This weekend’s UFC on Fox 8 event will feature an intense welterweight clash between Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger. The bout will function as the card’s co-main event and will play a decisive role in shaping the formation of the 170-pound landscape as we move through the second half of 2013.
Coming into the bout, the 24-year-old MacDonald is riding a four-fight win streak and will be looking to add another big name to his growing hit list. Last time out it was the legendary, though declining B.J. Penn. This time he is seeking victory over a dangerous foe at the peak of his game.
Ellenberger has won back-to-back fights and eight of his last nine. A win over MacDonald at UFC on Fox 8 may be enough to earn him a crack at the welterweight title, but of course, that’s far from a given. Either way, he’ll have to concentrate on his opponent, not the consequence of the fight’s outcome. For all his success inside the Octagon, Ellenberger’s toughest challenge since Carlos Condit may very come this Saturday.
Here we will take a look at the MacDonald vs. Ellenberger matchup and examine how it is likely to play out. We will assess which fighter has an edge in each of the striking, wrestling, and grappling and submission areas of the game and use those assessments to project the probable outcome.