Bellator continues their global expansion this week, as the circular cage heads to Dublin, Ireland for the first time to host Bellator 169. The show features some of the better Irish prospects yet to be snapped up by the UFC, as well as a main event which seems out of place for a region mostly known for producing strikers. While being one of Bellator’s most recognizable names, ‘King’ Mo Lawal is more likely to put on a dry grappling match than a striking battle that will appeal to the Irish fans. That goes doubly for Satoshi Ishii. The 2008 Olympic gold medalist in Judo has never quite translated those skills over to MMA the way Japanese promoters had hoped. He also lacks the charisma and ability to put on exciting fights like predecessor Hidehiko Yoshida. The combination of those factors has turned the Judoka into more of a villain than a hero in the Japanese scene, and he’s now at risk of losing his third consecutive bout on top of that. The co-main event features 20-year-old Irish prospect James Gallagher, who makes his second Bellator appearance. After getting the win — but not looking particularly impressive — in his first Bellator bout, Scott Coker and Rich Chou have dialed back his competition significantly. The opponent this time is Anthony Taylor, owner of a 1-1 pro, and 4-7 amateur MMA record. SBG product Gallagher should once again be able to show off the submission game which began to build his hype. Bellator 169 also features former featherweight contender Daniel Weichel taking on another SBG fighter in Brian Moore. Weichel has picked up a pair of solid wins since his failed title bid against Patricio ‘Pitbull’. Moore dropped a pair of bouts in Cage Warriors back in 2013/14, but has rebounded with two wins which have earned him this shot in Bellator, although he is stepping in as a late replacement for Paul Redmond. Although there won’t be odds offered for his fight, Shay Walsh has long been the measure of when fighters on the UK are able to make the jump to the next level of competition. His losses are to Andy Ogle, Artem Lobov, Andrew Fisher, and most recently, Tom Duquesnoy. Each of those fighters has gone on to fight in the UFC or Bellator with the exception of Duquesnoy, who should be there shortly. Luiz Tosta has proven a dangerous submission artist, but not much else. 10 of his 12 wins have come by submission, but that might prove a difficult out against Walsh, who has never been tapped. MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened the betting lines for Bellator 169 today at Several Bookmakers. Take a look: ——————– Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii DECEMBER 16, 2016 3Arena | Dublin, Ireland Main Card Spike, 9 p.m. ET (tape delay) Satoshi Ishii +400 Muhammed Lawal -600 Over 1.5 -185 Under 1.5 +145 – Anthony Taylor +400 James Gallagher -600 Over 1.5 -110 Under 1.5 -130 – Brian Moore +400 Daniel Weichel -600 Over 2.5 -150 Under 2.5 +110 – Elina Kallionidou +190 Sinead Kavanagh -270 Over 2.5 -210 Under 2.5 +160 ——————– Brad’s Analysis: I don’t like this matchup at all, because it encourages Mo to do his poor excuse for a shoulder roll and spend 15 minutes jabbing Ishii. Mo is in more danger in grappling exchanges — especially in the clinch — than anywhere else in this fight, so the style matchup will probably force a rather boring decision between two fighters who are more than capable of producing exactly that. I hope you like squash with your Christmas dinner, because this is about as big a dish of it as you’ll get. Taylor’s one pro loss is by sub, and three of his amateur losses came the same way. Gallagher is all grappling, and they’re bringing a guy in to lose in that specific manner. The kid is only 20, but if he doesn’t look impressive here, that’s an issue. Sometimes the biggest issue with Bellator is their lack of depth. It creates lopsided matchups at the best of times, and in situations like this where they need to find a replacement for an international card it gets even worse. Now a legitimate top 25 featherweight in Daniel Weichel is facing a mediocre regional level fighter, and Moore is going to take a beating here.
