Author: Michael Cahill

UFC 130 fight card proves a huge task for Travis Browne

Thought Travis Browne has been hot as of late, the experts all agree that the upper hand in this fight has to be with Stefan Struve.

Take a look at what ESPN.com’s Frank McNeil has to say about Struve’s chances in the UFC 130 bout.

McNeil says:

Struve by KO — His two most recent outings prove that everything is coming together for Struve, especially as a puncher. He utilizes his long reach better and is getting more leverage on his strikes. This has increased his power output. Browne possesses good boxing skills, but he is more slugger than elusive defender. He will be available for Struve to hit.

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Doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement for Browne but there is a chance her. This will, like so many fights, come down to position. If Struve can bring the fight to the ground he’s going to win. He’s much more skilled there. However, if he has to stay on his feet to win then I don’t think he can trade punches with a powerful boxer in Browne.

It’s true that Struve might be coming up but I think looking past Browne would be a huge mistake.  

UFC 130 Fight Card has Stann getting acclimated to a new weight

Brian Stann is a bit out of his element. He’s fighting in a weight class that he’s not comfortable with entirely. Though his confidence is sky high about his fighting ability, he’s still getting used to coming down from the 205 weight he used to be in.

His fight against Jorge Santiago will be no small feat. Santiago is one of the most opportunistic fighters in the division. He’s not the kind of guy who is going to steamroll you. He’s not the kind of guy who is unbeatable, but he is the kind of guy that will punish you if you make a mistake.

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Brian Stann is going to be more than Santiago, who is pretty much making his UFC debut, can handle. Stann was a bruiser at 205, and now that he’s fighting in the 185 weight range he’ll still pack an enormous punch. I don’t think that Santiago, who is best when he’s on the ground, will be able to handle the kind of power that Stann is bringing. I’d be very surprised if Santiago makes it the distance. I expect Stann to knock him out long before that time.

UFC 130 Fight card is the long road traveled for Roy Nelson

Roy Nelson doesn’t look like the kind of guy UFC wants to have as their poster boy. This is not a speculation but rather a fact. It’s part of the reason Roy Nelson’s fight on Saturday against Frank Mir is the culmination of a great story.

The story goes that Roy Nelson was on the rise when he was a part of the now defunct International Fight League. He was the heavyweight champion there when the shop closed up and he was eventually moved under the umbrella of EliteXC. Of course as Dana White and his empire grew, companies like EliteXC either gave in or tapped out.

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When Roy Nelson was ready to join the UFC the story goes that he was told he would not be able to compete unless he was willing to drop some weight. His last course of action was the join the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter and fight his way into the UFC.

The result was as expected. Roy Nelson didn’t just win TUF 10, but he ripped through his competition showing them they weren’t ready for a seasoned fighter like himself.

Weight or no weight Roy Nelson is ready to make a name for himself with a victory against Frank Mir. I believe he’ll do that. 

UFC 130 Fight card orders up a tall task with Travis Browne

Stefan Struve has one thing going for him coming into the UFC 130 fight against Travis Browne.

He’s tall.

His 6’11 height will give him a distinct reach advantage over the 6’7 Travis Browne. Not a ton of reach difference but enough to be a factor, because he’s going to need all the help he can get.

Travis Browne isn’t the most well known fighter on the card, but he is the hottest. He’s been ripping through his competition with a series of brutal KO’s that have to have made Struve take notice.

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The real question for Struve is if he’s a better caliber fighter than some of the people that Travis Browne has been taking on in the recent months. Browne’s competition has been called into question but the drop off between the average of his previous opponents and Struve is not that much different.

Struve, if he has a chance at beating this brutal striker, is going to have to get him to the ground in a hurry. Struve has won a number of fights with his submission maneuvers which are some of the best in the business. If Struve has to fight on his feet it’s going to be a quick exit against a man on a mission.