This coming Friday from Temecula, California, the Bellator promotional outfit will host Bellator 116. The episode will be televised on the Spike Television network. The main event of the evening will be the heavyweight tournament semifinal match between Lavar Johnson (18-8-0) taking on Blagoi Ivanov (9-0-0), where the winner will move on to the final match. The card will also host the other heavyweight semifinal bout as Siala-mou Siliga and Alexander Volkov will be battling to be on the other side of the cage for the tournament title. Rounding out the televised portion of the event is a welterweight tournament semifinal match between Nathan Coy and Adam McDonough. Also seeing action are light heavyweights Joey Beltran and Vladimir Matyushenko.Lavar
Johnson V. Blagoi Ivanov:
The Johnson v. Ivanov title is an interesting matchup, pitting a veteran UFC fighter in Johnson against a rising force in the MMA world in Ivanov. Ivanov, a native Bulgarian, is brutally strong and is as impenetrable as a nailed coffin. Having recently survived a near fatal stabbing incident in his native Bulgaria, Ivanov is looking to make good on his second chance at life and a win over Johnson would certainly be a step in that direction. As for Johnson, the UFC vet is looking to conquer the Bellator cage. His striking power is undeniable but struggles when taken to the ground. The fight breakdown is simple: if Ivanov can avoid a Johnson bomb from detonating on him, he will likely be the winner. Should Johnson be taken to the ground and unable to setup his standup attack, then the Bulgarian will likely prevail.
Alexander Volkov V. Siala-mou "Mighty Mo" Siliga:
The other semifinal heavyweight tournament bout will also be contested on this card as Alexander Volkov (20-4) will face Siala-mou "Mighty Mo" Siliga (6-2). Volkov is a former heavyweight titlist looking to get another crack at the trinket. Volkov, a gangling Russian known for his striking abilities, has his work cut out for him as Mighty Mo is no joke. The Samoan is a vicious powerhouse that has also showed impressive skills in his ground game. This unlikely semifinalist has impressed the MMA world with his power and natural abilities. The Russian's objective is not complicated: Keep the Samoan at bay by striking from a distance. Volkov has the experience and technical ability to accomplish this. Should he be able to keep his discipline, Volkov should be able to get to the tournament final.
Nathan Coy V. Adam McDonough:
The Coy-McDonough welterweight semifinal tournament match pits a tested veteran in Coy (14-4) and an up-and-comer in McDonough (10-0). Coy's strength is his wrestling ability, but McDonough is a complete fighter: with a solid ground and is an excellent striker. Still, Coy is experienced and has faced tougher opposition in his career. His striking abilities are solid so this contest should be competitive. The fight will be grueling but, as is often the case, the advantage has to go to the veteran as experience counts when inside the cage.
Vladimir Matyushenko V. Joey Beltran:
Vladimir Matyushenko (27-7) is 43 years old and has officially stated that he will be calling it a career after this match. The Belarus-born fighter has been around the fight game for many years and it showed in his last contest. In his last fight against Houston Alexander, Matyushenko seemed a step slower than usual and struggled to get the victory. Against Beltran, Matyushenko will be looking for one last, great match. As for his opponent, Joey Beltran's (14-10) introduction to the Bellator cage was not a successful one. The veteran tough guy took on MMA legend Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on short noticed and it showed: Beltran was savaged by Jackson via a first round knockout. This does not tell the complete story on the experienced MMA warrior, as Beltran has shown incredible resolve throughout his fighting career. There's a saying that states if you talk about retirement before a fight, then you are already mentally retired. Beltran should be the fresher of the two and will likely come out on top in this battle.
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com