MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom breaks down the Bellator’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for Bellator 225.
Bellator 225 takes place Saturday at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Matt Mitrione (13-6 MMA, 4-1 BMMA)
Staple info:
- Height: 6’3″ Age: 41 Weight: 258 lbs. Reach: 79″
- Last fight: No contest with Sergei Kharitonov (Feb. 15, 2019)
- Camp: Hard Knocks 365 (Florida/Indiana)
- Stance/striking style: Southpaw/kickboxing
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
+ Former NFL player
+ 11 KO victories
+ 7 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Athletic and agile
^ Explosive speed and athleticism
+ Solid feints and footwork
+ Accurate left hand
^ Coming forward and off of the counter
+ Powerful Thai kicks
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Diligently working wrestling
^ Shows improved fundamentals
Sergei Kharitonov (29-7 MMA, 2-1 BMMA)
Staple info:
- Height: 6’4″ Age: 39 Weight: 265 lbs. Reach: 76″
- Last fight: No contest with Matt Mitrione (Feb. 15, 2019)
- Camp: Golden Glory (Thailand/Russia)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
+ Multiple sambo and hand-to-hand combat titles
+ Amateur boxing accolades
+ W5 kickboxing title (heavyweight)
+ 7-4 as a pro kickboxer (5 wins by KO)
+ 18 KO victories
+ 8 submission wins
+ 23 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Building power puncher
^ Varies levels and looks
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Underrated grappling ability
Point of interest: Sergei vs. the southpaw
The main event for Bellator 225 is a fun heavyweight fight between Matt Mitrione and Sergei Kharitonov that will hopefully kick off a lot smoother the second time around.
Kharitonov, who felt the effects of an open-stance matchup in the worst of ways, suffered an unfortunate low blow in the very beginning of their first affair. So, with the limited sample size at hand, we will still need to see how the Russian fares against southpaw foes.
Outside of his kickboxing bout with Jerome Le Banner (where he carried himself well to a decision win), Kharitonov has seldom had to face southpaws – notable or not – in his combat sports career. Still, the former Russian paratrooper has always shown a striking style that has quietly become as technical as it is brutal.
Steadily stalking forward into range with small feints, Kharitonov typically looks to crowd his opposition with a pressure that commands respect. Once able to establish his range and rhythm, Kharitonov will begin to sneakily throw away his rights and lefts to land hooks and uppercuts due to the subsequent shelling that he seems to force.
Kharitonov has also been more apt to shift his stance off of his right hands, which allows him to find new angles and harder shots within the exchanges. Nevertheless, Kharitonov is not beyond being caught by crashing counters, which is what makes this matchup so intriguing.
Enter Mitrione.
A natural athlete, the former NFL pro has translated his talents well to mixed martial arts.
Fighting from a southpaw stance, Mitrione will work behind improved feints and footwork while measuring the threat before him. Whether he is drawing out his opposition or finding an offensive angle of his own, Mitrione seems to have a natural feel when it comes to fighting in volatile spaces.
Keeping his patented left cross at the ready, Mitrione can punish his opponents down the centerline, both coming forward and off of the counter. And since his time spent working with Henri Hooft in South Florida, Mitrione has only sharpened his fundamentals and strengthened the arsenal surrounding his left hand.
I also suspect his left power kicks could have some play given the way in which Kharitonov tends to dip off to that side. But regardless of Mitrione’s approach, he will still need to mind his propensity to so-willingly put himself in range, as entering the pocket is like playing with fire when it comes to Kharitonov.
Next point of interest: Consequences of the clinch
Point of interest: Consequences of the clinch
Considering where each man’s on-paper strengths stack up, I will be curious to see how far Kharitonov will force the issue of close-quarter combat.
Whether he’s looking to dirty box or grapple, Kharitonov tends to do his best work on the inside. Though the former sambo champ has gotten away from his grappling in the latter years of his career, he should still be the better wrestler and submission grappler between the two if this fight hits the floor.
That said, Mitrione may hold some surprises within this area.
Not only is the former NFL athlete difficult to pin down due to his explosive movement, but he has also been working diligently to improve his wrestling in recent years. Putting in hard hours with the Purdue University wrestling team, Mitrione has added solid technique to his already potent athleticism.
Whether he is digging for an underhook or framing off his opponent’s hips, Mitrione now demonstrates a better understanding and awareness of crucial positions. He’s also spent a decent amount of time working with catching wrestling coach Neil Melanson in the past, which I only imagine has helped Mitrione’s ground game even further.
Still, if Mitrione does end up underneath Kharitonov for any reason, he will need to show more urgency and hustle than he has in previous fights if he means to stay dry in grappling sequences.
Next point of interest: Odds, opinion and prediction
Point of interest: Odds and opinions
The oddsmakers initially opened the American as the favorite, but the public has been quietly placing bets on the Russian, making this fight practically a pick’em with Mitrione -115 and Kharitonov -105 as of this writing.
Considering their recent body of work (as well as the fact that this is a heavyweight fight), I can’t disagree with the current spread of the betting lines. Kharitonov is a tough cookie to crack, but the common thread I see in his stoppage losses is that longer and more athletic men can provide problems for him.
Whether it’s Kharitonov’s habit of playing with kickboxing guards in MMA or just his overall comfort in exchanges, he has been susceptible to power shots down the pipe – something that could be problematic here. Kharitonov has also had past issues with kick defense due to his stance/approach, and could possibly open himself up to even harsher weather should he dip too freely into his opponent’s power side.
That said, if Mitrione doesn’t manage to capitalize on any of these openings in the first few minutes, then I see the scales steadily starting to shift in Kharitonov’s favor. The former hand-to-hand combat champ almost has a building nature to his work that I see being effective against Mitrione down the stretch of this matchup.
Kharitonov has also spent this camp training in Thailand with Volkan Oezdemir and former foe Alistair Overeem (who can competently fight from the southpaw stance). It’s hard to be confident in a heavyweight slugfest, but I suspect that Kharitonov earns some respect in the first and finishes things off in the second with a shifting left hand along the fence.
