Check out a full main card preview of the Bellator 135 fight card right here, featuring the long awaited rematch between Marcos Galvao and Joe Warren as well as Francis Carmont's Bellator debut.
This Friday, Bellator is back, live on Spike with a show featuring "The baddest man on the planet", Joe Warren. Bellator 135 airs this Friday March 27, with the main card live on Spike TV from 9:00 p.m. ET. We'll have live fight night coverage right here at Bloody Elbow, and be sure to get ready for the action with this preview of the 4 fight main card.
Joe Warren (C) vs. Marcos Galvao - Bantamweight Title
Friday Night's main event features a rematch 4 years in the making. At Bellator 41 in 2011, Joe Warren and Marcus Galvao went to war in a pretty exciting fight, with Marcos Galvao quite clearly winning rounds 1 and 2. In the final round, Joe Warren began to show glimpses of his potential, managing to take down an exhausted Galvao and win the final round. When the bell sounded to signal the end of the fight, almost everyone in attendance expected Galvao to be announced the rightful winner, but inexplicably the judges scored the fight in Warren's favor, with judge Chuck Wolf somehow scoring the fight 30-27 in favor of Warren, in what was perhaps the worst judge's score card in the history of the sport.
Since that night in 2011 a lot has changed,"the baddest man on the planet" fell to two straight knockout losses before rebuilding himself in an unlikely manner, winning 5 straight fights including a win over Eduardo Dantas to become the Bellator Bantamweight champion. In the time since he met Warren, Galvao has won 6 of his 8 fights, with losses coming against Alexis Vila and to the then champion Eduardo Dantas by second round knockout.
I believe since their first fight Joe Warren has improved more, after all when he faced Galvao at Bellator 41, it was just his 8th professional MMA fight. After Warren lost twice in brutal fashion, the former NCAA All-American wrestler rededicated himself to the sport and has looked far more well rounded. Galvao on the other hand has remained a skilled, but somewhat predictable fighter.
Prediction: Joe Warren by decision
LC Davis vs. Hideo Tokoro
When it comes to fight business, LC Davis and Hideo Tokoro have seen it all. LC Davis best known for his stint in the now defunct World Extreme Cagefighting, where he fought 5 times scoring notable victories over Javier "Showtime" Vazquez and Nova Uniao standout, Diego Nunes. Davis has struggled to live up to his WEC days, but since dropping down to bantamweight in 2012, he has managed to amass a record of 6-1 with his lone loss being a controversial split decision.
Tokoro, like Davis, has had an up-and-down career. While quite clearly talented, Tokoro has neglected his own physical limitations and fought at unnaturally high weights throughout his career, which has lead to a not-so-flattering 32-27-2 record.
This fight is quite a mismatch. While in his prime, Tokoro was a seriously dangerous submission specialist. His best days are far behind him and he has lost two straight. Davis on the other hand seems to be having a late career resurgence.
Prediction: LC Davis by decision
Francis Carmont vs. Guilherme Viana
What a difference 13 months can make. Thirteen months ago Francis Carmont was on a 6 fight UFC winning streak and widely considered to be a top 10 185 pounder, but things soon turned sour for the Frenchman as he dropped 3 straight fights in 2014 and was somewhat prematurely cut by the UFC. Friday night will see Carmont's first post-Zuffa fight and in Guilherme Viana he will be facing a fighter with serious knockout power.
Guilherme Viana has shown that he has the ability to end a fight in an instant in his MMA career thus far, but in Francis Carmont he will be facing his most well rounded and experienced opponent by far.
While Carmont will be moving up to 205lbs for this fight, do not expect him to be at a size advantage, as he always cut a massive amount of weight to make the middleweight imit. Carmont's wrestling and experience will be too much for Viana.
Prediction: Francis Carmont by submission, round 2
Ryan Couture vs. Dakota Cochrane.
This fight features two very talented lightweights in Ryan Couture and Dakota Cochrane. While both Cochrane and Couture have failed to live up to early expectations, both men have shown a propensity for putting on action packed fights.
Expect Couture to try and take this fight to the ground early, as Cochrane's standup is far crisper than the Nevada native's. This fight will be decided in the clinch. Couture's Greco-Roman wrestling will be too much for Cochrane and once Couture gets the inevitable take down, expect him to quickly take Cochrane's back and secure a rear-naked choke finish.
Prediction: Ryan Couture by submission, round 1
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