UFC Welterweight bout: Matt Brown vs. John Howard
Odds: (+210 Brown /-270 Howard )
Betting Pick: Howard
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In the second bout of the evening, Welterweights Matt Brown and John Howard will meet in a very important bout for their UFC careers. With Brown currently riding a 3 fight losing streak and Howard on a 2-fight skid of his own, these guys are probably fighting for their roster spots in this one. Brown is not a particularly skilled fighter in any way, but he is extremely tough and has a lot of heart, so you’d better believe he will come to fight here.
Matt Brown, who made his way to UFC through the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter, is one of the toughest and most rugged fighters in the sport. A decent striker with a solid submission attack, Brown is consistently held back by his lack of physicality and his atrocious submission defense. He has a tendency to get ragdolled inside the Octagon and submitted as soon as fights go to the ground. Against Howard, who has both wrestling and submissions, he is going to have his hands full.
John Howard is a very tough and well-rounded fighter with heavy hands, good wrestling, and effective submissions. He was riding a seven fight win streak before dropping his last two bouts, which has sort of put his back against the wall here. Luckily, this is a good matchup for him, since he will have the edge over Brown in pretty much every area, especially physical strength and wrestling ability. It is entirely possible he will beat Brown handily on the feet, but with his wrestling, submission skills, and physical superiority, he is going to be in great position to win.
I don’t think Brown has any answer for Howard or any other competent Welterweight. His toughness and willingness to fight ensure that his fights are always entertaining, but he really doesn’t bring much to the table and his game has too many glaring holes for him to be competitive against legitimate opponents. I expect Howard to pretty much overwhelm him physically, toss him around, and eventually choke him out. Howard by submission.
Prediction: John “Doomsday” Howard via second round rear naked choke.
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