Sudden replacement of the opponent, the cap and victory by knockout: how Kharitonov and Minakov performed at the Bellator 225

In terms of prospects in the American promotion, the Bellator 225 Bridgeport tournament was of great importance for Russian fighters. Former heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov approached him after an insulting defeat from Cheyk Congo and had virtually no chance of misfiring. Failure to fight with Javi Ayaila could well seriously delay his return to the division’s elite, and at the very least put an end to his career in the organization.

Sergey Kharitonov, although he did not lose to Matt Mitrion in their previous battle, but received a considerable share of criticism. The fight ended just 15 seconds after the gong, when the Russian received the strongest blow in the groin. As a result, he was taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a hematoma. However, some experts and fans accused him of simulating and stated that he intentionally refused to continue the battle. Thus, the athlete had a chance to prove to all critics that such speculation is erroneous, and at the same time return to the champion race.

Minakov was the first to enter the cage, but a few hours before the start of the tournament his opponent suddenly changed. According to the Bellator press service, Ayaila was forced to abandon the fight due to unnamed reasons, as a result of which the leadership had to rush to find a replacement. The challenge was received by Timothy Johnson, well-known to fans of mixed martial arts for performances in the UFC. His track record includes seven fights under the auspices of the planet’s largest MMA promotion, in which he won four victories.

Of course, it is difficult to call an American an extra-class fighter, however, a sudden change of the enemy always carries with it serious problems. Firstly, Ayaila is significantly different from Johnson in terms of fighting style. If the first is a pronounced drummer and prefers to fight in the stance, the second is famous for its wrestling skills. Secondly, for several months, Minakov was preparing to meet with the right-hander, but in the end he was forced to fight with the left-hander.

In addition, the state of Minakov himself raised serious questions. In the battle with Congo, he appeared not in the best shape and very vaguely reminded himself of the very times of the championship in Bellator. Vitaly was not so swift on his feet, but in the fight he could not show his best qualities. Throughout his career, he was famous for the ability to skillfully transfer his opponents to the floor, but that evening was not so successful in this aspect.

Already the first seconds showed that Minakov managed to regain its former shape. He immediately rushed forward and in two seconds spent two amplitude throws. With great difficulty, Timothy did not allow the fight to go to the ground and quickly got to his feet, but was clearly shocked by such a sharp spurt in the performance of the opponent.

Realizing that Johnson poses no danger in the fight, Minakov decided to exercise in the stance, but here he did not meet any serious resistance. At first, the target was found by several single punches performed by Vitaliy, and the fatal was a series of front kick (direct kick) on the body and the right straight to the jaw. The American moved back to the net, but could not avoid finishing. So, the battle lasted only 1 minute 46 seconds.

After the fight, Minakov admitted that it was important for him to speak at a show in Bridgeport and talked about a funny incident during preparation.

“My main sparring partner was left-handed, so I was very worried, because Javi Ayaila is right-handed. But it so happened that today I had a fight with a left-handed fighter, ”said Minakov.

The main battle of the evening promised to become much more competitive and intense. Mitrion is a high-level fighter, which has repeatedly proved both in the UFC and in Bellator. So, during his career, he defeated former title contenders in the person of Derrick Lewis and Gabriel Gonzagu, as well as veteran Roy Nelson. However, the biggest success in Matt's career dates back to June 2017, when he knocked out Fedor Emelianenko in just 74 seconds.

Like six months ago, the debut remained with the American. He was much more active and very quickly occupied the center of the cell. The Russian was left only to retreat, to parry numerous kicks, as well as to get away from trying to conduct a smashing blow to the right of Mitrion. Matt tried to build up pressure, but his counterparts shut off coolly and instantly responded with counterattacks.

Closer to the middle of the round, Mitrion's fuse noticeably dried up. Kharitonov began to respond more often to his opponent, which caused cheers from the audience. Fans began to chant “Russia! Russia, ”and Sergei began to act more and more diverse, regularly changing the“ floors ”. So, for a short period of time, he was noted for an accurate hit on the body, a powerful low kick (kick in the foot) and Superman from the left.

All this caused nervousness on the part of his opponent, who began to lose his mouth guard over and over again. At the end of the round, the accessory fell out of the athlete’s mouth three times, which forced referee Dan Miragliott to stop the fight several times. Mitrion tried to make it clear that this was happening by chance, but the referee threatened that the next time he would lose his point.

However, this was not required. The second round began under the dictation of Kharitonov, and only a minute later actually turned into a beating. Mitrion ceased to keep his distance and in just a few seconds missed several weighty blows to the head. The American again spat out the mouthpiece, but this time Miragliotta did not stop the fight. With a powerful uppercut, Sergey sent his counterpart to the canvas, and the finishing set an effective point.

Kharitonov won his 30th victory in his professional career and confirmed the status of one of the strongest heavyweights of Bellator. The Russian has extended his unbeaten run to six fights and now has every right to be regarded as one of the main contenders for the heavyweight title.

After the fight, the athlete himself confirmed this, saying that he intends to compete for the belt.

“Bader or Emelianenko? I want a title fight. This is my motivation. I performed in kickboxing, boxing, MMA. I’m interested in one thing - the belt, ”said the athlete.

Already on September 7, a duel for the champion title between Ryan Bader and Cheyk Congo will be held in San Jose. As Kharitonov admitted, he will closely monitor this battle.

“If someone gets injured, I’m ready to go for a replacement,” the fighter said.