Another Friday, another Bellator card being forgotten behind UFC's big weekend.
Between the Ben Henderson-Nate Diaz fight, the awesome main card and Pacquiao-Marquez IV, this sucker really has no chance of grabbing headlines.
And if you don't think so, how's this: Bellator is only putting out three fights on their main card.
Given how much amazing traffic these previews get, I figure I'll do you all a solid and add a nice little Pacquiao-Marquez preview to this blog as well. (Yes it got top billing! Break a 1.0 Nielsen rating and then we'll talk!)
So let's talk Manny Pacquiao's fight with arch rival Juan Manuel Marquez: Why is this happening again?
Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed all three installments prior. I'd actually say that Marquez won the last fight and the second fight was a toss-up. (Pacquiao did win the first. Hard to beat a 10-6 round.)
But fact is that Pacquiao does have a 2-0-1 record against Marquez and he really should be fighting a rematch with Timothy Bradley (whose victory was NOT a screwjob. It could have gone either way.)
I guess the fans still want to see this, though, and the action of the first three fights makes it easy to realize why. This should be a fun watch and a definitely awesome way to follow up a night of amazing UFC fights.
Pacquiao obviously has more youth and should by all accounts have Marquez beat all the way around. That said, Marquez has spent a lot of time in the ring with the pound-for-pound king and it's not going to be easy to beat a fighter whom you have faced this many times.
I would LOVE to see Marquez finally get a well-deserved win, but I don't see it happening. Marquez has gone past his prime and what I thought was going to show in the third fight will finally show here in my view.
Pacquiao won't finish him, but there will be a winner this time. I'd guess a 9-3 or 8-4 round split, and Pacquiao wins it by decision.
Now, let's get to Bellator:
Featherweight tournament final: Shahbulat Shamhalaev v. Rad Martinez
Both of these guys have looked pretty much unstoppable since joining Bellator's ranks, and now we get a look at the two in a face-off for a title shot.
Martinez is a Division I wrestler and wins mostly by decision, though he has proven he can win by knockout. Shamhalaev has mostly been winning by knockout, so you'd hope this fight will be fun.
I'm not hopeful. With standing being a disadvantage, my guess is Martinez takes the Russian down and tests his ground game. He hasn't shown much of said ground game, so I'm skeptical.
Hopefully I'm proven wrong and a fight is approaching, but Martinez will win by decision.
Rest of the Main Card
Bantamweights: Zach Makovsky v. Anthony Leone - Leone has worked in BJ Penn's camp, and it'd certainly be interesting to see him win two straight in Bellator, but he's facing the former champion in his first fight since losing the belt.
Makovsky will look to use his wrestling to stay on his feet and keep Leone standing. He hasn't won a fight by knockout yet, so it's going to be an interesting test. Once again, I'm going with the more complete game. I say Makovsky by KO 3.
Women's Flyweight: Zoila Gurgel v. Jessica Eye - Oh look, it's the fighter who Bellator forgot to put on a main card last month! I see this fight as simply an exhibition of Gurgel's skills, and I expect a decision win for the strawweight champion.
See you all Saturday for Big Fight Weekend!
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