Weekend Primer: Bellator VI, PFC 13, Shooto Tradition

The weekend is almost here. That's right, two more days of hard work before you can escape the corporate cubicle farm or university classroom. Wherever it may be that you work, relief is on its way in a nice Spring weekend full of some solid MMA action. While the UFC & Strikeforce are on hiatus this weekend, there are still some very interesting matchups to keep an eye on.

While Shooto isn't going to be readily available to watch, the results should be intriguing to some fans. Fans can tune into PFC 13 over at Sherdog.com on Friday, and Bellator VI will air for anyone having access to ESPN Deportes. Enjoy!

Bellator VI - Central Pavilion Arena at Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown, Texas, May 8th, will air exclusively on ESPN Deportes on May 9th.

Matchups of Interest

FW Semis:  Wilson Reis (7-0) vs. Joe Soto (4-0): This is a very intriguing matchup for one reason alone. Soto is a former Iowa Central wrestler who used to tangle with UFC veteran Cain Velasquez and Jon Jones on a regular basis. He has finishing power, phenomenal wrestling, and has been one of the big surprises out of Bellator this season. Reis, while dominating, hasn't been a great finisher as many would have thought, so this matchup could present an unique challenge for Reis. Soto will be looking to finish this quickly, and he may have a solid opportunity to derail Reis' success in this semifinal.

FW Semis: Yahir Reyes (13-5) vs. Estevan Payan (7-1): Many fans will likely shrug the winner of this matchup off as bait for the winner of Soto/Reis, but Reyes and Payan are game opponents. Reyes is a Mexican fighter with a solid submission game and has good power in his hands to end fights on the ground. Payan, however, trains with some of the best athletes in the world at Arizona Combat Sports. Guys like Ryan Bader, CB Dolloway, Jamie Varner, and now Carlos Condit are all there to help Payan prepare for this war. It should be an interesting style matchup.

 
Palace Fighting Championships 13 - Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California on Friday, May 8, will stream LIVE at Sherdog.com

Matchups of Interest

Doug "The Rhino" Marshall (9-3) vs. Jaime "El Cucui" Jara (21-6): This is somewhat of an inside joke among hardcore fans, but this might garner some interest from fans of the WEC and casual fans alike. WEC veteran Doug Marshall will look to continue pounding out opponents on his way to a UFC berth by taking on venerable opponent in Jaime Jara. Both guys aren't the most technical striking fighters or unbelievable on the floor, but both will go for the knockout or crazy submission even if they don't have the unbelievable skill to do so. It should provide a finish.

Other bouts include Carlo Prater taking on Dominique Robinson (14-2-1) for the PFC Lightweight crown, Leopoldo Serao vs. Phil Collins for the PFC Middleweight crown, Olaf Alfonso defending his PFC Welterweight crown against Kyle Pimentel, and a flyweight title fight featuring Anthony Ferales vs. Pat Runez.

The undercard also provides fans with some recognizable names and up-and-coming fighters. TUF washout Gabe Ruediger, IFL veteran John Gunderson, and WEC veteran Cole Escovedo will all see action along with a women's bout featuring former American Gladiator Erin Toughill.

Shooto Final Tradition - May 10th, unfortunately untelevised, but keep your eye to BloodyElbow.com for results as they come out.

Matchups of Interest

Takeshi Inoue vs. Rumina Sato: Inoue is considered one of the top Featherweights in the world currently, so this will be a solid matchup for him against an able veteran in Rumina Sato. Sato has fallen off the horse this late in his career, but it's still a chance for us to see Inoue battle it out against a tough opponent.

Takanori Gomi vs. Takashi Nakakura: Anytime Gomi fights these days, it's on the radar. He's had a drop off in skill as of late, and everyone is wondering if Gomi has what it takes to climb the ladder again. Shooto isn't doing him a huge favor in Nakakura, who is riding a five-fight win streak. Nakakura hasn't lost since August of 2005 to Mitsuhiro Ishida, and he may have the toughness to take Gomi to a decision victory.

Mitsuhiro Ishida vs. Mizuto Hirota: This matchup doesn't present Ishida with any significant problems, but I like to see Ishida work his speed, submission escapes, and wrestling. He's a solid Japanese lightweight with very well-rounded skills. It's always a treat to see him battle it out in the ring.

Kotetsu Boku vs. Yutaka Ueda: Boku is another very solid Lightweight fighter who's been in some huge wars in his career with fighters like Joachim Hansen, Eiji Mitsuoka, Hermes Franca, and Mitsuhiro Ishida. Ueda is a young up-and-comer, but I don't think he presents the experience to defeat Boku here.