Bellator 52 Results: Introducing the 4 Heavyweight Semifinalists

While Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson, two of the smallest fighters in the sport, went to war in the main event of UFC on Versus 6, a number of behemoths battled it out in the opening round of a heavyweight tournament at Bellator 52.

Eight heavyweights stepped into the cage in hopes of taking one step closer toward winning a tournament that would earn them a shot at Bellator heavyweight champion Cole Konrad. Four of those 265-pound pugilists walked away as semifinalists.

Let's take a look at which fighters will be moving on to compete in the next round of Bellator's heavyweight tournament.

Mike Hayes

Facing one of the most well-known heavyweights under the Bellator banner, Mike Hayes walked away from Bellator 52 with a split decision victory. Being at a size disadvantage, Hayes used his speed to frustrate Neil Grove.

With the win Hayes improved his record to 16-4-1. For Grove, the loss put a stop to the heavyweight's hopes of earning a rematch with Cole Konrad.

Blagoi Ivanov

A former world champion in sambo, 24-year-old Blagoi Ivanov is one of the brightest young heavyweights in MMA. At Bellator 52, Ivanov showed his potential by putting Zak Jensen to sleep with a standing guillotine in the second round.

Even before the submission, Ivanov was tearing through Jensen, who displayed a granite chin by taking big shot after big shot from the Bulgarian. After such a dominant performance, Ivanov may be the favorite to walk away as the winner of this Bellator heavyweight tournament.

Eric Prindle

Eric Prindle came into Bellator 52 with a five-fight winning streak, which he extended to six with a hard-fought victory over Abe Wagner. After being rocked in the first round, Prindle recovered and completed an excellent come-from-behind win.

Since putting himself back on the map with a knockout win over Tim Sylvia, Abe Wagner has lost two out of three fights. Considering the disappointing finish to this bout, Wagner could be headed back to the regional circuit.

Ron Sparks

Finishing all but one of his opponents in the first round, Ron Sparks has been a wrecking machine since taking up MMA. Sparks continued his dominance a Bellator 52, where he scored a first-round knockout of Mark Holata.

Appropriately nicknamed "The Monster," Sparks carries an imposing figure into his fights and will be a tough out for any of his fellow heavyweights in this Bellator tournament.