Preview: Bellator 269

Heavyweights

Vitaly Minakov (22-1, 6-1 Bellator) vs. Said Sowma (7-2, 1-1 Bellator)
Odds: Minakov (-300), Sowma (+240)

Minakov was originally supposed to square off against Tyrell Fortune on this card before Fortune withdrew, setting the stage for a clash with former Titan Fighting Championship title holder Sowma. While the original matchup might have been more appealing for Minakov from a name standpoint, Sowma was competitive against Fortune and offers a methodical, tactical style that could give his Russian opponent some problems.

Minakov’s previous championship reign in Bellator dates back to when the promotion still held “The Toughest Tournament in Sports,” but he was stripped of the title due to inactivity, which led to a stint with Fight Nights Global where he finished all seven of his opponents inside the distance. Outside of an inexplicably ineffective performance in a rematch against Cheick Kongo in February 2019, Minakov has looked like one of the best heavyweights outside the Ultimate Fighting Championship for years, and a win here could propel him to a shot against either interim heavyweight king Valentin Moldavsky or reigning champion Ryan Bader.

Minakov generally tends to apply pressure on the feet, where he likes to land powerful overhand rights or uppercuts, the latter of which put a young Alexander Volkov on his seat in a championship clash in 2013. The 36-year-old is a four-time sambo world champion and a master of sport in sambo, wrestling and judo. Once Minakov has closed the distance, he displays great strength — witness the manhandling of massive heavyweight Timothy Johnson with a pair of suplexes at Belllator 225. Thanks to his background, Minakov can get opponents to the mat through the aforementioned suplexes as well as with various trips and throws. From above, he has a heavy top game and will unload with punches and elbows.

Sowma has an interesting background for an MMA heavyweight, as he was a swimmer at Indian River State College. That would seem to bode well for his conditioning, but Sowma is not a high-output striker. He throws a decent amount of kicks for a bigger man, attacking the legs, head and body of his opponent. Against Fortune, however, he spent too much time feinting rather than throwing strikes, which may have led to his downfall on the scorecards in what was a closely-contested bout. As a whole, Sowma favors a patient approach on the feet, and he often throws his strikes without full power. While this doesn’t hinder his gas tank, it doesn’t lend well to finishing, either. Sowma also has solid defensive wrestling, which the Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt displayed against Fortune during grappling situations.

Minakov likely won’t allow Sowma to get comfortable in their bout, as the former Bellator champion will move forward from the outset. Ultimately, Minakov’s physical strength in grappling exchnages and knockout power on the feet will prove to be a combination that is too difficult for Sowma to handle.

The Pick: Minakov by KO/TKO.

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