If Bellator light heavyweight finalists Emanuel Newton and Mikhail Zayats were professional wrestlers, they’d be jobbers — guys brought in to simply lose and make their better-known opponent look unstoppable.
The tournament-based promotion had tacitly expected a high-profile “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal-Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral matchup in the light heavyweight tournament finals. Both men carry with them a broad name recognition and tremendous MMA accolades; King Mo from his popularity with TNA Wrestling and as former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, and Sobral, who had fought in the UFC and Strikeforce, holding submission victories over Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, Chael Sonnen, and Sokoudjou.
Both Babalu and King Mo entered the season eight tournament as heavy favorites, but two spinning back-fist knockout losses flipped that script, leaving the Bellator brass with two unlikely and under-marketed tournament finalists.
And the underdogs delivered. In spite of their lack of name recognition and marketability, Zayats and Newton showed heart and grit in a heck of a scrap. Both men left the cage bloodied and battered Thursday night in Tampa. In the end, Newton took home the unanimous decision victory.
Everyone loves an underdog, which is something that odds makers will never understand about those who bet with the heart, not the mind. Anyone who thought Newton would win the whole tournament outside of his immediate family and friends would have been considered crazy.
Not surprisingly, when Newton first shocked the world, his opponent King Mo opened as a huge -505 favorite, while Newton entered at a modest +355 (bet $100 to win $355). And Sobral was no different, entering his 205-pound bout with Zayats as a favorite himself.
Newton shocked the MMA world with a blistering spinning back fist on an overly confident King Mo at Bellator 90 in February. Lawal, a decorated collegiate wrestler, opted to stand with Newton, all the while undermining his opponent’s striking skills by keeping his hands comically low throughout the first round fight. Babalu would suffer a similar fate at the back hand of the 31-year old-Russian Zayats at Bellator 85.
Newton used that same effective striking in his victory over fellow underdog Zayats, even using his trademark spinning back fist twice, much to the crowd’s delight. Against all odds, the last man standing in the tournament was Newton.
Bellator’s plans may have ruined, yet all was not lost.
Newton’s improbable tournament victory serves as a valuable lesson for Bellator, and perhaps every promotion for that matter. MMA is about as unpredictable of a sport as you can get — one single well-placed punch can screw up months of planning and marketing for a desired outcome, in this case a massive King Mo-Babalu headliner.
Hedging your bets on a few high-profile guys doesn’t secure any grand plans of super fights or tournament finales. Champions lose. Sometimes the underdog prevails, even in the presence of insurmountable odds. But only an underdog can truly appreciate the opportunity on the line, having yet to taste the fruits of fame and fortune.
And now Newton will rematch newly crowned light heavyweight champion Attila Vegh. Will the underdog prevail again?
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A post-fight skirmish after the bell marred what was otherwise a competitive fight in Bellator’s female strawweight division. Felice Herrig and Heather Clark fought in a spirited back and forth battle, which ended in a split decision victory for Herrig. After the third and final round, Herrig got up and celebrated in her opponents face, prompting post-fight punches from both women.
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Fast finisher Saad Awad failed to deliver another lightning quick knockout. Awad battered opponent Dave ‘The Caveman’ Rickels with strikes and solid top control, showing a more measured pace than his recent Bellator outings. Rickels kept his composure and eventually dropped the Palestinian at the tale end of the second round, securing the victory with punches just as the bell rang. “The Caveman” will now fight for the 155 pound title against current champion Michael Chandler.
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Former featherweight semi-finalist Ronnie Mann returned from a year long absence since his last Bellator appearance. His opponent, Rodrigo Lima, battered the Briton with punches in the first round, dropping Mann and nearly finishing him. The hard-nosed Mann persisted, but ultimately dropped a unanimous decision to Lima.
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Fighting for the first time in the United States, Brazilian export Luis Melo picked up his first win in America against once-beaten Trey Houston. After controlling Houston in the first round with effective striking and ground control, the American retaliated with some solid shots in the second affair, staggering Melo in the process. The Brazilian recovered and submitted Houston early in the third round via arm triangle choke to advance in the welterweight season nine tournament.
