Bethlehem, PA– One ends and another begins; it’s not just the cycle of life, but the cycle of MMA as well. With the completion of Bellator’s fourth season, let’s take a quick look back on this season’s Bellator highlights and preview next weekend’s big fights. Bellator Fighting Championships mantra, “where title shots are earned, not given,” was never more evident than this past Saturday night when their first ever light-heavyweight (205 lbs) champion was crowned. Known for creating new MMA stars by giving relative unknowns an opportunity in their tournaments, Bellator appears to have found just that in Christian M’Pumbu (18-3-1, 7 KO’s 8 subs).
BLACK GUY THAT SPEAKS FRENCH CAN FIGHT!
The French fighter, by way of the Democratic Republic of Congo, became the first African born champion in any major MMA organization Saturday night the same way he got to the finals, by TKO. In the finals against Rich ‘Rare Breed’ Hale (17-4-1, 6 KO’s 8 subs), M’Pumbu bided his time until the third round when he finally found his range and knocked down the bigger opponent with a solid right to the chin. Hesitant for a moment thinking he had finished him with one punch, he pounced on the fallen fighter pummeling him with more strikes till the referee stepped in to stop the onslaught.
‘TONTON’ CAN GO WITH ANYBODY IN MMA WORLD
M’Pumbu (pictured above), AKA known as ‘Tonton‘, hits like a “ton” of bricks as he knocked out all three of his opponents in Bellator’s first ever light-heavyweight tournament to become champion; pretty impressive considering he literally walks around no heavier than 200 lbs. Other tournament winners this season who’ve earned title shots in their respective divisions include Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire who will get a chance to avenge his only loss next season when he faces off against featherweight (145 lbs.) champ Joe Warren.
AMERICAN LIGHTWEIGHT HAS MADE THE GRADE!
Another future star in the making, former All-American wrestler Michael Chandler, punched his ticket, (no pun intended), to the lightweight (155 lbs.) championship against one of the sports best in champion Eddie Alvarez. Finally, in the welterweight (170) tournament, it was an early “thoroughbred” veteran favorite, Jay Hieron, who came out on top with an opportunity at a world title against current champ Ben Askren.
MTV 2 MADE SMART MOVE WITH BELLATOR
With season four, the first on MTV2, another successful one and with the above listed title fights on tap along with more tournaments in store, season five in Bellator looks like it will be even bigger and better.
“Slammin’ Sammy” Perez