Bellator lightweight division heads back to its home soil to air the cornerstone fight between former lightweight champ Chandler and Minnesotan Brandon Girtz. The Missouri Family Arena main event on Friday night is a re-scheduled lightweight match between the former American champion and a dangerous lightweight artist. The real deal was set between the now-champion Brent Primus, who snatched Chandler’s title in June at Bellator 180, to face him off again in deadly brawl. However Brent’s injury forced him out leaving space for the Minnesotan amateur.
The Artists And Their Art
Accustomed to dealing with surprises, Girtz is all geared up to make an impression in his upcoming fight. The Minnesotan already showcased his skills by defeating Luka Jelcic in December and seems to offer some essence in the upcoming fixture.
So Friday night’s re-match is all about similar poises yet dissimilar fighting stances.
Chandler, who is known to exert pressure on the rival, hardly ever seems to step back in a fight. His unpredictability, athletic stature coupled with his equally impressive boxing moves guarantee that the title will be well fought for. His steering efforts to add more impact to his skills has put him on a tread for triumph, though we see occasional losses here and there. Henri Hooft’s tutelage has helped the Californian improve upon his basics and footwork, making him a living dynamite. The 31-year-old channels his aggression and iconic leg kicks into a fiery fight.
Photo: RDX MMA Neoprene Power Fighting Grappling Gloves
On the other hand, the Minnesotan amateur exhibits a hard-hitting stance on his opponent. Directing his aggression and athletic prowess in the cage, Girtz has been working on improving his deadly striking along with his inherent wrestling skills. His infamous leg kicks aimed at the opponent’s liver and his passionate left cross make him a spiteful rival. The American artist also throws some deadly punches with dexterity, coupled with conventional aggression. If the 31-year-old former champ fails to find his ground around the vicious blows of his home rival, the match will be pure fireworks.
The cage is expected to heat up further, whenever the two fiery fighters nail to tangle each other.
Both American artists employ menacing double legs with strong buttocks, neither designed for a give-in mode.
The 33-year old American may not be renowned for his shattering performance, yet he ties up rivals with his impressive front-headlocks. A submission grappler, the NCAA division 2 player can carefully assess positional advantage in a scramble, making him very hard to pin to the floor.
However, Girtz needs to secure all grounds when he intends to take down a fighter like Chandler. After being fine-tuned by Coach Neil Melanson, the former champ is one of the best transitional grappler in the sport.
The former home-player champ has mastered the fundamentals of almost every move; from head positioning to leg moves. Girtz needs to stay alert of his lurking rival when tries to scramble back to his feet.
The former champ’s aggressive bouts have been under a lot of scrutiny. However, the 31-year-old artist seems to have channelized his aggression into a power-packed intelligent play. The Minnesotan player’s dexterity and functionality will keep him going against a pro, and the two are sure to set the cage on fire. However, as for now Chandler seems to be a step ahead than his home rival with his improved tactics and skills.
Prediction: Chandler by unanimous decision
