Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Preview

Bellator’s 4th season kicks off on March 5th, and just like in previous seasons, the 4th season promises to be action-packed. The welterweight (170 lb) tournament features some of the biggest names to date to ever compete for the Bellator organization, and looming at the end of the tournament for the victor is reigning champion Ben Askren. The tournament is set to begin on March 5th, and all four of the quarterfinal matchups will be decided on that night.

Tournament Participants:

Lyman Good (10-1) 5 TKO’s 1 Submission 4 Decision victories-1 Decision Loss

Good was the Bellator Season 1 Welterweight Champion, but lost the title in his first defense against Ben Askren

Chris Lozano (6-0) 4 KO’s 2 TKO’s.

Lozano defeated Yoshiyuki Yoshida to gain entry in the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament

Dan Hornbuckle (22-3) 5 TKO’s 4 KO’s 12 Submission victories 1 Decision Victory-2 Submission Losses and 1 Decision Loss

Hornbuckle was a Finalist in the Bellator Season 3 Welterweight tournament, but lost to Ben Askren in the Finals. Hornbuckle defeated Brad Blackburn to gain entry in the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament.

Brent Weedman (17-5-1) 10 KO’s 7 Submission Victories-3 Decision losses, 1 KO loss, 1 Submission Loss

Weedman defeated Jacob McClintock to gain entry into the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament

Anthony Lapsley (19-4) 3 KO’s 13 Submission victories, 3 Decision Victories-3 Submission Losses, 1 Decision Loss

Lapsley was a late replacement for Steve Carl in the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament

Jay Hieron (19-4) 6 KO’s 5 Submissions 8 Decision Victories- 3 KO losses, 1 decision loss

Hieron will face Anthony Lapsley in his first ever bout for Bellator

Jim Wallhead (20-5) 6 KO’s, 9 Submission Victories, 5 Decision victories- 1 KO loss, 3 Submission Losses, 1 Decision Loss

Wallhead defeated Ryan Thomas to gain entry in the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament

Rick Hawn (9-0) 7 KO victories, 2 Decision Victories

Hawn defeated LeVon Maynard by TKO to gain entry in the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament

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Welterweight Quarterfinal Bout 1

Jim Wallhead vs. Rick Hawn

Both Wallhead and Hawn have a background in judo, and that strikes me as interesting that they are paired up against one another in the first round of this tournament. Hawn is the more decorated judoka, with international judo experience, including an appearance in the 2004 Olympic Games. Despite having more judo experience, Hawn is on the short end of the stick as far as MMA is concerned. In most cases when two fighters have high-level skills in the same discipline, the fight is decided by intangibles. In this case, Wallhead has much more cage experience than Hawn, and has tasted defeat, which can be a huge learning experience. Wallhead has wins both by submission and knockout, and his experience may prove to be the difference in the fight. I’m predicting Wallhead to win this fight by submission.

Welterweight Quarterfinal Bout 2

Anthony Lapsley vs. Jay Hieron

Lapsley is a wrestler that was a late replacement for the injured Steve Carl. He has an excellent submission game and 25 fights under his belt, winning each of his last 4 fights. Hieron has competed for the UFC and Strikeforce, and has tested his skills against the best of the best. Among Hieron’s skills are a background in wrestling, as well as boxing. Hieron hasn’t lost since 2007, and looks to keep his streak alive against Lapsley, who hasn’t faced the quality of opponents that Hieron has faced (and defeated). It is interesting to note that Lapsley does have a victory over fellow tournament participant Brent Weedman, defeating Weedman in 2007. Hieron should roll in this fight, unless he is caught in a Lapsley submission. I am fully expecting Hieron to advance with very little trouble in this one.

Welterweight Quarterfinal Bout 3

Brent Weedman vs. Dan Hornbuckle

Weedman has a great amount of experience for the Bellator organization, fighting 3 times for the upstart organization, with none of the 3 prior fights occurring during a Bellator tournament. Weedman has gone 3-0 for Bellator, with wins over Rudy Bears, John Troyer, and Jacob McClintock. Weedman has heavy hands and suitable submission skills, but has never won a fight by way of decision. In that sense, the longer the fight goes, the more the momentum swings in favor of Dan Hornbuckle. Hornbuckle is a well-rounded fighter with skills in both the submission aspect, as well as in striking. Hornbuckle has experience fighting some notable names in the sport, with wins over Brad Blackburn, Nick Thompson, and Akihiro Gono. Hornbuckle also has a submission victory over Weedman dating back to when the pair met in 2006. Hornbuckle advanced all the way to the Bellator Season 3 Welterweight Tournament Finals, where he was ultimately defeated by current champion Ben Askren. Hornbuckle’s experience and well-rounded style make him a tough draw for Weedman. I like Hornbuckle in this first bout by TKO.

Welterweight Quarterfinal Bout #4

Lyman Good vs. Chris Lozano

Good, as previously mentioned, was the Bellator Season 1 Welterweight Champion. While Good has explosive power in his hands, Ben Askren exposed his weak wrestling game, which proved to be Good’s downfall and cost him the Bellator Welterweight belt. Though Lozano has a background in wrestling, he typically uses his wrestling to defend takedowns and keep the fight standing so he can throw his deadly strikes. It is quite unlikely that Lozano will look to take the fight to the ground, but he has demonstrated a decent amount of poise when the fight goes to the ground. Though this bout is Lozano’s 2nd for the Bellator organization, he certainly didn’t earn anyone’s envy for his draw of the former champion in the quarterfinals. As Matt Leyshock of StandThemUp.org pointed out that when in the heat of battle, Lyman Good tends to lose his composure and he tends to swing wildly. Lozano, on the other hand, maintains his form and stays crisp in his boxing in the midst of action. Due to his poise and excellent hands, I am going to pick a bit of an upset and take Chris Lozano to defeat Lyman Good by 2nd round KO.

By Curt Heinrichs
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer