UFC Middleweight Bout: Tim Kennedy vs. Roger Gracie
Odds: ( -155 Kennedy / +125 Gracie )
Betting Pick: Kennedy
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In a featured Middleweight matchup, submission expert Roger Gracie makes his UFC debut against another Strikeforce veteran in Tim Kennedy. This has all the makings of an epic ground battle, since both of these guys are known for their grappling prowess. There is no question that Gracie has the superior jiu-jitsu pedigree, but Kennedy has much more professional experience putting his grappling to use inside the cage and is the much more complete Mixed Martial Artist. Will Kennedy introduce another roadbump on Gracie’s path toward becoming a Mixed Martial Artist or will Gracie’s submission wizardry prove too much for the Armed Services veteran?
Roger Gracie, despite being relatively experienced in MMA competition, is nevertheless one of the most decorated jiu-jitsu players in the Middleweight division. There is no question that Gracie has what it takes to hang with anyone in the world in a pure grappling fight. Unfortunately for Gracie, he isn’t going into a pure grappling fight. He’s about to take on Tim Kennedy, a tough and experienced veteran with an impressive submission arsenal of his own and a much better-rounded overall game. If Gracie wants to succeed in his UFC debut, he’s going to have to find an answer for Kennedy’s superior striking and wrestling and hope that his superior technical jiu-jitsu can carry the day.
Tim Kennedy is one of the toughest veterans on the Strikeforce roster, and is finally getting his first chance to showcase his skills on the world’s biggest stage. Kennedy is a true Mixed Martial Artist, with solid boxing, wrestling, and submissions in his repertoire. He isn’t among the best in the world at any one thing, but he is tough, durable, and doesn’t have any huge holes in his style. Gracie is better at jiu-jitsu than Kennedy is at anything, but there is no question that Kennedy is the more versatile and experienced fighter of the two.
This is an interesting matchup in that it pits a jack of all trades against a master of one. Gracie’s jiu-jitsu, on paper at least, is more impressive than any aspect of Kennedy’s game, but Kennedy has well-developed skills in areas of fighting where Gracie is still woefully ineffective. This fight comes down to whether or not Gracie has what it takes to submit Kennedy off of his back, I think. In a standup fight, Kennedy will box circles around Gracie, and I don’t think Gracie has much chance of obtaining dominant position on the ground. If this fight does go to the ground, it will be Kennedy controlling the position. I don’t think Gracie is going to have any luck at all getting his offense going. Both standing and on the ground, he’s going to be fighting off his back heels, so to speak, and Kennedy is too talented and too experienced to let himself get caught. I think Kennedy earns himself an easy unanimous decision in his UFC debut.
Prediction: Tim Kennedy by Unanimous Decision.
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