Bellator 108: Don’t be fooled by the Rampage Outcome
Fighters don’t get paid by the hour, and we saw nothing but one rounder’s at last night’s Bellator 108. With brutal knockouts at every turn it you’re a fan of long drawn-out fights Bellator 108 was not the event for you.
Here are the fighters that caught my eye, for better or worse.
Tom DeBlass: A fighter that had a rough run in the UFC, DeBlass looked every part the elite fighter tonight against fellow UFC alum in Jason Lambert. DeBlass is a man of few techniques, but everything he uses is razor-sharp, as was evident by the finish of this fight. Working his snappy power shots that were finding all sorts of gaps in Lambert’s guard, a left check hook dumped Lambert hard, though the journeyman fighter was able to cover and stand. The next blast was all she wrote however, as the same check hook caught Lambert through the same opening, this time sending him down for good. While the dance around weight classes is a bit concerning, DeBlass showed the work in the gym is paying off and no matter what division he winds up in, he stands as a solid competitor.
Vitaly Minakov: In a battle of Russians, Minakov came in against the champion and gave him not an inch to work on-route to a first round TKO win. Minakov showed a bit of backwards game planning here, knowing he needed to be in tight to the lengthy Volkov, and doing absolutely anything to get there. The plan was a risky gambit but worked for the better, with his sacrifice throw to sweep and the reverse punch that dropped Volkov being his two shining moments. It’s hard to say where Minakov goes from here as the Bellator heavyweight division is pathetically thin, but I’m not sure Minakov has the international experience needed to compete at the next level.
Quinton Jackson: “I’m back!” Rampage screamed from center cage after a last second KO of Joey Beltran. “No you’re not!” I screamed from center couch. I’m a fan of Rampage from his Pride and early UFC days, but this was easily his worst performance of all time, KO or not. Movement was a major factor in this one and while Jackson did alright with cutting off the cage on Beltran his form was all over the place. Moving almost like a centipede, Jackson’s feet were never in the right spot, his hips were never engaged and his upper body was just along for the crazy disjointed ride it seems.
There could be several reasons for this, but none are good news. One is that he could be suffering from some serious lower back or hip pain, as he appeared unable to turn Beltran into the cage during the clinch or apply his own pressure to keep the smaller man pinned. Another is that he could simply have avoided training all together, figuring he could walk through Ortiz at 25% power, and then drew a very different foe in Beltran with no time for a tune-up in the gym. Finally, and most likely considering his post-fight speech, he’s surrounded himself with people who tell him he’s doing everything right and he’s of a mind to believe them. No matter how you slice it, Jackson has a bleak future at this point, even in the Bellator cage.
About the Author (Author Profile)
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.Subscribe
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