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Despite the disappointment of not being on pay-per-view (from a promotional standpoint anyway), this Bellator 106 card is still one of the most stacked cards of the year. The event will be headlined by a trio of championship bouts, with all three title bouts actually being rematches. Also, the “Fight Master†finals is finally taking place and two top featherweights will be battling it out.
Kicking off the action is a featherweight division fight as Mike “The Marine†Richman (15-3-0) competes against Akop “The Sniper†Stepanyan (13-6-0). Richman has competed in two previous tournaments, making it to the finals of the season eight tournament. Stepanyan has competed in three previous tournaments, but has never gotten out of the opening round. The winner of this fight should be put into a season ten tournament and it will be Richman getting that spot.
The “Fight Master†finals is taking place next as Mike “The Greek†Bronzoulis (15-5-1) does battle against Joe “Diesel†Riggs (39-14-0-1NC). Bronzoulis will enter the fight riding a two fight winning streak and he has previously competed in Strikeforce. Riggs will enter the fight riding a five fight winning streak, with three of the victories coming in the Rage In The Cage promotion. This is a historical fight for the promotion, but it will be Riggs getting that historical victory at this event.
A Bellator Featherweight Title bout is up next as champion Joe “Paddy Mike†Curran (19-4-0) defends against Daniel Straus (21-4-0). Curran will be making the third defense of his championship and he has previously defeated Straus at an Xtreme Fighting Organization event. Straus earned the title shot after winning the season six featherweight tournament, then defeated UFC veteran Alvin Robinson in a post-tournament fight. Curran has improved greatly since the first fighter and with Straus’s recent legal woes, will hold onto the championship.
Up next is a Bellator Interim Light Heavyweight Title decision fight as Muhammed “King Mo†Lawal (11-2-0-1NC) faces Emmanuel “The Hardcore Kid†Newton (21-7-1). Lawal got himself into the title bout after winning the 2013 Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament, defeating Jacob Noe in the finals. Newton won the first meeting between the two at Bellator 90 and he got in the bout by winning the season eight light heavyweight tournament. Lawal got caught in a huge upset in the first encounter, the same will not happen again as Lawal takes home the gold.
Headlining the card is a Bellator Lightweight Title fight as champion Michael Chandler (12-0-0) puts up the belt against Eddie Alvarez (24-3-0). Chandler will be making the third defense of his belt, which he won by defeating Alvarez in their first meeting at Bellator 58. Alvarez will become the first person to challenge for a Bellator title after not winning a tournament and he is a former Bellator Lightweight Champion. This could be the most anticipated fight in the entire history of Bellator, but it will be Chandler holding onto the championship.
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