Preview: Bellator 233 ‘Salter vs. Van Steenis’

Tyrell Fortune vs. Azunna Anyanwu

Fortune puts his undefeated record on the line as he looks for his eighth professional win. The budding blue-chip prospect has had all his fights come under the Bellator banner. The 29-year-old was a Junior College and Division II NCAA National Champion wrestler and nearly qualified for the Olympics. He has transitioned his vaunted wrestling well in the cage, showing great timing on his double leg and knee tap entries. Once on top, he has smothering control and dispatches ground-and-pound with severe ferocity. His has made great strides of improvement in the standup game, too. He uses feints to set up his punches, which he throws with great power. He has added some thunderous leg kicks. Inside the clinch, the Grand Canyon University standout is an excellent dirty boxer and crushes his opponent’s midsection with knees. Fortune appears to be just starting to scratch the surface of his talent.

Anyanwu is best known for his cup of coffee in the UFC. In his lone UFC appearance, he lost a close affair to Justin Ledet by split decision in September 2017. After a failed USADA test, the Philadelphia native was released by the promotion. He would fight once since, knocking out Christopher Daukaus to capture the Cage Fury Fighting Championships heavyweight title. “Zulu” is known for his low-output striking, where he has bone-crushing power. He tends to make the mistake of looking to find a home for his overhand right way too much, although it is his best strike. The 38-year-old does do well to bounce his head off the centerline when attacking, which keeps him from being countered. He does drop his hands when he tends to get tired. He is more athletic than he looks with the ability to throw a high kick.

Fortune has been showing off his striking lately but might not want to take his chances with the CFFC champion, who is the hardest hitter the undefeated fighter has faced to date. Anyanwu does have a Brazilian jiu-jitsu background but shouldn’t be any match for Fortune on the canvas. Fortune takes him down several times and then finishes him off with heavy ground strikes. Fortune by second-round TKO.