Bellator 239 Preview & Predictions
February 21st, from the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, OK, Bellator MMA is back with Bellator 239. The event will be headlined by "EZ" Ed Ruth and undefeated Yaroslav Amosov.
Ed Ruth Vs. Yaroslav Amosov
Ed Ruth, is a man referred to as one of the brightest prospects in mma, and for good reason, he's a three time NCAA division I national champion and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Despite his grappling expertise, Ruth seems to enjoy implementing his ever-improving striking game and thus, has accumulated six stoppages via various striking techniques. In his last fight however, he was unable to secure the finish resulting in a back and forth battle with Jason Jackson at Bellator 231 which ultimately ended in a razor thin split decision victory for Ruth.
Yaroslav Amosov, is a 26 year old native of Kiev, Ukraine. The young fighter has started his mma career with a spectacular record of 22-0 and since coming to Bellator, hasn't let up. His last three fights have all been against world class talent including Bellator mainstay David "The Caveman" Rickels (a fight he won by Brabo choke of all things), as well as decision victories against UFC veterans in Erick Silva and Gerald Harris.
Prediction: This is a great piece of matchmaking by Rich Chou and Bellator. I am truly intrigued by this fight and it will be a great test for both guys. As I think about possible outcomes I think a finish is obviously possible but unlikely, I see Ruth with a slight advantage in the wrestling department but Amosov is good enough to hold his own and I think they'll cancel each other out in that regard. I think Ruth will use his ability to mix in both wrestling and striking to do just enough to get the win. I got Ed Ruth by decision thus ending Amosov’s undefeated streak.
Yaroslav Amosov, is a 26 year old native of Kiev, Ukraine. The young fighter has started his mma career with a spectacular record of 22-0 and since coming to Bellator, hasn't let up. His last three fights have all been against world class talent including Bellator mainstay David "The Caveman" Rickels (a fight he won by Brabo choke of all things), as well as decision victories against UFC veterans in Erick Silva and Gerald Harris.
Prediction: This is a great piece of matchmaking by Rich Chou and Bellator. I am truly intrigued by this fight and it will be a great test for both guys. As I think about possible outcomes I think a finish is obviously possible but unlikely, I see Ruth with a slight advantage in the wrestling department but Amosov is good enough to hold his own and I think they'll cancel each other out in that regard. I think Ruth will use his ability to mix in both wrestling and striking to do just enough to get the win. I got Ed Ruth by decision thus ending Amosov’s undefeated streak.
Brandon Girtz Vs. Myles Jury
Brandon Girtz, will make his fifteenth appearance for Bellator MMA in this fight, with his time for the promotion extending all the way back to November 2012 when he defeated Michel Quinones (the company was still known as Bellator FC at that time). He has since seen many highs and lows going 8-6 in that stretch. Despite the mixed results, Girtz has remained a fan favorite by partaking in some of Bellator's wildest brawls. His last outing certainly fell into that category. It was an absolute crowd pleaser opposite Saad Awad last March. Girtz managed to not only thrill the fans but also picked up the win.
Myles Jury, will look to pick up his first win in Bellator MMA in this fight after dropping his promotional debut to former UFC champion Benson Henderson in September. Jury was once one of the UFC's brightest young stars having picked up victories against Michael Johnson, Ramsey Nijem, Diego Sanchez and Takenori Gomi among others during his time with the company. Following the win over Gomi, Jury would hit a bit of a rough patch, losing 4 of his next 6 including losses to Chad Mendes and Andre Fili during a stint at featherweight. Following the loss to Fili, Jury opted to sign with Bellator. He now makes his second appearance for the promotion in hopes of securing a win and positioning himself as a contender in Bellator's lightweight division.
Prediction: I see this fight as a true measuring stick for both men, as they have both been having a hard time finding consistency. On one hand, Girtz has shown his toughness can never be questioned but, while he can have a competitive fight with even the most skilled opponent, he has fallen short of a title shot thus far. And Jury has shown glimpses of greatness but, as he tried to make the jump from prospect to contender, he has struggled. I think Girtz's pressure and wrestling could be a difference maker. That being said, I think Jury is a bit smarter in the striking exchanges. If he can avoid the wild punches of Girtz, I give him the edge. I think Jury will take the fight by decision.
Myles Jury, will look to pick up his first win in Bellator MMA in this fight after dropping his promotional debut to former UFC champion Benson Henderson in September. Jury was once one of the UFC's brightest young stars having picked up victories against Michael Johnson, Ramsey Nijem, Diego Sanchez and Takenori Gomi among others during his time with the company. Following the win over Gomi, Jury would hit a bit of a rough patch, losing 4 of his next 6 including losses to Chad Mendes and Andre Fili during a stint at featherweight. Following the loss to Fili, Jury opted to sign with Bellator. He now makes his second appearance for the promotion in hopes of securing a win and positioning himself as a contender in Bellator's lightweight division.
Prediction: I see this fight as a true measuring stick for both men, as they have both been having a hard time finding consistency. On one hand, Girtz has shown his toughness can never be questioned but, while he can have a competitive fight with even the most skilled opponent, he has fallen short of a title shot thus far. And Jury has shown glimpses of greatness but, as he tried to make the jump from prospect to contender, he has struggled. I think Girtz's pressure and wrestling could be a difference maker. That being said, I think Jury is a bit smarter in the striking exchanges. If he can avoid the wild punches of Girtz, I give him the edge. I think Jury will take the fight by decision.
Tyrell Fortune Vs. Timothy Johnson
Tyrell Fortune, is a highly decorated collegiate wrestler who made the transition to mma in 2016 and has fought exclusively with Bellator in his professional career. Fortune has earned stoppages in all but 2 of his eight victories including five by knockout or tko and one by submission. Bellator has done a great job helping mold his career in the early stages by having Fortune make a gradual climb into elite competition. This fight marks another big step up as he now faces a battle tested UFC veteran. His last fight was a second round tko win against Azunna Anyanwu at Bellator 233.
Timothy Johnson, is a veteran of the UFC who went 4-3 during his tenure. Oddly, he was let go from the promotion despite getting a win in the final fight of his contract against Marcelo Golm at UFC Fight Night 125. He then signed with Bellator and has had a tough run thus far having been knocked out in both outings, one against Cheick Kongo at Bellator 208 and then most recently by Vitaly Minakov at Bellator 225.
Prediction: This is a perfect fight stylistically, to showcase just how good Tyrell Fortune is. His opponent is far from an easy fight for anyone but, I think the grappling advantage Johnson enjoys having against most opponents will be non-existent here. I also don't think Fortune is gonna take advantage of that either, or need to for that matter. I think Fortune will use his defensive wrestling to keep this fight on the feet and knock his opponent out in the first round.
Timothy Johnson, is a veteran of the UFC who went 4-3 during his tenure. Oddly, he was let go from the promotion despite getting a win in the final fight of his contract against Marcelo Golm at UFC Fight Night 125. He then signed with Bellator and has had a tough run thus far having been knocked out in both outings, one against Cheick Kongo at Bellator 208 and then most recently by Vitaly Minakov at Bellator 225.
Prediction: This is a perfect fight stylistically, to showcase just how good Tyrell Fortune is. His opponent is far from an easy fight for anyone but, I think the grappling advantage Johnson enjoys having against most opponents will be non-existent here. I also don't think Fortune is gonna take advantage of that either, or need to for that matter. I think Fortune will use his defensive wrestling to keep this fight on the feet and knock his opponent out in the first round.
Javy Ayala Vs. Valentin Moldavsky
Javy Ayala, is coming off arguably the biggest win of his mma career, a victory over former UFC champion Frank Mir. In the fight he appeared to break Mir's jaw, forcing him to submit. Before this, he was on a bit of a rough patch having dropped consecutive fights to Cheick Kongo and Roy Nelson. In 2016 however, he picked what was certainly the biggest knockout of his career, when he spoiled the highly anticipated Bellator debut of Sergie Kharitonov with a 16 second knockout.
Valentin Moldavsky, is a protege of the great Fedor Emelianenko. He will make his fourth trip to the Bellator cage here, following a stint with the Rizin promotion. During his time in Rizin, he participated in the 2016 Openweight Grand Prix, scoring decision victories against Karl Albrektsson and Szymon Bajor before being eliminated by Amir Aliakbari. He is so far a perfect 3-0 with the Bellator since making the jump from Rizin. In that time, he has picked up wins against Carl Seumanutafa, Ernest James and most recently Linton Vassell.
Prediction: Javy Ayala is certainly a dangerous opponent but he does tend to fade later in the fight. I think if Valentin can manage to avoid taking any big strikes early he should be able to grind Javy down and will likely use his grappling expertise to secure a submission. So, I'm picking Valentin by submission in round 3.
Valentin Moldavsky, is a protege of the great Fedor Emelianenko. He will make his fourth trip to the Bellator cage here, following a stint with the Rizin promotion. During his time in Rizin, he participated in the 2016 Openweight Grand Prix, scoring decision victories against Karl Albrektsson and Szymon Bajor before being eliminated by Amir Aliakbari. He is so far a perfect 3-0 with the Bellator since making the jump from Rizin. In that time, he has picked up wins against Carl Seumanutafa, Ernest James and most recently Linton Vassell.
Prediction: Javy Ayala is certainly a dangerous opponent but he does tend to fade later in the fight. I think if Valentin can manage to avoid taking any big strikes early he should be able to grind Javy down and will likely use his grappling expertise to secure a submission. So, I'm picking Valentin by submission in round 3.
Prelims
Steven Mowry (7-0) Vs.. Rudy Schaffroth (6-1)
Gaston Bolanos (5-2) vs. Solo Hatley Jr. ( 7-2)
Kyle Crutchmer (5-0) Vs. Scott Futrell (11-9)
Cris Lencioni (5-2) Vs. Salim Mukhidinov (6-3)
Denise Kielholtz (4-2) Vs. Kristina Williams (3-2)
Lucas Brennan (2-0) Vs. Jamese Taylor (0-1)
Adil Benjilany (5-2) Vs. Kevin Croom (20-12)
Chris Gonzalez (3-0) Vs. Aaron McKenzie (7-1-1)
Christian Edwards (2-0) Vs. Marco Hutch (3-2)
Carlo Pedersoli Jr. (11-3) Vs. Mark Lemminger (10-1)
Gabriel Varga (1-0) Vs. Teejay Britton (5-2)
Grant Neal (2-0) Vs. Claude Wilcox (1-1)
J.W. Kiser (5-2) Vs. Davion Franklin (0-0)
*fight card and bout order subject to change
Gaston Bolanos (5-2) vs. Solo Hatley Jr. ( 7-2)
Kyle Crutchmer (5-0) Vs. Scott Futrell (11-9)
Cris Lencioni (5-2) Vs. Salim Mukhidinov (6-3)
Denise Kielholtz (4-2) Vs. Kristina Williams (3-2)
Lucas Brennan (2-0) Vs. Jamese Taylor (0-1)
Adil Benjilany (5-2) Vs. Kevin Croom (20-12)
Chris Gonzalez (3-0) Vs. Aaron McKenzie (7-1-1)
Christian Edwards (2-0) Vs. Marco Hutch (3-2)
Carlo Pedersoli Jr. (11-3) Vs. Mark Lemminger (10-1)
Gabriel Varga (1-0) Vs. Teejay Britton (5-2)
Grant Neal (2-0) Vs. Claude Wilcox (1-1)
J.W. Kiser (5-2) Vs. Davion Franklin (0-0)
*fight card and bout order subject to change
