Peer behind the curtain of UFC Boston to get the lowdown on the main card, featuring the resolution of unfinished business between Jeremy Stephens and Yair Rodriguez.
While the main event of UFC Boston between Chris Weidman and Dominick Reyes is a fine main event, most viewers are more anxious to see the bad blood between Jeremy Stephens and Yair Rodriguez come to a head. Headlining the UFC Mexico City event last month, the contest came to an unceremonious close after Rodriguez poked Stephens in the eye and the longtime vet was unable to continue when he couldn’t get his eye to open. Nobody accused Rodriguez of committing the foul purposely, but the accusations – particularly from Rodriguez – did come flying that Stephens was faking the severity of the damage, that he could have actually continued. Thus, a war of words – and a shoving match at the hotel – ensued and the UFC was forced to reschedule the contest. It may only be three rounds, but the consensus is the real main event is between Stephens and Rodriguez.
UFC Boston begins on ESPN2 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT on Friday.
Yair Rodriguez (12-2, 1 NC) vs. Jeremy Stephens (28-16, 1 NC), Featherweight
It may not have been all that long ago that these two went at it, but things have changed drastically since their last contest. Altitude was a factor when they fought in Mexico City. Not so much now that their doing the damn thing in Boston. There was no real ill-will between the two in the first meeting. Now, it’s one of the most heated rivalries of 2019. How does either competitor fight when a contest isn’t just about business?
Rodriguez has proven to be one of the most creative strikers in the game, his up-elbow to defeat Chan Sung Jung being the pinnacle of his creativity. Utilizing a free-flowing striking offense that often seems unstructured, throws a lot of various kicks from all sorts of angles. Sometimes it catches the opposition by surprise, other times it wildly misses and allows the opposition to follow up with their own offense. However, given Rodriguez’s endless cardio, the style tends to grow more effective as opponents slow and struggle to either react quickly enough to defend the attack or follow up. His boxing still has defensive holes, but he’s effective enough moving in and out of the pocket to take advantage of his length from the offensive end.
There’s a misperception about Stephens that he’s largely a brawler. That may have been true in the early stages of his career, but the Lil’ Heathen has largely eradicated that from his arsenal. Sure, when an opponent is willing to step in the pocket and swing fisticuffs, Stephens will oblige, but only because there are few who are better equipped to win those battles. When Stephens is in the cage with an opponent he respects, he takes a measured approach, taking proper angles to cut off the cage and selectively swarming with his heavy hands. Much of Stephens success derides from his ability to keep the fight standing. Against Rodriguez – who only goes for the occasional change of pace takedown – odds seem pretty good Stephens can keep the fight where he wants it.
Many are using Stephens contest with Zabit Magomedsharipov as a measuring stick for Rodriguez. Both are lanky, creative strikers who are insanely tough. Zabit largely walked all over Stephens. However, he also utilized a cautious approach to the contest, relying heavily on his wrestling to neutralize Stephens. Rodriguez doesn’t seem to have the wrestling to stop Stephens from moving forward and he knows nothing about being cautious. Plus, Rodriguez loses a major advantage with the contest being three rounds instead of five as their original contest was scheduled for. I’m not about to deny the possibility of Rodriguez catching Stephens with a random shot and stopping him dead in his tracks, but I like Stephens experience to allow him to do a better job of turning his emotions into motivation and securing the win. Stephens via decision
Greg Hardy (5-1) vs. Ben Sosoli (7-2), Heavyweight
I know, I know. Everyone hates Hardy. I get it. However – and I’ve said this before – he is a name that is more recognizable than 90% of the UFC roster thanks to his NFL accolades. And… his off-the-field maleficence. Regardless, he has the physical tools to be a major player if he’s brought along correctly and has joined up with a camp that can make that happen in ATT. Like it or not, the UFC is going to put a spotlight on Hardy, even if it’s just to entice viewers to tune in to see him get his block knocked off.
Despite three appearances in the UFC, we still don’t know a lot about Hardy. He has been more measured since he suffered his first loss which came from his exhausting himself in a hurry. He also stuffed a takedown from the massive Juan Adams, leading to a stoppage when Adams didn’t defend himself from Hardy’s onslaught of punches following the stuff. We know he’s strong. We know he’s athletic. We’ve seen he can hit like a truck. And we know he’s learning the nuances of the sport as he gains experience. But isn’t that all stuff we knew beforehand? The belief is still that Hardy will struggle with an experienced opponent who isn’t either in awe of Hardy’s talents or overhyped to take his head off.
It doesn’t appear Sosoli qualifies as the type of experienced opponent most would expect to handle Hardy, but he does appear to be more experienced than Hardy’s past opposition and is unlikely to be intimidated. Thus, he’s the perfect opponent to test him against in the UFC’s slow play of Hardy. Sosoli shows excellent power and kickboxing technique, reminding many of his Australian counterparts Tai Tuivasa and Justin Tafa. However, like his counterparts, Sosoli has shown little on the ground. That shouldn’t be much of a problem against Hardy, but his lack of size is, clocking in at just 6’0” with a 74” reach.
Sosoli has more than just a chance if he can drag the fight out of the first round. Despite his doughy frame, he’s shown the ability to go the distance. That he’s never been KO’d is an encouraging sign he could end up doing just that. However, Hardy is physically superior to Sosoli in every way and has continued to receive tutelage from a hell of a coach in Mike Brown. This is Hardy’s toughest test to date in his UFC career, but I think he’ll be up to the challenge. Hardy via TKO of RD1
Maycee Barber (7-0) vs. Gillian Robertson (7-3), Women’s Flyweight
It’s been well established the 21-year old Barber is looking to become the youngest champion in UFC history. To their credit, the UFC is doing everything in their power to help her see that goal along. They’ve been gradually bringing her along, giving her a step up at a time. Her next step up, Gillian Robertson, is a risky step as the ATT product is also young in her career and making gains. There’s a very realistic chance Robertson could be too much, too soon for the youngster.
It isn’t just that Robertson is improving that makes her a risky opponent. It’s that her style matches up really well with Barber’s strengths. Barber is super-athletic with impressive power and aggression, but she can also be reckless in her attempts to finish the fight. Some of those cracks were exposed against a technically sound JJ Aldrich, but Barber’s physical tools won out. How will she respond against someone just as technical, but more physically talented?
That’s where Robertson comes in. Still a developing product herself, Robertson has shown steady growth during her time in the organization, taking wins in four of her five appearances. Unlike Aldrich, Robertson’s specialty is her ground game. A sneaky good wrestler, she has emerged as one of the better scramblers in the division, capable of snatching any available limb. She has also improved her positional grappling, allowing her to rain down some brutal punches and elbows.
So why do I believe Robertson matches up really well with Barber? Barber’s preference is to drag her opponent to the mat and try to pound them out. There’s a good likelihood we’ll see several scrambling situations… an area where Robertson is at her best. Barber’s best chance is on the feet where her power can shine through. Robertson has been improving in that area to the point where she should at least be competitive, but she isn’t going to threaten to put away the uber-prospect that way. Nonetheless, I’m going out on a limb and picking Robertson to catch Barber in a compromising position she can’t get out of. Robertson via submission of RD2
- If you’re a fan of MMA, you’re a fan of Joe Lauzon. Once upon a time, the longtime vet was the record holder for performance bonuses. However, it has been over three years since he last picked up a bonus and just as long since he recorded a clear-cut victory. Now 35 with 15 years of experience under his belt, Lauzon’s hard-charging style has left him banged up and broken down, unable to hold up to the rigors he used to put himself through. He welcomes DWCS alum Jonathan Pearce, a strong wrestler out of the MMA Lab. Pearce also pushes a hard pace, but he has the cardio to maintain his effectiveness late into contests. However, his weakness is defense – both in the striking and grappling departments – meaning it isn’t out of the realm of possibility Lauzon can catch him early. Unfortunately for Lauzon, once a skid like his has started, it is rarely ever snapped. Pearce via TKO of RD2
- Credit to Deron Winn for ignoring what he does best to win his UFC debut over Eric Spicely. However, you’d damn well better win a slugfest over Spicely, or you have no business in the UFC. Nonetheless, that the former All-American wrestler rarely looked for takedowns indicates he isn’t a one-trick pony. He’d better start using those wrestling accolades soon as his 5’6” frame will severely limit what he can do on the feet against more skilled strikers. Darren Stewart certainly falls into that category, largely thanks to the improvements he has made over the course of his UFC run, particularly in his boxing. However, the Brit still has sizeable holes in his own takedown defense… sizeable enough an undersized middleweight could expose with ease. I wouldn’t discount Stewart landing something heavy enough to put down Winn, but the more likely scenario sees Winn grinding out a decision. Winn via decision