nt"

MMAjunkie Radio co-host and MMAjunkie contributor Dan Tom breaks down Bellator’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event for Bellator 206.

Bellator 206 takes place Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Also see:

• Bellator 206 main-event breakdown: Can Rory MacDonald become latest champ-champ?

Quinton Jackson (37-13 MMA, 4-2 BMMA)

“Rampage” Jackson. (USA TODAY Sports)

Staple info:

• Height: 6’1″ Age: 40 Weight: 205-265 lbs. Reach: 73″
• Last fight: Decision loss to Chael Sonnen (Jan. 20, 2018)
• Camp: Ultimate Training Center (Huntington Beach, CA)
• Stance/striking style: Orthodox/boxing
• Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info:
+ Former UFC light-heavyweight champion
+ Wrestling base
+ 18 KO victories
+ 5 submission wins
+ 16 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Solid boxing technique
^ Slips, rolls, feints and fakes
+ Strong in the clinch
+ Works well from topside
^ Dangerous ground striker
+ Improved submission defense
^ Will still look for slams

Wanderlei Silva (35-13-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA)

Wanderlei Silva. (USA TODAY Sports)

• Last fight: Decision loss to Chael Sonnen (June 24, 2017)
• Camp: Evolucao Thai (Curitiba, Brazil)
• Stance/striking style: Orthodox/muay Thai
• Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info:
+ Former PRIDE middleweight champion
+ 2003 PRIDE grand prix champion (middleweight)
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 27 KO victories
+ 1 submission wins
+ 22 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Explosive striker/dangerous blitzer
^ Improved countering ability
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Devastating from the Thai plum
+ Serviceable grappling ability

Point of interest: Advancing styles

In the fourth matchup between two fighters whose styles seem fairly straightforward, it’s important to remember that both men have had to make slight adjustments to their approach throughout their careers.

Quinton Jackson, who initially stormed the scene as a body-slamming wild man, would quickly garner fans from his memorable performances in PRIDE FC. Steadily developing his boxing chops to go along with his already potent wrestling ability, the Tennessee native eventually found himself getting the better of strikers on the feet, even ones the caliber of Chuck Liddell.

By the time Jackson came over to the UFC in 2007, his boxing was at an even higher level, working with then-coach Juanito Perez. Under the care of Perez, we would see Jackson more effectively fake and feint, smoothly slipping and rolling his way into crushing hooks.

Jackson would end up flirting with different training camps throughout his UFC career, but the theme of his style remained consistent: Pressure your opposition with authority and make them pay for their reactions.

Despite this style earning him a world title in the UFC, Jackson’s predictabl nature caused him issues when it came to fighters who could either stick and move, or match him in the wrestling department. And though neither of those stands out as descriptors for Wanderlei Silva, Jackson will still have plenty of reasons to respect what’s coming his way.

Originally making his name as a vale tudo fighter and bare-knuckle brawler in Brazil, “The Axe Murderer” would eventually take his talents to Japan after mixed results with his early flirtations in the UFC. Establishing himself under the PRIDE FC banner, we saw the Chute Boxe standout bring life to a brawling version of muay Thai that would eventually sweep over the landscape during that time in MMA (in large part due to Silva’s head coach, Rafael Cordeiro).

Whether Silva was winging wild hooks and head kicks up high or reigning down soccer kicks and stomps down below, everything the Brazilian threw was with a vigor that seemingly transcended the TV screens that many were viewing the violence from. And once Silva was able to establish his patented Thai plum inside the clinch, he would immediately go to work with relentless knees to both the body and head.

Although this marauding style earned the Brazilian bruiser a PRIDE middleweight and grand prix title (along with many other accolades that include the longest winning streak in PRIDE history), the wars would steadily catch up to MMA’s favorite warlord when getting knocked out cold in back-to-back battles with Mirko Filipovic and Dan Henderson. So, between that budding trend and his transition from the PRIDE ring to the UFC octagon, we saw Silva forced to make adjustments to his style.

After mixed success slugging it out in his first few bouts (which included a knockout loss to Jackson in their third meeting), Silva slowly became more of a strategic fighter, primarily looking to counter for the bulk of rounds while saving his explosion for the final seconds of frames (something that helped him win favor with judges when unable to score the stoppage).

Still, for better or worse, Silva has shown that the brawler inside of him is awakened easily, which is what makes this matchup so interesting: Will we get a vintage Silva who sparks off a war? Or will we see the more measured trend of each man produce an entirely different fight?

Next: Points of interest: Size vs. stamina