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With a win, Rory MacDonald can erase any doubts about the fact that he still deserves to be considered the best in the world at 170 pounds.
All he has to do is stop a hungry challenger from a legendary family who has submitted almost every man who has entered the cage with him. No pressure.
A year ago, it would have raised eyebrows if it was suggested that Neiman Gracie could pose a serious challenge to MacDonald, current welterweight champion Bellator and former star UFC player, with victories on Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia and Nate Diaz. Now, before the Bellator 222 main event meeting, which will not only be for MacDonald's belt, but also for a spot in the welterweight Grand Prix final, serious questions arise about MacDonald's mental state. .
Against Jon Fitch, 41, in April, MacDonald was eliminated by a majority draw (a decision that allowed MacDonald to qualify for the tournament). And this after being humiliated by Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 206 in an unfortunate attempt to increase to 185 pounds. Add to that Macdonald's self-confessed doubts, which emerged in the aftermath of Fitch's fight, and you have a recipe for MacDonald's downfall and Gracie's ancestry.
Chael Sonnen hopes to face his former UFC light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida, in his most recent prestigious assignment. The conversation between Sonnen and his fight was more decent than disrespectful, which could indicate a heightened attention or he just does not want to stir up "The Dragon" before the fight night. The veteran match could also determine who will be next to face the Bellator light heavyweight champion, Ryan Bader.
Dillon Danis, the star of the jiu-jitsu polarizer, will face Max Humphrey for his second victory in MMA. Ricky Bandejas welcomes Patrick Mix, weight-bearing infant, to Bellator's cage. Eduardo Dantas, double champion, goes back up to 145 pounds. Juan Archuleta and current leanweight champion Darrion Caldwell are looking for revenge on Rizin Fighters Federation star Kyoji Horiguchi.
What: Bellator 222
Or: Madison Square Garden in New York
When: Friday, June 14th. The preliminary map of the 12 fights will be available on MMA Fighting and on the DAZN broadcast service at 18:30. HE (preliminary rounds will be held after the main event of the evening) and the main map of the six fights will start at 10 pm AND will also be broadcast on DAZN.
Rory MacDonald vs. Neiman Gracie
Good luck predicting a fight by Rory MacDonald these days. On paper, the welterweight champion is more complete than Neiman Gracie, and even if the fight continues on the ground, where Gracie is at its deadliest point, the MacDonald peak should still be able to handle it. After all, MacDonald has already been able to prevent Demian Maia, one of the best to implement his Brazilian jiu-jitsu expertise in MMA.
This fight was over five years ago. MacDonald is not the same fighter he was, for better or for worse. Sage, he is advanced, but mentally, there is no way to know how his recent internal fights will affect the day of the game. It is a purebred horse that could be slow to get out of the door, if it came out at all.
Gracie, on the other hand, says all it takes for the name of his family to regain its glory in the world of MMA. Although MacDonald is by far Gracie's biggest name ever, the bidding expert made an important statement by winning a fourth round victory over star candidate Ed Ruth in the first round of the grand prix. Against Ruth, Gracie demonstrated his ability to overcome various adverse situations, while finding openings for his own offense, including the fateful stifling that sealed the deal.
It's such an intriguing fight and a major event, as it could shape the Bellator welterweight landscape for years to come. MacDonald was not at his best against Jon Fitch and Gracie is much more dangerous than Fitch. He is also more of a joker given his inexperience.
My brain tells me it's too early and too early for Gracie, but I can not help but be discouraged by MacDonald's recent performance. Gracie takes the title with a bid in the final rounds.
To choose: Gracie
Lyoto Machida vs. Chael Sonnen
If you've seen a Chael Sonnen fight, you've seen them all. And considering his effectiveness at this stage of his career, it's probably a compliment.
You know what Sonnen will do there. He will put pressure on Machida as soon as the bell rings, force him into an aerial combat and shoot relentlessly for grounding. This is not a bad plan for a fighter in his forties, as this base of struggle can compensate for the decline of athletics.
Unfortunately for Sonnen, Machida was one of the toughest fighters to press, especially against opponents who do not have a significant speed advantage over him. This includes Sonnen, who, although he is on the pace, is better known for his determination than for his explosive attack. I also wonder if Sonnen's chin can withstand the precise strikes of Machida.
If Sonnen can set the tone early by making a few saves in the first round, he may take the lead of Machida and spend 15 minutes to break the former champion en route to a decisive victory. I like the Machida defensive to avoid this scenario and I actually think that there is a good chance that he will surprise Sonnen with a counter-fist early and finish it.
To choose: Machida
Dillon Danis against Max Humphrey
Here's what you need to know about Max Humphrey. He is a fighter with low defense and limited ground skills, who serves a half of the match colder before the matches of the evening.
Here is what you need to know about Dillon Danis. He is an accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist who is certainly not as good as he thinks, but more than enough to impose his will against Humphrey.
Look for Danis to play on their feet a bit before doing exactly what he did when he started at Bellator: rushing, bringing Humphrey on the carpet, then going to work with his impressive grappling. Humphrey has never made a decision in five fights, which will be the case against Danis, but not as he had hoped.
Danis by submission of the first round.
To choose: Danis
Ricky Bandejas against Patrick Mix
I enjoyed a lot of what I saw from Ricky Bandejas during his last outing, even though he ended up losing a decision against Juan Archuleta. His struggle withstood the delicate Archuleta, and although he needs to sharpen his strikes, there is also a lot of work in this department.
Patrick Mix debuts at Bellator with a ton of professional and amateur experience. He also faced a good competition, beating future CES champion Tony Gravely and current UFC fighter Andre Ewell. Fighter out of the Jackson-Wink team, Mix is a threat to catch a choke at any time. His stand-up is solid if he has not been tested, mainly because he has been able to take the necessary measures at any time.
Mixing could very well be the next big thing at 135 pounds, but I have to see how advanced his shot is before taking it against the punchy Bandejas. The Bandejas must work on hot spots to keep the fight standing. I like his chances of winning a decision.
To choose: bandejas
Eduardo Dantas against Juan Archuleta
He flies under the radar and is a legitimate candidate for night fighting.
Eduardo Dantas has never been a security fan, which makes him fun to watch and, I imagine, stressful to watch if you want "Dudu" to succeed. At his best, Dantas is a world-class fighter, as he has shown with two reigns of the Bellator title, and an opponent like Juan Archuleta will bring him the best. Something to watch for is the way Dantas seems to compete at 145 pounds. Will he join the list of fighters whose games are high without the burden of a difficult weight cut?
He will have to be on the point against Archuleta, who has been almost insoluble, winning his last 17 fights and 21 out of 22 total. He is above all a powerful wrestler with a perverse soil and a pound, but he has mingled with his victory against Ricky Bandejas and he should be able to fight with Dantas if necessary.
Dantas is fighting with some joy of living and I think this is the attitude he will adopt in the cage against Archuleta, especially to compete closer to his natural weight. A fast and loose Dantas is hard to beat, and although I think Archuleta is a future champion, he will be when he falls again in bantamweight.
To choose: Dantas
Darrion Caldwell against Kyoji Horiguchi
Things were going well for Darrion Caldwell in his first fight with Kyoji Horiguchi until they were gone.
It was not an impressive performance for "The Wolf", but it looked like he was about to win the Horiguchi Rizin title when they fought on New Year's Eve. Horiguchi did not never left the fight, although he spent a lot of time on his back, and when Caldwell left his neck exposed in the third round, Horiguchi jumped on him to choke on a guillotine. This is the level at which Horiguchi currently stands. You can not make mistakes against him.
Horiguchi will give up a lot of size, as he did at the first meeting, but he will also have an advantage in speed. Plus, he is a top striker at Caldwell who simply does not have the wealth of MMA experience that Horiguchi has yet. . When he's not going to get started, he'll want to keep Horiguchi outside with his jab, a task easier said than done, since Horiguchi is great at finding the angles of typing.
The differences between cage and ring will benefit Caldwell, but it will not affect much Horiguchi given the success he has had in both environments. Horiguchi is clever enough to use the fence to his advantage, both to help get rid of everyone and to come back up when Caldwell puts it on the canvas. I do not see him choking.
And if so, the speed and power of Horiguchi should prevail. Even though Caldwell is already predicting a trilogy, it may not be necessary after Horiguchi gets a tight decision and a second victory over him.
To choose: Horiguchi
Notable hidden card mappings:
Aaron Pico def. Adam Borics
Taylor Turner def. Heather Hardy
Valerie Loureda def. Larkyn Dasch
Robson Gracie Jr. def. Oscar Vera
Mike Kimbel def. Sebastian Ruiz
Rena Kubota def. Lindsey VanZandt
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