By Elton "Hobbie" Hobson
You can’t go home again - unless, of course, you’re the folks at Bellator FC.
Tonight, the upstart MMA promotion returns to the place where it all began, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, for the finals of their lightweight tournament. Waiting in the wings is the promotion’s biggest star, Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, who will face either a rematch with a YouTube sensation or an underdog story to match his own.
Also on the docket: the debut of Japan’s biggest female MMA star, a super sized heavyweight collision and enough local Florida talent to ensure every fan in attendance will most likely be friend-of-a-friend to somebody stepping in the cage.
Still in the minds of fans, media, and Bellator execs one questions stands out among them all.
Wow, way to state the obvious, huh?
Still, I’d be voiding my journalistic integrity if I said anything else. Seriously, it’s the finals of the Lightweight champion, the winner going on to face the top 5 Alvarez in Bellator’s first “super” fight. In addition, Bjorn Rebney and crew have some great angles to push for the fight no matter who wins.
In the one corner, Toby Imada - what, you’ve never heard of him? I highly doubt that. Even if you’ve never watched a second of Bellator, if you have a YouTube account, chances are you’ve seen him in action. His incredible standing reverse triangle (Imadaplata?) submission win from the Season 1 LW tourney is truly something to behold. It’s also netted almost 1,000,000 hits on YouTube, making Imada a bonafide viral sensation like Rick Roll or that baby eating Charlie’s finger.
Facing him is Pat Curran, the true “dark horse” of this season. In the opening round, he was paired opposite Mike Ricci, the undefeated and much heralded Canadian prospect who was supposed to be the “next GSP” . In less then 1 round, Curran gave the “next GSP” the Matt Serra treatment, laying him out with a beautiful counter right that is itself becoming a YouTube hit. Next, he faced UFC castaway and tournament fav Roger “El Matador” Huerta, and once again got his hand raised in impressive fashion.
For Imada, tonight’s fight represents a chance at revenge - he lost to Alvarez in the finals of last seasons LW tourney - and exposure, moving beyond “that YouTube guy” to become a legitimate top 155’er. For Curran, hes one fight away from his Cinderella story being complete, and could move from “prospect” to “elite contender” with a dominant victory over Imada tonight. Who wins this fight - and how they do it - will be a HUGE determining factor for Bellator’s 3rd season.
For Imada, the key to victory is his grappling acumen. The Filipino American fighter calls his style freestyle, but regardless of title he is a dangerous grappler who can put you in trouble if he so much as gets ahold of a limb. Everyone is familiar with the aforementioned Imadaplata (coining a phrase here, people) but Toby has actually won all four of his Bellator fights thus far via submission, and has shown equal skill from off his back, top position, and in the clinch.
To win this fight, he needs to drag Curran into his world. He would do best to avoid shooting for single and double legs, as Curran is the more experienced wrestler and also the stronger fighter physically. Instead, he should look to move inside quickly, avoiding the power shots of Curran, and tie him up in a clinch against the cage. From here, Imada is great at creating scrambles and situations where he can lock on a submission. Patience is key for Imada, as he will likely not be able to finish a bulldog like Curran early in the fight.
Patience is something the California native has in spades. Over the course of his 12 years as a professional fighter, he has faced some seriously world class competition - Hermes Franca, Jake Shields, Jason Miller, Joe Stevenson, and Dave Strasser to name a few - and he has the poise and fight IQ to stay out of danger and wait for his moment. For 12 years, Imada has patiently waited for his shot at the elite level. He is one fight away from getting there.
For Curran, he needs to stick with what brought him to the dance - his explosive speed and power. He holds a height and power advantage over Imada, and has shown 1 hit KO power in many past bouts. He needs to keep the fight standing, avoid over commiting himself and creating openings, and land his power punches. His years of high school and collegiate wrestling experience will help him keep the fight in his arena, and he should look to use his superior range to keep Imada at a distance. Above all, Curran will need to fight a tactical fight and not listen to the hype - his own or his opponents. He has made it this far by beating the odds and ignoring the pundits. If he wants a date with Eddie Alvarez, he will need to fight his fight and not his opponents one more time.
Stardom awaits - but who will advance to claim it?
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