The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team will look for its fourth consecutive road win on Saturday, Feb. 4, as the Huskies travel to Bowling Green. Game time against the Falcons is slated for 4 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN3, along with 94-9 WDKB and The Varsity Network app.
NIU is coming off a 73-59 victory at Western Michigan on Tuesday night (Jan. 31). Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill.) scored a team-high 15 points as the Huskies won their fourth game in the last five and hit the halfway point in Mid-American Conference play with a 5-4 league mark, good for fifth in the conference standings.
The victory at Western Michigan was NIU’s fifth road win overall this season, tied for the most in the MAC with Ball State, Kent State and Toledo. David Coit (Columbus, N.J.) and Zarique Nutter (Newark, N.J.) each scored 13 points in the win, with Coit also grabbing a career-best eight rebounds.
Coit is currently ranked 11th in the league in scoring at 15.7 points per game but is averaging 19.9 points per contest in the last seven games, a stretch in which the Huskies have gone 5-2.
Darweshi Hunter (Cincinnati, Ohio) had nine points and a career-best eight rebounds in Tuesday’s win at Western Michigan. Hunter is one of three Huskies that rank in the top-20 in the MAC in three-point shooting. Thornton is third at 44.3 percent, Hunter is ninth at 41 percent and Coit is 17th at 37.5 percent.
The Falcons come into Saturday’s contest with a 10-12 overall record, including a 4-5 mark in league play, tied for sixth in the standings with Buffalo. Bowling Green is coming off a 69-60 setback against Ball State on Tuesday night (Jan. 31).
Four players score in double figures for Bowling Green, led by 18.5 points per game from Leon Ayers III, fourth-best in the MAC. Bowling Green ranks second in the MAC, and 33rd nationally, with 13.4 fastbreak points per game. The Falcons also rank second in the league, and 39th in the country, shooting 75.2 percent from the free-throw line.
* EliasPettersson, BrockNelson and Andrei Svechnikov left 2023 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook as winners of the three signature events.
* ConnorHellebuyck, JuuseSaros, NickSuzuki, CaleMakar and MikkoRantanen also won events staged on the ice, at the golf course and in the dunk tank.
* After teaming up for a memorable moment with Sergei “Ovi Jr.” Ovechkin to win the Great Clips NHL Breakaway Challenge, longtime rivals AlexOvechkin and SidneyCrosby will join forces again when they play in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game at 3 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+, CBC, Sportsnet, TVAS).
PETTERSSON BECOMES FOURTH FORWARD TO WIN HARDEST SHOT EVENT Canucks forward Elias Pettersson became the fourth forward to win the Hardest Shot event after clocking a 103.2 mph shot to win the GEICO NHL Hardest Shot competition. Participating in the event for the second time, Pettersson (also 2020) became the first Vancouver player to capture the title.
* Pettersson joined AlexOvechkin (101.3 mph in 2018), Sergei Fedorov (101.5 mph in 2002) and Fredrik Modin (102.1 mph in 2001) as the only forwards to win the event. He did so by defeating Ovechkin, who made his sixth Hardest Shot appearance to move ahead of JohnLeClair (5x) and StevenStamkos (5x) for the most by any forward.
* Pettersson’s winning shot of 103.2 mph followed his opening blast of 100.8 mph. It marked the 14th straight Hardest Shot competition in which the winner reached a top speed of over 100 miles per hour.
NELSON CLAIMS ACCURACY SHOOTING TITLE FOLLOWING RIVALRY-FILLED SEMIFINALS
In the largest Accuracy Shooting field since 2011, four players emerged from the preliminary round to set up a pair of rivalry matchups in the head-to-head semifinals. In the first semifinal, Islanders forward BrockNelson (17.886 seconds) defeated Rangers forward ArtemiPanarin (DNF) in a “Battle of New York,” followed shortly thereafter by Flames forward NazemKadri (10.131 seconds) edging Oilers captain ConnorMcDavid (10.612 seconds) in a “Battle of Alberta” showdown.
* Nelson and Kadri then went toe-to-toe in the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting final, which Nelson won with a time of 12.419 seconds to Kadri’s 18.276 seconds. Taking in All-Star festivities for the first time, Nelson became the second Islanders player to win the Accuracy Shooting event, following JohnTavares (2016).
* The preliminary round featured surprise appearances by three-time Olympic gold medalist and member of the Flames’ hockey operations group RebeccaJohnston, who passed to Kadri, and fellow Olympic gold medalist SarahNurse, cousin of McDavid’s teammate DarnellNurse.
* Nurse was dishing out passes to McDavid when he became the sixth different player to clock a sub 10-second time at the Accuracy Shooting event during NHL All-Star Skills.
SVECHNIKOV EDGES FIALA IN FASTEST SKATER FINAL
There was a new fastest skater champion for a fourth straight year as Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov posted a time of 13.699 seconds in the final of the Upper Deck NHL Fastest Skater event to defeat Kings forward Kevin Fiala (14.114 seconds).
* Svechnikov and Fiala, who replaced Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov in the event, qualified for the final with top-two times of 13.757 and 13.997 seconds, respectively.
* Svechnikov became the second Hurricanes/Whalers player to win the Fastest Skater event, following Sami Kapanen who won in both 2000 and 2002 while representing Carolina.
* In addition to the Hurricanes (3x), only two other clubs have had a representative win Fastest Skater three or more times – an Oilers player has won five times and a Red Wings player has won three.
SUZUKI, AVALANCHE DUO CLAIM INAUGURAL PITCH ‘N PUCK, SPLASH SHOT EVENTS Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and Avalanche teammates CaleMakar and Mikko Rantanen claimed victory in the Chipotle NHL Pitch ‘n Puck and Enterprise NHL Splash Shot, two South Florida-inspired events that debuted Friday.
* Teeing up a special puck from 140 yards out at an iconic Sunshine State golf hole, Suzuki hit the longest drive and followed up with a “pitch” over the water onto the green, where he putted in for birdie on the par-4 Pitch ‘n Puck. Suzuki defeated JohnnyGaudreau (CBJ), Clayton Keller (ARI) and Jason Robertson (DAL) who all logged a DNF as they were setting up for their fourth shot.
* Firing at surf boards lined up on the picturesque beach of Fort Lauderdale, Rantanen first dunked SidneyCrosby before Nathan MacKinnon, his Colorado teammate, was able to soak Makar. In the other preliminary matchup, Adam Fox protected his Rangers teammate Igor Shesterkin by splashing Florida favorite Matthew Tkachuk who was relying on his brother Brady Tkachuk to keep him dry. Makar and Rantanen changed roles in the final, where the Stanley Cup champions dunked their way to another title.
TANDEM TENDY, BREAKAWAY CHALLENGE EVENTS PRODUCE MEMORABLE MOMENTS
The 27th NHL All-Star Skills competition featured many other memorable moments and guest appearances, as well as the debut of the Discover NHL Tendy Tandem – which was won by Central Division netminders Connor Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros thanks to a combined score of 13.
* The Tendy Tandem event included guest appearances by Alex Carpenter, Hilary Knight, EmilyClark, Rebecca Johnston and Sarah Nurse, who netted a highlight-reel goal against reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin.
* After making his way “from the beach” with brother Brady, Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk also called on the services of teammate Aleksander Barkov, dressed as a lifeguard, and Miami Dolphins player Christian Wilkins, before beating Hockey Hall of Famer RobertoLuongo during his Great Clips NHL Breakaway Challenge attempt.
2023 HONDA NHL ALL-STAR GAME TAKES CENTER STAGE ON SATURDAY The brightest stars from around the League, including nine of the top 10 scorers this season, will hit the ice for the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Saturday which will once again see the 3-on-3 tournament format, the same used in each of the past six All-Star Games. The Central Division will face the Pacific Division in the opening match, followed by the Metropolitan Division versus the Atlantic Division, with the two winners meeting in the final.
* The Pacific Division (2016, 2018 & 2020) and Metropolitan Division (2017, 2019 & 2022) have gone back-and-forth in winning the 3-on-3 tournament format in the six years of its existence. The Atlantic Division, which includes hometown Panthers forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov, will look to be the first host division to claim the 3-on-3 title.
* The Pacific Division holds an all-time record of 4-1 when facing the Central Division under the 3-on-3 format. Connor McDavid, who enters the 2023 All-Star Game with a 16-point lead on teammate Leon Draisaitl in the Art Ross Trophy race, has more career points under the 3-on-3 All-Star format than any other player (2-11—13 in 8 GP), just one point ahead of two skaters also participating Saturday: Sidney Crosby (6-6—12 in 5 GP) and Johnny Gaudreau (5-7—12 in 8 GP).
* CLICK HERE to view Records.NHL.com for lists of the top All-Star performers under the 3-on-3 format.
* While the Metropolitan Division has claimed the 3-on-3 title three times in six years, the Atlantic Division boasts a 3-2 record when facing their Eastern Conference rivals under the current format. Three of the top eight point producers in 2022-23 will represent the Atlantic Division in David Pastrnak (3rd; 38-34—72 in 51 GP), Nikita Kucherov (4th; 19-53—72 in 48 GP), Tkachuk (7th; 25-41—66 in 49 GP). The Atlantic Division will counter with Alex Ovechkin, who sits second on the NHL’s all-time goals list, and Sidney Crosby, who ranks 15th on the NHL’s all-time points list.
The Houston Rockets posted the NBA’s worst record last season, and they have the worst mark again this season.
However, the Rockets have owned the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Over the past two seasons, the Rockets are 5-1 against the Thunder, including a 112-106 victory in Houston on Wednesday. Houston is 28-100 against the rest of the NBA during that span.
The teams square off again on Saturday, this time in Oklahoma City.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off one of his worst shooting performances of the season, as he went 7 of 23 in the loss to Houston. He wound up with 24 points thanks to a 10-of-10 effort at the foul line.
On Thursday, Gilgeous-Alexander was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career.
Gilgeous-Alexander has elevated his scoring annually throughout his five-season NBA career. He is averaging 30.8 points per game, which ranks fifth in the league, and has also turned things up on defense this season, averaging 1.7 steals (tied for fifth in the NBA) and 1.1 blocks — both career highs.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas expects a similar progression from his leading scorer, Jalen Green, who is in his second season.
Green is averaging 21.7 points after putting up 17.3 points per game as a rookie last season. His rebounding and assist numbers are also up.
Green missed the past three games due to a bruised right calf, including Houston’s 117-111 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Silas said the 20-year-old guard has a chance to return for the second night of the back-to-back set.
Kevin Porter Jr. (left foot contusion) remains out for Houston.
The Rockets also might be without Jae’Sean Tate and Eric Gordon, who both played on Friday, with Gordon scoring a team-high 28 points.
Tate has been battling a right ankle injury. Gordon has played both ends of a back-to-back on just two of eight opportunities this season.
The Thunder’s best defender, Luguentz Dort, will miss his fourth consecutive game because of a right hamstring strain.
In the Rockets’ loss to Toronto, Houston was outrebounded for the first time in nine games. The eight-game streak of outrebounding opponents was tied for the franchise’s longest since December 1997.
Houston outrebounded Oklahoma City 65-52 on Wednesday, with each team posting 24 offensive rebounds — the first time both teams reached at least 24 in a regulation game since 2003.
The Rockets are 1-7 on the second night of a back-to-back this season, with the only win coming against the Thunder on Nov. 26. Houston has won the first two of four meetings this season.
The Thunder have dropped four of their past six overall while the Rockets had their two-game winning streak snapped on Friday.
The Chicago Bulls overcame a pair of less-than-stellar performances from stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine to record their fifth win in their last eight games.
The Bulls will look to have all parties on the same page Saturday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.
Coby White scored 20 points, Vucevic collected 17 points and 12 rebounds, and fellow center Andre Drummond added 15 and 11, respectively.
The quartet’s impressive totals helped the Bulls overcome substandard efforts from DeRozan and LaVine. DeRozan finished with just 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting, while LaVine had 10 points to mark his lowest scoring output since he mustered just four on Nov. 18.
DeRozan boasts team-leading averages in points (26) and assists (five), with LaVine second in both categories (23.4, 4.2). Vucevic contributes a club-best 11.2 rebounds per game.
Portland’s Anfernee Simons proved to be hard to defend on Friday. He scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter and finished with nine 3-pointers, tying a career high, helping the visiting Trail Blazers overcome a 20-point deficit in a 124-116 victory over the Washington Wizards.
Damian Lillard collected 29 points and six assists and Trendon Watford scored a season-high 21 points off the bench for Portland, which announced Jusuf Nurkic will be sidelined until after the All-Star break due to a left calf strain.
Slow starts have plagued the Trail Blazers this calendar year, much to the chagrin of coach Chauncey Billups.
Portland aims to move above .500 for the first time in a month when it concludes its three-game road trip on Saturday.
The Phoenix Suns likely will be without their top scorer once again when they face the Pistons on Saturday night in Detroit. Another starter’s status is in question, too.
Devin Booker is expected to miss his 21st consecutive game due to a left groin strain, though he ramped up his on-court work this week.
Forward Cameron Johnson sat out Phoenix’s 106-94 road win over the Boston Celtics on Friday due to what the team described as right knee injury management.
The Suns still beat the team with the league’s best record behind a strong defensive effort. The Celtics were held to 38.7 percent shooting from the field and 26.3 percent from 3-point range.
Mikal Bridges led Phoenix’s offense with 25 points. The Suns have won seven of their past nine games.
Phoenix’s Chris Paul had 15 points and eight assists, while Dario Saric supplied his first double-double since March 2020 with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Detroit will also be playing the tail end of a back-to-back set. The Pistons pulled out a 118-112 home victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday despite committing 23 turnovers that led to 30 Hornets points.
Jaden Ivey led the Pistons with 24 points and seven assists.
It was an eventful week for the Pistons. They lost in Dallas on Monday night, then got stuck there until Thursday afternoon due to poor weather conditions and mechanical issues with their plane. Their scheduled home game against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday was postponed.
With the score tied at 112 on Friday, Detroit’s Saddiq Bey hit a corner 3-pointer with 32 seconds left. Bey finished with 22 points off the bench.
Rookie center Jalen Duren continued to impress with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Detroit will be seeking its first pair of consecutive wins since Nov. 22-23, when it defeated the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz on the road.
The Suns won the first meeting with the Pistons 108-102 on Nov. 25 in Phoenix. Deandre Ayton led the way with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
Kyrie Irving did not appear on the injury report for the Brooklyn Nets, but how much longer he wants to play for the team became a major story line Friday afternoon when reports surfaced about the guard seeking a trade.
The Washington Wizards are focused on continuing their recent ascent in the Eastern Conference playoff race when they visit the Nets on Saturday night.
For the third time in 13 months, a star requested a trade out of Brooklyn. James Harden’s request was granted via a deal to the Philadelphia 76ers that netted Ben Simmons. Then, during a turbulent offseason following a four-game sweep by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, Kevin Durant sought a trade before hashing things out with management.
Among the reasons Durant wanted out was the team’s inability to win when he injured his left knee. When he was out from mid-January to early March last season, the Nets lost 16 of 21 games, including a stretch of 11 consecutive defeats. This season, Brooklyn is 4-7 amid the star forward’s ongoing absence due to a right knee injury.
Irving’s reported trade request occurred after Brooklyn’s embarrassing showing in a 139-96 loss at Boston on Wednesday. After winning four of their previous six games, the Nets were outscored 46-16 in the first quarter and trailed by as many as 49 points.
Whether the Nets are ready for one of the league’s hottest teams of late remains to be seen, especially with three more games before Thursday’s trade deadline and Irving seeking a deal. He could hit free agency after the season.
Before Wednesday, the Nets’ worst showing was a 153-121 loss at Sacramento on Nov. 15, and Brooklyn followed that up by going 19-3.
Brooklyn and Washington played three times between Nov. 4 and Dec. 12, with the Wizards losing all of them. The last two of those defeats came during a 10-game skid, which dropped their record to 11-20. Since then, Washington has gone 13-7 to go from a tie for 12th to a tie for ninth in the East.
One of Washington’s losses since that 10-game slide occurred Friday night when the Wizards blew a 20-point lead and saw their season-best, six-game winning streak end with a 124-116 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland hit 17 treys.
The Wizards held a 36-19 lead after the opening quarter but were done in by allowing 39 points in the third. Washington’s collapse spoiled big nights by Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis.
Beal scored a season-high 34 points after averaging 18.5 points in his first six games back from a strained left hamstring. Porzingis collected 32 points after getting 17 on Monday in his return from a three-game absence caused by an ankle injury.
While Beal and Porzingis are expected to play Saturday, the Nets could be without Simmons (sore left knee) and T.J. Warren (left shin contusion), who are both listed as questionable.
Ryan Bader vs Fedor Emelianenko 2 is the main event of Bellator 290, but the No. 1 reason why this is such an important fight is that it’s going to be Fedor’s final pro bout
Fedor Emelianenko has decided to end his professional MMA career at the age of 46. His final fight is going to be a Bellator Heavyweight Championship bout against Ryan Bader. The two have already met in a title fight before – Bader beat Fedor by TKO in January 2019.
Are we going to see Bader retain his title or will Emelianenko retire as a champ? Keep reading to find out what we think is going to happen in Bader vs Fedor 2.
When, Where, and How to Watch? Place: Kia Forum in Inglewood, California Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023 Time: ~7:00 PM ET How to Watch: CBS/Paramount+
Ryan Bader Doesn’t Care About Fedor’s Legacy Ryan Bader is the reigning Bellator MMA Heavyweight champion and one of the best fighters in this weight class in the world. In fact, we think he’s one of the top 5 heavyweights on Earth in 2023. If he signed for the UFC today, we think he’d probably get a shot at the title within 12 months.
This may seem like too big of a statement but wait to learn about his career. Darth is 30-7-1 in his professional career which saw him lock horns against some real legends of the sport. For instance, during his UFC days (2009-2016), he fought Jon Jones, Tito Ortiz, Glover Teixeira, and many others.
Truth be told, he did lose to all three of the aforementioned fighters, but that was way back when he was nowhere near as good a fighter as he is today. Actually, his rise to stardom started when he moved to Bellator in 2017.
In this promotion, Bader is 8-2-1, with both of his losses happening in the Light Heavyweight Division. In the Bellator Heavyweight Division, he is still undefeated. This is the weight class in which he’s the reigning champ, who’s defended his title three times since 2019 when he won the vacant championship belt by beating Emelianenko by TKO.
Fedor (Probably) Won’t Get a Warm Welcome in California Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko is a true legend of mixed martial arts, who used to rule the MMA universe in the early 2000s. Today, however, there’s a generation of MMA fans who don’t care much about the Russian veteran. This goes especially for those living in the US, whose idols are American heavyweights like Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic, or even Ryan Bader.
Young MMA fans might not care about Fedor’s former glory, but even they cannot deny his achievements. Now a 46-year-old, The Last Emperor is 40-6-1 in his professional career, which started back in May 2000.
There are some fans who don’t care about Fedor; then, there are some who cannot stand him. It has nothing to do with his performances inside the ring, but with his private life. Fedor’s ties with Putin, as well as his opinion on Ukraine, have made him a polarizing figure in the West, to put it lightly. That said, it’s very unlikely he’ll get a warm welcome from the fans at the Forum in his last-ever MMA fight.
So, why did he decide his final bout to take place in California, against an American fighter? The answer is simple – money. He’s not poor, don’t get us wrong, but he’s nowhere as rich as other MMA superstars. For instance, for the first Bader vs Fedor fight, he cashed in only $300,000.
We say “only” because UFC fighters like Connor McGregor earn millions of dollars per fight. In fact, for his most recent fight (vs Dustin Poirier), The Notorious earned $5 million from the UFC, along with $18,000,000 from PPV buys. Meanwhile, Fedor’s reported career earnings are just above $7 million.
Ryan Bader vs Fedor Emelianenko 2 Prediction Bader’s only two losses in Bellator happened against Light Heavyweight fighters – Corey Anderson and Vadim Nemkov. These guys are younger and faster than him, not to mention that they both have better stamina. Fedor, who’s turning 47 this year, is none of that.
One thing that should worry Bader’s fans is that Nemkov is Fedor’s protégé. He did lose to him by TKO, thus losing the Bellator Light Heavyweight title, but we doubt the same can happen in the fight against Fedor. After all, Fedor is 16 years Nemkov’s senior.
Derrick Lewis vs Sergey Spivak is the main event of UFC Fight Night 218 (a.k.a. UFC on ESPN+ 76 or UFC Vegas 68). It’s taking place at UFC Apex on Saturday, February 4, 2023
The heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Sergey Spivak was originally supposed to take place last November, but it was canceled on the day due to Lewis’ health issues. The fight is rebooked for this coming Saturday when it will serve as the headliner fight of UFC Fight Night 218.
When, Where, and How to Watch? Place: UFC Apex in Vegas Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023 Time: ~7:00 PM ET How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+
What to Expect from Derrick Lewis 2.0? It’s a brand-new Derrick Lewis who’s going to showcase his newly found talents this coming Saturday. Back in November when he was supposed to fight Spivak, he weighed in at 264 pounds. That was 11 pounds more than what the scale showed when Spivak stepped on it.
Since then, however, Lewis has shredded a lot of weight. Footage on social media shows him looking slimmer than he’s ever been. Losing fat has probably done wonders for his speed and agility, which used to be his main issues in the past.
Obviously, Lewis is taking Saturday’s fight very seriously. And he should as this could be a crucial fight for the remainder of his career. Knowing that he lost three of his previous four fights (each by KO/TKO), The Black Beast is aware that his UFC career could come to an end with another loss.
Sergey Spivak Is unlike Any of Lewis’ Recent Opponents Cyril Gane, Tai Tuivasa, and Sergei Pavlovich are the three fighters who beat Lewis by KO/TKO within the last two years. What all three have in common is that they’re incredibly good striking-wise. Each of them lands way more significant strikes than Spivak. For instance, Pavlovich lands 8.07 per minute, while Spivak’s number is 3.79. Further, all three of them are superior to the Moldovan when it comes to striking power.
He might not be a knockout expert, but there’s one weapon Spivak may use to destroy Lewis. What we’re talking about is his takedown prowess. He makes 4.09 takedowns per 15 minutes, which is way more than any of the fighters Lewis has fought in recent times.
The big question is whether he can take Lewis down? If it were overweight Lewis, we’d say yes, but Lewis 2.0 looks agile enough to repel Spivak’s takedown attempts.
Derrick Lewis vs Sergey Spivak Prediction If you take a look at their stats, Spivak is clearly the favorite. However, this fight is of huge importance for Lewis, who simply has to go all-in. This, however, doesn’t mean that he should rush to get a quick finish. On the contrary, he needs to fight smart.
We think he can do that, but even if that strategy doesn’t work, Lewis still has the nuclear option in his fists. Let’s not forget that this guy is the UFC record-holder for most knockout wins.
Marcin Tybura vs Blagoy Ivanov is one of the hottest matchups of UFC Fight Night 218, an event taking place this coming Saturday in Vegas
Marcin Tybura and Blagoy Ivanov are two veteran heavyweights who think they deserve more praise in the UFC. Tybura is currently 10th in the divisional rankings with an overall career record of 23-7. Ivanov is sitting in 15th place, with a 19-4-1 career record. Whoever wins the fight on February 4 is likely to go up in the UFC rankings, as well as get a chance to fight an even tougher opponent next time.
When, Where, and How to Watch? Place: UFC Apex in Vegas Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023 Time: ~7:00 PM ET How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+
Marcin Tybura Ready for Another Grinding The Polish fighter lost just one of the seven fights he’s fought since the start of the decade. The loss in question happened to Alexander Volkov who beat him by decision. In his most recent fight, Tybura defeated Alexander Romanov by the same method. In fact, 11 of Tybura’s pro fights ended this way (eight were wins).
Add to that the fact that seven of his 23 wins happened by technical knockout, and you’ll understand what kind of a fighter Tybura is. Rather than going for a finish in the first round, he likes to bully his opponents for all 15 minutes.
He’s a grinder who lands a lot of strikes, with his average being 3.61 significant strikes per minute. Tybura also often tries to take the opponent down. He’s now always successful (his TD accuracy is 32%), but he does end up making 1.42 TDs per fight.
Blagoy Ivanov Doesn’t Get Grinded Sure, all UFC fighters are tough as nails, but Ivanov is special. The Bulgarian fighter never stops fighting even when facing a much stronger rival. The former PFL and WSOF champion is great defensively, while also having decent stamina for a heavyweight. As a result, he’s incredibly hard to beat inside the distance.
The evidence of this is that even though he’s lost three fights since joining the UFC, he’s without a defeat inside the distance in this competition. Actually, Ivanov has only one loss before the final bell – Alexander Volkov defeated him by submission at Bellator 120 in 2014.
Still not convinced that Ivanov is one of the toughest fighters in the world? If so, here’s one fun fact for you. Back in 2012, Ivanov was the victim of a knife attack, in which he suffered a lung puncture. Doctors spend six hours fighting for his life and he stayed in critical condition for about a month and a half. He barely survived the incident, but that didn’t make him give up on his MMA dream.
In 2013, he returned to the ring, winning by submission in his comeback fight. Then, he went on to win another eight fights in various promotions (while losing just one), which is what got him on the radar of UFC promoters.
Marcin Tybura vs Blagoy Ivanov Prediction We don’t think either of these fighters has the ability to finish the other one. Instead, we think this fight will drag on until the final bell. Don’t get us wrong, we don’t think this is going to be a slug fest, but we also don’t think we’ll witness a spectacular finish.
The Bellator Middleweight Championship fight between Johnny Eblen (c) and Anatoly Tokov will serve as the co-main event of Bellator 290, which is taking place at Kia Forum in Inglewood, CA, on Saturday, February 4
The main event of Bellator 290, the Ryan Bader vs Fedor Emelianenko heavyweight title clash is the biggest fight of the night. However, we don’t think other bouts should be overlooked. This goes especially for the co-main event – Johnny Eblen vs Anatoly Tokov.
This is a fight for the Bellator Middleweight title, which is currently in Eblen’s possession. He’s defending the championship belt against Fedor’s protégé, who’s got a lot of fights under his belt, despite being only a year older than his American counterpart.
When, Where, and How to Watch? Place: Kia Forum in Inglewood, California Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023 Time: ~7:00 PM ET How to Watch: CBS/Paramount+
Johnny Eblen Won’t Let Anyone Tarnish His Bellator MMA Record Johnny Eblen a.k.a. The Human Cheat Code is undefeated in his professional career with 12 wins so far. Eight of those wins happened in Bellator MMA, including the one against Gegard Mousasi, which brought the Middleweight Championship his way.
Eblen defeated Mousasi by unanimous decision after 25 minutes of bullying his opponent. He completely dominated the fight from the very start, both on the feet and on the ground.
Even though the Dutch-Iranian fighter survived until the final bell, he got beaten up by Eblen, who also made plenty of takedowns that evening.
Eblen won the title deservedly with a confident performance last summer and is now ready to defend it for the first time. He destroyed a prominent kickboxer in his first title fight, but in his second, he’s taking on a more well-rounded fighter.
Anatoly Tokov is a Force to be Reckoned With Eblen is favored by the bookies to triumph on Sunday, but if there’s a fighter who could mess up his plans, it’s Anatoly Tokov. The 32-year-old has fought almost three times as many fights as Eblen, meaning that he has experience on his side.
To be fair, though, Tokov hasn’t yet fought such an elite opponent as the reigning Bellator Middleweight champ. At least not in professional fights. In training, however, he did fight many legends. He’s a member of Fedor Emelianenko’s team, where he trains along with other prominent Russian fighters.
With Fedor as his protégé, it’s no surprise Tokov has risen through the ranks quickly. He’s 31-2 overall, with a 7-0 record since joining Bellator MMA. Seventeen of his wins happened by knockout/technical knockout, seven by submission, and seven by decision. This guy has plenty of weapons in is arsenal, with experience in sambo, pankration, wrestling, boxing, and other martial arts.
Johnny Eblen vs Anatoly Tokov Prediction Both Eblen and Tokov are smart fighters who know how to fight for points. Rather than rushing to get an early finish, these guys are likely to opt for a marathon option. They’re going to exchange strikes and try to take down one another throughout all 25 minutes. And then, the judges will have the pleasure to decide the fight winner.
