Bellator continues it’s 10th season tonite at the Revel in Atlantic City with Bellator 118, a card headlined by the Bantamweight bout between Joe Warren and Rafael Silva. This match came together as an interim Bantamweight title bout, as Warren’s challenge to Eduardo Dantas belt was postponed due to a Dantas injury. Bellator has relentlessly pushed Warren, who is 3-0 in his winning streak, while Silva brings an impressive 13 fight winning streak to this battle for interim gold. Warren sits favored at (-165) with the comeback on Silva at (+140).
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Though he is not a huge underdog, Silva is worth a look here. Warren comes with a big reputation and the full power of Bellator’s hype machine, but the fact is he will always bee a limited fighter. He is a terrific athlete, and he has immersed himself in the MMA game at a high level and prepared at a high level. With his high level wrestling pedigree, you would assume his mindset and motivations work for MMA competition as well.
But Warren is 37 years old heading into this fight, and he took up MMA well into his 30’s. Silva, his opponent, made his debut in his late teens and is just 29 years old, in his prime. He has a lot more experience in MMA and he has 13 finishes in the first round, so if you give him the chance, he will take you out.
Warren in many ways has paid his dues, but he has also shown flashes of arrogance and privilege that are unseemly. Coming off two losses in a row in bellator, he has won 3 fights against average, if not maudlin opposition. He had a fight postponed after being assessed as ‘medically ineligible’ yet he persisted in his dogged potrayal of himself as a victim. He was KO’d in practice (like a true dumbass) and the doctors were watching out for him.
For his part, Silva has to be motivated by the lack of respect both Warren and Bellator are showing him. The fact that is a five round fight may benefit Silva’s youth and experience in certain ways, but he has not gone five rounds either and he cannot want to leave this fight to the scorecards. Silva needs to explode and finish when he gets the chance.
