Bellator champ Darrion Caldwell meets Kyoji Horiguchi for inaugural bantamweight belt at Rizin FF 14

The made it really hard to choose between PFL and RIZIN on new years

Edit: oh wait RIZIN is in Japan time so I can watch both ayy lmao
 
Bellator doing Thaaaangs.

<GinJuice>
 
I think this is how MMA should be...Hand in Hand...working together for special Events and match-ups...

Not playing Monopoly...
 
The size/reach disadvantage Horiguchi is going to deal with in this fight actually insane

It's an amazing fight, don't get me wrong, but damn.....

I believe though.
 
Becoming less a fan of Caldwell. Guy wrestled 149 in college and is like 5'10. He keeps himself artificially small so he can crush 5'5 former (or still current) flyweights. I'm glad he gassed and got strangled by Taimanglo.

After he beat Brent Metcalf for the 149 lb NCAA title, he said he wanted to go up A COUPLE weight classes and maybe GO OUT FOR FOOTBALL. Now he's fighting a 125 lb midget.

Bold.
 
Siauliai said:
Whoaa, so looks like rizin and bellator will work together in 2019 also. I have to go in this one with Horiguchi, experience is my main factor to pick him against Darrion Caldwell.
Opinions? who you got guys in this one?
Source : Via mmajunkie
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This fight is dope. A fight that wouldn't look out of place in ANY card.

I think both are real deals. So, I'm going to pick a bigger, stronger, world class wrestler who's pretty well rounded.
 
Siauliai said:
Whoaa, so looks like rizin and bellator will work together in 2019 also. I have to go in this one with Horiguchi, experience is my main factor to pick him against Darrion Caldwell.
Opinions? who you got guys in this one?
Source : Via mmajunkie
Click to expand...


Dantas, Higo, and Warren are as good as anyone Kyoji has beaten. Even if that weren't the case, experience isn't nullifying OVERWHELMING physical advantages.

Just for comparison, Bones, who gets shit on here for "ducking" HW, actually fights 8 lbs, or 4% above his college weight. Caldwell is 14 lbs, or 9%, below his college weight.

Big FW vs average sized FLW.

Caldwell is the biggest manlet crusher in mma. Total mismatch. He was too big and strong for Warren FFS.
 
Awesome fight but really dont get why Bellator would do this. Last time Bellator let a BW champ fight outside the org it didnt end well for them.

Plus its for the Rizin title? So Caldwell will defend both titles if he wins? I know Rizin only does 4 events a year or whatever so he could fight once a year on NYE event and defend the belt and its not holding anything up. But I thought they would have just done Pitbull/Caldwell. Let AJ/Pico develop more, do the double champ thing, get a nice fight with Pitbull. Sending him to another org and risking your champ losing is a gamble.

But its a great fight, best fighter Horiguchi has fought since Mighty Mouse. His striking vs Caldwells wrestling. Unless Horiguchi stuns him early I think Caldwell will have his way with him.
 
I like seeing the companies work together.

Caldwell via unanimous decision.
 
Man, I wanna get pumped up for this fight..but for whatever reason, it’s not getting me excited to see it. I think Caldwell is going to use his size and beat Horiguchi.

Still hoping for Horiguchi to get the finish though.
 
MartinGibson86 said:
Becoming less a fan of Caldwell. Guy wrestled 149 in college and is like 5'10. He keeps himself artificially small so he can crush 5'5 former (or still current) flyweights. I'm glad he gassed and got strangled by Taimanglo.

After he beat Brent Metcalf for the 149 lb NCAA title, he said he wanted to go up A COUPLE weight classes and maybe GO OUT FOR FOOTBALL. Now he's fighting a 125 lb midget.

Bold.
Click to expand...
125 lb midget? Horiguchi would beat your ass
 
Gooch is gonna look tiny in comparison.

He's gonna get ragdolled and laid on for the entire fight.

Caldwell UD.
 
Seen some highlights of horiguchi. extremely fast and very talented for sure, but Idk if he can handle caldwell's grappling. Caldwell's grappling is second to none, second to a very select few if you want to judge him harshly. Admittedly, his hands aren't the best, but he is good at maintaining distance with his kicks, which helps set up his shot.

my money says Caldwell completely ragdolls horiguchi.
 
liljuey said:
Lol Caldwell got subbed in the third round after a dominant two rounds and then avenged that loss. Taimanglo isn't a bad fighter either, dude is tough as nails.
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he's also not a small asian fighter. the dude may be a bit shorter, but he is built like a fucking tank for his division.
 
CC27 said:
Awesome fight but really dont get why Bellator would do this. Last time Bellator let a BW champ fight outside the org it didnt end well for them.

Plus its for the Rizin title? So Caldwell will defend both titles if he wins? I know Rizin only does 4 events a year or whatever so he could fight once a year on NYE event and defend the belt and its not holding anything up. But I thought they would have just done Pitbull/Caldwell. Let AJ/Pico develop more, do the double champ thing, get a nice fight with Pitbull. Sending him to another org and risking your champ losing is a gamble.

But its a great fight, best fighter Horiguchi has fought since Mighty Mouse. His striking vs Caldwells wrestling. Unless Horiguchi stuns him early I think Caldwell will have his way with him.
Click to expand...
There is essentially nothing for Caldwell at BW in Bellator at the moment. I wouldn't want to dismiss this fight as a stay busy fight, but this is probably what the bellator brass is thinking.

My guess would have been that they match up pitbull vs caldwell after pitbull's last win. the fact that caldwell is fighting in rizin has me thinking that they are probably going to give Mckee the next crack at the title. McKee is on a long wins streak and just dusted macapa so he has a claim, but he is still too green for pitbull IMO. my stance has always been that mckee relies too much on athleticism and hasn't honed his technique enough yet. He tends to gas if he doesnt get the early finish. I could see pitbull dragging him into deep rounds and finishing him late.

if McKee wins, it'll be early, and i mean really early. He comes out guns blazing and throws dangerous kicks, so there is always the chance that pitbull gets caught. there is also a chance that mckee gets caught as he leaves himself open a lot of the time.
 
liljuey said:
125 lb midget? Horiguchi would beat your ass
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Yea, that's why I turned the fight down, jackass.

It's gonna look like a man vs. a boy. Japanese fighters aren't really big weight cutters. I'm guessing Caldwell will be about 15 pounds heavier on fight night. That's like a LHW having a 22lb advantage.

Bones has never been 22 lbs bigger than his opponent in the cage.
 
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Meathead Jock said:
Great fight for Caldwell. I had figured he was permentaly finished with 135lbs now that the weight class is all but dead in Bellator and it is a huge cut for Caldwell.

Glad he gets a chance to again prove he is a true special talent in the weight class though.
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Not sure how beating a flyweight would prove that but okay lol
 
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