BELLATOR 136: Brooks vs. Jansen - Preview and picks

Bellator MMA is back in action this Saturday (April 11, 5 am IST), with a great night of fights at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, California, where Bellator LightWeight(LW) champion Will Brooks will look to defend his title for the first time against Dave Jansen.Here is my Preview of the Main Card & predictions for the entire Bellator 136: PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike.com, 5 am IST):Joey Beltran Defeats Brian Rogers via Decision.Saad Awad Defeats Rob Sinclair via Decision. Fabricio Guerreiro Defeats John Teixeira via KO/TKO.Greg Parker Defeats Johnny Mercurio via Decision. Marcos Bonilla Defeats AJ McKee via Decision. Main CARD (Spike TV, 6:30 am IST):

#1 Alexander Volkov (24-4) vs. Tony Johnson (8-2)

Former Bellator Champion Alexander Volkov returns to Bellator to face ONE FC vet Tony Johnson Jr., who is making his first appearance for Bellator since 2011. The 26-year-old Volkov is a huge heavyweight who stands 6-foot-7 and has an 81-inch reach. Opponents have always struggled to overcome Volkov’s length. The height advantage gives the Russian the ability to outstrike his competition as he has stopped 17 opponents by knockout. His ground game is also underrated, as he has good submission ability & top control. He is riding a five-fight winning streak heading into this fight since losing his title to Vitaly Minakov. Johnson is a wrestler with good explosiveness on his takedowns and ground-and-pound. He also has four knockout wins on his record but at 6’1”, he is giving up six inches in height, and the size differential could be detrimental to his chances of victory. If Johnson can’t break into Volkov’s range and close the distance by pressuring Volkov against the cage or in the clinch, he could be in trouble.

Prediction: Volkov wins via KO/TKO.

#2 Marcin Held (20-3) vs. Alexander Sarnavskiy (30-2)

Two of the top LW fighters, Marcin Held and Alexander Sarnavskiy collide for a possible title shot against the winner of the main event. These two are very exciting finishers, specifically in the submission department.

Held is very adept on the ground, where he has earned 11 submission victories. He is very tricky and dangerous on the ground. His submissions can come from almost anywhere but he is known for his leg-lock submissions Held is only 23 years old, but he already has 23 total fights in his career. Held won his last five Bellator appearances as he is continuing to improve his boxing as well. Protégé of Alexander Shlemenko the 26-year-old Sarnavskiyis is one of the best fighters coming from Russia. He displays a mix of Knockout power & excellent ground work, which makes him very dangerous in every aspect of the game. The difference between the two fighters comes primarily in the striking department. Sarnavskiy has power and a striking arsenal that has allowed him to earn eight knockout victories along with 18 submission victories. It isn’t like Held is completely out of the water, but, when it comes to the stand-up game, Sarnavskiy holds the edge.

This should be a fun and competitive fight, as both men are well rounded and great grapplers, which could lead to some interesting scrambles and submission attempts but when it comes to overall ability Sarnavskiy has the edge & more avenues to victory.

Prediction: Sarnavskiy wins via Decision.

#3 Joe Schilling (2-3) vs. Rafael Carvalho (10-1)

Glory & Bellator fighter Joe Schilling makes his return to MMA as the skilled kickboxer will face the dangerous Brazilian striker, Rafael Carvalho in the Co-Main Event.

Schilling is a kick-boxer He is very technical & powerful & basically come in with one game plan, and that is to knock his opponent out. Schilling is definitely one of the most skilled strikers on Bellator’s roster. The 31-year-old made his return to MMA after six years in which he knocked out Melvin Manhoef in a spectacular fashion, in his last fight, after a rough start.Carvalho is a striker & I don’t think he will look to take this fight to the ground either. The 28-year-old does have almost a three-inch reach advantage over schilling. He hasn’t lost since his pro debut in 2011. He is coming off a first-round knockout over Brian Rogers, and that will only increase his confidence when it comes to trading shots with Schilling. Carvalho is capable of scoring the knockout in this fight as Schilling did get rocked against Manhoef, after all.

This should be a fun fight, will most probably end up being on feet more like a kickboxing match & will most probably end up in a highlight real finish. Schilling is world class on the feet & has tremendous heart, as seen in his last fight, which could be something he can display again in this fight as well.

Prediction: Schilling wins via KO/TKO.

#4 Will Brooks (15-1) vs. Dave Jansen (20-2)

In the main event of the evening, Will Brooks returns to the cage to defend his belt against Dave Janson.

Brooks is certainly one of the best LW fighters in the world & his last two encounters against Mike Chandler defiantly prove that. Brooks has a ton of potential to be the most dominant champion Bellator has ever had, using his athleticism, wrestling, & improved striking. His natural & physical gifts give him advantage over almost every opponent he faces. The one knock on the champ could be his inability to stop takedowns in his first fight with Chandler. Jansen, the WEC & Bellator vet is a strong grappler as he is efficient and aggressive in takedowns & has 10 submissions on his record. The notable part about Dave Janson isn’t the fact that he is a strong wrestler who can submit his opponent, but the fact that he has never been finished in his 22 fights career. He is 7-0 since coming to Bellator.

I don’t think either fighter will get the finish in this fight. Jansen isn’t as strong of a wrestler as Chandler, but he has five rounds in which to work for takedowns and could find some success but brooks can hang in that regard as he has the superior striking & speed advantage, which should be enough to make this his fight.

Prediction: Brooks wins via Decision.