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After a one week break, the Bellator Fighting Championships returns to action with a stacked event in Maine this Thursday Night. The company will headline this event with a long awaited season seven lightweight tournament final between Marcin Held and Dave Jansen. The preliminary card is looking pretty good as well, with seven fights taking place on the Spike TV website.
Kicking off the action is a lightweight division fight as Jesse Erickson (0-0-0) competes against Jonathan Lemke (1-0-0). Erickson will be making his professional MMA debut in this fight, but did win three of five as an amateur. Lemke made his professional MMA debut in late 2012, having defeated Nathan Oses at a New England Fights event. These are two fighters in the early stages of their professional MMA careers, but it will be Lemke remaining undefeated in the end.
A pair of middleweights will be clashing next as Jesse Peterson (7-2-0-1NC) does battle against Dave Vitkay (11-12-1). Peterson enters the fight riding a four fight winning streak, with three victories coming in the New England Fights promotion. Vitkay will be competing for the first time in nearly a year, but has competed against UFC veterans Jesse Forbes, Hector Ramirez and Joe Riggs. Peterson will be fighting one of the more experienced fighters he has fought in his career, but he will still get the victory.
Another middleweight division fight is up next as Jason Butcher (5-0-0) is in action against Jack “The Hammer†Hermansson (5-1-0). Butcher is currently undefeated in Bellator competition, having defeated both Duane Bastress and Shaun Asher. Hermansson is looking to rebound from his first professional MMA defeat, which came at the hands of Daniel Vizcaya at Bellator 84. These are two fighters who could appear in future Bellator tournaments, but it will be Butcher remaining undefeated.
Even more middleweight action will be happening next as Luc Bondole (0-0-0) will be facing Joe “The Juggernaut†Pacheco (5-0-0). Bondole will be making his professional MMA debut in this fight, but he did compete many times as an amateur. Pacheco is an undefeated fighter who last competed at Bellator 89, defeating Kyle Bolt by second round knockout. This is a bad fight for Bondole to make his professional MMA debut in as Pacheco will get the victory to stay undefeated in his career.
Light heavyweight fighters will be in action next as Brent Dillingham (0-0-0) battles “Crazy†Mike Mucitelli (4-0-0). Dillingham will be making his professional MMA debut in this fight, but he did have an undefeated record as an amateur. Mucitelli is an undefeated fighter thus far as a pro, with all four of his victories coming in the opening round. This fight should end up just like the last fight I wrote about, which Mucitelli spoiling the professional debut on Dillingham.
Up next is a welterweight division fight as Michael “Venom†Page (3-0-0) will battle Ryan Sanders (4-3-0). Page is currently undefeated in his young MMA career, with all three of his victories coming in the fights first round. Sanders enters the fight riding a two fight losing streak and has spent the majority of his career in the New England Fights promotion. Page has looked pretty dominant thus far in his MMA career and that will continue on Thursday Night as he defeats Sanders.
Headlining this portion of the card is a featherweight division fight as Vince Murdock (1-0-0) faces John “First Class†Raio (0-1-0). Murdock made his professional MMA debut in late 2012, needing less than twenty seconds to defeat Adam Alvarez. Raio made his professional MMA debut on the same day as his foe, but at a different event, losing to Ray Wood. Murdock looked like a stud in his professional MMA debut and the fighter will get his second win in his sophomore effort.
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