Preview: Bellator 238 ‘Budd vs. Cyborg’

Raymond Daniels vs. Jason King

Back in June 2008, multi-time kickboxing and sport karate world champion Raymond Daniels made his MMA debut against Jeremiah Metcalf under the Strikeforce banner, losing by second round submission. The husband of One Championship fighter Colbey Northcutt (the sister of Sage Northcutt) returned to the sport after 11 years at Bellator Birmingham last May and won in the most spectacular way possible. He knocked out opponent Wilker Barros with a right hook after spinning in the air for two full turns (720 degrees). “The Real Deal” is the reigning Bellator Kickboxing World Champion. He has defeated the likes of Brian Foster, Stephen Thompson and Michael “Venom” Page (three times) in kickboxing bouts. The southpaw is everything you would expect from a high-level kickboxer. He has great hand speed with pinpoint accuracy and bone-crushing power. He dispatches a large arsenal of kicks with which he can attack any area of his adversary’s body — including the oblique kicks to the knees that Jon Jones like to use. The 39-year-old has a knack for flashy theatrics, as he loves to display his elite athleticism with spinning attacks. He stands similar to Page as he fights in a bladed stance with his core facing away from his opponents and hanging his hands low. He does well darting in and out of range and unloading with crushing blows. It is impossible to know what type of ability Daniels has on the ground, as he didn’t go to the canvas in his last fight. In his fight against Metcalf, he was easily taken down and submitted, demonstrating no discernible ground skills.

As for King, Daniels’ competition in his sophomore Bellator bout is a step up, at least in experience. The 8-5 professional enters his bout with Daniels victorious in three of his last four contests. The 30-year-old King is a long and lengthy southpaw who ignores his reach advantage and instead attacks with a high-volume approach. He tends to stand up high and is a bit stiff. “The Asian Persuasion” isn’t much of an athlete but he makes up for it with grit and moxie. He likes to attack behind his jab and step-in knees, though he lacks the footwork to move out of the way of any counterattacks. The Knoxville Martial Arts Academy fighter is a bit of a mixed bag on the ground. He can get the fight to the canvas with trips from the clinch, but his takedown defense can’t be categorized as anything other than terrible. His long limbs help him lock in submissions — having two on his record — but he is a bit sloppy, often losing valuable positions.

Being that Daniels’ ground game is such a big question mark, there is a great chance that King is able to take the fight to the ground and give the Real Deal his second submission loss. However, in a recent interview, the Valor Fighting Challenge veteran spoke of his desire to test himself against Daniels’ striking. This would be a terrible strategy for King. Give me Daniels by first-round knockout with little confidence.

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