Hayes landed, but then again Hayes was the busier fighter. I would probably have given the round to Hayes, as he was at least making an effort to engage. The second round was very similar to the first, although both fighters found their range on a few occasions and got some shots off. Grove seemed to land more shots, however, and I would give this round to him, although not by a lot.

Neil Grove finally made his move in the third round. He opened up on Hayes with a flurry of looping punches, then knees from the Thai clinch, until Hayes got a body lock on Grove and dragged him to the canvas in desperation. Hayes controlled Grove from the top and eventually took his back where he worked for a rear naked choke. Hayes lost the position, however, as Grove turned into his opponents guard. Grove then made a fatal error; he sat up and went for a foot lock, but he was not able to finish. This caused him to lose top position and allowed Hayes to get on top, where he ended the round working for a keylock, then landing several hammer fists after Grove slipped out of that submission. If Grove had ended the round on top, landing some point scoring punches, he would likely have left a better impression on the judges and won the fight. That was not to be, however, as Hayes ended up winner by split decision.

So, as I said, the fight card was wrought with excitement! Well, maybe not so much the last fight. The rest of the card, however, more than made up for that one. Now that I have analyzed each fight, who do I think will emerge as the winner when the dust settles and go on to face heavyweight champ Cole Konrad? Let see.

Hayes fought a close fight against a much larger opponent, displaying good footwork, some decent control on the ground, and much determination. His win, though, was against an opponent who refused to fight for much of the match. So, not to take anything away from Hayes, but Grove did help him look as good as he did in that fight. Against a more determined 265lb fighter Hayes might find himself looking a lot less impressive. Indeed, when Grove did decide to go on tear, albeit a brief one, he had Hayes in a lot of trouble. For that reason, I am not picking Hayes to win.

Prindle showed a lot of skill and power while standing and throwing with Abe Wagner. If he were to box with any of the other competitors for the entire fight he might just come out on top. But this is MMA we are talking about, and Prindle is simply too inexperienced to hang on the ground with some of the other fighters in this tournament.

The sheer power of Sparks makes him a good candidate, but his ground game is a mystery to me and he might have some trouble if the fight hits the canvas. Regardless, the man has the power to knock out anyone on any given day. Choosing him would not be such a stretch, but am not convinced that he will be the one to win the tournament.

Blagoi Ivanov is my choice. Why? Because his head movement and punching accuracy will allow to stand with either of the other fighters. If he ever feels like he is in trouble standing, his sambo base will allow him to bring the fight to the mat, where his years of grappling experience will be an asset. I believe he is too good in the clinch and on the ground for the two big power punchers, and will be able to at least match Hayes in terms of speed and footwork, but will prove the better all around fighter, winning on takedowns, control, and possibly on the feet as well. For those simple reasons, the Bulgarian is my pick. So should you put your hard earned money on him to win the tournament? Probably not, as I do this as a hobby and don't want anyone to get mad at me if they lose some bread betting on my pick. But if it were my money, that's where I would put it!

By: Matt King
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer

The Big Men Throw Down at Bellator Heavyweight Tournament

More Bellator Fighting Championships MMA Predictions: