Bellator MMA comes to St. Louis, Mo., this Friday night (June 19, 2015) for a Spike TV-televised show at Scottrade Center with an intriguing main event that, for some, evokes tortured memories.
Pundits have questioned the reason Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock has been revisited at Bellator 138, given the street fighting background of the former and the advanced age of the latter. They've each outlined their own reasons for competing, but they're trumped by the one reason that matters most: Spectacle.
Indeed, even people who hate the idea of the fight will tune in to see it.
Given the massive audience that Bellator expects to garner on Spike TV for the main card, the promotion has certainly seized the opportunity to showcase some of its top talent underneath the Heavyweight headliner.
In the co-main event, Patricio Freire will defend his Featherweight title against Daniel Weichel. In addition, former 145-pound champion Daniel Straus will face rising star Henry Corrales. And "The Dominator," Bobby Lashley, will go toe-to-toe with slugger Dan Charles. Let's not forget about Michael Chandler, either.
Let's break it down:
265 lbs.: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)
Neither Shamrock nor Slice have graced the inside of a combat cage since 2010, although Slice has been the more active of the two, pursuing his pugilistic prowess and amassing an undefeated (7-0) boxing record. He's clearly still got stopping power given six knockouts in those seven fights. Slice is the man you book to draw the casual viewing audience, though, so it's clear he was given very winnable opportunities.
The jury is out on whether Shamrock has any stopping power left at age 51, even though Shamrock's amazing physique for his age suggests he could hurt Slice if he can reach him. That's not the specialty that earned him the nickname "The World's Most Dangerous Man" in his UFC heyday, though.
It's his patented bone-breaking and muscle tearing leg locks.
For boxer versus grappler examples you need look no further than James Toney vs. Randy Couture to figure out Shamrock's game plan; however, he may not have the speed at his age any more to get that takedown first. The Tito Ortiz trilogy also proved that Shamrock no longer has a chin ... so one punch is all it will take.
Final prediction: Slice via knockout in round one.
145 lbs.: Patricio Freire (13-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)
"The Pitbull" was originally scheduled to face Georgi Karakhanyan after a devastating first round submission of Bubba Jenkins cemented a rematch four years in the making. However, Karakhanyan had to withdraw because of an injury, so he'll take his shot at a later date if Freire gets past the streaking Weichel, who has compiled a seven-fight win streak capped by his victory in Bellator's Season 10 Featherweight tournament.
Weichel is as dangerous on the ground as they come, picking up 60 percent of his career wins via submission. He can also be caught with a hard strike, as 50 percent of his losses come via (technical) knockout. Freire, meanwhile, has yet to show any vulnerability in either department, with his only losses to date coming by decision.
He's on a six-fight win streak of his own, one in which he avenged his loss to Pat Curran and claimed the 145-pound title in the process.
Freire proved his cardio was up to par in going the distance with the tough and durable Curran, but given both men are relatively young (27 and 30, respectively) fatigue seems unlikely to play a huge factor. For me the key to this fight is that Freire only loses when his opponents can do more damage as a counter striker and stuff his takedowns. His recent run suggests Freire evolved following the first Curran fight and won't let Weichel or any opponent set the pace.
Final prediction: Freire retains the title via unanimous decision.
265 lbs.: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. Dan Charles (9-2)
Charles steps in on late notice to replace James Thompson, but for "The Dominator" the game stays the same. He's not a huge fan of fights that go beyond the first round. And his loss to Thompson was one of those fights, so for either opponent he was going to come out hard and fast. Charles has to be hoping for the same given he wins 55 percent of his fights via (technical) knockout, but also took both L's the same way. In a slugfest that lasts less than five minutes I favor Lashley, but even it it goes the distance I suspect Charles hasn't had enough of a training camp on short notice to overtake the former professional wrestler.
Final prediction: Lashley via first round technical knockout.
145 lbs.: Daniel Straus (23-6) vs. Henry Corrales (12-0)
The undefeated Corrales has a lot of momentum coming into his Bellator debut, having a long successful run in both Long Beach Fight Night and King of the Cage promotions, amassing four knockouts and six submissions in his unblemished record. He's also catching the former Featherweight champion, Straus, at an unusually vulnerable time, having dropped two of his last three bouts, losing both fights in the later rounds via rear-naked choke.
One big positive for Straus -- he's never dropped two fights in a row in his entire professional career. Corrales would have to be the first man to do it. And while he's got an incredible record coming in, it's all about the quality of the competition that you face. Straus has been dealing with what could be argued is the most stacked 145-pound division in MMA, and one that only gets more deep as Bellator signs prospects like Corrales. His first loss might actually make him a more dangerous fighter as it shows him how to take his skill set up another level.
Final prediction: Straus wins via unanimous decision.
155 lbs.: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)
It's unusual for a fighter who was once as dominant as Chandler to be on a three-fight skid, but it's also not surprising that all three of those loses were in title fights. He's world champion caliber whether he wins or loses. Chandler can't get a fourth title fight, though, even if two of his three loses were split decisions, so it's back to the drawing board in a three-round fight with Campos. His only loss in his last five fights was a technical knockout at Bellator 117, his first time being finishes by strikes, but Chandler's hands are as deadly as his submissions (five each). He should get back on track here.
Final prediction: Chandler vis second round submission.
That's a wrap!
MMAmania.com will deliver live coverage of Bellator 138: "Shamrock vs. Slice" Friday night (June 19, 2015), with the first fight streaming live online at 7 p.m. ET followed by the televised portion of Bellator 138, which airs live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.