Bellator 290: Johnny Eblen vs. Anatoly Tokov preview and prediction
By Chad Porto
At Bellator 290 fans will see Johnny Eblen and Anatoly Tokov square off for the Bellator middleweight crown.
Bellator 290 will see the end of the greatest heavyweight of all time and the best Russian mixed martial artist ever in Fedor Emelianenko, but another Russain, Anatoly Tokov, will look to make a make for himself as he seeks to unseat the current Bellator middleweight champion, Johnny Eblen.
Eblen is undefeated in his career, and the high-volume striker will hope to brawl his way to yet another win. Yet, he’s facing Tokov, a member of Emelianenko’s Fedor Team fight team, and the 32-year-old is likewise undefeated in Bellator and has heavy hands.
Tokov has 17 KO/TKO’s to his name and has shown an ability to adapt mid-fight. He’s not as prolific of a grappler but he is still very good at it and can take a guy down if he needs to. Eblen is less likely to do so, making the ground something Tokov can really utilize to his advantage.
Bellator 290 will be Fedor Team’s night
Bellator 290 will be the end of Emelianenko’s time in the MMA cage as a fighter, but it may just be the beginning of a new era for Fedor Team. With Vadim Nemko already the Bellator light heavyweight champion and Emelianenko set to challenge for the heavyweight title, Fedor Team may have the three heaviest titles to their credit by the end of the night.
While Emelianenko has an uphill battle to win his title, Tokov doesn’t. He’s a bigger and more aggressive fighter with genuine stopping power. I see Tokov stopping Eblen with a TKO finish somewhere in round three.
Winner: Anatoly Tokov
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