https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBRBWyQILPQ Weight Class: Heavyweight Karl Etherington is a legit heavyweight prospect from the UK with a 9-0 record who is looking to make a big splash in Bellator. Bobby Lashley (112) is looking to pick up his second win in the promotion and march towards a possible title shot - especially given the rumour that champion Vitaly Minakov is vacating the title. Minakov has somewhat denied the rumour but acknowledged that he'll be a little less active than usual, though he claimed it was not due to his current foray into politics (it may have someone to do with recent news that he will begin filming a role in the movie "Warrior" in November). Regardless as to whether Minakov stays or goes, Lashley is no doubt looking to fast-track to the title. At 38, he's got about four good years in him in MMA. He's a name that draws, so Bellator would be wise to capitalize on that. Minakov has already beat Cheick Kongo, and is supposed to rematch former champ Alexander Volkov - though their match, which was to headline Bellator 130, was pulled from the card a while back and no new date has been set. There are a lot of options for Lashley in Bellator - Kongo, a rematch with James Thompson (who has a win over Lashleym one of two career losses). This is a tough fight to call, but we're going with Lashley by submission in the first two rounds. An upset could definitely happen however, which would mean spectacle fights for Lashley moving forward.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.