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UFC on Fox 5 Preview - Pt 2

UFC on FOX 5 Preview – pt. 2

(by The Coffee Boy)

Bout 7: 

Yves Edwards vs Jeremy Stephens

Yves Edwards has fought over 60 professional mixed martial arts bouts, and is one of the more well-rounded UFC fighters around. Coming off of a loss to Tony Ferguson back in December of last year, his fight against the always game Jeremy Stephens will be a true test of his will to stay in the sport.

Stephens is riding a 2-fight losing streak, having won only 2 out of his last 5 bouts. He is definitely in need of a win and while he does possess heavy knockout power, Edwards is well-rounded and dangerous enough on his feet to be able to put away the much younger man. I don’t expect fireworks, but I do expect Edwards to take this fight by decision.

Bout 8: 

Mike Swick vs Matt Brown

Swick is one of the UFC’s babies, coming out of the very first season of The Ultimate Fighter and remembered for his TKO victory over Ben Saunders, and guillotine choke victories over UFC veterans Joe Riggs and Steve Vigneault. After being plagued with injuries for nearly 2 years, Swick made his comeback in impressive fashion by knocking out DaMarques Johnson back in August.

Brown is currently riding a 3-fight win streak, defeating the likes of Chris Cope, Stephen Thompson, and Luis Ramos. While these wins aren’t over the most well-known of fighters, a win over Swick would certainly do him some good to potentially put himself up there in title contention, if he can do it convincingly.

The biggest problem Matt Brown has is that he is rather inconsistent – from 2008 to 2010, he won 3 in a row (including a victory over well-known Pete Sell), and then for the remainder of 2010 lost 3 in a row all by way of submission.  I’m expecting this to be a tough fight for both fighters, but I see Swick coming out hard and fast, knocking Brown out in the second round.

Bout 9: 

Rory MacDonald vs BJ Penn

MacDonald is a beast – there’s no doubt about that. He represents the new breed of fighters, the kind of mixed martial artists that up-and-comers should seek to be. With only one loss on his record, to Carlos Condit who made a late comeback, he is riding a 3-fight win streak and looks unstoppable at this point, being able to out-strike and out-grapple anyone who gets in his way.

Penn is undoubtedly one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. The question remains, and it’s almost cliché – does he still have it in him? Winning only 1 of his last 5 fights, he may very well be past his prime (despite him strongly suggesting otherwise). He has world-class Jiu Jitsu on his side, and better-than-average boxing in MMA. Will it be enough?

Honestly, I predict this fight to be a one-sided beating, with MacDonald dropping the bombs on a helpless BJ Penn. While it would be a good comeback story, something a movie could be made out of, I just don’t see a scenario where BJ Penn doesn’t get absolutely destroyed. A late comeback submission, perhaps? Possibly. But I wouldn’t put my money on it.

Bout 10: 

“Shogun” vs Alexander Gustaffson

Shogun was one of the best to come out of Pride, back in their glory days, and is a former Lightheavyweight Champion. He is always a pleasure to watch, possessing lightning-fast striking and a ton of heart. That said, however, his victory over Brandon Vera makes one wonder how much he still has left in him. He did not look his usual self, and despite being a heavy favorite, it took him 4 rounds to put Vera away. Was that heart on Vera’s part? Maybe. But it’s more likely that Shogun is slowly on his way down.

Alexander Gustaffson, like Rory MacDonald, is one of the new breed of fighters. He can strike, he can grapple, and with 5 wins in a row, a win over Shogun could very well catapult him into title contention.

This fight has ‘Fight of the Night’ honors written all over it. It’s a tough one to call, and I’d rather keep my mouth shut then look like a fool come this weekend.

Bout 11: 

Benson Henderson vs Nathan Diaz

Benson Henderson is a true warrior, having beaten some of the best lightweights the UFC has to offer such as Clay Guida and Frankie Edgar. His spirit is never lacking, his technique is sharp, and his gas tank is always full. He has the wrestling advantage going into this fight, and the ability to absorb shots taking in minimal damage, something that could come in handy for him against Diaz.

Diaz, since dropping back down to the lightweight division, has been on an absolute tear. He walked right through Takanori Gomi, both out-striking him and then submitting him by switching from a triangle choke to an armbar. He put on a boxing-clinic against the tough-as-nails Donald Cerrone, managing to pull Cerrone into his own world. And then he pulled Jim Miller into his own game, effectively out-boxing him and eventually putting on a nasty guillotine choke to secure the victory.

Henderson is the favorite here, and deservedly so. That said, Diaz has looked spectacular lately, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he could pull off a late submission. This fight could honestly go either way, so don’t blink.

Nate Diaz’s Chance to Shine

Nate Diaz’s Chance to Shine

Come December 8, Nate Diaz will have his chance to shine bright, after spending years under the shadow of his brother.

While the TUF 5 winner has been on a tear lately, it seems that his older brother Nick Diaz has managed to steal the limelight, despite being on a year-long suspension after testing positive for marijuana metabolites after his controversial fight against Carlos Condit.

Nate is only 27, and surely has a long career ahead of him. But after years of hard work with Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu and the Skrap Pack, he gets his chance to prove that he is one of the best lightweights in the world.

After a rough stretch as a welterweight, losing to Kim Dong-Hyun and Rory MacDonald, he dropped back to the 155 lb division and won 3 fights in a row, and three bonus awards in a row (submission of the night twice, and one fight of the night). He displayed markedly improved boxing against Takanori Gomi before submitting him with a beautiful armbar, had a tough back and forth fight against Donald Cerrone where he drew his opponent into a strike-fest, and put on a true MMA-clinic against Jim Miller, finally submitting him in the 2^nd round with a guillotine choke.

While he isn’t as brash as his older brother, he is also known for his antics both inside and out of the Octagon. On TUF 5, he was seen getting into an argument with Rob Emerson, taking off his shirt and wanting to throw down. And against Cerrone, he had no qualms about flipping the finger (well two fingers) in between rounds.

Benson Henderson will have the size advantage and almost certainly the wrestling advantage, but will Diaz be able to draw Henderson into the kind of fight he is best at?

He managed to pull Cerrone into a boxing match in the 1^st and 3^rd rounds, ultimately getting into his head and put on a slugfest. Against Miller, his trash talking and “gestures” got to him, and Diaz was able to pull off what Rogan called a “power guillotine”.

Henderson, however, probably won’t be so easy to get to. His ideal game plan would be to either throw combinations and move out of harms way, or to take a slight risk by taking Diaz down and out-wrestling him.

Diaz will have to either work hard to land his shots clean on Henderson, or work very well off his back (which he is comfortable off). There is a fair chance Diaz will be able to pull a quick submission off at one point, and that may be his only chance at beating Henderson to become the champion.

Either way, this will be Nate Diaz’s chance to show the world what he can do, and Henderson will definitely push him and bring the best out of the Stockton fighter. One hopes that Diaz takes this opportunity to make the most of it – chances like this don’t come around too often.

(Article by The Coffee Boy)