Bellator 144: The next generation of stars emerge; Now, its time to test them.

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MMABROdotcom

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Oct 2, 2015
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MMABRO.com: - MMABRO: MMA FOR THE THINKING BRO.

In the modern era of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), any good promoter worth their salt will certainly acknowledge that to be a successful fight promotion requires a steady influx of new talent. Moreover, a certain percentage of that new organizational talent must connect with the fans in some capacity and blossom into stars through consistent victory inside the cage. As one generation of fighter talent retires and moves on from the sport, fight organizations must readily supply a captivating reason for fans of one fighter generation to remain engaged by the follow-on fighter generation or a vast majority of those consumers will move on from the sport for entertainment substitutes. Part of being a successful fight organization involves weathering the peaks and valleys of the changing of the guard of stars and growing a new generation of talent to carry the organizational banner into the future. While the UFC has certainly succeeded in this task with the likes of Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor in recent years (as well as grooming future potential stars like Paige VanZant & Sage Northcutt most recently,) Bellator’s strategy under Scott Coker in this regard revealed itself further at Bellator 144 on Friday night. Namely, I’m speaking of the Bellator 144 performances of welterweights Brennan Ward (12-3), Michael “Venom” Page (MVP) (9-0), and featherweight sensation Goiti Yamauchi (19-2).

In the wake of Bellator 144, the performances turned in by Brennan Ward and MVP were solid and further solidified their capability to rise the Bellator banner to new heights on their shoulders. Without question however, the victories were expected, and it is time to give both of these welterweight fighters a gigantic leap up in competition in their next fight. While one can’t fault Bellator too much for building the bench of the next generation of stars, another lopsided fight for both of these fighters could hurt the Bellator brand and further exacerbate assertions by some that both Ward and MVP are being matched up against lesser competition to build their star power and brand. Expect to see MVP and Brennan Ward on a more high profile card in the future against stiffer competition. In regard to Goiti Yamauchi, dethroning a former King of Pancrase in Isao Kobayashi in the most dominating manner possible on Friday certainly elevated his stock as a title contender in the Bellator featherweight division. Over the course of three rounds, Yamauchi chained submission after submission attempt together over a game Kobayashi before ultimately finishing the Japanese fighter with a rear-naked choke submission at 3:50 of round number three. Even more impressive perhaps was the fact Yamauchi did so after a nearly 400 day layoff from competition inside the Bellator cage.

Goiti Yamauchi submits Isao Kobayashi via rear-naked choke. Photo credit: Bellator MMA
For Yamauchi, at just 22 years of age, he seems to understand his role in the business context of Bellator’s plan to mint the next generation of stars as stated in his Bellator 144 post fight interview:

“I am the next contender baby. I’m here to be a champion. Bellator needs new blood, and I am the champion.”

A future showdown with current featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire or #1 contender Daniel Straus seems to be on a collision course at this point in time for Yamauchi.

Similarly, Michael “Venom” Page, also recognizes his role in Bellator’s goal to go for the biggest catchment of non-MMA customers and bring them into the Bellator fold:

“I’ve always spoken to people after, and they are like your fights are crazy. [They say] I showed my Auntie, my Grams, my Mum. People that have no interest in MMA whatsoever. I believe I’ve got the capability to bring those kind of people, those extra eyeballs to the sport. I believe I’m going to revolutionize the way people think in regards to what they can do in the cage. I want to achieve titles. I have to beat all the big names. I want to be the face of MMA.”

Capturing unexplored non customers who have not been targeted or thought as potential customers by any player in the MMA industry is certainly an interesting approach from Bellator. The needs and business opportunities associated with them have somehow always been assumed to belong to other markets, and if Bellator can somehow use MVP to capture these individuals, unlocking their value as consumers could be an industry game changer.

Michael "Venom" Page. Photo Credit: Bellator MMA.
As for Brennan Ward, his supreme confidence, raw honesty, and against the grain attitude in addition to superior wrestling and striking skills cater to a huge swath of individuals across an ever growing MMA fan base. His affiliation with alternative lifestyle sports such as surfing, skating, snowboarding, and BMX also offer a unique way to capture a whole new demographic and bring them into the MMA fold as well. Ward is the epitome of gritty, blue-collar work ethic and among the three stars mentioned, he may very well have the potential to shine the brightest if he can keep his mind focused in the gym and unlock his full potential in the Bellator cage.


In the end, minting new stars in any fight organization is never an easy task. Bumps in the road like Brandon Halsey’s unforeseen loss to Rafael Carvalho via devastating liver kick can derail fight organization promotional efforts and result in unexpected stars rising within the organization. Without question, Brandon Halsey will be back in a quest for redemption soon at middleweight but his circumstance illustrates the unknown element of MMA that resides in fighters’ hands which makes it one of the greatest sports on earth. All in all, Bellator 144 signaled the rise of a new generation of Bellator stars is on glide path, and I am excited to see where it all ends up over time.