MMAOddsBreaker’s Frank Trigg speaks with Bellator 137 bantamweight Mike Richman as he prepares for his upcoming main card bout this Friday night (May 15, 2015) against former champion Eduardo Dantas at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California.
The talented striker has become a serious contender at bantamweight since dropping down to the weight class, scoring two brutal first round knockouts, and he doesn’t think things will be any different despite the increase in competition level on Friday:
“I think I’m gonna put [Eduardo Dantas] out in the first round. I’ve had visions of putting him away early. I’m gonna pressure him. I know he’s gonna want to stay away. He’s gonna try to take me into the second or third [round], I believe. I haven’t been to the second or third as a bantamweight so I think that’ll be his gameplan. I think he’ll try to shoot in and clinch on me because when I bring that pressure, I don’t think he’s felt striking pressure, he hasn’t been hit clean. I think he hasn’t been hit hard in a long time since the Tyson Nam fight and I’m pretty precise with my strikes. I hit hard and I think that’s gonna play a factor. He cuts a lot of weight and I know he’s had concussion issues in the past. Those are bad recipes to fight me. I envision first round knockout. I feel like I fought a bigger, stronger, more talented version of him in Goiti Yamauchi at featherweight.