Grab a stool and order a drink. Crown Royal for me, and a Capri Sun for my young compatriot, here.
Is Bellator 149 good or bad for the sport of MMA?
Nolan Howell: Essentially, in a sport that really tries its damnedest to be taken legitimately while putting up its own circus tents and driving around the clown car, all bets are off in my eyes. Especially considering the stranglehold the UFC has on anything that draws. Minor promotions need to do things like this, and really, what can be bad for the sport at this point that hasn’t already happened? I think it’s reached a point where everyone has heard of the sport and has their mind made up one way or the other. A spectacle like this isn’t going to cause and revelations on either side.
Basically, if this is really something that offends you after you’ve been a fan of MMA for all these years, I don’t know what to tell you. This is unscripted sports entertainment and everyone that is behind the big show has to do what they have to do.
Embrace the spectacle because this is a sport that really needs to stop hiding from its roots.
Luke Irwin: I really don’t think it’s one or the other. Maybe it’s neither. Maybe it’s both! Look, this isn’t inherently much different from a lot of the more absurd stuff Pride did, and people still look back on them with heart-eyes emojis.
One of the things I loved about Strikeforce and Scott Coker was that Strikeforce didn’t want to be the UFC. They wanted to be Strikeforce. They knew, as Coker knows today with Bellator, that they’re never going to be the UFC. So he said screw it, and let Strikeforce be its own thing. They offered what the UFC couldn’t. Women, kickboxers taking MMA fights, global cross-promotion, much less-restrictive contracts to fighters, and yes, the occasional “freakshow” fight. They were a fighters promotion, and it shows when you realize that the next bad word a fighter has towards Scott Coker will be the first.
Coker knows that Bellator has to have a hook. Both to attract viewers and fighters. Being UFC Jr. isn’t that hook, so he’s already announced the launch of Bellator Kickboxing, so it’s already starting. Bellator, for better or worse, will be different than the UFC. Fortune favors the bold.
Is this the last ride for Shamrock and Gracie?
Nolan: Any sane person would hope so, but I could see one or both hanging on for some money fights as long as Bellator will have them. Sure, why the hell not on Herschel Walker vs. Ken Shamrock? At this point, these guys know who they are and it is clear they are purposely neglecting retirement to grab the spotlight a few more times. I’m not really opposed to much of anything in combat sports these days, so let all the freaks into the circus and let it sort itself out.
Luke: Gracie, moreso than Shamrock. Royce hasn’t fought in nine years, and although he’s in some back tax hot water and may have to collect a couple checks, I don’t see Royce as wanting or needing to get back in a cage. Ken, on the other hand, yeah…I think he’ll keep fighting until he can’t anymore, unfortunately.
What is next for Kimbo Slice, win or lose?
Nolan: I personally think his trajectory won’t be hurt either way. They aren’t letting Kimbo near a heavyweight worthwhile to them, so a win or loss against DADA 5000 doesn’t present a huge risk. Kimbo will go on to maybe take on the likes of a Bobby Lashley or Tito Ortiz, but worst case scenario, he ends up against Fedor for the biggest WTF draw they can put out there and gets pummeled into retirement. To summarize, Kimbo will get his bread a few more times before Bellator is done with him.
Luke: Win or lose, he still has some juice to his name, and if he wants to keep fighting, I’m sure there are promotions that will have him. He’s also 7-0 as a pro boxer. He’ll get fight work. Hell, China is absolutely exploding right now, and Asia has a rich history of importing scary American fighters with minimal talent and paying them by the treasure chest.
So whatever happens tonight, Kimbo will be fine. Say what you will about Big Kev, but he truly is a self-made man. So good for him, I say! The American Dream has a scraggly beard and gold teeth.
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