Bellator 107 Date: November 8, 2013 Arena: Winstar World Casino City: Thackerville, Oklahoma Bantamweight bout: Joe Warren (-140) vs Travis Marx (+130) Fight Breakdown: The Bellator 107 main card will feature the final for the Bellator bantamweight tournament, where American grapplers Joe Warren and Travis Marx will square off against each other. Warren is currently the favorite heading into this bout at -140 ($140 to win $100), with Marx being the underdog at +130 ($100 to win $130) at Several Bookmakerss. JOE WARREN (9-3 MMA, 7-2 Bellator) is coming off a second round submission victory over Nick Kirk, and is now riding a two fight winning streak. He has his sights set on the Bellator bantamweight title. Warren is a very talented Greco-Roman wrestler who loves the double leg takedown, and has not tried to make that a secret. The NCAA Division I wrestler has the ability to take opponents down whenever he pleases. He has a poor chin, as well as poor striking defense, which together is a combination that will often equal a disaster. His offensive striking is nothing to write home about, either, but to be fair, it has been improving. His favorite weapon is his overhand right, and he always looks for it. Warren splits his training time between his home gym Team Rhino Sport and his main gym Team Quest in Denver, C.O., where he currently resides. For this bout, he put time in with Greg Jackson at Jackson-Winklejohn MMA in Albuquerque, N.M. He has good cardio and will be ready to go three full rounds against Marx. TRAVIS MARX (21-4 MMA, 3-1 Bellator) is 6-1 is his last 7 fights and is coming off a knockout victory over Brandon Bender. He lost the first round a 10-8, as Bender dominated the entire round, threatening with submissions the whole time. Bender had control of his back, but he had the heart and submission defense to survive, which really speaks volumes for his submission defense, because Bender is an incredibly talented submission artist. Marx notched the comeback TKO and now looks to get past Warren, as he has his sights set on the Bellator 135 pound gold. The 35 year old Marx is a decent striker who likes to do damage with body kicks. He has solid defense against the cage, but his takedown defense isn’t very good. That said, his offensive wrestling is good, as he works decent takedowns and has excellent top control. Marx is a talented jiu-jitsu practitioner who has a very active guard. He is not fun to be on the ground with, since he likes to work off his back and is also good at getting back to his feet. Marx is well-conditioned and will be prepared to go hard for a full 15 minutes against Warren, though he will likely be looking for his chin. Fight Prediction: I think the superior wrestler uses his superior wrestling to win this one. Gabe’s Pick: Joe Warren by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Joe Warren -140 for a moderate value play. As long as his chin holds up, he should win this. I think it will hold up, as Marx is not the heaviest of hitters.
