Bellator Welterweight Quarterfinals and World Championship Discussion

wekka wrote:Undercard isn't nearly as good as the last time around but at least most of the tournament bouts are scheduled for the main card this.time around.

Just because you don't recognise the name doesnt mean they will be boring. Last week felt like UFC vets masters league.

some of the craziest fights I've seen are on Bellator prelims- If they're in Bellator they are there for a reason. Bellator always matches up fighters really well and they put on a show.

I think this main card is a lot more solid than last weeks.....minus the title fights of course. I like all the quarter finals on the main show.

stu3ufc wrote:

wekka wrote:Undercard isn't nearly as good as the last time around but at least most of the tournament bouts are scheduled for the main card this.time around.

Just because you don't recognise the name doesnt mean they will be boring. Last week felt like UFC vets masters league.

some of the craziest fights I've seen are on Bellator prelims- If they're in Bellator they are there for a reason. Bellator always matches up fighters really well and they put on a show.

I think this main card is a lot more solid than last weeks.....minus the title fights of course. I like all the quarter finals on the main show.

I had to agree w/ wekka (don't get me wrong i watch all bellator preliminary fights), bellator often fill the prelims w/ local fighters and free agents veterans who have no business on a major promotion like bellator, a lot of times they get on the card to reduce cost and try to sell tickets when fighters under contract (real bellator fighters) struggle to get a fight on the promotion when they aren't on the tournament (Nazareno Malegarie, Thiago Michel and others). See this local fighter Joshua Montoya (10-7) who did a boxing match and will be at M'Pumbu/Vegh prelims

bolsheet wrote:Joshua Montoya on a boxing fight vs a 18 years 0-0 boxer (starts at 1:27:23)

Ben Askren: No apologies for style before Bellator 86 title fight with Amoussou

Ben Askren has heard the complaints. He knows there's a good chance you've probably ripped him for his fight style, which is, ahem, wrestling.

Or the way his critics often put it, "boring wrestling."

On Thursday, Askren (10-0 MMA, 7-0 BFC) puts his Bellator welterweight title on the line against Karl Amoussou (16-4-2 MMA, 4-1 BFC) at Bellator 86.

"Bellator 86: Askren vs. Amoussou" takes place at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. The event's main card airs on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

But Askren not only doesn't believe he needs to apologize for how he fights, he doesn't believe most critics will ever change their tunes.

"I doubt it. I would be shocked (if they did)," Askren told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) this past fall. "It doesn't bother me. I don't think they appreciate what I'm doing. But I don't expect them to appreciate it. The majority of MMA fans don't have a great technical knowledge base. What they want to see is people snapping arms or people knocking people out, and there's no appreciation for the finer points or jiu-jitsu or wrestling.

"But I'm OK with that. I know that, and it's not like I either feel the need to change it, or two, to think I actually can change it."

Askren believes Amoussou will try to take him right out of his game, and do so early. Askren is unbeaten. But he started his MMA career – after one of the most prestigious wrestling careers to ever transition to MMA – with four straight stoppages. Since then, he has six wins by decision.

Askren will be fighting for the first time since a decision win over Douglas Lima in April. Amoussou fought three times in 2012 to win Bellator's welterweight tournament for his shot at Askren.

"I think the only thing I've got to fear is if he comes out with the bum-rush in the first two minutes," Askren said. "That's his strategy, if you want to call it that – and it's a terrible strategy. But he comes out hard in the first couple minutes, and after that he really fades. So I'll just come out to fight and I should be fine.

"If he doesn't win in the first 90 seconds, he has zero chance of winning the fight. And in the first 90 seconds, he has about a 3 or 4 percent chance, maybe."

The confidence Askren brings to the table against Amoussou is the same confidence he has when he brushes off criticism of his fighting style by saying he won't change, and it's on you if you can't get on board with how he gets things done.

The polite term, of course, is "confidence." Critics, naturally, call it cocky or arrogant. It's a label Askren has had since high school.

"Since I've been 15," he said. "That's why nothing really bugs me. Fifteen, when forums got invented, I got in a forum and I was being an idiot. Someone said I was going to go crush this kid at state – but it wasn't really me (who said it). But everyone said that I said it, and the media said it, so I just went with it and was like, 'OK, I said it.' Everyone hated me ever since then, but I just played the part.

"People don't like that. People want you to say, 'Oh, I'm going to try hard,' and, 'He's going to be good,' and, 'Gee shucks, I hope I do well.' Every single person who is successful thinks (like I do), but a lot of them just don't say it. I've never been shy about my feelings."

So don't expect him to come out looking to change any opinions on Thursday.

While he'd no doubt take a knockout, it's not as if he's going out there looking for one against Amoussou. Or anyone else, for that matter.

"I started wrestling when I was 6 and reached my peak when I was 24," he said. "So it took me 18 years to get that good. Am I going out there and looking for the knockout ever? Probably not. I doubt I'll ever do that. I'm smart enough to stick with what I do well. I know I wrestle and use my offensive jiu-jitsu better than almost anyone in MMA right now. So I'm going to stick to my guns."

http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/01/ben-askren-no-apologies-for-style-before-bellator-86-title-fight-with-amoussou

^Askren's style sucks. I hope Amoussou can catch him on the chin and takeover the Bellator 170 class.

zaromskis moved to the main card....


http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/01/pham-sampson-added-to-bellator-86-zaromskis-weedman-fight-moves-to-main-card

CDF47 wrote:^Askren's style sucks. I hope Amoussou can catch him on the chin and takeover the Bellator 170 class.

I like Askren. It can be hard to watch but only because no one has an answer for his.attack. Its been a pleasure to see him grow as a fighter and I can't even imagine how good he'll be when he actually reaches his prime.

wekka wrote:

CDF47 wrote:^Askren's style sucks. I hope Amoussou can catch him on the chin and takeover the Bellator 170 class.

I like Askren. It can be hard to watch but only because no one has an answer for his.attack. Its been a pleasure to see him grow as a fighter and I can't even imagine how good he'll be when he actually reaches his prime.

Just not a fan of his style. I feel he needs to be more aggressive going for the finish. He is def. a great fighter and once he gets his hands on you, it is to the floor every time, but Amoussou's style is great. He is usually very aggressive so I hope he catches him.

MR.WILLIE wrote:zaromskis moved to the main card....


http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/01/pham-sampson-added-to-bellator-86-zaromskis-weedman-fight-moves-to-main-card

Good to hear.

Askren has no power nor will he ever unfortunately, but thankfully, he's been working on his jiu-jitsu lately. Might still play it safe against Amoussou but I think you'll start to see more finishes from Askren soon.

wekka wrote:Askren has no power nor will he ever unfortunately, but thankfully, he's been working on his jiu-jitsu lately. Might still play it safe against Amoussou but I think you'll start to see more finishes from Askren soon.

That would be great. Subs. are as good as any finish IMO.

Bellator 86 weigh-in results

Complete Bellator 86 weigh-in results are posted below:

Main Card

170 lb title: Ben Askren (169.8) vs. Karl Amoussou (167.4)
205 lbs.: Przemyslaw Mysiala (205.6) vs. King Mo (205)
170 lbs.: Douglas Lima (170.6) vs. Michail Tsarev (170)
170 lbs.: Koffie Adzitso (170.8) vs. Ben Saunders (169.8)
170 lbs.: Marius Zaromskis (169.2) vs. Brent Weedman (170)

Preliminary Card

170 lbs.: Raul Amaya (171) vs. Jose Gomes (170.8)
185 lbs.: Matt Jones (182.8) vs. Cortez Coleman (186)
140 lbs.: Chris Pham (139.6) vs. Jason Sampson (137.4)
155 lbs.: Zach Church (154.6) vs. Damon Jackson (155.2)
145 lbs.: Mike Maldonado (3-0) vs. Joseph Salas (2-3)
145 lbs.: Hunter Tucker (145) vs. Javier Obregon (146)

http://www.mmamania.com/2013/1/23/3906166/bellator-86-weigh-in-results-live-thackerville-askren-vs-amoussou-mma

Amoussou seeking quick finish vs Askren

There will be an incredibly stark contrast of fighting mentalities in the main event of Bellator 86 tomorrow night.

While champion Ben Askren has built a reputation as a grinder, a fighter who has no problem utilizing his wrestling to neutralize and smother opponents for the full 25 minutes, his challenger, Karl Amoussou, just wants to finish it as fast as possible.

Amoussou put away two of his season six welterweight tournament opponents inside the first round, submitting Bryan Baker in just 56 seconds to win $100,000 and earn a title shot against the "Funky" champion.

If "Psycho" has his way tomorrow night, he'll finish Askren even faster than that.

The veteran French fighter has promised to "bring excitement back to the Bellator welterweight division" and if he can stop Askren inside the opening frame, he'll be well on his way to keeping that promise.

The American Top Team fighter spoke with MMAmania.com about the big changes he's made for his career in the past year, wanting to finish Askren quickly and why he feels there's nothing to be afraid of against the former US Olympic wrestler in this exclusive interview.

Check it out:

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): How are you feeling so close to the biggest fight of your life?

Karl Amoussou: I feel great, man. Of course, it's the biggest fight of my life and I feel good. I'm confident I'm gonna win the fight and I've done everything to be ready so yeah, I feel good.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Let's start with some of the big moves you've made to help prepare yourself for this fight. One of the biggest changes was you quit your job as an undercover police officer to train MMA full time. What were some of the biggest changes you noticed in your training and skills when you started working full time in MMA?

Karl Amoussou: It has been one year now. I originally did it to prepare for the tournament and to focus on dropping down to welterweight. I used to fight at middleweight and everyone was bigger than me but now I'm 4-0 since making the cut and I feel great. My training has been so good. I went from training four times a week to training 2-3 times a day for 5-6 days a week. Yeah, I've improved a lot and I think I've shown it in all my fights this past year. My striking, grappling, wrestling and everything has improved.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Can you talk about making the move to American Top Team and why? I remember you saying a while back that you were planning on doing all your training for this title fight in France.

Karl Amoussou: Well I was supposed to go and train at ATT for three weeks to supplement my training, but after three days, I called back home and told them, "I really think I have to stay." It's way more professional and it wasn't easy but they told me to stay because I was so focused and everything was going to well at American Top Team.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Good to hear. Let's talk about your upcoming fight against Askren. During the conference call last week, he mentioned he didn't think you'd have the gas tank to last even five minutes. What do you have to say about him not respecting your conditioning?

Karl Amoussou: You know, I don't think the fight will last five minutes anyways so he shouldn't worry. My last fight was only 56 seconds and I'm pretty sure I can beat Askren in a shorter time than that. He should not be worried about me being done in five minutes because the fight will be over before that.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You've mentioned that you think you'll be able to exploit his flaws. What flaws do you think Askren has in his game?

Karl Amoussou: He has quite a lot. I know what to do to surprise him. I think I'm a way more well-rounded fighter. I have better striking, submissions and judo.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Do you think you can only win this fight if it's quick, or do you feel that you can defeat Askren even if it goes all five rounds?

Karl Amoussou: Yeah, of course, of course, of course. He has nothing to beat me. He can wrestle, but he can't finish. I have nothing to be scared of.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You've discussed your judo being a good counter to his wrestling. Is there any concern about that now after last week's fight where Rick Hawn's Olympic level judo was overwhelmed by Michael Chandler's wrestling?

Karl Amoussou: Oh no, absolutely no worries about it. I'm obviously going to have to be prepared for him, but I'm not worried.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): When you won the tournament, you said you were going to bring excitement back to the Bellator welterweight division. How much more exciting do you think the reign of Karl Amoussou would be compared to Ben Askren?

Karl Amoussou: I think it would be significantly more exciting. I'm an exciting fighter. I actually finish fights and I finish them quickly in a very strong way. I think the fans have been hoping for something different. You cannot compare me to a boring fighter ever.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): What would it mean for you to be a champion?

Karl Amoussou: Oh, it would mean everything. It's what I've been training for for years now. It would be the perfect final point of all that time I've put in with training.

Karl would like to thank all the fans in France and the US, his wife, his trainer at American Top Team who helped show him around and everyone who has supported him. You can follow him on twitter @KarlAmoussou.

http://www.mmamania.com/2013/1/23/3908904/finish-fast-bellator-86-welterweight-challenger-karl-amoussou-interview-mma

ZuffaKiller wrote:Amoussou seeking quick finish vs Askren

There will be an incredibly stark contrast of fighting mentalities in the main event of Bellator 86 tomorrow night.

While champion Ben Askren has built a reputation as a grinder, a fighter who has no problem utilizing his wrestling to neutralize and smother opponents for the full 25 minutes, his challenger, Karl Amoussou, just wants to finish it as fast as possible.

Amoussou put away two of his season six welterweight tournament opponents inside the first round, submitting Bryan Baker in just 56 seconds to win $100,000 and earn a title shot against the "Funky" champion.

If "Psycho" has his way tomorrow night, he'll finish Askren even faster than that.

The veteran French fighter has promised to "bring excitement back to the Bellator welterweight division" and if he can stop Askren inside the opening frame, he'll be well on his way to keeping that promise.

The American Top Team fighter spoke with MMAmania.com about the big changes he's made for his career in the past year, wanting to finish Askren quickly and why he feels there's nothing to be afraid of against the former US Olympic wrestler in this exclusive interview.

Check it out:

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): How are you feeling so close to the biggest fight of your life?

Karl Amoussou: I feel great, man. Of course, it's the biggest fight of my life and I feel good. I'm confident I'm gonna win the fight and I've done everything to be ready so yeah, I feel good.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Let's start with some of the big moves you've made to help prepare yourself for this fight. One of the biggest changes was you quit your job as an undercover police officer to train MMA full time. What were some of the biggest changes you noticed in your training and skills when you started working full time in MMA?

Karl Amoussou: It has been one year now. I originally did it to prepare for the tournament and to focus on dropping down to welterweight. I used to fight at middleweight and everyone was bigger than me but now I'm 4-0 since making the cut and I feel great. My training has been so good. I went from training four times a week to training 2-3 times a day for 5-6 days a week. Yeah, I've improved a lot and I think I've shown it in all my fights this past year. My striking, grappling, wrestling and everything has improved.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Can you talk about making the move to American Top Team and why? I remember you saying a while back that you were planning on doing all your training for this title fight in France.

Karl Amoussou: Well I was supposed to go and train at ATT for three weeks to supplement my training, but after three days, I called back home and told them, "I really think I have to stay." It's way more professional and it wasn't easy but they told me to stay because I was so focused and everything was going to well at American Top Team.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Good to hear. Let's talk about your upcoming fight against Askren. During the conference call last week, he mentioned he didn't think you'd have the gas tank to last even five minutes. What do you have to say about him not respecting your conditioning?

Karl Amoussou: You know, I don't think the fight will last five minutes anyways so he shouldn't worry. My last fight was only 56 seconds and I'm pretty sure I can beat Askren in a shorter time than that. He should not be worried about me being done in five minutes because the fight will be over before that.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You've mentioned that you think you'll be able to exploit his flaws. What flaws do you think Askren has in his game?

Karl Amoussou: He has quite a lot. I know what to do to surprise him. I think I'm a way more well-rounded fighter. I have better striking, submissions and judo.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Do you think you can only win this fight if it's quick, or do you feel that you can defeat Askren even if it goes all five rounds?

Karl Amoussou: Yeah, of course, of course, of course. He has nothing to beat me. He can wrestle, but he can't finish. I have nothing to be scared of.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You've discussed your judo being a good counter to his wrestling. Is there any concern about that now after last week's fight where Rick Hawn's Olympic level judo was overwhelmed by Michael Chandler's wrestling?

Karl Amoussou: Oh no, absolutely no worries about it. I'm obviously going to have to be prepared for him, but I'm not worried.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): When you won the tournament, you said you were going to bring excitement back to the Bellator welterweight division. How much more exciting do you think the reign of Karl Amoussou would be compared to Ben Askren?

Karl Amoussou: I think it would be significantly more exciting. I'm an exciting fighter. I actually finish fights and I finish them quickly in a very strong way. I think the fans have been hoping for something different. You cannot compare me to a boring fighter ever.

Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): What would it mean for you to be a champion?

Karl Amoussou: Oh, it would mean everything. It's what I've been training for for years now. It would be the perfect final point of all that time I've put in with training.

Karl would like to thank all the fans in France and the US, his wife, his trainer at American Top Team who helped show him around and everyone who has supported him. You can follow him on twitter @KarlAmoussou.

http://www.mmamania.com/2013/1/23/3908904/finish-fast-bellator-86-welterweight-challenger-karl-amoussou-interview-mma

Amoussou quick finish. I would love to see it. Unless Askren can start finishing fights and fighting more aggressive, I hope he gets taken out. Amoussou as Bellator champ would be great.

Event is tonight at 8 PM ET

Bellator 86's Brent Weedman didn't want another lightweight-tourney berth

Brent Weedman knew he had a spot in Bellator's next tournament. The problem is that he didn't want it.

"I have turned my back at 155 (pounds) at this point," Weedman told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "Just because you can make the weight doesn't mean that you should make the weight."

Weedman (20-8-1 MMA, 6-3 BFC) returns to the welterweight class tonight when he meets Marius Zaromskis (19-7 MMA, 3-1 BFC) at Bellator 86, which takes place at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. The fight is part of the Spike TV-televised main-card that follows prelims on Spike.com.

After falling short to a bigger opponent in the Season 5 tournament's opening round, the 28-year-old fighter found some measure of success against smaller opponents at 155 pounds. He bested J.J. Ambrose and Thiago Michel in the following season's competition.

World-class trainers lent their services to make the weight drop more bearable. But after losing to Rick Hawn in the Season 6 finals, Weedman decided the strain wasn't worth it.

However, he wasn't sure whether Bellator had plans to use him in the next lightweight tournament. Previous season finalists are generally guaranteed a spot, but he didn't want to interfere if the brackets had already been set.

"If they would have said they really need me at 155, I would have had to go back to the drawing board and do what needed to be done," Weedman said.

But the promotion said he had a future in the company whether he fought at lightweight or welterweight, so the switch was easy.

The decision is already paying dividends to Weedman's health. He cut just 2 1/2 pounds to make the 171-pound limit for the event's weigh-ins.

He hadn't touched a weight in seven years of professional fight training, but he now has a strength and conditioning coach, as well as a nutritionist, to ensure he's not overpowered by bigger fighters in this season's competition.

"Instead of cutting 30 pounds with them, I'm just going to be a stronger, more athletic, powerful athlete," Weedman said.

It's Weedman's fourth attempt to take home $100,000 in guaranteed tournament winnings for surviving the eight-man field. It's the second for Zaromskis.

Former DREAM champ Zaromskis is well-known for his flashy striking skills, but Weedman said he's undergone another big change in the way he prepares for a fight.

"I've been spending six or seven years trying my damnedest to be a sport kickboxer," he said. "I had to finally wake up and look at myself in the mirror and [say] that's not who I am at my core. If you would have asked me on the street, 'What's your martial art,' I would have told you Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It's what I love.

"I'm coming into this fight not training like a kickboxer, but training like a mixed martial artist and bringing a more complete game plan."

One thing that isn't changing is the way Weedman fights.

"In a tournament like this, it's win or go home," he said. "You conserve yourself, and (if) you lose the fight, well, you just reserved your energy to sit around another eight months and hope that you make it into another tournament. I don't believe in that kind of fighting."

http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/01/bellator-86s-brent-weedman-didnt-want-another-lightweight-tourney-berth

wekka wrote:Askren has no power nor will he ever unfortunately, but thankfully, he's been working on his jiu-jitsu lately. Might still play it safe against Amoussou but I think you'll start to see more finishes from Askren soon.

True. Funky with a solid submission game would be sick. I got him tonight tbh, but it won't be easy. Can't wait to see how it goes.

Some pretty good fights tonight, man. This is gonna be good..

Bellator 86's Douglas Lima has revenge in mind – after he fights Michail Tsarev

Bellator 86's Douglas Lima has revenge in mind – after he fights Michail Tsarev.

And he knows to get there, he could get two shots at redemption – one old, and the other perhaps a little more stinging and recent.

Lima (22-5 MMA, 4-1 BFC) on Thursday meets Michail Tsarev (24-3 MMA, 1-1 BFC) in the opening round of Bellator's Season 8 welterweight tournament, which kicks off at Bellator 86.

Headlining the card, which takes place at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla., is a welterweight title fight between champion Ben Askren and tournament winner Karl Amoussou. The main card airs on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

Amoussou is in a position Lima was in less than a year ago – with a shot to knock Askren off the mountaintop. Lima couldn't get it done, dropping a unanimous decision.

If Askren gets past Amoussou on Thursday night as a 6-to-1 favorite, he'll be there waiting if Lima can win three fights and win another tournament. That would give Lima another shot at Askren. In the semifinals, though, he could wind up paired against Brent Weedman if Weedman beats Marius Zaromskis on Thursday. And Weedman handed Lima a loss nearly five years ago.

"I have two chances for revenge: Askren and Brent Weedman," Lima told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I studied the guys in the tournament. But I'm not too worried about revenge, nor do I want to underestimate anyone. I'm keeping my eye on Michail Tsarev for now. We'll see what happens afterward."

After the loss to Askren, Lima beat Jacob Ortiz in November in a stay-busy fight ahead of the Season 8 tournament. And while he's not looking past what he'll need to do in the next three fights to get another title shot, he believes if he does get another chance at Askren, things could be different the second time around.

"Without a doubt, I am ready for anyone," he said. "I improve every time I fight and every time I train. I'm a completely different fighter now. I'm well-trained and ready to put a beatdown on my opponents. And I always train for a five-round fight. I'll face anyone, any day. I always train for the worst.

"I was quite ready for that fight. I don't know if I made a mistake cutting weight because I ran out of gas eventually. But any fight that's mostly wrestling can drain your energy. It's actually a good thing that I lost like that, so I know what to work on now."

Tsarev in November was knocked out by Lyman Good following an inadvertent eye poke. Lima has watched film of the Russian – whom he said he expects to be durable since Russians are "al tough like Brazilian fighters" – and he knows he's got a tall order.

But not tall enough to take any confidence away.

"He might be tough, but I'm ready," Lima said. "I'm not worried about what he'll do. Instead he should worry about what I'll do to him. I don't stress about my opponents."

One would assume that includes the potential future opponents in Weedman and Askren. Once he's done not stressing about Tsarev, then he can start thinking about rematches.

http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/01/bellator-86s-douglas-lima-has-revenge-in-mind-after-he-fights-michail-tsarev

The Whitemare just fought with the pure Embodiment JMMA spirit.

AWESOME performance from Askren.

wekka wrote:AWESOME performance from Askren.

Personal opinion but I find him boring as hell.

I don't know how anyone could find that performance boring. Total domination and he had a pretty high work rate.

good performance by askren but karl would have won in a ring.

backdoor to zuffa wrote:good performance by askren but karl would have won in a ring.

Lima has another tournament on the bag, unfortunately he has very little chance vs akren who is getting better and better.

This improved finishing version of Askren was great. Hope he keeps this up. Great performance.

Lima's leg kick KO was excellent.

King Mo's standup improvements looked real good. Hope we see him against Zayats in the finals.