Bellator 225: Mitrione vs Kharitonov
After over a month away, Bellator returns with the Main Event pitting former UFC Heavyweight fighter Matt Mitrione against Russian Heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov, in a rematch from a fight earlier this year. Their bout ended in a no contest when Mitrione accidentally kicked Kharitonov low. Tonight they rematch on a stacked Main Card that features 3 Heavyweight fights.
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Main Card:
(1) Tyrell Fortune vs Rudy Schaffroth (Heavyweight)
Prediction: Fortune defeats Schaffroth via Decision
Round 1: Here we go! Schaffroth with a leg kick. Both miss combos. Stiff body shot for Fortune. Another good right to the chin. Fortune dives for a takedown, but is stuffed. Both land body shots. Good leg kick stumbles Schaffroth. Good leg kick again for Fortune. Another leg kick takes out Schaffroth. Good shot from Fortune. Another good leg kick for Fortune. Another leg kick for Fortune. They clinch and break. Good uppercut for Schaffroth. End Round 1. 10-9 Fortune
Round 2: Clinch and break. Good left for Schaffroth. A blocked head kick. Fortune with a good right. Good combo for Fortune, and he drops Schaffroth. Schaffroth stands and bobbles around and Fortune lands on top. He’s landing heavy shots from top mount, and Schaffroth gives up the back. More shots for Fortune, but he puts in the rear naked choke, and Schaffroth taps out.
Result: Tyrell Fortune defeats Rudy Schaffroth via Rear-Naked Choke in Round 2 (2:08)
Analysis: This fight seemed one sided from the get go. Schaffroth was very slow, and didn’t throw much. Fortune was also hesitant, but landed leg kicks that kept almost putting Schaffroth on his face. Come Round 2, Schaffroth ate a shot, and it was over from there. He bobbled around, and after Fortune got on top, he was just beaten before he eventually tapped.
(2) David Rickels vs Yaroslav Amosav (Catchweight)
Prediction: Amosav defeats Rickels via Round 2 KO
Round 1: Here we go! Amosav stuns Rickels. Good combos for Amosav. Nice hook for Amosav that he transitions to a takedown for Amosav. Rickels with slaps from the bottom. Good body shots from Amosav. Stalemate on the ground. Amosav with heavy shots. Good elbow for Amosav. More elbows for Amosav. Rickels stands, and is sat right back down. Rickels stands and breaks clinch. They both throw and miss. End Round 1. 10-9 Amosav
Round 2: Amosav with a good combo. Amosav shoots and eats elbows, but lands the takedown. Rickels with elbows from his back. Amosav moves to half guard. Elbows and punches for Amosav. Back to full mount for Rickels. Huge elbow for Amosav. Amosav looking for a D’Arce choke. The choke is tight. Rickels taps and that’s it
Result: Yaroslav Amosav defeats David Rickels via D’Arce Choke in Round 2 (4:05)
Analysis: Amosav just dominated everywhere. He out-struck and out-grappled Rickels. The last person to dominate Rickels this easily was MVP a couple years back. Amosav, now 23-0, at only 25 years old, Amosav will dominate this division soon, and for years to come, but how soon will his domination begin?
(3) Alejandra Lara vs Taylor Turner (Women’s Flyweight)
Prediction: Lara defeats Turner via Round 1 KO
Round 1: Lara with a good shot. Lara takes Turner down. Lara stands, and then gets back on top. Lara landing heavy shots. Lara lands another takedown. Lara landing good shots. Lara with a stiff left hurts Turner. Turner tries for a kneebar, but Lara escapes and gets to full mount. Taylor gives up the back. Lara smashing Turner on the ground, and the ref steps in.
Result: Alejandra Lara defeats Taylor Turner via TKO in Round 1 (3:44)
(4) Vitaly Minakov vs Timothy Johnson (Heavyweight)
Prediction: Minakov defeats Johnson via Round 1 TKO
Round 1: Here we go! Minakov with some nice jabs. Minakov with big strikes, and lands a takedown. Johnson stands, and Minakov with a German suplex. Minakov with another takedown. Johnson stands again, and they clinch. Johnson with a good shot, and they break. Huge body shot for Minakov. Minakov with a huge right,and Johnson stumbles. Minakov walkms towards him and lands another huge shot. Johnson goes down and out. Minakov just lads some extra shots.
Result: Vitaly Minakov defeats Tim Johnson via KO in Round 1 (1:45)
Analysis: I think if anyone thought Tim Johnson was going to win, they forgot who Vitaly Minakov is. After a controversial decision loss in his last fight, his stock may have dropped, but now 22-1, he still stands as not only one of the best Heavyweight’s in the world, but possibly even the best in Bellator. It looked like a squash, it turned into a squash, and Minakov most certainly faces the winner of Kongo/Bader
(5) Matt Mitrione vs Sergei Kharitonov (Heavyweight)
Prediction: Kharitonov defeats Mitrione via Decision
Round 1: Here we go! Good left for Mitrione. Mitrione staying active. Good left from Kharitonov. Both landing leg kicks. Big uppercut just misses for Mitrione. Jabs from both. Big body shot for Kharitonov. More body shots for Kharitonov. Body shots for Kharitonov. Mitrione clinches. Big right for Kharitonov. Mitrione spits out his mouthpiece for a second time. Kharitonov with some stiff shots, and body blows. Mitrione loses his mouthpiece again. Kharitonov lands body shots. End Round 1. 10-9 Kharitonov
Round 2: Mitrione lands some jabs. Both exchange shots. Solid lefts for Kharitonov. Big body shot for Kharitonov. Mitrione gets hit again and loses the mouthpiece. He looks away, and Kharitonov lands a big uppercut, and rocks Mitrione. Kharitonov with a knee and that’s it.
Result: Sergei Kharitonov defeats Matt Mitrione via TKO in Round 2 (1:24)
Analysis: This was a ridiculous fight, and not in a good way. It started looking like Mitrione would drop his mouthpiece to avoid damage, but maybe it was just a crappy mouthpiece. But that is what the whole entire fight was about. A mouthpiece. Mitrione dropped it 3 times in Round 1,and then in ROund 2, he loses because he thought the referee would bail him out. Kharitonov walked towards him and landed a huge uppercut that wobbled Mitrione, and then a knee to finish it. The fact that a professional fight in 2019 in possibly the second biggest MMA organization in the country, in the main event, comes down to a mouthpiece is silly. A screw up by Mitrione and Bellator to let that happen. That being said, Kharitonov looked great, and landed heavy shots. He was slower, but he didn’t take any B.S. and finished Matt. Kharitonov moves forward as possibly being only 1 fight away from the belt, while Mitrione has to decide if he wants to keep going at 41. Overall, the fight was slow, but both landed good shots, and Kharitonov just outperformed Mitrione. With an uncertain future, who knows if Mitrione continues, but if he fights again, he needs to make sure he keeps his damn mouthpiece in his mouth. For Kharitonov, we will know soon enough what is next for him.
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