Bellator 142: Dynamite Date: September 19, 2015 Arena: SAP Center City: San Jose, CA Light Heavyweight bout: Emanuel Newton (+325) vs Phil Davis (-400) Fight Breakdown: The Bellator 142: Dynamite! main card will be featuring a light heavyweight contest for the 205-pound title tournament with “The Hardcore Kid” Emanuel Newton greeting “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis in his Bellator debut. Newton is a +325 ($100 to win $325) betting underdog heading into the contest, with Davis being favored to win at -400 ($400 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. Emanuel Newton (25-8-1 MMA, 8-2 Bellator) last saw action at Bellator 134 six months ago, where he dropped a controversial unanimous decision to Liam McGeary, ultimately losing his Bellator light heavyweight title. The 31-year old has tremendous takedown defense and does a great job of keeping his fights on the feet, where he showcases the many, many weapons he possesses in his striking arsenal. He is very technical on the feet and does an excellent job of scoring points. Newton is not just a striker, though, as he is well-versed in all aspects of mixed martial arts, including the submission game, as is evident by the fact that nine of his 25 professional mixed martial arts career victories have come by way of tapout. Splitting time between Bodyshop Fitness in Long Beach and Kings MMA in Los Angeles, Newton is a very well-conditioned athlete who will be able to go a full two rounds against Davis, should this scrap reach the judges’ scorecards for a decision. Phil Davis (13-3-1 NC MMA, 0-0 Bellator) opted to sign a contract with Bellator when the UFC refused to match their offer and will be making his Bellator debut in this contest against the veteran Newton. He is 1-2 in his last three bouts; an upset unanimous decision win over Glover Teixeira is sandwiched between a unanimous decision loss to Anthony Johnson and most recently a split decision against Ryan Bader. “Mr. Wonderful” is a very talented wrestler, being NCAA Division I All-American out of Penn State and 2008 National Champion. He excels at takins opponents to the mat and employing his suffocating top game. The 30-year old has rudimentary striking, so he will be outgunned on the feet against Newton heading into this contest. His submission game, however, is solid and improving, owning four of 13 professional mixed martial arts career victories by way of tapout. Davis is an athlete who possesses tremendous cardio, so I have no doubt he will have enough gas in the tank for a full 10 minutes of action against Newton. Gabe’s Thoughts: I think Newton finds success in keeping this fight on the feet for two rounds en route to a victory on the scorecards. Gabe’s Call: Newton by Unanimous Decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Newton (+325) 4u to win 13u
