The takeover. Will Bellator finally outclass UFC?

With the two biggest MMA promoters set to clash this weekend is this the beginning of a shift in power that will see Bellator finally level the playing field?

This weekend you’ll have a choice about where you get your pugilism from. Will it be the clash of top ten lightweights Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee at UFC Fight Night 112 or will you be vying for Chael Sonnen as he takes on long time rival Vanderlei Silva at Bellator 180?

It’s a tough choice. One is the best card that the promotion has ever put on, a stacked behemoth featuring 3 title fights and arguably the greatest of all time Fedor Emelianenko. The other is a scrappy card with two former welterweight champs (one being a pound-for-pound great), surging lightweight contenders and some fun match ups. It’s safe to conclude that the later, the UFC card, is likely to be eclipsed and this brings up some interesting thoughts.

10 years ago the UFC were undeniably the top dogs. They had the best talent, showcased the best fights and had the highest production budget leading to shows that felt truly unique. At this point Bellator was still struggling to find it’s way and One FC was but a gleam in future CEO Victor Cui’s eye.

Even a cursory look a last year and you had the UFC pitting TJ Dillashaw against Dominick Cruz, Tate vs Holm and McGregor vs Diaz in the space of 6 weeks. In that time frame we saw Dada 5000 nearly die in the ring against Kimbo Slice in a fight that made the two seem like the cage was underwater and an aged Ken Shamrock fall victim to an equally old and out of shape Royce Gracie. It was a terrible showcase of over the hill talent vs the elite of what MMA had to offer.

What is interesting is that it’s the same thing now. We have two lightweights in Chiesa and Lee who will scrap and put on a great performance. Their opposition is a man many saw lose in terrible fashion against Tito Ortiz not too long ago and a man who hasn’t competed in years. There can be no doubt that the Bellator 180 card, while featuring solid fights, is a spectacle. When summed up against the quality talent on offer on the UFC 112 fight card it can’t really compare. That said, if you’re going to tune into one night of fights over another, I know I’d pick spectacle over technical any day!

The UFC has been smart and chosen to air a free fight card this weekend so it’s not competing PPV to PPV. This will give it some padding when the viewing numbers are lower than expected as people have been worn out the night before watch Fedor and Mitrione smash and Wanderlei try to intimidate Sonnen with his twisting wrists and dead eye glare.

Bellator 180 has to be seen as the best PPV of 2017 so far and that is saying a lot when you think of where Bellator was only 12 months ago. With the UFC looking to create a splash in July and the McGregor vs Mayweather fight set to happen this title will not be long lasting. No matter what, it is a testament to how far Bellator has come and how it should now be looked at as something serious, a legitimate contender to the MMA promotion champion, the UFC.

A look at the upcoming MMA cards for the weekend of the 24th and 25th of June.