UFC Middleweight bout: Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcao
Odds: ( Harris / Falcao )
Betting Pick: Harris
Bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com
In the evening’s second bout, dangerous Brazilian striker Maiquel Jose Falcao Concalves makes his UFC debut against tough brawler Gerald Harris. Goncalves is currently riding a seven fight win streak and is a knockout machine, but Harris has extremely heavy hands himself, not to mention powerful wrestling and a great top game, so this is going to be a tough test for the Brazilian.
Goncalves, a product of the famed Chute Boxe academy, seems to have all the striking prowess generally associated with that camp. Although he has fought mostly on smaller Brazilian shows and against lesser competition, he has a ridiculous record of knockouts to his credit and is clearly an extremely dangerous Muay Thai specialist. He enters the Octagon with a lot of question marks, most notably how his takedown defense looks and how well equipped he is to take a big step up in competition.
Harris, an alum of The Ultimate Fighter, is a very dangerous and heavy-handed guy with a surplus of physical strength and athleticism. A skilled striker with knockout power, Harris also has good wrestling, as he showed by completely annihilating Dave Branch with a slam in his last fight.
Both of these guys have knockout power, but I would give the edge in striking technique to Goncalves. Still, I think he is going to have a hard time figuring out Harris, who brings power and athleticism to the table that he has never had to deal with. I expect Harris to toss him on his back with authority and pound him out from top position. Harris by T/KO.
Prediction: Gerald “Hurricane” Harris via second round T/KO.
To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds. They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…