On March 28, 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah will be the location of the next installment from the Bellator Fighting Championship series. The featured contest of the night will be a middleweight title clash between challenger Brenna Ward (9-1-0) and reigning titlist Alexander Shlemenko (47-9-0). The competition is scheduled for five rounds and will be televised on the Spike Television network.
Ward is the last man standing from the Bellator Middleweight Tournament that began in September 2013. The American rolled off victories against Justin Torrey, Joe Pacheco, and Mikkle Parlo to earn his shot at the belt. Ward showcased his toughness and durability during the tournament wins and displayed real power: two of his last three wins are by technical knockout with the third being via submission. He is an aggressive fighter by nature, but this approach has its drawbacks as it leaves Ward exposed to being countered.
Against Ward, Shlemenkowill be making the third defense of the title he captured in February 2013 by defeating Maiquel Falcao. The current champion is not a knockout artist by any stretch of the imagination, but his does have some pop. Shlemenko relies heavily on abuzz saw approach, attacking from all angles and he is precisely accurate with his shots. This methodology is sure to keep the powerful Ward confused and unsure of himself: a clear advantage going to the championship. The Russian is also a capable grappler which can spell serious trouble for the American as Ward has been taken to the mat with ease in recent bouts and has trouble holding his own while on the floor. This is sure to be something that the experienced Shlemenko will look to exploit.
The fight seems to shape up to an exciting one, at least on paper. Shlemenko’s experience may be the factor that will carry this battle. Ward has proven himself resilient and the tough challenger does have strength to go with his fortitude so it is not unreasonable to believe that the American will land a few big shots early, even possibly hurting the Russian in the process. Still, based on the experience, skill level, and styles likely to be employed by both battlers during their fight, one has to contemplate that Shlemenko’s frenetic approach and superior grappling will tell in the end. "Going the distance" is not something that will be a likely outcome.
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com
