5 Bellator prospects to keep an eye on
Over the past year, Bellator MMA has done a great job investing in younger free agents and building homegrown stars. Bellator president Scott Coker has stated he'd like to sign fighters that'll play a pivotal role in the promotion's success. To his credit, Coker has done just that.
Bellator has added a talented young group of fighters to their roster in recent years. The promotion is in the first year of their American TV deal with Showtime and has the ability to grow. Coker has an opportunity to replicate what he had a decade ago in Strikeforce with many fighters. Rather than fighters being identified as former UFC competitors, Bellator can produce stars that become synonymous with their promotion.
Many fighters have ended up signing with the promotion after excelling in other sports or martial arts disciplines. There are also many fighters that've made their professional MMA debuts in the promotion and are still going strong. This list will look at 5 Bellator prospects that MMA fans should keep an eye on.
#5. Diana Avsaragova - Bellator women's flyweight
Kicking off this list of Bellator prospects to keep an eye on is Diana 'Pantera' Avsaragova. The 23-year old competes in the women's flyweight division and has been impressive since her debut at Bellator 256 back in April. Prior to singing with the promotion, Avsaragova had a 2-0 MMA record. One of the wins was a first-round submission and the other was by unanimous decision.
🎳 Diana Avsaragova bowled the perfect strike last night at #Bellator256!
Enjoy this "Instant Analysis" Breakdown from @RobinBlackMMA as he puts her performance into words as only Robin can.
#BellatorOnShowtime #MMA https://t.co/DqQIr1bXd3
'Pantera' didn't waste any time in her debut as she knocked out her opponent Tara Graff with a viscious right-hand. It took Avsaragova 29-seconds to show fans what she's capable of. After the fight, Avsaragova's popularity skyrocketed and her Instagram following rose by 288,000.
After 29-second KO in Bellator debut, 22-year-old prospect Diana Avsaragova says there's a lot more in store for future fights. 😳😳😳
#Bellator256 | Full video: youtu.be/e4ICIOYpRmU https://t.co/FzI8aOi7AH
Avsaragova remained active after her debut and took a fight with Gabriella Gulfin at Bellator 262 in July. Her second bout was much closer, but she still got the win by split decision and improved her MMA record to 4-0.