How would you rank the fighters competing in Bellator’s Heavyweight Tournament with “1” having the best chance of winning and “8” having the least chance?
FRANK HYDEN, MMATorch Columnist
First off, I think it’s ridiculous that this “tournament” is going to last an entire year. Here I was complaining that the best-of-7 in the NBA playoffs made their tournament too long, that’s nothing compared to this. My list is-
1. Matt Mitrione
2. Ryan Bader
3. Fedor Emelianenko
4. King Mo
5. Roy Nelson
6. Frank Mir
7. Rampage Jackson
8. Chael Sonnen
I think Mitrione has the best shot, followed closely by Bader. Fedor has an outside shot, depending on who he faces. I think Mitrione and possibly Rampage and Roy Nelson are the only ones who could beat Fedor. Mir has been on the sidelines so long it’s hard to guess what he’s going to look like in the cage. King Mo is an interesting dark horse. No matter what you think of Sonnen, I think we can all agree he has no chance of winning this thing. He’s looked horrible in his last few fights. He might be able to win one fight, if he fights a disinterested Rampage in the first round, but other than that, his chances are slim to none.
DAVE KOULA, MMATorch Contributor
I couldn’t stop simultaneously smiling and shaking my head in pure disbelief at this announcement. Tournaments, even spread out over a big time span are almost always disasters in modern day MMA due to injuries, contract disputes, and other maladies, but THIS ONE takes the cake. First off we’re doing it with heavyweights, the division most likely to have injury issues, the median age of the fighters is something like 42 years old, and half the competitors aren’t even heavyweights. This is the most “Bellator” thing Bellator has done since the Kimbo/Dada and Shamrock/Gracie double bill. So you better believe I’ll be there every Friday night ready to go. Anyway here’s what we came to do:
1 Frank Mir
2 Matt Mitrione
3 Fedor Emelianenko
4 Roy Nelson
5 Ryan Bader
6 King Mo
7 Quinton Jackson
8 Chael Sonnen
JOSHUA GARCIA, MMATorch Contributor
I have Matt Mitrione being the favorite to win the tournament, but that is pretty shaky. I do like the light heavyweights involved, but I don’t think any of them really have much of a chance against these much larger heavyweights. Ryan Bader would have the best chance of one of the light heavyweights to win, but I don’t think he could overcome most of these heavyweights.
1. Matt Mitrione
2. Frank Mir
3. Roy Nelson
4. Fedor Emelianenko
5. Ryan Bader
6. King Mo Lawal
7. Rampage Jackson
8. Chael Sonnen
SEAN COVINGTON, MMATorch Contributor
Wow this is gonna go against all my biases haha:
1. Bader
2. Mitrione
3. Fedor
4. Rampage
5. Mir
6. King Mo
7. Nelson
8. Sonnen
JOHN HARRIS, MMATorch Contributor
1. Matt Mitrone
2. Ryan Bader
3. Roy Nelson
4. Fedor
5. Rampage Jackson
6. Frank Mir
7. King Mo Lawal
8. Chael Sonnen
MICHAEL GROCKE, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
1. Matt Mitrione
2. Ryan Bader
3. Roy Nelson
4. King Mo
5. Fedor Emelianenko
6. Frank Mir
7. Chael Sonnen
8. Rampage Jackson
NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS ROUNDTABLE: Who wins the Fabricio Werdum vs. Marcin Tybura fight and why?
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