Bellator 110 Predictions

Bellator 110 Predictions

February 24, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

Goiti Yamauchi vs. Will Martinez

Nickname:                                             None           |        None

Height:                                                   5'10            |          5'9

Age:                                                         21              |         33

MMA Record (BMMA):                  16-1 (2-0)      |    8-2-1 (4-0)

Arm Length:                                        Unknown      |        73 in.

Team:                                              Team Yamauchi |   Team Balance

Weight Class:                                    Featherweight (145 pounds)

Notes: Season Ten Featherweight Tournament Quarter-finals

Preview: Yamauchi is riding an eleven fight win streak. His recent win was over Saul Almeida by KO at Bellator 109 (November 22, 2013). Martinez is riding a seven fight win streak. His recent win was over Kevin Roddy by submission at Bellator 108 (November 15, 2013).

Predictions: Yamauchi. Yamauchi is one of the brightest prospects in Bellator, if not, in MMA. He has a very good ground game and is pretty slick with submissions. Martinez is no slouch in the submission game but both of his losses were by submission (though both were early in his career) while Yamauchi has yet to be finished. Proving he's more than a submission fighter, Yamauchi showed in his last fight that his striking isn't bad and he has power as he scored his first knockout win. He also proved he can take a shot and survive a firefight.

Daniel Weichel vs. Scott Cleve

Nickname:                                         The Weasel       |       None

Height:                                                   5'10              |         5'9

Age:                                                         29               |          31

MMA Record (BMMA):                  31-8 (0-0)       |     14-3 (1-0)

Arm Length:                                        Unknown        |      Unknown

Team:                                            Team MMA Spirit |    Pariah MMA

Weight Class:                                       Featherweight (145 pounds)

Notes: Season Ten Featherweight Tournament Quarter-finals. Weichel's Bellator debut.

Preview: Weichel is riding a three fight win streak. His recent win was over Artiom Damkovsky at M-1 Challenge 37 (February 27, 2013). Cleve is riding a six fight win streak. His recent win was over Isaac DeJesus by TKO at Bellator 102 (October 4, 2013).

Predictions: Whichel. I'll admit, I don't know much about either fighter and there's not much to go with. Weichel is a veteran who should know his strengths and weaknesses well. He's a very good submission grappler but he is capable of knocking fighters out. Though Weichel has suffered most of his losses by knock out and Cleve wins most fights by knock out, he hasn't been KOed in years so he has shown he can take a punch and doesn't have a glass chin. Weichel has also faced many good fighters in his career including Paul Daley, Jason Jones, Dan Hardy, and even holds a win over Bellator Season Eight tournament winner Magomedrasul Khasbulaev.

Mike Richman vs. Desmond Green

Nickname:                                      The Marine      |      The Predator

Height:                                                  5'8            |             5'10

Age:                                                       28             |              24

MMA Record (BMMA):               16-3 (5-2)      |         9-2 (1-1)

Arm Length:                                         69 in.         |         Unknown

Team:                                             The Academy   |    Team Bombsquad

Weight Class:                                      Featherweight (145 pounds)

Notes: Season Ten Featherweight Tournament Quarter-finals

Preview: Richman is coming off a win over Akop Stepanyan by KO at Bellator 106 (November 2, 2013). Green is coming off a win over Angelo Sanchez by TKO at Bellator 105 (October 25, 2013).

Predictions: Richman. Richman is the more well-rounded as he's won an even amount of fights by knockout and submission (both seven). Richman is very heavy-handed and can knock fighters out with little trouble. His recent fight against Stepanyan saw Richman get clipped, survive, and ultimately became the first to knock Stepanyan out. Richman is good on the ground with seven wins by submission so it will be difficult for Green to do what he did in the Sanchez fight by taking him down and cutting him with elbows. Green is also not much of a finisher and usually goes to a decision which isn't good when competing against a guy with one punch power and submission wins under his belt.

Diego Nunes vs. Matt Bessette

Nickname:                                         The Gun       |      The Mangler

Height:                                                  5'6            |            5'10

Age:                                                       31            |              29

MMA Record (BMMA):                18-5 (0-1)    |       12-4 (3-0)

Arm Length:                                         67 in.        |             67 in.

Team:                                                  X-Gym      |       Underdog BJJ

Weight Class:                                        Featherweight (145 pounds)

Notes: Season Ten Featherweight Tournament

Preview: Nunes is coming off a loss to Patricio Freire by KO at Bellator 99 (September 13, 2013). Bessette is riding a four fight win streak. His recent win was over Nick Piedmont by KO at UFC 98 (September 7, 2013).

Predictions: Nunes. Nunes has been in a slump but Nunes is still a very talented fighter. He has very good precise striking, submission skills, and is tough to finish. At his worse, Nunes is a top gatekeeper. The type that basically look great against anyone but the elite and lose to the elite. Bessette is good fighter but he's not on par with Kenny Florian, Dennis Siver, or Patricio Freire.

Muhammed Lawal vs. Mikhail Zayats

Nickname:                                          King Mo          |           None

Height:                                                    6'0               |            5'11

Age:                                                         33               |              32

MMA Record (BMMA):            11-3, 1NC (3-2)    |       22-7 (3-1)

Arm Length:                                           79 in.           |            74 in.

Team:                        American Kickboxing Academy | RusFighters Sports Club

Weight Class:                                   Light Heavyweight (205 pounds)

Notes: Season Ten Light Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Finals

Preview: Lawal is coming off a loss to Emanuel Newton by unanimous decision at Bellator 106 (November 2, 2013). Zayats is coming off a win over Aaron Rosa by submission at Bellator 103 (October 11, 2013).

Predictions: Lawal. Lawal is probably a bad fight stylistically for Zayats. Zayats is a very good grappler but as we've seen in recent months, The RusFighters have struggled against wrestlers. Andrey Koreshkov was helpless against Ben Askren, Tiger Sarnavskiy looked lost against Will Brooks, and Alexander Volkov has shown weak takedown defense. Mo is a great wrestler and might be able to control Zayats on the ground and possibly finish him off with ground n' pound. Lawal has also shown good boxing and with a five inch reach advantage, he could possibly outbox Zayats standing up and probably knock him out.

Quinton Jackson vs. Christian M'Pumbu

Nickname:                                     Rampage         |              Tonton

Height:                                                6'1              |                6'3

Age:                                                     35              |                 36

MMA Record (BMMA):              33-11 (1-0)    |         18-5-1 (3-2)

Arm Length:                                      73 in.           |                78 in.

Team:                            Wolfslair MMA Academy |       Yogaka Fight Team

Weight Class:                                Light Heavyweight (145 pounds)

Notes: Season Ten Light Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Finals

Preview: Jackson is coming off a win over Joey Beltran by TKO at Bellator 108 (November 15, 2013). M'Pumbu is riding a two fight losing streak. His recent loss was to Attila Vegh by unanimous decision at Bellator 91 (February 28, 2013).

Predictions: Jackson. M'Pumbu has a lot going against him. He's a small light heavyweight weight wise and if Rampage wants, he should be able to muscle M'Pumbu around. M'Pumbu has also had problems with inactivity. He hasn't fought since February when he lost to Vegh (He was scheduled to fight in September but pulled out due to injury). Prior to that, he didn't fight for sixteen months. This could affect M'Pumbu since he fought a very lackluster fight against Attila Vegh and later said he wished he had another fight before that. Jackson is also very tough. He hits very hard and has very good wrestling. He also seems motivated and healthy which, if true, makes him a very dangerous opponent.