4 burning questions heading into Bellator 239

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head picks out four notable storylines to follow through fight night at Bellator 239.

The Bellator cage returns to the familiar surroundings of the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., on Friday  for Bellator 239 as a pair of surging welterweight contenders face off in the main event looking to position themselves for a shot at reigning 170-pound champion Douglas Lima.

The welterweight clash between [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] and [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] headlines a packed card that features a range of narratives worth following as a host of rising stars look to make an impact.

Without further ado, here are our four burning questions heading in.

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Which rising welterweight star will move one step closer to a title shot?

Ruth (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) has been considered a blue-chip prospect from the moment he inked his first fight contract with Bellator. Now nine fights into his MMA career, the former Penn State wrestling standout has the well-rounded skillset to make him a legitimate threat to the very best in the division.

With the dust still settling after the Bellator welterweight grand prix tournament, Ruth is eyeing a run at Lima’s 170-pound title but faces an acid test in the form of undefeated Ukrainian Amosov (22-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), who followed up decision wins in his first two Bellator outings with an impressive submission of tough veteran David Rickels in his most recent appearance.

Amosov’s grappling-based attack should make for a fascinating contest with wrestling phenom Ruth, and the fight might end up being decided by whomever has the better striking.

The welterweight division is wide open right now, and a decisive win for either man could push them toward the front of the queue to face Lima later in the year. But who will leave Thackerville with the win?

Bellator 239: Despite win drought, Myles Jury continues to ‘feel like I’m a champion’

On Friday night, Myles Jury has the chance to get back in the win column at Bellator 239 vs. Brandon Girtz.

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] has been around the block.

A former UFC fighter, Jury (18-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) made the jump to Bellator in mid-2019. In his promotional debut, Jury lost a unanimous decision to former UFC champion Benson Henderson. On Friday night, he’ll have the chance to get back in the win column at Bellator 239, when he takes on Brandon Girtz.

Even though Jury hasn’t won since December 2017, the Michigan-based fighter doesn’t feel down on his in-cage abilities. According to Jury, his daily grind is a championship feat within itself.

“I raise my hand every day after training,” Jury told MMA Junkie. “I feel like I’m a champion, no matter what. The outcome of the fight is going to be what it is. I’m going to go out there, leave it all out there, and I’m a winner regardless.”

Jury recognizes the veteran status Girtz (16-8 MMA, 8-6 BMMA) holds entering Bellator 239. While Fury is new to Bellator, he’s piled up a tremendous amount of experience himself. Come fight night, Fury doesn’t think Girtz presents anything he hasn’t previously seen.

“Overall, he’s a wrestler that likes to throw bombs,” Jury said. “That’s what I’ve seen out of him. … Looking back, I’ve fought a lot of wrestlers who like to throw bombs at me. Coming up, that’s how a lot of people try to fight me. I come in well-prepared. I come in sharp (and) long. I have an array of tools. I can kick, I can punch, elbows, knees. I’ve got great takedowns and am a black belt in jiu-jitsu. It’s, ‘What am I going to do?’ He has to worry about what I’m going to do.”

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Not interested in speculation, Jury avoided predicting where a victory over Girtz would land him in the divisional standings. Win or lose, it’s not his decision to pick and choose who he fights next.

“We’ll see how amped I am after the fight and stuff like that, but we’ll leave that up to the Bellator management,” Jury said. “I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘I need this. I need that.’ I’m focused on this guy and I’m focused on going out there and having a great performance. That’s it.”

Bellator 239 takes place Friday at WinStar World Casino Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full Bellator 239 pre-fight interview with Myles Jury in the video above.

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Bellator 239 pre-event facts: Tyrell Fortune stacking heavyweight stats

Check out the key facts and figures heading into Bellator 239, which takes place Friday with a Ed Ruth vs. Yaroslav Amosov main event.

The first Bellator event in nearly one month goes down Friday with Bellator 239, which takes place at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., with a main card that airs on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A matchup of welterweight contenders is featured in the main event. [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) looks for continued success after suffering his first loss when he takes on the riddle that is [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (22-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), who has never been beaten.

For more on the numbers, check below for 20 pre-event facts about Bellator 239.

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Main event

Ed Ruth

Ruth competes in his first Bellator main event.

Ruth is 3-1 since he dropped to the Bellator welterweight division in June 2018.

Ruth has earned six of his eight career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.

Amosov’s 22-fight winning streak in MMA competition is the longest among active Bellator fighters.

Amosov has earned 18 of his 22 career victories by stoppage.

Co-main event

Brandon Girtz

[autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 8-6 BMMA) five stoppage victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Patricky Freire (nine) and Michael Chandler (nine).

[autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag]’s (17-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2017.

Jury was unsuccessful in his return to the lightweight division at Bellator 227 in September. He hasn’t earned a victory in the weight class since September 2014.

Remaining main card

Tyrell Fortune

[autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag]’s (8-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) eight-fight Bellator winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Fortune’s eight victories in Bellator heavyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Cheick Kongo (12).

Fortune’s six stoppage victories in Bellator competition are tied for most in divisional history.

Fortune’s five knockout victories in Bellator competition are tied with Vitaly Minakov for most in divisional history.

[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He’s 1-3 in his past four fights and hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.

Javy Ayala

[autotag]Javy Ayala[/autotag] (11-7 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) competes in his 11th Bellator heavyweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Kongo (15).

Ayala’s six victories in Bellator heavyweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Kongo (12) and Fortune (eight).

Ayala has earned 10 of his 11 career victories by stoppage. That includes all six of his Bellator wins.

Ayala’s six stoppage victories in Bellator heavyweight competition are tied with Fortune for most in divisional history.

[autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) three-fight Bellator winning streak at heavyweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Fortune (eight).

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MMA Junkie reader predictions: Make your picks for Bellator 239

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 239 event in Oklahoma.

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 239 event in Thackerville, Okla.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesdy at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 239 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 239 takes place Friday at WinStar World Casino Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for all four main card fights inside:

Video: Bellator’s Jay Glazer and Robin Black administer ‘The Dose’

Jay Glazer and Robin Black team up to deliver a YouTube update on all things Bellator in the promotion’s newest video feature, “The Dose.”

Do you have Bellator fever? Then the only prescription is “The Dose.”

Jay Glazer and Robin Black have teamed up for the promotion’s latest video franchise, with the duo shooting the Bellator breeze as they look back at some of the biggest performances from recent events and look ahead to the big-time matchups to come.

In the first episode of “The Dose,” Glazer and Black preview the Bellator 239 main event in Oklahoma, as former collegiate wrestling standout [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) faces off against Ukraine’s undefeated [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (22-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in a pivotal welterweight bout, while also highlighting the co-main event between [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 8-6 BMMA).

The duo also take look back at flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA), who enjoyed a memorable win – and a memorable walkout – at Bellator 236, and the throwback fight between former PRIDE FC legends [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] (39-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag] (38-13 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) at Bellator 237.

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We also hear from the fighters themselves, as Jenn Brown chats with newly-crowned featherweight queen [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and featherweight grand prix semifinalist [autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 11-2 BMMA) following their winning performances at Bellator 238.

Finally, Glazer and Black run through the current state of play in the Bellator featherweight grand prix, with the second half of the bracket set to play out and produce the second semifinal matchup with [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] (40-11 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) set for Bellator 241 in Uncasville on Mar. 13.

Check out “The Dose” via the video above.

Ed Ruth vs. Yaroslav Amosov headlines Bellator 239 in Oklahoma on Feb. 21, Girtz-Jury set for co-main

Bellator has booked its first 2020 return to its regular Oklahoma stomping grounds with a welterweight headliner.

Bellator has booked its first 2020 return to its regular Oklahoma stomping grounds with a welterweight headliner.

[autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, BMMA 8-1) is set to take on [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (22-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in the Bellator 239 main event, the promotion announced Monday. In addition, [autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 8-6 BMMA) meets [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) in the lightweight co-feature.

Bellator 239 takes place Feb. 21, a Friday, at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., about 75 miles north of Dallas. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Ruth has won back-to-back fights in 2019 to get back on track after the first setback of his pro career. The standout wrestler was submitted by Neiman Gracie at Bellator 213 nearly a year ago in the welterweight tournament. But in July, he stopped Kiichi Kunimoto with a second-round TKO at Bellator 224 to get back in the win column, and he took a split call from Jason Jackson at Bellator 231 in October in Connecticut.

Yaroslav Amosov

Amosov signed with Bellator in 2013 and continued the perfect start to his career with a unanimous decision over Gerald Harris at Bellator 202 in Thackerville. He followed that up with a decision win over former UFC standout Erick Silva at Bellator 216 in February. In August, he got his first Bellator stoppage win with a second-round submission of David Rickels at Bellator 225.

Girtz got back on track in March with a unanimous decision win over Saad Awad at Bellator 219. Prior to that, he was mired in a 1-4 slump that included a submission loss to former lightweight champion Michael Chandler. He was set to return at Bellator 227, but an injury took him out of a fight against Jon Tuck, who was a replacement for the injured Paul Redmond. Now he’ll look to make it two straight and three of his past four.

Jury made his promotional debut in September at Bellator 227, but dropped a unanimous decision to former UFC and WEC lightweight champ Benson Henderson. The setback was Jury’s third straight. He closed out his lengthy run in the UFC with consecutive losses to Chad Mendes and Andre Fili before signing with Bellator. Once an unbeaten UFC lightweight title contender with six straight wins, including victories over Michael Johnson, Diego Sanchez and Takanori Gomi, Jury is just 2-5 over the past nearly five years.

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