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Bellator 43 preview and predictions for 'Hieron vs Hawn' on May 7

Bellator Fighting Championships will return to Oklahoma for the fourth time this year on Saturday night (May 7, 2011) at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, OK, live on MTV2 for its forty-third event.

The main card will air live on the basic cable network beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Headlining the main event will be the exciting conclusion of the Bellator season four welterweight tournament as UFC and Strikeforce veteran Jay Hieron squares off against undefeated Judo Olympian, Rick Hawn.

Also on the card will be an intriguing middleweight bout between Bellator season two finalist Bryan "The Beast" Baker and UFC and Strikeforce veteran Joe "Diesel" Riggs.

Former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe will make his promotional debut against Bellator season three bantamweight semifinalist Jose Vega. Vega is a very entertaining striker so this should be a good one.

Heavyweight knockout artist Neil Grove was originally scheduled to face Ultimate Fighter season 10 alumni Zak Jenson, but was forced to back out with an injury just this week.

Today, the promotion has upgraded the preliminary card's heavyweight mash-up between Ron Sparks and Vince Lucero to fill the open slot.

Complete Bellator 43 preview and predictions after the jump

170 lbs.: Jay Hieron (21-4) vs. Rick Hawn (11-0)

Jay Hieron, unlike Roger Huerta, has done exactly what he was signed to do -- win. The veteran of the UFC, Strikeforce, Affliction and the IFL has literally seen it all and he gutted out a tough decision against a very game Brent Weedman at Bellator 40 just a month ago.

"The Thoroughbred" trains out of Xtreme Couture and has meshed a solid striking arsenal with his elite wrestling and ground skills. Expect him to have a lot of difficulty getting his opponent to the ground on Saturday night.

Why would that be?

His opponent, Rick Hawn, literally spent 20 years working every day to not be taken down by trips, throws or takedowns, competing at the very highest level in the world at Judo. His base and balance are world class. What wasn't world class, at least in his Bellator debut, was his striking.

That's all changed now.

In just six short months, Hawn has progressed exponentially in his stand-up, putting in countless hours with top striking coach Mark Dellagrotte in Boston. The undefeated Judo black belt was not just competitive against veteran striker Jim Wallhead in his quarterfinal bout, he outstruck him. Hawn wisely mixed up his game against former Bellator champion Lyman Good in the second round, taking him down and keeping him there, eeking out a split decision victory.

This fight will come down to who can safely outstrike their opponent. Will Hieron be confident to open up and risk being thrown on his head? Unlike Good, Hieron will likely be able to get up to his feet if taken down and I see him pulling this one out with his experience but be warned, Rick Hawn is compact and has some heavy hands. If he can land something significant, the night could be over quickly for "The Thoroughbred."

Final Prediction: Jay Hieron via decision

185 lbs.: Bryan Baker (14-2) vs. Joe Riggs (34-13-1)

This non-tournament bout expects to be a very entertaining scrap as Bellator season two middleweight finalist, Bryan "The Beast" Baker matches up against his second consecutive former UFC title challenger.

Baker is just an amazing story. It was revealed last year that he was diagnosed with Leukemia right before the season two middleweight tournament and he fought anyway, scoring two stoppages and making his way to the tournament finals before bowing out to Alexander Shlemenko.

Thankfully, "The Beast" has gone into remission. The Team Wildman fighter rebounded in a big way last September with a unanimous decision victory against major MMA veteran Jeremy Horn.

UFC veteran Joe Riggs is looking to spoil Baker's Disney-like comeback story. The former WEC middleweight champion and UFC title challenger (although he did miss weight for his title fight against Matt Hughes) has had his ups and downs since his release from the UFC. Riggs went 4-3 in his Strikeforce stint and also held a 5-1 record on the local circuit.

"Diesel" is just 28 years old but in MMA years, he's about 40. The man has taken some big shots in his career and he's coming off a technical knockout (TKO) loss to Jordan Mein this past January

Both Riggs and Baker are competent strikers and ground fighters, but they'll likely keep this fight standing. Baker is younger, and hungrier than Riggs but you can't ignore "Diesel's" experience. I expect this to be the most exciting bout on the main card, ending in another Bellator "YouTube" moment.

Final Prediction: Bryan Baker via TKO

135 lbs.: Chase Beebe (17-7) vs. Jose Vega (9-4)

This bout has the potential to be wild or a snoozer.

Chase Beebe was a former WEC bantamweight champion before losing his title to Miguel Torres and then going on a horrible five fight slide (although one of those fights was a complete robbery against Mike Easton). 

Beebe is a ground fighter and his wrestling has won him world titles. He's experienced a bit of a career resurgence as of late, winning five of his last six matches and he'll have a tough challenge ahead of him in Jose Vega.

Vega punched his ticket, literally, to the Bellator season three bantamweight tournament when he upset Jarrod Card at Bellator 22 via knockout in just 39 seconds. Vega is dangerous and can finish a fight at any moment.

This bout will be the story of two fighting styles.

If Chase Beebe can't get the fight to the ground, Vega is going to hurt him. Vega has some excellent power, especially for a bantamweight, and he presents a very stiff challenge for the Chicago fighter.

There's a lot on the line with this match. The winner will likely score an invite to the next Bellator bantamweight tournament so both fighters are expected to bring it.

I have a gut feeling that Beebe will continue his resurgence and utilize his state champion wrestling skills but beware, Vega has proven the doubters wrong before.

Final Prediction: Chase Beebe via decision

265 lbs.: Ron Sparks (6-0) vs. Vince Lucero (19-19-1)

This one is going to be ugly. Ron "The Monster" Sparks was expected to be a participant in the Bellator heavyweight tournament last year (and likely would have "sparked" some life into it) but he had some contract issues with another promotion.

The poor guy hasn't had an opportunity on the big stage yet.

He was set to fight Bobby Lashley in Strikeforce but Lashley got injured and then he was finally ready to fulfill his contract with a bout against Ron Mercer but Mercer went AWOL. This finally allowed Sparks to bail on his King of the Cage contract and he debuted in Bellator last September, knocking out his opponent Gregory Maynord in just 50 seconds.

He's got a legitimate chance of breaking that record on Saturday night.

Vince Lucero is a glorified punching bag. The veteran has gone 0-7-1 in his last eight fights with every loss being a first round stoppage. There's no doubt about this one. Lucero is being brought in to be a guest on the Ron Sparks knockout montage.

Final Prediction: Ron Sparks via knockout

That's a wrap.

What are your picks for Saturday night's Bellator event?


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