4 Main Card Predictions For Bellator 130

1. Emanuel Newton (c) vs. Linton Vassell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIm9-EkqzSI Weight Class: Light Heavyweight The first question you should be asking yourself here is "Why Linton Vassell?" After all, Rampage Jackson won the right to a light heavyweight title shot by winning last season's light heavyweight tournament, taking a decision win over King Mo in the finale at Bellator's first and only PPV to date. Well, Jackson trains with Newton/shares a coach with him, and doesn't want to fight him. He also made statements at a recent Bellator live event in Las Vegas (a sort of guerilla marketing attempt to break into Vegas by putting on a few fights at another Monster Energy event) that he doesn't have training partners at the moment. Well that sucks, but okay, count 'page out. What about Liam McGeary then? McGeary won the summer season's light heavyweight tournament, and also earned a title shot at Newton. McGeary looks fantastic, and is an undefeated 9-0. He could be a breakout star for the promotion. Well, sadly, he's injured, and just won the tournament in September, so that bout will have to wait. For now, we get Linton Vassell (14€“3 (1)). That's not a bad replacement. Vassell is on a nine fight win streak with the last three coming in Bellator. He's no can, in other words. For Emanuel Newton (24€“7€“1), meanwhile, this is a short turnaround. He fought Joey Beltran and knocked the former UFC star out with a stunning spinning backfist (shades of his backfist knockout of King Mo) in September at Bellator 124, the same card on which McGeary fought. Six weeks later and here we are. Despite the fast turnaround, this is Newton's fight to lose. Vassell has won titles outside Bellator, but he hasn't fought the competition Newton has, and we suspect the Hardcore Kid is on a high coming into this fight healthy with a short layoff between fights. He might just ride a wave of excitement into the fight. Look for a TKO somewhere in the first three rounds.