The Fight Report: Bellator 103

| October 10, 2013 | 1:34 pm | Reply

Bellator 103 boxBellator’s featherweight division has long been one of its strongest, and the semi-finals of the Featherweight tournament will get underway at Friday night’s Bellator 103. With four men looking for that chance to face Pat Curran, you can expect the action to be intense as the stakes get higher and higher in the cage.

Check out the main card action below.

Patricio Pitbull vs. Fabricio Guerreiro: Coming off of impressive bouts in the quarter finals, Pitbull and Guerreiro face off in a potential Fight of the Year candidate. Pitbull managed to kill shot Diego Nunes with ease in his last bout, and has the power in his fists to lay out anyone in the division if they give him the space to do so. Guerrerio has a wealth of skill and natural athletic ability as well though and presents a multi-faceted challenge for the long-time tournament fighter. Guerreiro’s best chance here is to work his takedowns and stay safe from top, but I don’t think Pitbull will play along with that game due to his high output striking style and footwork. It could be a razor-close decision if Guerreiro has his way here, but Pitbull should shut him off within two rounds with deft counter punches.

Justin Wilcox vs. Joe Taimanglo: Having pulled his own ass out of the fire in an epic comeback, Justin Wilcox will face Pacific Island warrior Joe Taimanglo. Taimanglo showed some skill in his last bout with Fisher last time out, but he definitely seemed to suffer in adjusting to the level of competition found on the world stage. While Wilcox isn’t invincible, Taimanglo’s one strike output and reliance on being the faster fighter will cost him dearly here as Wilcox drives him to the mat and crushes the life out of him with superior grappling skills. It won’t take long, as Wilcox hits a power double and works towards the RNC for the win in the first round.

JJ Ambrose vs. David Rickles: An exciting lightweight scrap, long-time Bellator vet David Rickles will face travelling fighter JJ Ambrose. Rickles has made a career off of being a tougher SOB than his foes, throwing heavy leather and using an underrated grappling game to hustle foes on the mat. Ambrose is a legit all-around talent from way back, training and fighting around the globe, but never reaching the pinnacle of the sporting world. Ambrose isn’t an easy fight at all, but Rickles power and grit give him a slight edge to keep Ambrose on the defensive and take this fight via late TKO or decision.

Aaron Rosa vs. Mikhail Zayats: A potentially grueling fight, journeyman fighter Aaron Rosa will try his hand in Bellator, taking on Russian sambo fighter Mikhail Zayats. Rosa has never been elite, but his tenacity and endurance have ground down fighters across the heavyweight and light heavyweight spectrums over the years and Zayats may be in for a rough night here. Zayats showed improved stand-up and an understanding of MMA matwork in a losing effort to Newton last time out, and it’ll be interesting to see how far he’s come in this fight, as he looks to get back into the division’s top crust.  This is a close one due to Rosa’s size advantage and ability to absorb punishment, with Zayats really needing to hit a finish to keep from being out pointed. My money is on Rosa to suffocate Zayats against the cage and dirty box for three rounds, grabbing a tight decision win.

Complete Bellator 103 Fight Card (subject to change):

Main Card (Spike TV)

Featherweight Tournament Semifinals – Joe Taimanglo vs. Justin Wilcox

Featherweight Tournament Semifinals – Patricio Freire vs. Fabricio Guerreiro

JJ Ambrose vs. David Rickels

Aaron Rosa vs. Mikhail Zayats

Preliminary Card: (Spike.com)

Cody Carrillo vs. Ricky Musgrave

Jeimeson Saudino vs. Jesse Thornton

Donnie Bell vs. Marcio Navarro

Maurice Jackson vs. Matt Uhde

Remy Bussieres vs. Blake Pool

Wayman Carter vs. Carlos Eduardo

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Category: Bellator, MMA

About the Author ()

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.

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