Bellator 105 Date: October 25, 2013 Arena: Santa Ana Star Center City: Rio Ranch, New Mexico Lightweight bout: Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy (-380) vs Ricardo Tirloni (+315) Fight Breakdown: The Bellator 105 main card will feature a semifinal match-up for the promotion’s lightweight tournament, as the Russian Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy takes on the Brazilian Ricardo Tirloni. Sarnavskiy is currently the favorite in this match-up at -380 ($380 to win $100), while the return on the underdog Tirloni is +315 ($100 to win $315) at Several Bookmakerss. ALEXANDER “TIGER” SARNAVSKIY (24-1 MMA, 4-1 Bellator) is returning to the Bellator cage following an impressive first round finish of veteran Marcus Davis. He busted Davis up badly and secured a bloody rear naked choke to advance in the Bellator lightweight semi-finals. Beating a veteran in such dominant fashion certainly made a statement, especially considering that the last time he was put in a similar situation, it was against Rich Clementi, and he came up short, losing a decision. Sarnavskiy is a very talented striker who can knock opponents out with any of his limbs. He prefers to strike, but is equally skilled on the ground, and his ground game has made a bigger impact in his MMA career, thus far, as he has won 14 of his 24 professional career victories by submission, and only six of them by knockout. “Tiger” is without a doubt a finisher, as 20 of his 24 pro wins have come inside the distance. The young Russian is well-conditioned and capable of going hard for all three rounds of action. RICARDO TIRLONI (16-4 MMA, 3-3 Bellator) will be making his seventh appearance inside a Bellator cage, where he has found mixed success. Here, he will look to go above .500 in the promotion with a victory over one of the most skilled mixed martial artists he has faced. Like “Tiger,” Tirloni is a well-versed mixed martial artist in his own right. He is talented both on the feet and on the mat, and his professional mixed martial arts resume reflects that sentiment, as he owns five wins by knockout and eight by submission. Tirloni works decent takedowns and has a good top game. His Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is excellent and he can be a threat on the mat against many lightweights, but I believe Sarnavskiy will have him canceled out in that department. The Brazilian’s submission defense is good, but I would not be surprised to see “Tiger” tap him out. He should be looking to take this fight to the mat and grind the 24-year old out, because I think the longer he trades on the feet, the more likely his questionable chin will be found by the Russian sniper. Fight Prediction: After an impressive first round finish of Marcus Davis, I expect a similar outcome in this bout, except this time around I think he will add another knockout win to his resume. Gabe’s Pick: Alexander Sarnavskiy by KO (punch, 1:01 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: ”Tiger” -380 big and Under 1.5 +140 small.
