Vets no match for younger talent

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Warren On Bellator Win

Former titlist Joe Warren discusses his Bellator 101 win, working with trainer Greg Jackson and how time off helped revive his career.Tags: Joe Warren, Bellator, UFC, MMA

Warren On Bellator Win

It was a quiet weekend for mixed martial arts, with the only action of note happening Friday at Bellator's latest in Portland, Ore., where Joe Warren returned and another lightweight tournament commenced.

Serving as another apparent reminder that fighters with known names maintain a modicum of value late into their MMA careers, Bellator 101 showcased the likes of Marcus Davis, Rich Clementi and John Alessio.

All were average to better-than-average fighters in their day, though that moment for all three is long gone in the rearview mirror. Still, Bellator chose to promote them in the opening round of its latest offering, which didn't yield much in return.

Alexander Sarnavskiy trounced 40-year-old Marcus Davis, who was grayer, older and slower than ever before. Will Brooks beat up Alessio, leaving the 15-year veteran with, literally, one of the worst gashes ever on the left side of his face. Ricardo Tirloni outpointed Clementi, who seemed to hold little interest in actually fighting.

Only Saad Awad didn't need to defeat a washed-up UFC veteran to hit the semifinals -- he got there by dominating largely untested Englishman Martin Stapleton.

There wasn't much meat on the bone with this one, leaving a night of quarterfinal action feeling less like competition and more like a coronation for the men who strolled into the round of four.

Bellator 101 grades

		Alexander Sarnavskiy The young Russian is a split-decision loss away from boasting a 25-0 record. A year after dropping his first fight against Rich Clementi, Alexander Sarnavskiy has rebounded with a four-fight winning streak, which shouldn't surprise anyone based on being matched against questionable opposition. There's plenty to appreciate about his game, but until "Tiger" scores a signature victory, it's too early to judge. He may get his shot soon enough.
		Saad Awad It's unwise to take a punch from Saad Awad. And, as Martin Stapleton learned, it's no picnic on the floor with the 30-year-old Californian either. Awad's action-first style likely means he'll find fights in his future. Whether they'll come against known, quality lightweights is largely up to him. It was setting up that way until David Rickels stopped him in March. Awad needs to take it to the next level if he can, and do so now.
		Joe Warren First, it was good news that regulators cleared Joe Warren to fight just three weeks after denying him the chance due to concerns over images of his brain scans. The system worked. Warren's health was looked after. He is and always will be his worst enemy when it comes to that sort of stuff. Warren doesn't know a thing about defense. He's wide open, and that will endanger him against better fighters, which Nick Kirk does not qualify as.
		Will Brooks Will Brooks secured a second chance at fighting the only man to defeat him, Saad Awad, after dominating John Alessio over three rounds. I still believe Brooks has much more to offer than he has shown, and the reason he hasn't shown it yet is he misses the mark between the ears. A free-flowing, comfortable, aggressive Brooks would give most lightweights out there a run for their money, but he's not operating on that plane just yet. A win over Awad would go a long way toward changing that.
		Ricardo Tirloni Ricardo Tirloni is a grinder who lost three of his last four before taking a decision over Rich Clementi. He doesn't carry much pop into the cage, but Tirloni isn't the kind of guy who makes many mistakes. Wins over the Brazilian almost always carry to the distinction of being earned. He's tried and failed three times to make it to a Bellator tournament final. To get there in his fourth attempt, Tirloni will need things to fall his way.

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Josh Gross

MMA

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• MMA columnist for ESPN.com
• Has covered MMA since 2000
• Hosts "Gross Point Blank" podcast