Preview: Bellator 131

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BANTAMWEIGHTS

Mike Richman (17-5, 6-4 Bellator) vs. Nam Phan (20-13, 0-0 Bellator)

THE MATCHUP: Bellator staple Richman takes on eight-time UFC veteran Phan in a fight that guarantees violence and action. Richman has righted the ship with a crushing knockout win over Ed West after dropping consecutive decisions to Desmond Green and Goiti Yamauchi, while Phan has put together a two-fight winning streak following three crushing decision losses to end his tenure in the UFC.

Richman is a talented southpaw with a style predicated on pressure and brutal punching combinations. His modus operandi is to cut off his opponent’s angles and movement with sharp low kicks and then push him toward the fence, where he can use his length and output to initiate the kinds of exchanges that favor his powerful, rangy left hand. Richman also throws a sneaky high kick that plays off the threat of that left hand and often catches his opponents as they slip or duck to avoid the straight left.

Richman has historically been a little too reliant on that punch, but he flashed a much-improved jab and right hook in his last outing, so there is some hope that his boxing is becoming more diverse. The real problem with his style, however, is defense. His takedown defense is generally solid, but he can be caught off-guard and controlled on the ground, while he tends to rely too much on distancing to avoid his opponent’s shots on the feet. In sum, however, Richman is a fantastic offensive fighter with the capacity for entertaining violence.

While Phan is theoretically a well-rounded fighter in possession of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt to go along with his striking skills, the latter is really the only facet of his game he has ever had an inclination to demonstrate in the cage. He is essentially a volume puncher who can string together nice combinations in the pocket, often punctuating a sequence with a vicious left hook to the liver. Unfortunately, he lacks much in the way of power; even more worrisome is his defense, which is and always has been atrocious. The fact that he wants to fight at a quick pace ensures that he will get hit, but he does not have to be this hittable. His takedown defense is merely adequate and he lacks an offensive wrestling game, but his submission defense is solid and he has rarely been dominated on the ground.

THE PICK: This matchup suits Richman to a T, and barring something totally unexpected, he is going to do bad, bad things to Phan. He is bigger, rangier, has cleaner footwork, is perfectly happy to fight at the quick pace Phan prefers and possesses drastically greater power in his hands. Richman by knockout in the second round is the pick, although the durable Phan might survive to see a lopsided decision.

Follow Sherdog.com preview expert and Top 10 author Patrick Wyman on Twitter.