The Bottom Line: Impressive Non-UFC Slate for Close of 2016

Since the purchase of Strikeforce, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has largely had a stranglehold on the fights fans most want to see. Other promotions have been left scrambling to capture the public imagination as much as they can with a steady diet of high-quality fights coming from MMA’s top promotion. Over the last two months of 2016, the UFC has more than its fair share of excellent fights with UFC 205, UFC 206 and UFC 207 all shaping up to be impressive lineups. Yet, even taking the more familiar UFC cards completely out of the equation, MMA’s other top promotions are stepping up with some of their best cards in recent memory. The close of 2016 has all the makings of one of the best stretches for MMA fans in quite some time. Under Scott Coker’s direction, Bellator MMA has spent a lot of money, but it hasn’t necessarily led to a lot of important fights. The biggest attractions in Bellator have largely been novelty fights like Kimbo Slice vs. Dhafir Harris, Tito Ortiz vs. Stephan Bonnar and Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock. That will change over time as Bellator’s top acquisitions get further integrated into the promotion, and that’s evident in the seven-show Bellator schedule over the remainder of the year.Arguably the crown jewel of the lineup comes first, as Liam McGeary defends the Bellator light heavyweight title against Phil Davis in the Bellator 163 main event on Friday in Uncasville, Connecticut. It’s a classic archetype for a big fight, with the proven and battle-tested veteran taking on the undefeated rising star looking to prove he can hang with anyone. It’s a crucial fight for both men, and we’ll see where they stand at this stage of their careers. It even has a few wrinkles, with McGeary as the defending champion and Davis looking to become champion of a fighting organization for the first time; and “Mr. Wonderful” actually holds the distinction of being the younger fighter. For my money, it’s the best fight Bellator has put on all year, earning that designation above …

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