Bellator 106 ‘Chandler vs. Alvarez 2’ Preview

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Interim Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship

Muhammed Lawal (11-2, 3-1 Bellator) vs. Emanuel Newton (21-7-1, 4-1 Bellator)

The Matchup: In one fell swoop, Newton submitted his entries for both “Knockout of the Year” and “Upset of the Year” with his spinning back fist knockout of Lawal at Bellator 90.

Though Newton is a former Maximum Fighting Championship titlist with a wealth of experience against solid competition, that outcome came as a surprise to virtually everyone, including Bellator officials. After all, fighters with Spike TV specials devoted to them are not supposed to lose in such violent fashion.

In a sense, Lawal’s defeat was a best-case scenario for the promotion. The former Strikeforce 205-pound champion rebounded to defeat Seth Petruzelli and Jacob Noe to win the Summer Series tournament; Newton completed his run through the Season 8 bracket; and reigning Bellator king Attila Vegh suffered a shoulder injury that left him unable to defend his strap against “The Hardcore Kid.” Really, was anyone clamoring to see Newton avenge an earlier loss to Vegh? A rematch with “King Mo” was always more compelling in what is one of Bellator’s thinnest divisions.

Lawal has been known to stand and trade for extended periods of time when he is not concerned with getting knocked out. He will keep his lead hand low, which allows him to throw his jab from odd angles and sets up countering opportunities when opponents engage. The strategy worked well in his debut, as he controlled his Bellator 86 encounter with Przemyslaw Mysiala entirely on the feet before knocking him out with a short right hand in the first round.

In reality, Newton has never been known as a home run hitter. The 29-year-old Californian is a well-rounded competitor with good cardio and a versatile offensive arsenal, but knockouts have been limited during his 29-fight career; the stoppage of “King Mo” was only his third such triumph. Eighteen of his victories have come by either submission or decision.

In the two bouts following the upset loss, Lawal returned to his wrestling roots. The former NCAA All-American at Oklahoma State University used takedowns and heavy-ground-and-pound to earn TKO finishes of both Petruzelli and Noe. If he sticks to the tried-and-true method against Newton, victory is almost a certainty. Lawal has great timing on his takedowns, and his top game is smothering. He still possesses plenty of power when landing strikes on the ground. In a more drawn-out battle, Newton might struggle to find offense, as he often relies on takedowns and clinches himself.

Even if Lawal elects to prove a point and stands with Newton for the duration, the odds of lightning striking twice are slim, and the Strikeforce veteran is plenty of capable of winning via knockout himself.

The Pick: Lawal leaves nothing to chance and ground-and-pounds his way to a late TKO victory.

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