For the first time in 18 months, Bellator MMA heads north of the border.
Bellator 119 takes place Friday from Casino Rama in Orillia, Ont., and features the 145-pound finals, along with a slew of Canadian content. While this event doesn’t have the big names like Michael Chandler or Pat Curran, it does pack a punch with quality matchups throughout the card. Here are five reasons to tune into Bellator 119.
The featherweight final
Unfortunately, an injury to Brett Cooper forced the middleweight tournament final off this card. The new main event will feature the 145-pound tournament final, which pits Daniel Weichel (33-8) against Desmond Green (11-2). The German Weichel has won five-straight fights and will no doubt be fishing for the submission as 20 of his 33 wins have come by way of tap out. The former NCAA Division I wrestler Green, meanwhile, comes in on a three-fight win streak. The winner of this bout will be second in line for the next title shot. Former champion Daniel Strauss is slated to meet the winner of Pat Curran vs Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and that bout doesn’t take place until the summer.
Passing of the guard?
Chris Horodecki (20-4-1) of London, Ont., battles former Sengoku 145-pound champ Marlon Sandro (24-5-1). The 26-year-old Canadian has been training with Team Curran in Chicago and looks for his first three-fight win streak since 2007. Implications for this bout are huge, as an impressive win against Sandro would likely land him in the next featherweight tournament. For the 37-year-old Sandro this is likely his last shot to make a run at Bellator gold after three failed attempts in previous 145-pound tournaments. Expect a sense of urgency in this bout as Horodecki is just 1-1-1 in Bellator, while Sandro is 2-2 (1 NC) in his last five bouts.
Canadian justice
Vancouver-born John Alessio (34-17, 1 NC) looks for his first win inside the Bellator cage when he meets UFC veteran Eric Wisely (22-8). Alessio lost his Bellator debut to Season 9 tournament winner Will Brooks and will be looking to snap a four-fight winless skid. Also aiming for redemption is Canadian Vaughn Anderson (16-2-1), who is coming off a loss to War Machine in his Bellator debut last September. Anderson meets former DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis (19-8-1) who has lost two in a row.
Prospect watch
There are two intriguing prospects on this card and both are in the heavyweight division. First is professional boxer Raphael Butler (8-0), who looks to keep his perfect record intact when he battles Strikeforce veteran Nick Rossborough (23-18). Butler compiled a 35-12 (2 NC) pro boxing record before making his MMA debut in 2010. Hailing from the prestigious Alliance MMA gym in San Diego, Butler hasn’t gone past the second round in his MMA career. If he can earn his fourth-straight Bellator victory, expect him to compete in the next heavyweight tournament. On the undercard, another prospect to look out for is England’s Stuart Austin (7-0), who battles Brantford, Ont.’s Craig “Wardog” Hudson (4-3). Austin has only gone the distance once in his career and will be making his North American debut.
Return of “The Predator”
When it comes to finishing opponents, Brian “The Predator” Rogers (10-6) delivers the goods. The 30-year-old middleweight has won eight fights by first-round knockout. Coming off a two-fight losing streak, the Ohio native has been spending the majority of his time at the Factory X camp in Colorado. Some of his training partners include UFC middleweight Chris Camozzi and Bellator interim champion Joe Warren. Rogers is no doubt hungry to get back in the cage, as his original fight at Bellator 113 back in March was scrapped due to his opponent pulling out at the last minute. Rogers faces late replacement Adrian Miles (14-5), who is currently riding a seven-fight win streak. With a combined 16 knockout wins between the two of them, don’t expect this bout to go the full three rounds.
Here’s a look at the full Bellator 119 card:
MAIN CARD
— Desmond Green vs Daniel Weichel
— Chris Horodecki vs Marlon Sandro
— Vaughn Anderson vs Marius Zaromskis
— Raphael Butler vs Nick Rossborough
PRELIMINARY CARD
— John Alessio vs Eric Wisely
— Brian Rogers vs Adrian Miles
— Craig Hudson vs Stuart Austin
— Remy Bussieres vs Jason Meisel
— Chris Kelades vs Malcolm Gordon
— Behrang Yousefi vs Chad Freeman
