Bellator 141 fantasy picks: 'Guillard vs. Girtz' Kountermove preview

With no Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event this weekend, Bellator 141: "Guillard vs. Girtz" takes center stage in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world this Friday night (Aug. 28, 2015), live and free on Spike TV from the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California.

If you're excited for Melvin Guillard's promotional debut, why not join the fun in playing Fantasy MMA with Kountermove?

If you are not familiar with how Kountermove works, here is what you need to know:

In Kountermove you build a team of five fighters utilizing a "salary cap" of $25,000 in fantasy money to spend on drafting the team you expect to perform the best on fight night. If your team performs well enough, you will likely have a share of cash prizes in any number of Kountermove's games.

Points are scored with finishes, significant strikes, knockdowns, takedowns, dominant positions, and submission attempts. The more dominant your fighters' performance is, the more points you're going to score. For a detailed breakdown of how the scoring works, click here.

Below I break down the four main card fights and the "Prelims" main event on the Bellator 141 card, helping to give you the edge in Kountermove this weekend.

Melvin Guillard ($5800) vs. Brandon Girtz ($4600)

This is the easiest pick of the Bellator 141 event in my opinion.

Simply put: You can't make a Kountermove team this weekend without Melvin Guillard. The "Young Assassin" proved he still has power in his hands by finishing Gesias Cavalcante last year, and I fully expect a vintage Guillard knockout this Friday night.

The only major worry in picking the UFC veteran is his penchant for losing fights via submission. In 14 career losses, Guillard has tapped in nine bouts. Considering Girtz has earned eight of his 12 professional victories via submission, some may be frightened by going all in with Guillard.

Ultimately, if you believe Guillard has anything left in the tank, he will avoid Girtz's ground game, and finish him on the feet in the first two rounds.

Patricky Freire ($4600) vs. Saad Awad ($5000)

My underdog pick of Bellator 141 is Patricky Freire, but it comes alongside a major disclaimer.

Saad Awad is no joke at 155 pounds and is currently the only man to defeat Bellator Lightweight champion Will Brooks. The "Assassin" not only has power in his hands to finish the fight, but he has the tools to control where the fight takes place.

I wouldn't say "Pitbull's" chances Friday night come down to merely swinging haymakers, but the Brazilian will need to have a strong game plan to avoid Awad's pressure, and blast him with his vicious right hand.

This fight goes one of two ways: Awad wins via decision, or Freire knocks him out.

Choose wisely.

Justin Wren ($5300) vs. Josh Burns ($4300)

A fighter who hasn't competed in five years takes on someone who has looked atrocious inside the Bellator cage.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran Justin Wren will make his Bellator debut tomorrow night after five years in the Congo, and based solely on his competition, you have to pick him in Kountermove this weekend.

Josh Burns is 8-8 in his MMA career, including five stoppage losses in his Bellator career. "The Hammer" has yet to win a fight inside the Bellator cage, and hasn't won a fight in nearly two years.

Don't expect Burns to pull off the upset on national television. Pick Wren, and reap the rewards.

Raphael Butler ($4900) vs. Lorenzo Hood ($4700)

This is arguably the toughest pick on the Bellator 141 card, as both Raphael Butler and Lorenzo Hood have their respective strengths that could earn them a victory on Friday night.

Hood makes his Bellator debut, coming off three straight knockouts on the regional scene. "The Dream Killer" has made a habit of putting his opponents to sleep, earning all nine career victories via knockout.

Butler too is a finisher, with all nine victories coming via stoppage, but unlike Hood, "The Silencer" has three submissions to his credit as well.

Ultimately, I'm picking the Bellator veteran in Butler because he is the more technical striker, and I expect him to hand Hood his third career loss.

Ilima Macfarlane ($4800) vs. Maria Rios ($4800)

The Women's Flyweight division debuts at Bellator 141, and Ilima Macfarlane and Maria Rios should put on a great show on the "Prelims."

Macfarlane's name may sound familiar, as she was the fighter who knocked out a soccer mom in just 10 seconds at Xplode Fight Series.

While that video is quite disturbing, it does show off Macfarlane's absurd power for a 125 pound female, and she could potentially replicate her success in her Bellator debut tomorrow night.

Considering Rios has lost two straight heading into her promotional debut, I believe Macfarlane is the smarter pick in Kountermove.

Good luck picking!

MMAmania.com will deliver live coverage of Bellator 141: "Guillard vs. Girtz" tomorrow night (Fri., Aug. 28, 2015), with the first fight streaming live online at 6 p.m. ET. The televised portion of Bellator 141 will then air LIVE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.