UFC on FX 6 is about to go down in Gold Coast, Australia. The main event pits lightweights George Sotiropoulos against Ross Pearson, who coached against each other on a special season of The Ultimate Fighter matching British and Aussie fighters.
This show goes beyond the main event, though. It’s a UFC on FX event, and therefore is a little more fortified than your average season finale.
So what fight is going to steal the show this Saturday (or Friday night for those watching in the U.S.)? Let’s break this down.
One of the TUF finals in particular holds some intrigue. Have you ever heard of Colin Fletcher? No? You should watch him fight. His tangle with Northern Ireland’s Norman Parke is not a sure-fire show-stopper, but Fletcher certainly is.
The final bout of the Fuel TV prelims once had big potential, back when it was Chad Mendes vs. Hacran Dias. But Dias got injured. Now it’s Yaotzin Meza, and a Knockout of the Night candidate.
Mike Pierce and Seth Baczynski could be another good one; talk about two guys who like to scrap. But that’s not the winner either.
No, the most likely show stealer comes to you courtesy of the middleweight division, in which Hector Lombard (31-3-1-1) takes on Rousimar Palhares (14-4).
Basically, these guys are mirror images of each other. Two musclebound mailboxes, each sporting their own unique brand of debilitating violence. One (Lombard) can punch through an engine block. The other (Palhares) can wrench telephone poles out of the ground with his legs.
The phrase “something’s gotta give” comes to mind. Will it be a highlight-reel knockout or a highlight-reel submission? No middle ground on this one. My spidey sense tells me Lombard and his judo base will be able to fend off Palhares’ takedowns and ferocious limb-lock submissions long enough to wreak his own havoc. I could be wrong, though. The fight is eminently winnable for Palhares.
Either way, there will be nothing wrong about this fight from a fan perspective. The ultra-aggressive Lombard, a longtime champion in the Bellator promotion, failed to impress in an uncharacteristically tentative UFC debut against Tim Boetsch. Palhares is coming off an embarrassing loss to top contender Alan Belcher.
Bottom line: Both men need a win, badly and now. They’re both going to come in frothy. It’s like locking two hyenas in a cage and poking them with rawhide swords. Someone’s going to end up with their back to the canvas.
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