Wrestlers on Display in Bellator this Week

Wrestlers on Display in Bellator this Week

Jul 30, 2013 by Mark Bader
Wrestlers on Display in Bellator this Week
The explosion of mixed martial arts worldwide has been a proving ground for the sport of wrestling. We are seeing wrestlers flourish inside the cage and show that wrestling is the best base for MMA. This week we will be treated to a Bellator card that is chock full of accomplished wrestlers that fans will recognize. Some of these fighters have been around for a few years while others are just getting their feet wet in the hybrid sport.

Michael Chandler (11-0), an all-american at Missouri, will look to defend his lightweight title when he faces David Rickels (14-1) in the main event of the evening. Chandler's former teammate at Missouri, two-time NCAA champion and 2008 Olympian Ben Askren (11-0) will look to defend his welterweight title for the fourth time as he takes on Russian fighter Andrey Koreshkov (13-0).  Preceeding those two bouts will be light heavyweight standout Mo Lawal (10-2) an all-american at Oklahoma State and a US world team member vs Jacob Noe (12-2).

Earlier in the night we will see a couple of newer fighters who wrestling fans will surely recognize on the undercard. 2011 NCAA champion from Arizona State, Bubba Jenkins will look to extend his record to 4-0 as he makes his Bellator debut. And in the first fight of the night we will see the newest fighter get to showcase his skills. Shawn Bunch was an NCAA runner-up and a world team member and will take the second fight of his young career and look to move his record to 2-0.


Ranking the fighters:

Here is where I will attempt to rank these fighters based on what they have done in the sport so far and what I think they are capable of. 

5. Bubba Jenkins- Bubba has the athleticism and personality to make himself a bright star in this sport. He is quick, strong, explosive and not afraid to speak his mind. The one question mark surrounding him seems to be willingness to go the extra mile and dig down deep when it gets tough. He has been questioned before, but in the biggest match of his life (2011 NCAA finals) he definitely did perform so it will be fun to see how his career plays out.

4. Shawn Bunch- However quick Bubba might be, Bunch is quicker. He only has one fight under his belt but has been eyeing MMA for a while and knows the sport better than most "rookies". Shawn fights at 135 which isn't necessarily as deep as the heavier weights and that may help him advance quickly up the ranks. He will be the most highly decorated wrestler in all of MMA at bantamweight.

3. Mo Lawal- Mo seemed to have insurmountable potential when he hit the MMA scene in 2008 and started making noise immediately. Strong, powerful and explosive, King Mo won his first seven fights including the Strikeforce light heavyweight title before taking his first loss and then eventually falling ill to a staph infection which got very serious and put his career on hault. After a shocking one-punch knockout loss Lawal responded with a first round KO over Seth Petruzelli and is eyeing the Bellator title.

2. Ben Askren- Doubt him, go ahead. If there is one thing this guy is good at it's results. Since his first day in the sport people said he is too slow, not strong enough and won't be successful in MMA. They said the same thing about him in wrestling. He continues to win and prove people wrong as has been doing for years. Ben is probably upset he isn't number one in this poll while others surely would rank him lower. What sets Ben apart is his mindset and confidence. It's like no one I have ever seen before and is truly unique.

1. Michael Chandler- What an impressive career this guy has had so far. 9 finishes in 11 fights including a submission of Eddie Alvarez in his coming out party. He possesses all the traits needed in MMA, starting with his aggressive and relentless attitude and including his high level wrestling, power and quickness. He is not afraid to stand and bang and has the ability to take the fight to the ground seemingly whenever he wants. Keep your eyes on Michael Chandler. He is the least accomplished wrestler on this list but the sky is the limit for is MMA potential.

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