What Caught our eye at Bellator 105
Considering Bellator’s PPV just went up in smoke today, most of the news is on next week’s event, but there was plenty to write about after tonight’s Bellator 105 event. Anchoring the fight card was the season 9 lightweight tournament to determine the next challenger to the lightweight crown which will be defended at this coming weekends now free on Spike event.
Here are some of the battlers that caught my eye.
Eugene Fadiora: I usually have my ear to the ground for new fighters, but this guy came out of nowhere for me and impressed in a big way. Using a great blend of tight positional grappling and deft striking, Fadiora utterly dominated a tough journeyman in Keith Berry, showing a good deal of his skill set but not even taking a single hit as far as I could see. It’s unique to see a fighter with a giant arsenal, but where every individual tool is fleshed out like this. It’s both the mark of a lifelong martial artist and a superb athlete. The sky is the limit for this young UK fighter.
Tiger Sarnavskiy: I didn’t think Tirloni had much of a chance here, but was shocked with how badly he was handled across the board here. The spinning backfist was outstanding, but it was the mat work that really made Tiger shine. Sarnavskiy absolutely baited the triangle that he ultimately got, with an impressive amount of situational awareness within the move itself. At the same time he hooked up the triangle, he grabbed the leg to limit Tirloni’s mobility, and even dodged the punch Tirloni threw with pure head movement while hanging. Sarnavskiy’s biggest test waits around the corner in the finals though.
Will Brooks: Erasing the ghost of his first professional loss, Brooks looked incredible here. Alternating between a side blade stance to keep maximum distance from Awad’s murderous hands and hitting repeated double legs on the momentum shift, Brooks was in control of nearly even minute of the fight, although the times he slipped were telling. While Brooks is amazing in his own right, his utter contempt for opponents is something we’ve seen all to often in this sport, and rarely leads to anywhere good in the long-term. Brooks seems genuinely surprised whenever Awad managed to get any offense off, and finding mount on someone as flexible and athletic as Brooks shouldn’t even be possible. It’ll all come down to what Brooks can do offensively against Sarnavskiy, because he won’t see his opponent’s attack until it’s too late.
About the Author (Author Profile)
I'm a 20+ year veteran of martial arts and a fan of MMA since UFC 1, when my world was thrown on its head by the budding sport. I'm obsessive in the pursuit of martial abilities and have competed across the country in everything from Vale Tudo to archery to Scottish broadsword. Once my body broke down, I picked up a pen and went in the direction of writing. I specialize in betting advice, predictions, and I'm a walking encyclopedia of MMA trivia. I own a cafe in Exeter, NH called Hammersmith Sandwich Company and write out of my office between customers.Subscribe
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