Welterweight bout: John Howard vs. Jake Ellenberger
Odds: (+125 Howard /-155 Ellenberger )
In the evening’s second bout, athletic up and comer John “Doomsday” Howard, currently riding a seven fight win streak, faces his toughest test so far inside the Octagon in IFL veteran Jake Ellenberger. Howard is very athletic and has a complete game, but Ellenberger is a very solid wrestler who can dole out serious punishment from top position, so this should be a competitive bout that will push the winner a step up on the Welterweight ladder.
Howard, who had a shaky start to his UFC stint with two straight narrow split decision wins, has really come on in his last two fights, winning both by knockout with huge power punches. Howard is a very athletic and powerful fighter with a very well-rounded game. His punching is obviously dangerous, but he has solid wrestling that he uses to set up effective ground and pound and a pretty good submission game as well. His ability to fight in every area is going to be his best weapon against Ellenberger, whose game plan will no doubt be to control the fight with wrestling.
Ellenberger, who has only been a professional for five years, has nonetheless had a huge number of fights in that time in a variety of promotions. He has fought all over the place, but he made his name as a mainstay in the short-lived International Fight League, where he put together a string of quality performances. Ellenberger is not as dynamic as Howard, but he is a very good wrestler with smothering top control who is great at finishing fights with strikes from the top position.
Howard is probably the better-rounded of the two fighters, and is certainly more dangerous in the standup game, but I think he is going to have a hard time keeping Ellenberger from taking him down, and an even harder time working off his back underneath Ellenberger. Howard won’t get destroyed by any means, but expect Ellenberger to score enough points with takedowns and his top game to earn the decision win.
Prediction: Jake Ellenberger via unanimous decision.
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