On this episode of the Shootin' the Shit Podcast, we talk with Bellator 255's Cee Jay Hamilton, who discusses his upcoming bout against Magomed Magomedov.
Scott Coker Q&A: Bellator 255, rankings launch, 'MVP,' Megan Anderson, Tyron Woodley, more yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Bellator 255 hosts the company’s consensus greater fighter, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, who squares off against top contender Emmanuel Sanchez in the semifinal of the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix. However, there’s another fight in the lineup that will not disappoint. That is the welterweight contest between Neiman Gracie and Jason Jackson.
With the division wide open at present, both fighters have an opportunity to make a statement and insert their names into the title picture.
Gracie is a four-generation member of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu family. Prior to his career in MMA, Gracie medalled in World and Pan-American Championships in jiu-jitsu. He began his MMA career in 2013 and went 9-0. This included seven wins in Bellator, including finishes over Ed Ruth and Javier Torres. He submitted Ruth, a standout collegiate wrestler, with a fourth-round rear-naked choke in the quarterfinals of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix in 2018.
There’s not a UFC event this weekend. In addition, there aren’t a whole lot of female bouts in general. However, there are a couple: Bellator 255 features Kana Watanabe and Alejandra Lara, while Mountain Force MMA 24 hosts Brooke Mayo and Akeela Al-Hameed. Let’s take a look at these fights.
Kana Watanabe vs. Alejandra Lara (Bellator 255)
Watanabe enters at 9-0-1, while Lara sits at 9-3 after a really impressive win over Veta Arteaga.
I am so high on Watanabe’s potential. If she gets her striking up to the level where it needs to be, then she has championship potential. The knock against her has been her strength of schedule. She has had a lot of opponents who were very much below her level of experience. However, in her last fight in December 2019, she notched a third-round stoppage of Ilara Joanne to answer the question of what she can do against tougher opposition.