Bellator held three separate events this weekend, and each had their own interesting storylines. The winners from each event’s main card have intriguing matchups ahead, and here is who they should fight next.
Bellator 239 Post-Fight Matchmaker
Valentin Moldavsky vs. Tim Johnson
Both Valentin Moldavsky and Timothy Johnson picked up impressive wins at Friday’s Bellator 239. Moldavsky dominated Javy Ayala en route to a dominant decision victory, while Johnson knocked out Tyrell Fortune in the first round. Each of them are on the cusp of contendership, and pitting them together would help to determine which of them goes forward to face the division’s elite.
Myles Jury vs. Goiti Yamauchi
Myles Jury was able to snap a three-fight skid and earn his first Bellator victory over Brandon Girtz by unanimous decision. “Fury” Jury called for a title shot after the fight, but there is a slim chance of that for him right now. A good next fight would be with submission ace Goiti Yamauchi, making for a fun matchup that would set the winner up for a chance to get closer to the title shot that they desire.
Yaroslav Amosov vs. Jon Fitch
Yaroslav Amosov has now begun his career on an impressive 23-fight win streak, outworking Ed Ruth to earn a decision win. Amosov is on the cusp of a title shot, but with welterweight champ Douglas Lima currently slated to face Gegard Mousasi for the middleweight belt, Amosov may want to take another fight to remain active. “Dynamo” should therefore face a fighter in a similar position to him in Jon Fitch. Fitch came extremely close to grabbing the title from Rory MacDonald in the first round of the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix, fighting to a draw. This matchup could determine the next title challenger between two “grinder”-style fighters.
Bellator 240 Post-Fight Matchmaker
Ricky Bandejas vs. Toby Misech
Ricky Bandejas scored a vicious knockout over Frans Mlambo at Bellator 240 on Saturday night. That makes two straight knockout victories for him, and he now has momentum on his side. A fight with Toby Misech would be a really fun scrap and set up the winner for a chance to fight some of the division’s bigger names.
Bec Rawlings vs. Bruna Ellen
UFC vet “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings was able to pick up a decision victory over Elina Kallionidou to snap a five-fight losing streak and move her record to 8-9. A reasonable matchup for her would be Bruna Ellen, who also beat Kallionidou last year. The 23-year-old Ellen most recently lost to Juliana Velazquez and is looking to bounce back. Rawlings, meanwhile, would also look to get back to .500 and work towards contention in the thin women’s flyweight division.
Kiefer Crosbie vs. Oliver Enkamp
Kiefer Crosbie earned a split-decision victory in his home country on Saturday night over Iamik Furtado. Meanwhile, Oliver Enkamp opened up the main card with a first-round spinning back-fist knockout. The two European welterweights are currently streaking, and a matchup between the two would be very exciting. Be on the lookout for the winner of this matchup to headline a Bellator Europe event soon after.
Brent Primus vs. Benson Henderson
Brent Primus picked up his second consecutive submission in under two minutes against Chris Bungard. His only career loss came in a rematch to Michael Chandler, who he fought for the lightweight title both times. Primus can work his way back to a title shot, but he probably will need to win a couple of fights. Another fighter in a similar situation is Benson Henderson, who most recently picked up a win over Myles Jury. The pairing would be an important one in the division while also being an interesting affair.
Bellator Europe 7 Post-Fight Matchmaker
Austin Clem vs. Aviv Gozali
Aaron Chalmers was planning on picking up a win in front of a raucous home crowd to kick off the Bellator Europe 7 main card, but the ex-Geordie Shore star was beaten from pillar to post by American Austin Clem. “The King” Clem relentlessly grappled Chalmers for three rounds en route to a dominant decision victory. As he looks ahead to his next fight, Clem should look to face Aviv “The King” Gozali. It would be a fun, grappling-heavy matchup which would give Clem a chance to halt the progress of another highly-touted prospect, while giving Gozali a needed gradual step in competition. Also, since both fighters are nicknamed “The King,” a cool wager could be made to allow only the winner of the fight to keep the nickname.
Charlie Ward vs. Kent Kauppinen
SBG product Charlie Ward moved to 5-1 in Bellator by picking up a TKO win over Kyle Kurtz with less than a minute left in their fight. A big fight in Bellator’s European circuit would be a matchup between him and Kent Kauppinen. An Ireland vs. England matchup is always intriguing, but their styles pair well enough to surely make for a banger of a fight.
Leah McCourt vs. Amanda Bell
Belfast, Northern Ireland native Leah McCourt came out victorious in the Bellator Europe 7 headliner over Judith Ruis. Still young in her career, McCourt should now be set to take a step up in competition. Amanda Bell has a bevy of experience against high-level competition with mixed results, but is coming off of a TKO win and will be looking to build a win streak. Bell would provide a good challenge for McCourt, while McCourt would work to prove that she can keep up her winning ways.
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