What to Watch For: Bellator 130

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Emanuel Newton has provided a stable presence atop Bellator MMA’s 205-pound weight class.

Newton will put his undisputed light heavyweight crown on the line when he faces surging Englishman Linton Vassell in the Bellator 130 headliner on Friday at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan. The four-fight main card includes an appearance by a former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar, the return of an Olympian and the organizational debut of a onetime Strikeforce women’s champion.

An Inglewood, Calif., native, Newton will enter the cage on a six-fight winning streak. The 30-year-old Reign MMA and Kings MMA representative last fought at Bellator 124 in September, when he knocked out Joey Beltran with a spinning backfist in the third round of their encounter at the Compuware Arena in Plymouth Township, Mich. Wins over Muhammed Lawal (twice), Ilir Latifi and Attila Vegh anchor the Newton resume. “The Hardcore Kid” has compiled a 7-1 record since arriving in Bellator in June 2012.

Vassell, who has held titles in the Olympian MMA Championship and Ultimate Challenge MMA promotions, has turned away his past nine opponents, finishing eight of them. The 31-year-old last competed at Bellator 122 in July, when he needed just 62 seconds to submit Team Quest’s Virgil Zwicker with a rear-naked choke at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif. Vassell has delivered 12 of his 14 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. He owns a 3-0 mark in Bellator.

With the Newton-Vassell title clash as the centerpiece, here is what to watch for at Bellator 130:

COMPANY MAN

A professional wrestler by trade, Bobby Lashley moonlights as a mixed martial artist.

The 38-year-old centerpiece of Viacom’s TNA Impact Wrestling company made his first appearance under the Bellator banner in September, when he submitted Josh Burns with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their heavyweight battle. Lashley, who trains with an American Top Team affiliate in Colorado, has rattled off four straight wins since his May 2012 decision loss to Pride Fighting Championships veteran James Thompson in India. “The Dominator” wrestled collegiately at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., where he was a four-time NAIA All-American and three-time national champion.

In Lashley’s immediate path stands the unbeaten Karl Etherington. The Brit has never fought beyond one round and sports seven-, 16-, 16-, 16-, 24-, 38- and 50-second finishes among his nine victories.

OLD FACE, NEW PLACE

In terms of career accomplishment, few women can match Marloes Coenen.

The Dutch submission specialist will test the Bellator waters against Annalisa Bucci in a women’s featherweight showcase. Coenen has not fought since she was torn to shreds by Cristiane Justino inside the Invicta Fighting Championships organization more than a year ago. The defeat halted a modest two-fight winning streak for the 33-year-old Golden Glory export, who has delivered 15 of her 21 professional victories by submission. Coenen held the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight championship from Oct. 9, 2010 until July 30, 2011, defeating Sarah Kaufman and Liz Carmouche during her reign.

A kickboxer at heart, Italy’s Bucci has won six of her last seven bouts.

THE ‘GENGHIS’ CHRONICLES

Rick Hawn has yet to quench his competitive thirst.

A four-time national judo champion who placed ninth in the discipline at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 38-year-old Tristar Gym representative will attempt to bounce back from a leg kick-induced technical knockout loss to welterweight champion Douglas Lima at the expense of World Extreme Cagefighting alum Dave Jansen. Hawn’s 10 Bellator wins place him second on the promotion’s all-time list, trailing only onetime middleweight titleholder Alexander Shlemenko (11). He has reached the final in three Bellator tournaments, winning two of them.

The twice-beaten Jansen, 35, has posted six straight victories since joining the Bellator roster in 2011. However, “The Fugitive” has not fought since he outpointed Polish leg lock enthusiast Marcin Held en route to a unanimous decision at Bellator 93 some 19 months ago.

CAVE DWELLER

David Rickels never lacks in entertainment value.

Known for his creative entrances and willingness to engage in firefights, Janjira Muay Thai’s “Caveman” holds a 9-3 mark inside the Bellator cage, having lost only to Karl Amoussou, former lightweight champion Michael Chandler and Patricky Freire. Rickels finds himself on the rebound after he was ambushed by a punching burst from the “Pitbull” 54 seconds into their Bellator 113 matchup in March. It was the Derby, Kan., native’s first loss in six career appearances in his home state.

Next up for Rickels: a showdown with the undefeated Davi Ramos. A Corinthians MMA representative, the 27-year-old Brazilian has finished all four of his opponents, three of them via submission.