Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 Preview

The Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri will play host to Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 on June 24, 2016. The main event will see the promotional return of Quinton Rampage Jackson as he is slated to take on former Japanese Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii. The co-main event will be a rematch of a 2011 Bellator bout between Michael Chandler and Patricky Pitbull Freire; but this time it will be for the vacant lightweight title. To warm up for the main and co-main events will be the Bellator debut of the newly signed heavyweight Matt Mitrione. The main card will air live this Friday on Spike TV at 8:00 PM EDT and the Preliminary bouts will stream online.

Main Card: 8:00 PM EDT on Spike TV

Quinton Jackson (36-11 MMA; 3-0 Bellator) vs. Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1 MMA; Bellator Debut): Catchweight of 215lbs

Quinton Rampage Jackson originally signed with the Bellator promotion back in 2013 and bested the likes of King Mo Muhammed Lawal, Christian M'Pumbu, and Joey Beltran. Then things got weird. Rampage signed a deal with the UFC while still under contract with Bellator which spawned a lawsuit between the fighter and the Viacom promotion. After beating Fabio Maldonado at UFC 186, a contract settlement was reached with Bellator and Rampage is now set to resume his legendary career at Bellator 157.

Here is Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith on Rampage Jackson:

Slated to ruin Rampage's return is the Japanese Olympic Gold Medalist Judoka Satoshi Ishii. Ishii has faced a who's who of heavyweights throughout his storied career, including such names as; Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko CroCop (x2), Kazuyuki Fujita, Pedro Rizzo, and Tim Sylvia.

Michael Chandler (14-3 MMA; 11-3 Bellator) vs. Patricky Freire (16-7 MMA; 9-6 Bellator): Lightweight Title

The promotional release of former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks has opened up an opportunity for a new king to be crowned in the lightweight division. Former lightweight king Iron Michael Chandler will have another chance at gold in a high stakes rematch against the power punching Brazilian Patricky Pitbull Freire.

The first time these gentlemen squared off inside of the Bellator cage was a rather feisty affair in the season 4 lightweight tournament finals. Three low blows from Chandler resulted in a point deduction, however, the University of Missouri All American still did enough to earn the unanimous decision victory.

Michael Chandler has since then both won and lost the Bellator lightweight title. Back to back finishes of Derek Campos and David Rickels has catapulted Chandler to the front of the line for the vacant title. Chandler's wrestling wit will be the X factor in this rematch just as it was in their initial bout. Is the former Bellator lightweight king ready to reacquire the crown?

Following his first match with Chandler, Patricky Pitbull has been searching for consistency inside of the Bellator cage. Pitbull has shown an improved willingness to mix in the takedown to compliment his phenomenal punching power. Such variety was on display in his previous bout against Kevin Souza, this past April, at Bellator 152. The power of Pitbull is still prevalent as he completely pulverized Ryan Couture with a perfectly placed left hook at Bellator 148. Has Pitbull found consistency just in time for the cream to rise to the top?

Here is Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith on what to watch for in this bout:

Matt Mitrione (9-5 MMA; Bellator Debut) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (10-6 MMA; 1-0 Bellator): Heavyweight

Recent free agent Matt Mitrione signed with the Bellator brand following a highly publicized departure from the UFC. The former NFL player sports a respectable 9-5 record and has not seen a decision since 2011. Expect Mitrione to utilize his agile footwork to try and stick and move his way to victory at Bellator 157: Dynamite 2.

Check out Matt Mitrione receive the key to the city of Springfield, Illinois:

Welcoming Mitrione to Bellator cage will be the finish happy veteran Carl Badwater Seumanutafa. Seumanutafa debuted at Bellator 148 back in January of this year with a TKO finish of Javy Ayala, for the second time. Look for Badwater to search for top control to unleash his devastating ground and pound to thwart the arrival of Matt Mitrione.

Here is Bellator commentator Manny Rodriguez on Carl Seumanutafa:

Rebecca Ruth (6-1 MMA; 1-0 Bellator) vs. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (3-0 MMA; 2-0 Bellator): Flyweight

The Bellator 157 main card will open up with a scrappy women's flyweight scuffle between the hard hitting Rebecca Ruth and the undefeated Ilima Macfarlane.

Ruth blasted onto the Bellator scene by derailing the hype train of Ukrainian kickboxer Lena Ovchynnikova at Bellator 150. This female flyweight displayed a ferocious style, full of force, as her fists of fury frequently found the chin of Ovchynnikova. Often, such aggression leads towards defensive lapses that could be exploited, but, will Rebecca Ruth bully her way through her second Bellator bout?

Here is Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith on Rebecca Ruth:

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane debuted inside the Bellator cage back in August of 2015 at Bellator 141. In her sophomore appearance for the Viacom promotion, the 26-year-old picked up a first round armbar submission in just 2:09 of the first round. Although she lacks professional cage experience, will Macfarlane continue with her winning ways to remain undefeated?

Here is Bellator color commentator Jimmy Smith on Ilima-Lei Macfarlane:

Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 will be taking place from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri on June 24, 2016. Tune in to Spike TV at 8:00 PM EDT for the main card and catch the Prelims streaming online. Follow Bloody Elbow for continual event coverage including the MMA Vivisection, results, highlights, live tweets and more!

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