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?
