Bellator 200 preview: Coker falls short with marquee event
You can't help but wonder why Bellator would bother to count its events if it isn't going to make the big numbers count. For the Scott Coker-led promotion, the 200th event won't feel much different from all those before it.
Maybe the oddest decision surrounding Bellator 200 is that the card won't be a live show for the North American audience. Instead, it will be broadcast on tape delay Friday night on the Paramount Network after being held at the Wembley Arena in London, England earlier in the day.
And what would a Bellator card be without two former heavyweight greats in their 40s battling it out in the main event?
In a rematch of their 2011 matchup in the UFC, Roy Nelson (23-15) was supposed to welcome Mirko Cro Cop (36-11-2) to Bellator in what was to serve as an alternate bout for the promotion's Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament. The fight would have put the card on the same level as most Bellator events, but the Croatia native was struck with injury less than a week out, leaving Nelson without an opponent.
Related: Cro Cop hopes to return in October after suffering list of knee injuries
Coker and Co. appeared to not even try to differentiate their 200th event from the previous 199 and ended up with a below-average card.
Bellator is sometimes praised for not following the lead of the UFC with how it handles its promotion, but in this case, Dana White's big yellow mat looks genius.
The injury forced Coker to move the middleweight title fight between champion Rafael Carvalho and ex-UFC vet Gegard Mousasi to the main event, where it probably should have been all along. Mousasi has as much name recognition as Nelson, and Carvalho is one of many talents who has been developed in Bellator but seems to get pushed down the pecking order for fighters well past their prime.
This could have been an event marred with everything Bellator has done well if the card was held in one of its staple venues such as the SAP Center in San Jose, and celebrated the promotion's best talents. Perhaps a full showcase of top Bellator-developed fighters against UFC imports could have given the casual audience something to look forward to. At the very least, the promotion's pound-for-pound best Michael Chandler should have been on the card.
Oh, what should have been.
Another UFC import guns for gold
The list of UFC defectors to get a title shot within their first two Bellator fights includes Ryan Bader, Rory MacDonald, Benson Henderson, Lorenz Larkin, Phil Davis, and now Mousasi. The former DREAM light heavyweight champ will hope to follow in the successful footsteps of Bader, MacDonald, and Davis.
Mousasi (43-6-2) battled a swollen eye to gut out a close unanimous decision win in his promotional debut against Alexander Shlemenko in October and extend his current win streak to six bouts. While "The Dreamcatcher" has 35 more career fights than his opponent, he could have his hands full with Carvalho (15-1), who is on a 15-fight win streak with three title defenses on his resume.
Carvalho is just one year younger than Mousasi, but his lack of wear and tear makes him feel younger, and he has a little more speed to burn. The issue for the 31-year-old Brazilian is simply his lack of experience, for which there's no supplement. But if Carvalho can find an edge to keep his win streak alive, he could become the star Coker signed Mousasi to be.
A different type of reality TV
If a reality TV personality can direct their career path to become the President of the United States, surely one can make their way into cage fighting.
Aaron Chalmers (3-0) gained notoriety as a personality on the last five seasons of "Geordie Shore" as well as appearing on an episode of "Ex on the Beach."
His fight with Ashley Griffiths (4-6) will be just the fourth of his pro career after three first-round finishes with BAMMA, all coming in 2017. As he began his pro MMA career just over a year ago, its clear Chalmers' placement on the main card has more to do with his fame than his ability - though he's shown to be a powerful, entertaining striker in BAMMA - but if he wins his promotional debut, its doubtful he'll ever see the prelims in Bellator.
Related - Bellator 200 predictions: Is Mousasi ready to reign?
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)