Bellator 114 predictions and preview

Bellator Season 10 is off to a hot start, and tomorrow night MMA fans will be treated to yet another world title fight. Bellator 114 goes down in Salt Lake City, headlined by the Middleweight championship bout between the champion, Alexander Shlemenko, and the tournament winner, Brennan Ward.

The card will also feature the the semifinal round of the Bellator Featherweight tournament. Desmond Green faces off against Will Martinez in one side of the bracket, while Daniel Weichel takes on Matt Bessette in the other side.

Today, I give you my predictions for how the main card fights will go down.

Middleweight World Championship: Alexander Shlemenko vs Brennan Ward

Prediction: Alexander Shlemenko defeats Brennan Ward by TKO Round 2

Alexander Shlemenko has been unstoppable since losing to Hector Lombard back at Bellator 34 in 2010. Since then, Shlemenko has reeled off 12 straight victories including 7 in Bellator. His opponent, Brennan Ward, was never even supposed to be in the season 9 Middleweight tournament. After replacing an injured Andreas Spang, Ward went on to win the tournament and get his shot at Bellator gold. In my assessment of this fight it comes down to experience, and that weighs heavily in favor of Shlemenko. Ward has not fought a bruiser like Shelemnko yet, and that may be his downfall tomorrow night.

Desmond Green vs. Will Martinez

Prediction: Desmond Green defeats Will Martinez by decision

Desmond Green defeated Mike Richman in the quarterfinals of the tournament to get to the semis. Green is a powerful wrestler, and therefore he will be able to dictate where the fight takes place. I suspect a grinding and grueling fight as Martinez has difficulty with Green’s pressure.

Daniel Weichel vs. Matt Bessette

Prediction: Matt Bessette defeats Daniel Weichel by TKO Round 2

Matt Bessette looked very impressive in his win over former UFC Featherweight, Diego Nunes in the quarterfinals of the tournament. After a tough first round, Matt rallied to defeat Nunes by decision. Weichel was impressive in his quarterfinal bout as well, choking out Scott Cleve in the first. I suspect this fight to be a war, but ultimately Bessette will come out on top.

Kendall Grove vs. Brett Cooper 

Prediction: Brett Cooper defeats Kendall Grove by Decision

This fight is a tough one to pick. Cooper could dominate Grove on the mat, but could also find himself in a triangle or armbar. Grove is really savvy of his back, but Cooper has only been submitted once in his career. In the end, I expect Cooper to come out on top.