Bellator 106 ‘Chandler vs. Alvarez 2’ Preview

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Featherweights

Mike Richman (15-3, 4-2 Bellator) vs. Akop Stepanyan (13-6, 1-3 Bellator)

The Matchup: Though he has fallen short in two 145-pound tournament appearances, Richman has proven himself to be an entertaining fighter thanks to his aggressive southpaw boxing. Most recently, “The Marine” lost a unanimous verdict to Magomedrasul Khasbulaev in the Season 8 featherweight final. Though he hung tough throughout, Richman was overwhelmed by his opponent’s aggression and versatile offensive attack.

Meanwhile, Stepanyan entered the promotion riding a 12-fight winning streak, but that momentum was quickly halted in a first-round submission loss to Wagnney Fabiano at Bellator 76. Questionable submission defense has been a recurring theme for the Russian, who has lost in three of his four Bellator appearances. When allowed to stand, the man known as “Sniper” has a dangerous and flashy array of kicks. In his last bout, Stepanyan battered Justin Wilcox with low kicks and opened a cut on the back of his head with a spectacular spinning back kick. Wilcox stayed in the fight, however, and submitted Stepanyan with a rear-naked choke in round two. Stepanyan is often too easy to take down and surrenders position on the ground, making him a target for submission attempts.

Richman is more likely to stand and trade. The 28-year-old Minnesotan is a crisp puncher capable of landing with volume, power and accuracy. He also has a sneaky-dangerous head kick which has surfaced on a couple occasions in the Bellator cage. Like Stepanyan, Richman is vulnerable against a good wrestler, though he has proven resilient defending himself on the canvas.

The Pick: As long as Richman remains composed and does not get overaggressive, he should be able to outbox Stepanyan and win a decision.

Last Fights » The Prelims