Preview: Bellator 236 ‘Macfarlane vs. Jackson’

Jason Jackson vs. Kiichi Kunimoto

Jackson got the call to compete on this card on just a few days’ notice to replace the injured Neiman Gracie and meet Kunimoto on Saturday. “The Ass-Kicking Machine” will be looking to rebound from his dubious split decision loss to Ed Ruth back in October. The 10-4 professional is a seasoned veteran, having previously competed on Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter while also holding titles in both the Legacy Fighting Alliance and Titan Fighting Championship. The 29-year-old is a well-rounded fighter who relies on athleticism over technique. He possesses fast hands and attacks with combinations. He uses a lot of feints to set up his stinging jab and overhand right. He does well at varying his attacks, adding in kicks and step-in knees to the body. The Jamaican born fighter, who now calls Miami home, has made the mistake of throwing too many power shots and draining his cardio in the past. He has been rocked in several bouts and has shown, notably against Ruth, that he doesn’t like being pressured with high-volume attacks. The Hard Knocks 365 product will mix in body-lock and trip takedowns but he isn’t the strongest defensive wrestler. He did display great scrambling ability by getting back to his feet several times after being taken down by the three-time NCAA champion.

Kunimoto enters the bout also coming off of a loss to Ruth. The Japanese fighter is a veteran of both the UFC and Rizin. The 38-year-old is a rudimentary striker who remains flatfooted and open to leg kicks. He has decent power and kicks but lacks head movement and doesn’t like when his opponent pressures him. “Strasser” constantly looks to close the distance, where he likes to get to the clinch. He is a physically strong welterweight who like to use the body-lock to get the fight to the canvas. Once on top, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt has nine victories by way of submission. He prefers to work from the top and struggles to get up when pinned against the canvas. Due to grinding away in the clinch and throwing power shots, the Cobra Kai MMA Dojo student has tired late in contests.

Being that Jackson took this fight on such short notice, it is hard to lean towards the DWCS alumni, however, he showed improved takedown defense against Ruth which will go a long way against the style of Kunimoto. I expect Jackson to defend the takedown attempts from the Japanese fighter and use his speed advantage to pick him apart at range. Jackson via unanimous decision.

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