Matches to Make After Bellator 182
Andrey Koreshkov played the hot knife to Chidi Njokuani’s butter.
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Koreshkov waded through some early difficulty, as the former Tachi Palace Fights champion attacked his base with a series of lightning-bolt leg kicks to the calf, knee and thigh. They left noticeable bruising up and down the Russian’s leg but did little to dissuade him. Before long, he executed a takedown on Njokuani and buried him on the mat, changing referee John McCarthy from bystander to active participant with a little less than a minute remaining in the first round.
In the aftermath of Bellator 182, here are four matches that ought to be made:
Andrey Koreshkov vs. Douglas Lima-Rory MacDonald: Korehskov reaffirmed his place as one of Bellator’s premier welterweights with his performance against Njokuani. The Alexander Shlemenko protégé now owns a stellar 11-2 record within the promotion -- a run that includes victories over Lima, Benson Henderson, Lyman Good and Marius Zaromskis. Though a date has not yet been announced, Lima expects to defend the Bellator welterweight championship against MacDonald later this year. The Atlanta-based Brazilian retained his title with a five-round unanimous decision over Lorenz Larkin at Bellator 180 on June 24.
A.J. McKee vs. James Gallagher-Jeremiah Labiano winner: Brought along slowly by Bellator brass, McKee has made the most of his opportunities. The 22-year-old Team Bodyshop prospect moved to 9-0 with a unanimous decision over journeyman Blair Tugman in a three-round featherweight showcase, as he continued to move toward more meaningful bouts at 145 pounds. McKee was dominant enough to warrant two 10-8 rounds from the judges, sweeping the scorecards with 30-27, 30-26 and 30-26 marks. Spawned by the same SBG Ireland camp that produced two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Conor McGregor, the unbeaten Gallagher will lock horns with Labiano in the Bellator 187 main event on Nov. 10.
Fernando Gonzalez vs. Paul Daley-Lorenz Larkin winner: The crafty and opportunistic Gonzalez waited for his opening and did not miss it in the co-headliner, as the Team Quest rep submitted Brennan Ward with a third-round guillotine choke in their catchweight clash at 180 pounds. Ward wandered into his web 62 seconds into Round 3. Gonzalez failed to establish much of a rhythm through two rounds, conceding multiple takedowns to the Season 9 tournament winner. The 41-fight veteran countered an ill-advised takedown attempt from Ward early in the third round, bit down on the guillotine and secured the choke in full guard. After a brief struggle, Gonzalez coaxed the tapout. He has quietly compiled a 7-1 record under the Bellator flag. Daley and Larkin will square off at Bellator 183 on Sept. 23.
Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Henry Corrales: Karakhanyan proved once again to be a threat from any position, as he opened a fight-ending cut on Daniel Pineda with a well-placed upkick in the second round of their preliminary featherweight battle. The ringside physician examined the gash and recommended the stoppage 4:05 into Round 2. To that point, Pineda had controlled much of the fight with takedowns and top control. A former World Series of Fighting and Tachi Palace Fights champion, Karakhanyan has pieced together a 4-3 record since returning to Bellator in January 2015. Wins over Pineda, Kirill Medvedovsky and Bubba Jenkins (twice) -- all of them finishes -- have been offset by decision defeats to Emmanuel Sanchez, Daniel Straus and Pat Curran. Corrales posted his second straight victory on the undercard, taking a unanimous decision from Noad Lahat.
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