Tag: fight breakdown

UFC 207 Picks: This Is The Only Way Cody Garbrandt Can Beat Dominick Cruz

UFC 207 is quickly approaching and I for one can’t wait. While the card has its fair share of standout matches, the co-main event is certainly one the fans should keep their eyes on as Cody Garbrandt bids for the bantamweight title again champ Dominick Cruz. The trash talk has been colorful even finding its way onto social media. Both men have been trading jabs, Cruz arguably getting the better of Garbrandt in the exchanges, and now they’ll trade their virtual punches for some legitimate action on Friday night.

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UFC 207 is quickly approaching and I for one can’t wait. While the card has its fair share of standout matches, the co-main event is certainly one the fans should keep their eyes on as Cody Garbrandt bids for the bantamweight title again champ Dominick Cruz. The trash talk has been colorful even finding its way onto social media. Both men have been trading jabs, Cruz arguably getting the better of Garbrandt in the exchanges, and now they’ll trade their virtual punches for some legitimate action on Friday night.

Since coming back from injury earlier this year, Dominick Cruz has looked nothing short of phenomenal in his victories over TJ Dillashaw and Urijah Faber. In the Dillashaw match we saw Cruz dominate most of the match until facing a bit of adversity in the final two rounds. Still, his head movement, solid and unpredictable takedowns and striking led him to victory. The performance against Faber showed that Cruz not only has legit power in his strikes, but has improved his distancing game. The sequence in which he allowed Faber to close the distance in order to land a left overhand from the southpaw Stance shows that Cruz’s understanding of distance has sharpened. Against Garbrandt he faces a young Up and comer who has legitimate power in his hands. Cruz will likely employ his usual game plan of moving on the outside and making Garbrandt miss. More than likely we’ll be seeing more leg kicks out of the champ as well as some well timed takedowns as he is want to do against opponents who favor a boxing heavy attack.

For Cody Garbrandt the match up is far more complicated. Garbrandt’s striking is certainly clean, technical, and traditional. Which is exactly the problem. If he hopes to take out Cruz, Garbrandt will have to embrace a kicking game as well as avoid headhunting. Where fighters always seem to go wrong with facing Cruz is constantly aim to land a shot on his chin. Garbrandt should start at the legs and body then begin to work his way up to his head. He’s primarily a boxer which is ultimately going to hurt his chances if he looks to land leather rather than focus on his full arsenal of skills. Garbrandt also has a tendency to launch forward without throwing feints or strikes which could leave him open to strikes and takedowns. Garbrandt has a punchers chance, but if he utilizes his kicks and his wrestling he can at least surprise the champ and keep him guessing.

It’s almost as if in order to defeat Dominick Cruz you have to come into the fight as a completely different fighter each and every round. There are only a few fighters with that kind of capability and one of them happens to be Dominick Cruz. While many think this one goes to decision, a finish wouldn’t be surprising. The pick is Dominick Cruz by stoppage in the third round.

Do you think Cody Garbrandt has a chance?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

 

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UFC On Fox 22: Can The “Karate Hottie” Hold Off The “12 Gauge” That Is Paige Vanzant?

The main event of UFC on Fox 22 features two young ladies who could have easily chosen the life of being models. Instead they’ve chosen the road of the modern day warrior and have acquitted themselves more than well in that endeavor. Paige Vanzant and Michelle Waterson are two fighters who bring a high pace and a great deal of excitement to the strawweight division. Now they’re set to throw down in a fight that could be equal parts technical and chaotic.

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The main event of UFC on Fox 22 features two young ladies who could have easily chosen the life of being models. Instead they’ve chosen the road of the modern day warrior and have acquitted themselves more than well in that endeavor. Paige Vanzant and Michelle Waterson are two fighters who bring a high pace and a great deal of excitement to the strawweight division. Now they’re set to throw down in a fight that could be equal parts technical and chaotic.

Paige Vanzant was being written off as a flavor of the month when she lost to Rose Namajunas and went on to compete on Dancing With The Stars. Unfortunately for her detractors, Vanzant came back to action and turned heads with her jumping kick knock out of Bec Rawlings. Paige Vanzant has some decent footwork, but still seems to be relying on her athletic gifts rather than setting up her attacks. Not to suggest her KO over Rawlings was a fluke, but at times Vanzant finds herself out of position hitting only air and leaving herself exposed to counters. Her best weapon is her forward pressure, cardio, and aggression. If she hopes to win she’ll want to push Waterson back from the opening bell, use her size advantage and push the former atomweight champion against the fence. There she should work in the clinch and wear her down eventually push for the takedown and maintain top position.

As said before Michelle Waterson is a former champion who knows how to win. Coming from a traditional martial arts background, Waterson has a knack for fighting at her own range. Like Vanzant, Waterson is better when she’s pushing forward, but will want to use a different approach for this fight. If she’s too aggressive she’s likely to fall into the clinch with the bigger Vanzant. Instead, Waterson should aim to fight right outside her opponent’s range, get in with her strikes and get out without taking damage. Waterson has the speed and technical advantage. If she plays it smart she can use low kicks to slow down Vanzant, hard punches to the body then shock her opponent with high kicks as the fight moves into the later rounds.

Paige Vanzant has a knack for turning fights into a brawl and could do the same in this fight. But Michelle Waterson has the talent and ability to shut down Vanzant’s game and land some clean hard strikes. Look for Michelle Waterson to win by decision.

Who do you think wins the main event of UFC on Fox 22?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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Is Mike Perry Legit Or Will He Get Knocked Out By A Former Male Model?

UFC on Fox 22 features some pretty intriguing matchups one of which features a bonafide slugger versus a more disciplined, if not raw, striker. Mike Perry versus Alan Jouban is sure to be a wild fight filled with the chills and thrills only two hungry prospects can deliver upon. The title may sound dismissive of Alan Jouban, but the kickboxing enthusiast truly has the recipe to give a guy like Mike Perry problems. At its best the fight will be an awesome display of different striking styles. At its worst it will be pure chaos with either man digging deep to survive. Both scenarios are incredibly enticing and should be a thrill to witness.

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UFC on Fox 22 features some pretty intriguing matchups one of which features a bonafide slugger versus a more disciplined, if not raw, striker. Mike Perry versus Alan Jouban is sure to be a wild fight filled with the chills and thrills only two hungry prospects can deliver upon. The title may sound dismissive of Alan Jouban, but the kickboxing enthusiast truly has the recipe to give a guy like Mike Perry problems. At its best the fight will be an awesome display of different striking styles. At its worst it will be pure chaos with either man digging deep to survive. Both scenarios are incredibly enticing and should be a thrill to witness.

With only two fights in the UFC Mike Perry has gained a great deal of fans and detractors alike. His out spoken nature is becoming pretty common after the emergence of Conor McGregor, but it doesn’t seem to be a put on. Mike Perry has a ton of pride and ego and with fairly good reason too. He’s undefeated for a reason. Perry isn’t the most polished striker but he’s willing to take what his opponents throw at him and dish it out with devastating results. He tends to throw a series of hooks as well as some hard leg kicks. You’ll occasionally see some straight punches from Perry but for the most part he wants to come forward and test you chin and isn’t afraid to see if his own will hold up under pressure as well. He’s tough and is wants to see who the tougher man is. If that means trading blows with his opponent then so be it.

Alan Jouban is on the other end of the spectrum as far as personality goes. He’s your jovial laid back former male model type, if that’s even a thing. Style-wise he does have many of the same quirks as Perry however. He tends to have a hook heavy approach to his striking but does through more straight punches as well as kicks. In the clinch he isn’t afraid to get creative and through spinning elbows. When he’s more conservative his clinch work can be clean and devastating. The biggest advantage for Jouban in this match is his height and reach advantage. With Perry having the tendency to match forward with his chin exposed, Jouban should take advantage and catch him coming in with left straights. If he does get his man hurt he should be calm and careful as to not engage in a brawl which would favor Perry who tucks his chin well while inside the pocket.

This should be a pretty wild fight while it lasts and though Mike Perry has been looking dangerous in his first two UFC fights I suspect that Alan Jouban’s cleaner work can get the job done. The pick is Alan Jouban by second round TKO.

Who do you think wins this slug fest?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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UFC On Fox 22: Has Mickey Gall Bitten Off More Than He Can Chew Or Will He Run Through Sage Northcutt?

And the hits just keep on coming as the UFC sets up for yet another event this Saturday night as Paige Vanzant clashes with former Invicta atomweight champion Michelle Waterson. But before these two women meet head to head we’ll get to see Mickey Gall get his wish to face off against the natural lightweight Sage Northcutt in a welterweight match up. It’s a fight that has generated enough interest for it to be genuinely appealing, especially considering how early each of these young men are in their career. Will Gall’s callout prove to be the wise move or has he bit off more than he can chew against Northcutt?

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And the hits just keep on coming as the UFC sets up for yet another event this Saturday night as Paige Vanzant clashes with former Invicta atomweight champion Michelle Waterson. But before these two women meet head to head we’ll get to see Mickey Gall get his wish to face off against the natural lightweight Sage Northcutt in a welterweight match up. It’s a fight that has generated enough interest for it to be genuinely appealing, especially considering how early each of these young men are in their career. Will Gall’s callout prove to be the wise move or has he bit off more than he can chew against Northcutt?

From what I’ve gathered from Mickey Gall so far in his career is that he has solid striking with an affinity for grappling. As far as his stand up goes we only have a handful of examples both in which featured the young upstart battling men with little experience. We got to see his grappling game as he faced off against the inexperienced CM Punk back at UFC 203. The fight may have done more to answer questions about the former WWE wrestler than it did to measure Gall’s potential in the UFC. Being the longer, bigger man, Gall will most likely aim to get this fight to the ground as soon as possible rather than play around on the feet. Expect him to follow a similar game plan to what we saw in the CM Punk fight. Gall will throw some strikes and feints on the feet in order for Northcutt to counter and over compensate. Once that happens expect for Gall to shoot for a double leg takedown.

From what we’ve seen from Sage Northcutt this far in his MMA career, there’s a lot to like. He can wrestle, he can grapple, but he does much of his best work on the feet. What he’s missing is technical savvy. At times he finds himself too far forward against opponents who are obliged to take the karate expert down once he’s in their range. Gall is likely to employ a wrestling based game so it’s going to be important for Northcutt to keep his distance in this fight. He will likely have a speed advantage which he should consistently exploit with jabs or lunge punches then shuffle out before Gall can counter with strikes or a takedown attempt. Fighting in a broken rhythm will be key to throwing Gall off of his game and maintaining a gulf in between them will only enhance Northcutt’s chances of landing devastating power punches when he feels so inclined.

Both of these young men are still prospects with a ton of upside. While Northcutt has falter d against wrestlers in the past, working with welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has likely given him the preparation he needs to counter Gall effectively. Look for Sage Northcutt to pull out the victory with a second round TKO.

Will it be Sage Northcutt or Mickey Gall at UFC on Fox 22?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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UFC 206 Picks: Interim Title On The Line…For One

The main event of UFC 206 may be tarnished by the fact that former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis missed weight by three pounds, yet the match up between he and Max Holloway is still intriguing. But it does but a big asterisk on the event as a whole. The UFC promoting the match to an interim title fight certainly lent more gravity to the situation, but it also forced them to unceremoniously strip Conor McGregor of his title only to have the UFC 206 title fight fall apart. If Holloway wins he still gets the belt. If Anthony Pettis wins he gets his show and win money minus twenty percent. Nevertheless, the fight itself is what counts and breaking it down is still the goal.

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The main event of UFC 206 may be tarnished by the fact that former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis missed weight by three pounds, yet the match up between he and Max Holloway is still intriguing. But it does but a big asterisk on the event as a whole. The UFC promoting the match to an interim title fight certainly lent more gravity to the situation, but it also forced them to unceremoniously strip Conor McGregor of his title only to have the UFC 206 title fight fall apart. If Holloway wins he still gets the belt. If Anthony Pettis wins he gets his show and win money minus twenty percent. Nevertheless, the fight itself is what counts and breaking it down is still the goal.

Max Holloway has emerged as one of the most dangerous strikers in the featherweight division, but striking isn’t the only thing he does well. He also has good timing on his takedowns and some solid grappling skills that has seen him tap out Cub Swanson with a suffocating guillotine choke. On the feet Holloway is able to fight in both stances, but not in the way of most other strikers of his ilk. Instead of switching stance at distance, Holloway is able to switch stances in the middle of striking combinations which open up new angles to exploit on his opponent. It’s the kind of skill that he’ll want to utilize in this match up, all the while forcing Pettis’ back against the fence. Both men are of similar height and reach, but Pettis is a fighter who likes to have space behind him in order to throw his offense effectively. Holloway has to do everything in his power to take away that option and by doing so can pick Pettis apart along the fence.

On the flip side of the table, Anthony Pettis is going to want to control the center of the cage for the duration of the fight. He has a dynamic kicking game that can be frustrated when he’s moving backwards. Holding the center of the cage will give him more offensive options and ensure that he has room to bail on certain techniques if he’s out of position. Rather than focusing on a flashy approach, Pettis is going to want to play counter fighter in this match up, but not by simply sitting back and waiting for Holloway to lead. Instead he’ll want to initiate the striking exchanges, pull back, then reenter with sharp counters, something that his taekwondo background is sure to have taught him. Like Doo Ho Choi who appears earlier on the card, Pettis is a wizard at picking up on his opponents mistakes except that he answers back with kicks rather than punches. Pettis can’t let Holloway get comfortable and find too much of a rhythm or risk getting potentially out struck by Holloway’s superior striking game.

This fight is sure to be fun while it lasts. While Pettis is certainly far from being washed up, the betting lines may have it right when it comes to this match up. Look for Max Holloway to out strike the former lightweight champion en route to a decision victory.

Will Holloway become interim featherweight champion or will Pettis redeem himself?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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UFC 206 Picks: Will Cowboy Outduel The Immortal One?

The new co-main event will likely be just as exciting as the featherweight featured bout. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is set to do battle with Matt “The Immortal” Brown in a welterweight match up that could answer a great deal of questions about each man’s future in the division. Where a win for Cowboy could thrust him into title contention, a loss for Matt Brown could possibly spell the beginning of the end of a career that has been a true roller coaster ride.

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The new co-main event will likely be just as exciting as the featherweight featured bout. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is set to do battle with Matt “The Immortal” Brown in a welterweight match up that could answer a great deal of questions about each man’s future in the division. Where a win for Cowboy could thrust him into title contention, a loss for Matt Brown could possibly spell the beginning of the end of a career that has been a true roller coaster ride.

Many were skeptical of Donald Cerrone having a chance at beating the elite at welterweight but his last few performances have shed some light on the fact that Cowboy’s skills are far sharper at a heavier weight. In this fight with Brown, and perhaps most fights he’ll have at welterweight, Cowboy is likely to have a speed advantage that he can exploit. His last few bouts show cased just how accurate, fast, unpredictable, and powerful Cowboy can be once he finds his grove. He’ll have to be on the look out for the initial bull rush from Brown who can throw people off their game with his pressure. Both men are great when coming forward, but Cowboy has more weapons that he utilizes at short range with his step knee, front push kicks, and lead hand upper-jabs. He’ll need to utilize all those tools if he hopes to come out on top in the fight. Wrestling when Brown gets too aggressive may be huge key to victory here.

After falling to Jake Ellenberger in his last bout, Matt Brown has some real soul searching to do. That search has led him to Duane Ludwig’s tutelage. A wizard of striking, Ludwig should be able to add some new wrinkles to Brown’s game heading into this match. What “The Immortal” will have to do in this match up is to put pressure on Cerrone early and often. Rather than allow Cerrone get into his groove, Brown should aim to crowd Cerrone by closing the distance with punches and force his way into the clinch where he always does great work. From in close, elbows and knees are Brown’s best friends. Brown needs to use his size advantage and make Cerrone feel uncomfortable in close quarters.

Oddly both men often take damage to their midsections. Whoever begins to score there first could be on their way to victory. With more ways to get it done, the pick is Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone by TKO.

Do you think Cowboy can overcome The Immortal?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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