What idiot does the match making for Bellator?

[SokoudjouFanboy]

After Johnson, Fedor has one more fight on his contract. I’ll cross my fingers that they can make a deal with Evangelista Cyborg or Scott Smith for you
Jokes aside, it really depends on who the opponent is. People say that if Fedor loses to Johnson, he’s losing to a no-name fighter. Personally, I think losing to an actual highly ranked HW is preferable than losing to an old MW like Machida. And Machida, being very elusive and a great counter-striker, is more problematic in some ways for Fedor than slowass, plodding Johnson is.
But yes: I’d rather he fought Werdum or JDS. But that horse left the barn, and Johnson makes a hell of a lot more sense than someone like Machida does.

Let's just bring back Scott Smith and Evangelista Cyborg to fight one another in BKFC. I'm only half (maybe 3 quarters) kidding.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. I think the only route for Fedor at this point is to be fighting other guys in their 40s with no aspirations of becoming champion. I think giving him anybody else was a mistake and an injustice. I don't think I can get off that opinion.

 

[JustOnce]

So Sergei Kharitonov is fighting Cheick Kongo and Fedor Emelianenko is fighting Tim Johnson. Seems to me that Fedor vs Sergei and Kongo vs Johnson would make a lot more sense and probably bring in more viewers.

I mean...what's wrong with you....thread title agreed 100 percent but then you want Fedor vs Sergei...the fcuk...Sergei would decapacitate Fedor....and obviously Fedor isn't going to fight another Russian as his last fights...

 

[BFoe]

Let's just bring back Scott Smith and Evangelista Cyborg to fight one another in BKFC. I'm only half (maybe 3 quarters) kidding.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. I think the only route for Fedor at this point is to be fighting other guys in their 40s with no aspirations of becoming champion. I think giving him anybody else was a mistake and an injustice. I don't think I can get off that opinion.

No worries, we can agree to disagree. I totally get wanting Fedor to fight dudes around his age. But currently on the roster, we basically have Barnett (if he’s available). People think it would look bad to lose to Johnson? At least he’s an actual HW and just fought for a belt. How shitty would it look to lose to an old MW like Machida? And what’s the upside to winning? For me, while fighting Tim Johnson is underwhelming in some respects, it just makes more sense than fighting Machida or making an Ortiz fight or something. Plus, it really is winnable. I like Fedor’s chances more than I did against Mitrione or Bader tbh.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

No worries, we can agree to disagree. I totally get wanting Fedor to fight dudes around his age. But currently on the roster, we basically have Barnett (if he’s available). People think it would look bad to lose to Johnson? At least he’s an actual HW and just fought for a belt. How shitty would it look to lose to an old MW like Machida? And what’s the upside to winning? For me, while fighting Tim Johnson is underwhelming in some respects, it just makes more sense than fighting Machida or making an Ortiz fight or something. Plus, it really is winnable. I like Fedor’s chances more than I did against Mitrione or Bader tbh.

I hope you're right, but personally I have the same feeling as I had before the Bader fight where I was hoping Fedor could do it somehow, but was tuning in fully expecting him to get his arse handed to him.

 

[BFoe]

I hope you're right, but personally I have the same feeling as I had before the Bader fight where I was hoping Fedor could do it somehow, but was tuning in fully expecting him to get his arse handed to him.

Yeah that’s how I felt about the Bader fight too. Even worse, I was there live lol. Ironic that the Mitrione fight turned out how it did, as I couldn’t decide who was going to clip whom in that one.
Aside from Fedor’s chin being gone, his speed and reflexes have diminished some too. I feel like fighters that are light on their feet, switch stances frequently and give Fedor different looks, and then explode (like Bader or Mitrione) are tougher for him. Guys that are more flat-footed, slower, and march forward like Mir, Rampage, or Johnson, are more in his wheelhouse. Obviously Johnson is younger and in prime still whereas Rampage and Mir weren’t. But I really do think this is a better stylistic matchup for Fedor than someone like Bader, and I do believe Fedor can—and will—win this fight.

 

[norsuu]

coker could have make a dream card.....but no
i mean:
fedor-ao or barnett or jds
barnett vs werdum or jds or ao
sergei vs hunto or jds

 

[GOAT.]

It’s not an obsession at all. But the emphasis on it is because that is why the fight makes *some* sense.
Fedor is only unranked due to inactivity. He was ranked #4 in Bellator. It seems pretty clear that Fedor had some things in mind for his return in 2016: he wanted to test himself against some of today’s fighters (e.g. Mitrione), wanted to win a title (hence entering the Grand Prix and fighting 3 times in 9 months, which was pretty crazy), and wanted to avenge some losses if the opportunity presented itself.
When the Johnson fight was announced, I felt the same disappointment that everyone else did when we didn’t get a JDS or Werdum fight. But then I switched my mindset to: “Ok, Coker fucked those deals up. So who on the roster makes sense for Fedor?” Why anyone thinks Tito Ortiz FFS, or Machida, would be a better fight is beyond me. This is a relevant fight rankings-wise, potentially with interesting title implications, that Fedor has a very real chance of winning. I wouldn’t say it’s a good fight, but it’s a relevant and interesting fight. Like you said before, I’m happy anytime the GOAT steps in the cage, so I’d support him in an Ortiz fight. But I think I’d rather see the Johnson fight than Ortiz, honestly.

Tito Ortiz is a legend and from Fedors generation and Tito is far more known than Timothy "11k Instagram followers" Johnson who isn't a legend. So fighting Tito makes more sense than fighting Johnson.

Same can be said about Lyoto and the 10 other guys myself and others have listed in this thread. Coker not being able to work out a deal with not one of these guys speaks volumes of how shitty of a promoter he is. Either that or he's cheap and chose the guy who was the cheapest. Not because it kind of "makes sense "

 

[skylolow]

That isn't the way it works in most MMA organizations so I don't think it would be different in Bellator unless they just don't have a match maker yet since Chou left.

No doubt most orgs have a matchmaker separate from the "president" but to think the person running that org on a day to day basis like Coker or White don't get involved in main and co main events is ridiculous. Fedor is very likely Bellator's highest paid fighter, no way in hell Coker isn't making the calls on that. I'm kind of shocked Espinoza let this fly since it seems very obvious from fans this match up sucks on a lot of different levels, plain and simple.

 

[GOAT.]

All you have to do is look at the general consensus from the fans. Nobody supports this shit.

 

[kingcillo24]

Johnson isn't even a guy that Bellator can be built up if he wins, since he just fought for the interim title. If it has to be a HW nobody cares about it should have been Fortune or Mowry because at least those guys are young in their careers and have potential.

 

[CC27]

Heres another terrible matchup from Bellator.

Number 5 Storley vs newcomer Dante Schiro.

 

[CinemaKingdom]

So Sergei Kharitonov is fighting Cheick Kongo and Fedor Emelianenko is fighting Tim Johnson. Seems to me that Fedor vs Sergei and Kongo vs Johnson would make a lot more sense and probably bring in more viewers.

Kongo just fought Johnson. I agree their match making is terrible though.

 

[DoctorDeelon]

So Sergei Kharitonov is fighting Cheick Kongo and Fedor Emelianenko is fighting Tim Johnson. Seems to me that Fedor vs Sergei and Kongo vs Johnson would make a lot more sense and probably bring in more viewers.

Booked by the same asshole who thought it was a good idea to have his biggest blue chip prospect (Aaron Pico) make his MMA debut against an 8-2 guy with championship fight experience and 5 inches taller.

 

[TorontoTO]

Heres another terrible matchup from Bellator.

Number 5 Storley vs newcomer Dante Schiro.

Lol it was expected since they didn’t announce it till this late

 

[CC27]

Lol it was expected since they didn’t announce it till this late

this event was announced a month before the show is scheduled and he was announced as being on it. not to mention they didnt just come up with this even the day they announced, it was planned and worked out before that. Cant tell me they couldnt get a top 5 opponent a quality fight.

Thats no excuse. This isnt a fight fell apart two days before the show so to save it he fights a nobody, this is shit matchmaking.

 

[podsox]

Fighters that would have made more sense then Tim Johnson to fight Fedor in Russia

Barnett
Anderson Silva
JDS
Werdum
Overeem
Wanderlei Silva
Bigfoot Silva
Mitrione
Hager
Machida
Manhoef

That's 11 including 4 actively on the roster. Am I missing any?

Announcing his return without an opponent was fucking stupid if didn’t have a name fighter to fight him. Everybody starts thinking big and then you disappoint. Bellator doesn’t do much right these days

 

[skylolow]

this event was announced a month before the show is scheduled and he was announced as being on it. not to mention they didnt just come up with this even the day they announced, it was planned and worked out before that. Cant tell me they couldnt get a top 5 opponent a quality fight.

Thats no excuse. This isnt a fight fell apart two days before the show so to save it he fights a nobody, this is shit matchmaking.

It's just more of the same we have always seen from Coker and friends. Only concerned about the now, very little concern about the future. They just try to fill fights in and that is about it. It's obvious they do little planning in advance and they don't even seem to put fighter "A" vs "B" and fighter "C" vs "D" on another event close to that event or on the same event and with intention of matching up the winners next. That seems to be to difficult. A tournament is Coker way of planning for the future.

 

[JoeRowe]

Fighters that would have made more sense then Tim Johnson to fight Fedor in Russia

Barnett
Anderson Silva
JDS
Werdum
Overeem
Wanderlei Silva
Bigfoot Silva
Mitrione
Hager
Machida
Manhoef

That's 11 including 4 actively on the roster. Am I missing any?

46 year old Kongo

 

[SokoudjouFanboy]

46 year old Kongo

I feel like that's another fight like Tim Johnson though. People know Kongo, but he's sneakily still good somehow despite being 46. At least Tim should bring an entertaining fight, watching 40 something Chieck Kongo is like watching paint dry.

 

[Poser Caust]

They want a fight Fedor is guaranteed to win in Russia..

If you think about it against

Werdum he loses
JDS he loses
Barnett he loses