Tag: Dana White

UFC 130 Fight card has Tim Boetsch fighting at a new weight

It’s an athletic principle at its finest: if you are good at something just imagine how good you would be if you weren’t carrying around all that extra weight.

This applies to almost anything athletically expect for Sumo wrestling and any offensive and defensive line position.

The principle made sense to Tim Boetsch. The UFC fighter looking to take out Kendall Grove at UFC 130 will be attempted to do so at a lighter, more freeing version of himself.

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After his UFC 123 bout with  Phil Davis he quickly realized that he might be fighting in the wrong weight class. Now Boetsch tries out his slender new form against Kendall Grove.

Grove is going to have his hands will with a powerful Boetsch. He’s got the strength of a guy who naturally belongs in a higher weight class, but the speed of a guy who’s fighter right where he belong. Grove has been a very hit or miss kind of fighter. He looks good one fight and looks awful the next. His last fight was a loss so perhaps that’s a sign of things to come.

I’ll take Boetsch in this one. I like a fighter with consistency and Grove hasn’t proven himself to always rise to the occasion. 

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.