Bellator 138 Results: Questions Following Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock
Bellator 138 is in the books. Friday's main card results are as follows, courtesy of Bleacher Report's play-by-play guy, Craig Amos:
- Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson defeats Ken Shamrock via TKO (Round 1, 2:22)
- Patricio Freire defeats Daniel Weichel via knockout (Round 2, 0:32)
- Bobby Lashley defeats Dan Charles via TKO (Round 2, 4:14)
- Daniel Straus defeats Henry Corrales via submission (Round 2, 3:47)
- Michael Chandler defeats Derek Campos via submission (Round 1, 2:17)
With its latest big show likely to go down as a smashing success and its next one garnering a great deal of fan support, things are looking up for the Viacom-owned promotion.
Still, plenty of big questions are lingering about the organization's direction and crop of talent. So what are the biggest issues facing Bellator? What speed bumps could it hit over the coming months?
Find out here!
What Other Stars from the Past Will Bellator Pursue?
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What's the Situation?
Bellator is closely tied to a huge number of MMA legends. Royce Gracie, Frank Shamrock, Ken Shamrock, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and Fedor Emelianenko have all officially appeared with the company in some capacity. The promotion is on record as having courted Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop as well.
With Bellator building its promotion around these throwback fighters, it is easy to wonder who else from years past will emerge to join the company.
What Could Happen?
Smug MMA purists may not like the idea of old men being dusted off for one last run, but there's no denying that Bellator has a winning strategy on its hands. Tito Ortiz vs. Stephan Bonnar blew away the UFC's free TV offerings in 2014, and Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice could easily put up similar numbers.
The incentive is there for Bellator, so the question is, who comes next?
Could the company somehow lure Emelianenko out of his divine retirement? Could Frank Shamrock join his brother? Could we see the return of Don Frye? Renzo Gracie? Couture?
The only limit is your imagination!
Who Will Be the Next UFC Fighter to Defect to Bellator?
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What's the Situation?
Bellator has revolutionized the MMA free-agent marketplace. While the organization was panned during the Bjorn Rebney era because of a legal dispute with its lightweight champ, Eddie Alvarez, it has become a power player at the negotiating table over the last 12 months. Bellator showed off this new muscle when it snatched away light heavyweight contender Phil Davis from the UFC, and it is highly unlikely he will be the last fighter to change jerseys.
What Could Happen?
The proverbial walls are covered with writing that the UFC is losing the devotion of its fighters, and deservedly so. The Reebok deal has alienated a portion of the UFC's roster, and the willingness of other promotions to pony up the cash for high-level or otherwise notable fighters is removing a great deal of the UFC's leverage over its talent.
Don't believe it? Look at Chad Mendes' recent interview with Fox Sports. Check out Jeremy Botter's recent discussion about Ben Henderson in relation to Davis. Take a look at Bloody Elbow's recent poll of fighters and see how many "top contenders" said they would love to jump ship.
It's not a good situation for the UFC, and it's a story that could easily define the year.
Will Bellator Continue Promoting Women's Fights?
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What's the Situation?
In late 2014, Gina Carano and Cris "Cyborg" Justino were two of the hottest free agents in MMA. During its pursuit of the women's MMA stars, Bellator hastily slapped together a women's featherweight division where the company would, hopefully, be able to rule.
Unfortunately, Carano would stay in Hollywood, and Justino would sign a mystery contract with the UFC. Now, with little talent and no noteworthy names, Bellator is stuck with a thin, directionless division that does not have a bright future ahead of it.
What Could Happen?
One of the things the original Bellator management team doesn't get enough credit for is cultivating a huge amount of women's MMA talent at an uncertain time. Unfortunately, while Bjorn Rebney's Bellator featured a strawweight division that included Carla Esparza, Jessica Aguilar, Aisling Daly, Jessica Penne, Zoila Frausto, Heather Jo Clark, Felice Herrig and Megumi Fujii, Scott Coker's Bellator tried to repeat the same mistake Strikeforce made by building an entire division around a single fighter.
But Bellator doesn't have that Cyborg or Carano to build around. Worse yet, there are no fighters coming down the pipe who could even pretend to take on that role.
As for opening up another women's division? That will be tough with the UFC and Invicta hosting the vast majority of talent between 105 and 135 pounds. There is little incentive for Bellator to continue promoting women's fights, and it's hard to imagine the company doing so for much longer.
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What Will Happen with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson?
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What's the Situation?
Earlier this year, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson left Bellator for the UFC because of a nitpicky contract dispute. While it initially seemed as though a judge would force Rampage to return to Bellator, an overturned injunction turned the case upside down. Now, the promotion finds itself in a tough spot, having to juggle its own legal interests while placating one of its biggest draws.
What Could Happen?
Bellator is in a no-win situation with Jackson. The best-case scenario is that it eventually wins the ongoing case and alienates one of its top stars. The worst case? The judge declares Bellator's contracts don't hold water, allowing all of its fighters to Rampage their way to whatever promotion they dang well please (though this is unlikely).
MMAFighting.com's Luke Thomas spoke with several attorneys on the matter, and Jackson riding off into the sunset with Lorenzo Fertitta, tellingly, was not a hot topic of conversation:
"Attorneys contacted by MMA Fighting were split on opinion about Rampage's future. Some viewed judge Kennedy's decision as proof that Bellator's case against Rampage just got significantly stronger in terms of damages. Others believe once Saturday passes, Bellator still has a larger case against Rampage, but nothing to stop him from competing again in the short run.
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Jackson may or may not return to the Octagon in the immediate future. He may or may not settle. He may or may not have a long, ugly, back-and-forth affair in the courts. Either way, this is a big story for Bellator and one worth watching over the coming months.
Will Fans Get Behind Any of Bellator's Homegrown Talent?
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What's the Situation?
Fights like Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice and Tito Ortiz vs. Stephan Bonnar attract a great many eyeballs. That said, while fans may be tuning in to see familiar names, Bellator is hoping that it's the Michael Chandlers, Patricio Freires and Will Brookses who make the strongest impression. Whether or not that strategy works, however, remains to be seen.
What Could Happen?
What makes an MMA fighter a star? That's a question that has plagued fight promoters in recent years, and each organization has found a different answer. While the UFC has used the WWE "jam somebody down fans' throats" approach with the likes of Paige VanZant and Erick Silva, Bellator has been trying to allow fighters to make a name for themselves by just doing their best to get butts in the seats and eyes on the TV.
Will that work, though? That remains unclear, but Bellator 138 shook out perfectly in that regard with Chandler, Freire and Daniel Straus all posting impressive wins. It will be interesting to see what Bellator's plans are for each man going forward.
Will Bellator Sign Any More Super-Prospects?
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What's the Situation?
First it was Michael Page. Then it was Goiti Yamauchi. Then it was Aaron Pico. Then it was Ed Ruth.
One by one, Bellator has been squirreling away hot prospects and setting itself up to have a slew of elite-level talent in 2017 and beyond. With the entire combat sports world set for a major shake-up, Bellator could be poised to add more than a few young guns to the roster.
What Could Happen?
The 2016 Olympic Games are fast approaching, and with each major qualifier, more and more world-class wrestlers and judoka find themselves out of the running and wondering about the next stage of their athletic careers. Bellator and the UFC have already quietly been going back and forth, signing away every Olympic hopeful who falls through the cracks. That arms race won't slow down any time soon.
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