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By: C.J. Tuttle, MMATorch Contributor
When Bellator's eighth season concluded on April 4, the company left its fans with somewhat of a cliffhanger other MMA promotions cannot duplicate; the scorned tournament format, which is consistently ragged on by MMA "columnists" and enthusiasts alike, had reached it's climax. Bellator's "offseason" allows organic anticipation of watching the contenders who've earned title bouts during the tournament eventually go on to fight the current champion. When the action resumes in June the men who are left standing will now vie for a run with the belt from their respective weight classes.
First up is Bellator's unblemished champion Michael Chandler, who squares off against season 7's lightweight victor Dave Jansen. This, paired with a bout featuring a hungry Muhammad Lawal - who's looking to avenge a loss to Emanuel Newton - should make for one of the more intriguing non-UFC cards of the first half of 2013.
Chandler, alongside Pat Curran and the aptly named "King of Bellator," King Mo, recently attended the MTV Movie Awards with championship belts (minus Mo) in tow. This was the perfect storm for the promotion, which needs to build it's own marketable fighters to compete with the big names of the UFC. After the most recent season, the company has the fighter's needed to make a push into the UFC's market dominance.
Charismatic and above all else formidable fighters the likes of David Rickels, Doug Marshall, Saad Awad, Ben Askren, Ben Saunders, Brett Cooper, and Emanuel Newton have all recently made names for themselves without the help of a championship strap on their shoulder. Whether it was a devastating knockout, the gift of gab, crying after a win or even walking out with a dinosaur, these men are the future of the promotion and will help decide whether Bellator is able to become a breeding ground for the future elite in MMA.
The upcoming summer tournament, which will coincide with the premiere of new reality show "Fight Master: Bellator MMA" on Spike, is a pivotal time for the company. This is their chance to show they have the resources needed to compete with the other big fish in the pond. On the show Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock, and Joe Warren will coach 32 up-and-coming fighters looking to fight their way into the Bellator tournament and the ultimate $100,000 cash prize.
The fighters, vying for a spot in the welterweight tournament of 2013, will live and train together in four different camps. Which camp they choose to train with and which opponent they want to fight next will ultimately lead to their success or demise (Sounds alot like Josh Samman to me). The show can do nothing but propel Bellator forward and create a connection between the viewing audience and their fighters. Watching the proverbial underdog try to reach the elite level of the sport will help add to Bellator's prestige as a company, with the intention of eventually making itself considered among the elite.
With the release of recent widely respected MMA rankings, there has been an increase in the presence of Bellator fighters on the charts. This adds to their credibility and the desire for them to fight top competition as they progress. This should not be accomplished by allowing the UFC to lure away the success stories of Bellator, but by eventually attracting some names from the UFC and placing them in the tournaments to see how they fair.
This hasn't yet been the case, as UFC mainstays seem content with their place and haven't hopped the fence quite yet. But, as time progresses and more recognizable names continue to be released for little (or no) reason, it's in Bellator's best interest to sign these fighters away, as Bellator's own combatants will continue to become stronger, making for some interesting matchups in the future.
The goal is for Bellator to receive mainstream acclaim the same way Stikeforce and WEC did: staging competitive fights with untested potential superstars. Competition between companies will be good for the sport and keep fighters hungry. This makes for an imperative upcoming season for Bjorn Rebney and Bellator. They are on the cusp of something big and now have the pieces required to reach the long-term goals they set out to achieve. I'll be watching, will you?
Comments? Rants? c.j.tuttle@gmail.com Twitter: @kidceej
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Staff_Editorials_19/article_16768.shtml
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