Tag: Fighters

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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Fallout: UFC 206 Delivers On Battles For The Ages

UFC 206 was in some real trouble. The loss of the Daniel Cormier/Anthony Johnson main event made it seem like the event would be less than stellar. When Anthony Pettis and a number of other fighters missed weight the day before the event it seemed like UFC 206 was doomed (more on that later). But after all was said and done the show ended up being one of the more exciting events of the year, namely for some featherweight action at the top of the card.

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UFC 206 was in some real trouble. The loss of the Daniel Cormier/Anthony Johnson main event made it seem like the event would be less than stellar. When Anthony Pettis and a number of other fighters missed weight the day before the event it seemed like UFC 206 was doomed (more on that later). But after all was said and done the show ended up being one of the more exciting events of the year, namely for some featherweight action at the top of the card.

The battle between Donald Cerrone and Matt Brown was one of grit, heart, and skill. Both men traded blows, both men hurt the other, and yet both men still came back for more. It was a display of what two elite level martial artists can accomplish in the cage if they just keep pushing forward. The bout was punctuated by a thrilling head kick knock out suffered by Brown and brilliantly set up by Cerrone. It was emphatic and announced to all the elite welterweights in the division that Cerrone is here to stay at 170 lbs.

The main event was also a great display of technical ability as Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis stood toe to toe trying to figure out riddle of each others styles. It made for a pretty intriguing striking battle in which both men utilized their full range of skills. It’s just unfortunate that Pettis hurt his right hand in the beginning of the fight because things were shaping up to be pretty exciting. If Pettis can find a way to make the weight at featherweight then a rematch between the two is a fight that no one would be arguing against seeing. If not, then at least we were able to see the two clash in a technical main event.

But the main and co-main event aren’t the fights that everyone has been talking about. The real show stealer at UFC 206 was clearly Cub Swanson versus Doo Ho Choi. While Choi looked strong early it was Swanson who would eventually take over and land some hellacious shots on the “Korean Superboy” nearly ending the fight on several occasions. But Choi landed some heavy leather of his own and showed that he wasn’t deterred to having a good old fashioned slugfest. The biggest take away for me in this fight was the chin and the heart of Doo Ho Choi. Like Max Holloway before him, Choi lost and lost emphatically. But this experience is likely to make him an even better fighter. Going through a war like that can sometimes show you what you’re made of and if it didn’t break Choi, it’s likely that it’s sparked a fire within him instead. In the coming years look for Doo Ho Choi to become a real monster in the featherweight division.

What was your favorite fight at UFC 206?

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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UFC 206 Picks: Can Cub Swanson Out Scrap Doo Ho Choi?

UFC 206 is coming this weekend and though we may have lost the stellar main event of Daniel Cormier versus Anthony Johnson, the replacement main event is just as intriguing as the light heavyweight title match would have been. Max Holloway versus Anthony Pettis has potential to be a true barnburner of a fight and for the interim featherweight title no less. But the other featherweight match up on the main card looks to be just as intriguing as Christmas comes early for Doo ho Choi who gets his wish of fighting his idol Cub Swanson.

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UFC 206 is coming this weekend and though we may have lost the stellar main event of Daniel Cormier versus Anthony Johnson, the replacement main event is just as intriguing as the light heavyweight title match would have been. Max Holloway versus Anthony Pettis has potential to be a true barnburner of a fight and for the interim featherweight title no less. But the other featherweight match up on the main card looks to be just as intriguing as Christmas comes early for Doo ho Choi who gets his wish of fighting his idol Cub Swanson.

A twelve year veteran in the sport, Cub Swanson is a savvy striker with a ton of experience under his belt. Known as a grappler in the earlier phases of his career, it was evident that Swanson put a tremendous amount of focus in improving his striking. His six fight win streak showed just how versatile he has been on the feet. That is until he bumped into Frankie Edgar and Max Holloway. Now with a new streak going Swanson looks to batter Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206. The biggest issue he’s going to have to overcome is avoiding the temptation to just stand and bang. If he hopes to keep his future in the sport alive he’ll have to mix up his game. Choi is seasoned, but the kind of experience that Swanson has obtain means that he’s smart enough to take the fight to the ground or even slow down Choi’s pace by putting him against the fence. Neither man likes to kick much, but a healthy dose to Choi’s legs would be a good plan of action for Swanson. What Swanson absolutely cannot afford is to get into a wild slug fest where his younger opponent is likely to excel.

Doo Ho Choi has become a very intriguing addition to the UFC featherweight division, one that has been outclassing his opposition thus far in the octagon. Now he meets Cub Swanson who is sure to present different obstacles that Choi has yet to face thus far in his career. Choi has disciplined boxing but has some defensive flaws like overthrowing his shots when he feels he closes in for the kill, but for the most part he stays composed and ready to counter. Feeding Swanson some long range jabs and straights to the body with eventually start to keep Swanson guessing. Choi has some really explosive movement, especially when he’s on the counter and can cover distance well if need be. He has to get Swanson to react and either counter the counter or put Cub into a defensive shell to deter him from coming forward. If Swanson over commits an uppercut, left hook, or right straight will likely greet him on the counter.

While Cub Swanson still has plenty left in the tank Doo Ho Choi presents a striking threat that could see the veteran getting clipped with a well timed counter. Expect Doo Ho Choi to prove the hype is all real as he captures a KO victory in the first round of a fun striking contest.

Who do you think wins at UFC 206?

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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