Bellator 134: Main Card Preview and Predictions

Bellator 134 started off as a strong card, but injuries have ravaged it. That's right, Bellator 134 is around the corner, and it's limping to Friday's finish line.

Emanuel Newton defends his light heavyweight title against Liam McGeary, who has proved to be the true top contender. The card is supported by a co-main event with Paul Daley, who takes on Andre Santos in what should be a barnburner.

This card has seen a ton of changes, but it appears we are ready to go with a new five-fight main card. Here are the predictions for Bellator 134.

Preliminary Card Picks

155 pounds: Dean Hancock def. Mike Mangen

135 pounds: Blair Tugman def. Marvin Maldonado

265 pounds: Raphael Butler def. Josh Diekmann

145 pounds: Matt Bessette def. Josh LeBerge

185 pounds: Tamdan McCrory def. Jason Butcher

170 pounds: Neiman Gracie def. Bobby Flynn

Brennan Ward vs. Curtis Millender

We kick things off in the welterweight division, as undefeated Curtis Millender makes his promotional debut against former Bellator title challenger Brennan Ward. Milleder was originally supposed to battle phenom Michael Page, but a late injury scratched the Brit from the lineup. 

Ward is a Bellator veteran who has shown a good ground game in his tenure. He is most successful when closing the distance and getting the clinch, so he can also get a takedown and top position. There, he has good ground-and-pound and submissions.

He earned a title shot in the old tournament system, as Ward finished Justin Torrey, Joe Pacheco and Mikkel Parlo. He then lost his title bid to Alexander Shlemenko and a follow-up bout to Tamdan McCrory, which prompted his drop to 170 pounds.

As for Millender, he is more of a striker, though one could argue that he exhibits grinder-like pace. He has yet to taste defeat in his career, with most of his fights coming by way of decision.

His biggest wins to date come against The Ultimate Fighter veterans Dom Waters and James Chaney, the latter of whom Millender put down via sub-minute knockout.

Ward on short notice in this bout wouldn't have been a good bet had he not had a fight camp he was already training for against Jesse Juarez on the undercard. That said, Millender will be able to stave off his takedowns and outstrike him to a clear-cut decision.

Prediction: Millender def. Ward via decision

King Mo Lawal vs. Cheick Kongo

USA TODAY Sports

A heavyweight bout takes place early on the main card, as Muhammed Lawal moves up from light heavyweight on short notice to take on French veteran Cheick Kongo. This fight was originally a heavyweight clash between Bobby Lashley and James Thompson, but injuries and changes brought us to this matchup.

Kongo is going to have a size advantage here and the experience edge based on overall fights and bouts taken at heavyweight. He is a clinch fighter who will likely have the superior striking and strength advantage.

Kongo has been solid since coming to Bellator, owning a 4-1 record with the company. He owns big-time wins over Peter Graham and Lavar Johnson, with his only loss coming in a title bout against Vitaly Minakov.

Lawal, on the contrary, is a wrestler who has been developing his hands more recently. Knowing Kongo's past, Lawal would be smart to make this a wrestling match, as some have exposed the Frenchman's counterwrestling in the past.

Lawal's fights have all come at 205 pounds, where he is 6-3 with Bellator. That said, he has won two in a row against Dustin Jacoby and Joe Vedepo, both of whom fell to King Mo via strikes.

Lawal is a big light heavyweight, so his size won't be too much of a discrepancy here. With his superior wrestling, he can edge Kongo in what will be a closer bout than people expect.

Prediction: Lawal def. Kongo via decision

Rameau Sokoudjou vs. Linton Vassell

The light heavyweights will square off next, as Linton Vassell comes to America in hopes to upend Pride and UFC vet Rameau Sokoudjou.

Sokoudjou is a judoka who is known to enjoy the muay thai game more, as he likes to stay upright and throw knees and punches. He is powerful, but his cardio has failed him many times because he comes out of the gate like a bat out of hell.

Since coming to Bellator, Sokoudjou has turned his career around. He had dropped two in a row before signing with the company but has scored two finishes since, tapping out Terry Davinney and putting Malik Merad away with strikes.

As for Vassell, he is a grappler with a strong submission game and underrated takedowns. He is going to have a big height and reach advantage, something that will let him establish distance and gauge his opponent well.

He was a top prospect in the U.K. before Bellator inked him and has won three straight against Matt Jones, Trevor Carlson and Virgil Zwicker. That earned him a title shot, where after dominating champ Emanuel Newton for most of the fight, he succumbed to a submission in the fifth and final round.

Vassell is skilled, but he will need to put Sokoudjou on the mat. He will do that, tiring his foe out in the process before securing a submission victory.

Prediction: Vassell def. Sokoudjou via submission

Paul Daley vs. Andre Santos

Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images

The co-main event should be a barnburner, as heavy-handed striker Paul Daley looks to take out late-replacement Brazilian Andre Santos. Santos fills in for Douglas Lima, who was to defend his title against Daley in the headliner.

Daley is a headhunter who throws huge punches and has a great rate of knockouts on his record. That said, he is not just a punch hurler, as he does have good technique and some kicks to go along with them.

This is Daley's return fight to the company, as he had a one-fight stint back in 2012. Since then, he has gone 5-1, losing only to UFC vet Alexander Yakovlev while scoring knockout wins against some well-traveled vets.

As for Santos, he comes into this fight as an underdog, but don't sleep on the experienced, skilled veteran. He has over 40 pro fights to his name, as the Brazilian has scored a good amount of knockouts and submissions over skilled fighters in that time.

His last loss came in early 2013, when UFC vet Hernani Perpetuo defeated him. Since then, he has scored six wins, with all but his Bellator debut against James Terry coming via finish.

This has the makings of a good one. If Santos can get Daley down, there is no doubt he can stop him. However, Daley's ability to put fist on chin with massive power has to be why he's the favorite here.

Prediction: Daley def. Santos via KO

Emanuel Newton vs. Liam McGeary

USA TODAY Sports

In the headliner, Emanuel Newton will look for his third straight title defense against top prospect and contender Liam McGeary.

Newton is a scrapper with a well-rounded skill set and the grit that completes it. He uses his wrestling sparingly, more or less to keep him off his back. His striking is unorthodox, though he throws the spinning backfist with precision, something McGeary will need to have scouted.

Newton hasn't lost since 2012, when he dropped a questionable decision to Attila Vegh. He has since made up for that loss and is unbeaten in his last seven, including wins over King Mo Lawal (twice), Mikhail Zayats and Joey Beltran.

As for McGeary, the Brit is a big fighter at 6'6" and is well-rounded to complement those physical gifts. He started off as a striker but has quickly added a good ground game with impressive submissions in support.

He is 6-0 in Bellator and has never left the first round. He owns knockout wins in the company against Anton Talamantes, Beau Tribolet, Mike Mucitelli and Egidijus Valavicius, while he has scored submissions over Najim Wali and Kelly Anundson. The Anundson submission was an insane inverted triangle choke, which helped him earn this title shot.

Newton is never out of a fight and is tough to put away. However, McGeary is the real deal and has the tools on the feet and ground to get it done here, earning the title in the process.

Prediction: McGeary def. Newton via submission