Bellator 214 Predictions: Emelianenko vs. Bader

Bellator 214 features the final of the Heavyweight World Grand Prix in the main event. Fedor Emelianenko and Ryan Bader; two walking, living, fighting, legends in the sport of MMA compete for a shot at Bellator gold.

Fedor is often talked about as one of the best fighters in the history of the sport, and Ryan Bader may be one of the best fighters ever at light heavyweight. Bader is currently the champion of the light heavyweight division and is looking to be a Champ Champ if he is able to win on Saturday night.

Also on the card is the prospect, Aaron Pico, making his return against a true veteran of the sport in Henry Corrales, on the first Bellator card of the year.

Bellator 214 will be live on the Paramount Network on January 26th at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Check out our staff predictions below:

Brandon McMahan vs Adel Altamimi (Featherweight)

Connor: McMahan has a solid ground game. But is seems like as the fight goes on, he tires. He does have a couple of wins by decision, most of his losses have come from a decision. Altamimi does not typically let the fight go that far as he has multiple submission wins in the first round, 3 via the armbar. This should be a great fight on the ground as both fighters will most likely look to bring the fight to the mat. It should also be noted that all of Altamimi’s losses have come by way of KO with only one KO victory on his record.

Adel Altamimi def. Brandon McMahan via submission in round 1.

Juan Archuleta vs Ricky Bandejas (Bantamweight)

Connor: Archuleta will most likely look to keep this fight on the feet as he has multiple wins by KO and only one win by way of submission. Archuleta has only one loss on his record that came via submission. Bandejas has shown the ability to win fights in any way he needs to. He has the ability to KO his opponent, or submit them, and he has shown he can go the distance as well. This could shape up to be a great matchup between two talented fighters.

Juan Archuleta def. Ricky Bandejas via TKO in round 2.

Jake Hager vs J.W. Kiser (Heavyweight)

Connor: Jack Swagger makes his MMA debut in Bellator, transitioning from a pro wrestling ring to the MMA cage. Hager has a wrestling background, and was an All-American back in 2006 at the University of Oklahoma. He is also 6’7” and will have a massive height advantage over the 6’0” J.W. Kiser. Kiser is 41 and has been knocked out in under 2 minutes in 3 of his 5 fights (professional and amateur).

Jake Hager def. J.W. Kiser via TKO in round 1.

Aaron Pico vs Henry Corrales (Featherweight)

Connor: The only way to describe Pico is as a prodigy. He has won the U.S. national championship in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling for his age groups. Pico pairs his wrestling pedigree with his national Junior Golden Gloves boxing championship that he won back in 2009. He is a young fighter and new to MMA, and has incredible potential. He hits with bricks in his gloves. Corrales has shown promise on the ground with submission victories earlier in his career but has not won via submission since 2014. If there is any weakness in Pico’s game, it would be in the Jiu-Jitsu department with his debut resulting in a loss via submission.

Aaron Pico def. Henry Corrale via TKO in round 2. 

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Ryan Bader (C-Light Heavyweight) (Heavyweight)

Connor: Fedor is one of the best fighters in MMA history. No matter the division, no matter the ear, he is simply one of the best to ever do it. Fedor’s run may be even more impressive as a heavyweight because he is not your traditional heavyweight, usually weighing in well under the 265-pound mark. This championship fight also features Ryan Bader who is a light heavyweight. Bader just beat the man who most recently defeated Fedor, that being Matt Mintrione, in the previous round of the Heavyweight Grand Prix. Bader essentially deemed the light heavyweight division in Bellator not worthy of him, and decided to make a run at being a simultaneous two-division champion. This will definitely be one of the lowest combined weights between fighters in a heavyweight championship fight in MMA.

Fedor Emelianenko def. Ryan Bader via submission in round 3.

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Follow our writer Connor Rogowsky (@rogowskyc).

About Post Author

Connor Rogowsky

Connor "Rags" Rogowsky is a Co-Founder of The Scrap, where he contributes MMA content and occasionally delves into the world of pro wrestling. A former collegiate athlete in football and track, Connor pairs his sports experience with academic expertise to the pieces he writes. He holds a Master of Science in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University.

connor.thescrap@gmail.com

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About Post Author

Connor Rogowsky

Connor “Rags” Rogowsky is a Co-Founder of The Scrap, where he contributes MMA content and occasionally delves into the world of pro wrestling. A former collegiate athlete in football and track, Connor pairs his sports experience with academic expertise to the pieces he writes. He holds a Master of Science in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University.

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