By Trent ReinsmithFebruary 25, 2016 2:15 pm
5 reasons to watch Bellator 150, a suitable palate cleanser for Bellator 149
These things happen in MMA.
On the eve of Bellator 150, the promotion announced bantamweight champion Marcos Galvao has fallen ill and his title defense against former champion Eduardo Dantasis no longer going to take place on Friday night.
While that’s a huge loss for the event, the show will go on.
In the new main event, heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Vinicius Queiroz meet in a fight that was originally set to be part of the Bellator Season 9 heavyweight tournament in 2013.
Prior to the headlining bout, established fighters Kendall Grove and David Rickels look to keep their names in the mix against lesser-known opponents Francisco France and Bobby Cooper, respectively.
Bellator 150 takes place at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The main card airs on Spike after prelims on MMAjunkie. Here are five reasons you want to tune in.
1. Rebuilt and ready
The reconstructed version of Queiroz (8-3 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) found success in his first fight in two years when he submitted Ewerton Teixeira at Bellator 143. Queiroz took those two years off after undergoing surgery in both knees.
At Bellator 150, he gets his chance to prove that he’s a title threat in the heavyweight division when he steps in as an injury replacement for Augusto Sakai to face Kongo (23-10-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA). These two were originally scheduled to meet after Queiroz knocked out Lavar Johnson in the Season 9 Bellator heavyweight tournament, but Queiroz was forced out of that fight due to an injury.
If Queiroz wanted a fight that brings him closer to a title fight, he has it against Kongo.
2. Caveman in a rut
“The Caveman” Rickels (16-4 MMA, 10-4 BMMA) may be a fan favorite, but he’s struggled to put together consecutive wins in Bellator since he won four straight from November 2012 to March 2013. In his past six fights, he’s gone 2-3 with one no-contest. True, those losses came at the hands of top lightweights Michael Chandler (twice) and Patricky Freire, but in the big picture, a loss is a loss.
If Rickels wants to keep fighting the cream of the crop in Bellator, and perhaps earn himself another title shot, he’s going to need to get past Cooper (12-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) at Bellator 150.
3. A possible new contender at middleweight
France (13-3-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has been making steady progress in his MMA career. He joined Bellator after capturing the RFA middleweight title. In his first fight with the promotion, he ended the 16-fight unbeaten streak of Ben Reiter, stopping him by second-round submission. That gave France 12 submissions in 13 career victories.
At Bellator 150, France faces the most recognizable name of his career when he meets former UFC fighter Grove (22-15 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), who’s been with Bellator since 2013. During that time, Grove has gone 3-2, most recently defeating Joey Beltran by TKOat Bellator 143.
A win here, and France could find himself a fight or two away from a title shot.
4. Opportunity knocks
With Galvao falling ill, Bellator has moved the featherweight bout between Gaston Reyno (5-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and Chuka Willis (6-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) to the main card.
If you’re looking for a prospect to keep your eye on at Bellator 150, Reyno is your man. The 29-year-old featherweight from Uruguay has never left the first round after finishing three fights by submission and two via TKO.
Reyno, a training partner of UFC lightweight James Krause, is very aggressive with his kicks, mixing up both low and high kicks that pack a lot of power. He’s also shown a strong ground game, never panicking when he’s in a bad spot and taking advantage of any opening his opponents afford him.
5. New blood in the women’s flyweight division
Flyweights Rebecca Ruth (5-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) may not be names you are familiar with right now, but that may change by the time Bellator 150 comes to a close.
Ruth fought three times in 2015 with Shamrock FC, and she was clearly on another level from her opponents after winning each fight by TKO.
Ruth is solid, if a little reckless on her feet, and has shown some skill on the ground, but she prefers to stand and throw hands. Her only loss came at RFA 18, where she dropped a split decision to current UFC fighter Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger.
Ovchynnikova is the more experienced fighter in this matchup after competing in kickboxing and muay Thai at the same time she has been a professional MMA fighter. Ovchynnikova’s most notable past opponent was current UFC fighter Joanne Calderwood, who defeated Ovchynnikova at Super Fight League 3.
These two are both high-risk fighters, and that should make for an enjoyable fight.
