Bellator is MMA’s answer to professional wrestling and I’m really excited for the craziness that is likely to take place at Bellator 131. This event is an absolute minefield for MMA bettors and whilst I’ve avoided placing bets on the majority of fights, I do feel like I’ve found one great value underdog pick, which has a great chance of winning us some good money on this event.
Don’t forget to stop by my MMA Betting forum and discuss your bets for Bellator 131…
[divider]
MICHAEL CHANDLER vs WILL BROOKS
Michael Chandler has said that his fight camp against Will Brooks in their first fight was the worst that he’s ever had, but it’s not like Will Brooks had an amazing camp either…
Will Brooks took the first fight against Chandler on just 3 weeks notice and he had never fought in a 5 round fight before. Chandler had already fought in 2 Championship fights and yet it was Brooks who looked more comfortable in the cage. Brooks lost the first two rounds of that fight, but that was probably down to the fact that he was still a little nervous and he took a little while to adjust to competing in the biggest fight of his life.
When he did settle down in the 3rd and 4th rounds, he started to look great and he inflicted significant damage on Chandler. He was able to win the striking exchanges, stuff the majority of Chandler’s takedown attempts and show off decent transitions and control on the ground. Chandler has a wrestling orientated style of fighting, but I actually felt like Brooks looked better on the ground, despite making some rookie mistakes which gave up positional control.
I personally feel like Michael Chandler won their first fight 3 rounds to 2, but he won those rounds through top control and barely anything else. Brooks won his rounds in dominant fashion and he inflicted siginificant damage on Chandler from various different positions.
Will Brooks has a more well rounded striking game, with powerful kicks and a long jab. He also has a reach advantage over Chandler and he’s more athletic. Brooks also has really good takedown defence and Chandler was finding it really difficult to take Brooks down in the 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds of their last fight. This take down defence was largely down to the fact that Brooks had adjusted to Chandler’s fighting style and he was able to time his shots and stuff Chandler’s take down attempts. He can carry what he has learnt into this rematch and he should hopefully have a lot more success in this fight.
I’m don’t feel totally confident that Will Brooks will win this fight, because the judging in Bellator is notoriously terrible and Chandler always seems to be involved in close fights, but there’s just no way that Brooks should be this big of an underdog considering how good he looked in his first fight against Chandler.
I believe Brooks will use the experience from his last fight to stuff the majority of Chandler’s take down attempts and beat him him up in the striking exchanges. If this fight does go to the ground, Brooks is more than capable of competing with Chandler, he just needs to try and avoid giving up top position. At these odds, I feel Will Brooks is a great bet!
OUR BETTING TIP: 5.00 Units [2.5% of your bankroll] on Will Brooks to win at odds of 3.10 | +210 | 21/10
The best odds on Will Brooks to win can be found at: [adrotate group=”115″]
