With the ratings of this season of The Ultimate Fighter in a tailspin, the UFC has quickly been announcing matchups for the season finale. Unlike previous seasons, it looks as though this season’s finale won’t feature many fights between the not-quite-worthy competitors from the show, as a total of eight fights between current UFC fighters have been announced for the finale. Which is good, because most of you reading this don’t know or care about anyone from this season of TUF 16 in the first place.
The two most recent fights booked for the TUF 16 Finale are a featherweight showdown between Jonathan Brookins and Dustin Poirier and a flyweight bout between Tim Elliott and Jared Papazian.
After winning five straight fights under the Zuffa banner, Dustin Poirier would suffer a fourth round D’arce choke loss to Chan Sung Jung at UFC on FUEL 2. Despite the loss, Poirier put on a Fight of the Night – and arguably Fight of the Year – worthy performance, proving that he’s still a contender in the featherweight division despite the loss to Jung. Meanwhile, things cannot possibly be going more differently for Jonathan Brookins. After defeating Michael Johnson by unanimous decision to win The Ultimate Fighter Season Twelve, Brookins would drop a unanimous decision to Erik Koch, knock out Vagner Rocha and most recently get choked out by Charles Oliveira at June’s TUF 15 finale.
Check after the jump for the full TUF 16 Finale fight card, as well as Chad Mendes’ next opponent.
With the ratings of this season of The Ultimate Fighter in a tailspin, the UFC has quickly been announcing matchups for the season finale. Unlike previous seasons, it looks as though this season’s finale won’t feature many fights between the not-quite-worthy competitors from the show, as a total of eight fights between current UFC fighters have been announced for the finale. Which is good, because most of you reading this don’t know or care about anyone from this season of TUF 16 in the first place.
The two most recent fights booked for the TUF 16 Finale are a featherweight showdown between Jonathan Brookins and Dustin Poirier and a flyweight bout between Tim Elliott and Jared Papazian.
After winning five straight fights under the Zuffa banner, Dustin Poirier would suffer a fourth round D’arce choke loss to Chan Sung Jung at UFC on FUEL 2. Despite the loss, Poirier put on a Fight of the Night – and arguably Fight of the Year – worthy performance, proving that he’s still a contender in the featherweight division despite the loss to Jung. Meanwhile, things cannot possibly be going more differently for Jonathan Brookins. After defeating Michael Johnson by unanimous decision to win The Ultimate Fighter Season Twelve, Brookins would drop a unanimous decision to Erik Koch, knock out Vagner Rocha and most recently get choked out by Charles Oliveira at June’s TUF 15 finale.
I’d call this fight a squash match, but if Brookins’ win/loss pattern is any indication, he should probably win this fight. Of course, if I’m looking at talent, UFC experience, athleticism, level of competition and all that other silly stuff, Poirier takes this fight, no doubt.
As for the other matchup, it’s more than likely “Loser Leaves Town” when Tim Elliott squares off against Jared Papazian. Eliott stepped up to replace Darren Uyenoyama on short notice against John Dodson, but dropped a unanimous decision to the flyweight contender. Papazian, meanwhile, is 0-2 in the UFC after losing a majority decision to Mike Easton and then getting punked by Dustin Pague before losing by rear-naked choke in the first round.
For those of you keeping track, the lineup for the TUF 16 Finale looks like this:
Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson
Mike Pyle vs. James Head
Jonathan Brookins vs. Dustin Poirier
Nick Catone vs. TJ Waldburger
Reuben Duran vs. Hugo Viana
Vinc Pichel vs. Rustam Khabilov
Johnny Bedford vs. Marcos Vinicius
Tim Elliott vs. Jared Papazian
Also of note, December 15′s UFC on FX 6 has added a featherweight fight between Chad Mendes and Hacran Dias to the lineup. “Money” Mendes is coming off of a thirty-one second knockout over Cody McKenzie at UFC 148 that we pretty much all saw coming. He was given the rebound fight after suffering a knockout at the hands of current featherweight champion Jose Aldo back at UFC 142. As for Dias, the training partner of Jose Aldo defeated Yuri Alcantara in his UFC debut at UFC 147, improving his record to 21-1-1. An entertaining fight is to be expected when these two eventually meet up.
The main event at the Ultimate Fighter 15 finale resulted in an upset as Martin Kampann finished Jake Ellenberger with a second round TKO after landing a short counter right hand and following up with.
The main event at the Ultimate Fighter 15 finale resulted in an upset as Martin Kampann finished Jake Ellenberger with a second round TKO after landing a short counter right hand and following up with knee strikes. In typical Kampmann style, he was knocked down by a huge Ellenberger right hand in the first round but managed to survive a difficult spot to come back and earn the victory. Most of Kampmann’s fights end with both competitors wearing the evidence of a back and forth striking battle and last night’s installment was no different. The opening round of the fight started with both fighters wary of the other’s dangerous striking. Ellenberger landed the right hand half way through the round and pounced on Kapmann in an attempt to end the fight. Kampmann was aware enough to defend against the ground and pound barrage that ensued forcing Ellenberger to slow down to avoid burning himself out. Kampmann was more aggressive to begin the second round and started to hurt Ellenberger with counter punches. A quick counter right hand that was almost imperceptible sent Ellenberger stumbling toward the cage and Kampmann moved forward patiently to finish the fight. He landed two big knees that dropped his opponent and would have continued his attack on the ground had the fight not been stopped. Initially, the stoppage seemed quick but Ellenberger wasn’t upset with it and the replay showed that he was not in a defensive position. For Ellenberger, this is a step back after years of climbing the welterweight ladder. With losses to current interim 170 pound champion Carlos Condit and Kampmann, he will have to put together a few victories in a row to get back into the title picture. For Kampmann, he has taken one step closer to a title fight. The most likely fight after last night’s results seems to be a contender fight with Johnny Hendricks who recently defeated Josh Koscheck.
Charles Oliveira earned his second consecutive victory at 145 pounds when Jonathan Brookins tapped to a second round guillotine choke. Oliveira was clearly the better fighter throughout the fight with Brookins only gaining an advantage when he was briefly able to draw Oliveira into wild brawling exchanges. For most of the fight, Oliveira stayed on the outside landing punches and leg kicks while occasionally closing the distance with combinations. Oliviera put Brookins on his back in the second round and took advantage of his opponent’s attempt to stand up by latching on to a guillotine choke and submitting Brookins. We may have seen Brookins’ ceiling in the fight and while he can provide interesting fights going forward, he will probably never be a title contender. Expect to see him get a more winnable fight in his next cage appearance as the UFC looks to protect its former Ultimate Fighter winner. For Oliviera, this was one more step toward what looks to be an inevitable rise to the upper echelon of the featherweight division. The question for the UFC is how fast to move him along because if they put him in with a top competitor too quickly, his relative inexperience at age twenty two could lead to a loss. However, he has established that mid tier fighters will not provide any competition so feeding him two or three more easy fights may not be the best decision either.
In the other non TUF related fight on the card, Max Holloway dominated Pat Schilling. At just twenty years old, Holloway was impressive and his development over the next few years will be interesting to watch. After being outclassed by Dustin Poirier in his first UFC fight, Holloway was able to display his full arsenal against Schilling. He brutalized Shilling’s body with punches that left his opponnent barely able to get back to a standing position by the end of the fight. Holloway showed excellent poise in following his gameplan, which was clearly not to engage with Schilling on the ground and keep the fight on the feet. The only time he was in any danger was when Schilling latched on to a kneebar at the end of the first round. From that point, Holloway refused to go to the ground even after dropping Schilling with punches. He made his opponent stand up and continued his assault on the feet. The only way he could have been more impressive was to finish the fight but considering his age and striking acumen, Holloway is on the right track toward becoming a factor in the 145 pound division.
“Anyone *else* want to punch me in the face?!?” (Photo: Louie Abigail/FightBulletin.net)
Still in the wake of last week’s heavyweight rumbles, Friday’s ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Live’ Finale drew little hype. It could be because it was sandwiched in the middle of a busy schedule, or because it’s the closer to the least-watched season of the franchise thus far. Either way, it was a night of action worthy of your eyeballs, particularly considering the pricetag.
Jake Ellenberger wasted little time in bringing the hurt to his opponent. Ellenberger swarmed Martin Kampmann, a notoriously slow starter, with a barrage of heavy hands right out of the gate, sending the Dane crashing to his back against the cage. “The Juggernaut” followed him to the ground, unloading with heavy ground and pound in search of the shot that would turn Kampmann’s lights out. The death blow wouldn’t come, and if Kampmann prayed for a moment’s rest the gods shined upon him with nearly four minutes of a protracted ground battle that allowed him to shake out the cobwebs and regain his composure.
“Anyone *else* want to punch me in the face?!?” (Photo: Louie Abigail/FightBulletin.net)
Still in the wake of last week’s heavyweight rumbles, Friday’s ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Live’ Finale drew little hype. It could be because it was sandwiched in the middle of a busy schedule, or because it’s the closer to the least-watched season of the franchise thus far. Either way, it was a night of action worthy of your eyeballs, particularly considering the pricetag.
Jake Ellenberger wasted little time in bringing the hurt to his opponent. Ellenberger swarmed Martin Kampmann, a notoriously slow starter, with a barrage of heavy hands right out of the gate, sending the Dane crashing to his back against the cage. “The Juggernaut” followed him to the ground, unloading with heavy ground and pound in search of the shot that would turn Kampmann’s lights out. The death blow wouldn’t come, and if Kampmann prayed for a moment’s rest the gods shined upon him with nearly four minutes of a protracted ground battle that allowed him to shake out the cobwebs and regain his composure.
“The Hitman” briefly took control of round two, connecting with a right hand that backed Ellenberger up against the cage. Kampmann pursued and got off a few shots before the ‘King of the Jakes‘ returned fire, again unleashing a torrent of heavy hands that had Kampmann in trouble. True to form, ‘The Hitman’ weathered the storm and connected with a short right to the top of the head that had Ellenberger doing the fish dance across the cage. Kampmann tied him up in a thai clinch and delivered three targeted knees to the face that dropped the ‘Berg to the canvas where referee Steve Mazagatti quickly—very quickly—stepped in to end the bout. The TKO stoppage broke Elleberger’s six-fight win streak and earned Kampmann one of the evening’s $40k Knockout of the Night bonuses. It also likely earns him a dance with Johnny Hendricks in a number-one contender bout, whatever those are worth these days.
In the evening’s titular bout, Team Faber products Mike Chiesa and Al Iaquinta squared off for the most coveted piece of glass in MMA. Iaquinta went on the attack early on. His aggressive standup had Chiesa covering up and backing away, and his takedown defense thwarted his former teammate’s early attempts to bring the fight to the ground. But a fruitless single leg or two were not enough to break the spirit of Chiesa, who bravely marched on through the grueling 13-week TUF trials after losing his father early in the season. As Iaquinta waded in winging punches, “Maverick” countered and took his back, sinking in his hooks and dragging him to the canvas. Chiesa tirelessly worked for the rear naked choke, alternating from one arm to another until one finally sunk below Iaquinta’s chin. The choke was in deep, and Iaquinta fought it off until going to sleep. In a time when ‘feel good’ stories are being forced and manufactured, even the most jaded of us have to feel good for Mike Chiesa. Along with his plaque, he’s won the infamous ‘six-figure contract’, a sponsorship from TapouT, the $40k ‘Submission of the Night’ bonus and a brand new hog.
Speaking of TUF champs, season 12 kingpin Jonathan Brookins returned to the cage to face the dynamic Charles Oliveira. Unfortunately, Brookins still looks ill-equipped to compete in the striking portion of an MMA bout. With a high chin and low hands, he took the worst of the exchanges, including the flying knee he ate before body-locking Oliveira and slamming him to the mat. ‘Do Bronx’ was not on his back long, though, and he confidently resumed battering Brookins on his feet. Brookins did put together a few combos in the second frame, even drawing a bit of blood from Oliveira’s forehead, but he also broke the cardinal rule of bringing slaps to a fist fight (no offense, El Guapo). Caught in a standing guillotine, Oliveira tried to slam his way free only to wind up in Brookins’ guard, but the Brazilian worked his way out of the sub. After delivering a pair of hard elbows, Oliveira exited his opponent’s guard and secured a modified guillotine of his own. Brookins would tap to the choke, reducing my hopes of witnessing a beautiful lateral drop to zero.
Earlier in the evening, youngster Max Holloway showed off an impressive striking game in a lopsided decision victory over Pat Schilling. Holloway’s clinic included flying knees, crippling body punches, even an attempt at a jazzed-up Showtime Kick—basically everything but a shred of killer instinct. Holloway left Schilling defenseless and barely able to ease himself off the canvas throughout the bout, but at no point did he move in for the coup de gras. Looking superb on your feet is one thing, but when you’re standing over a wounded animal the only humane thing to do is put him out of his misery. As his bloody piss circles the toilet this morning, I’m sure even Schilling wishes Holloway had pulled the trigger.
Justin Lawrence kicked off the action, and John Cofer’s head, in the broadcast’s opening bout. Things looked good for Cofer early on as he scored a short-lived takedown and a big left hand that momentarily staggered Lawrence, but ‘TUF: Live’s’ first draft pick was far from flustered. Cofer was game to trade on his feet, though he found himself on the bruised end of the exchanges. As round two drew to a close, the wrestler grabbed Lawrence from behind and took him for a ride, suplexing him to the ground. Lawrence escaped Cofer’s back control and ended the round with a little ground and pound. The third frame was short and sweet, for “The American Kid” at least. As Cofer backpeddled from an exchange Lawrence landed a perfectly timed right high kick to the jaw that had Cofer doing “The Captain” as he careened toward the ground. Both men picked up the $40 g’s for the “Fight of the Night”, while Lawrence’s thunder foot scored him the night’s second KOTN bonus.
Main Card (on FX):
-Martin Kampmann def. Jake Ellenberger by KO (Knees) at 1:40, R2
-Michael Chiesa def. Al Iaquinta by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:37, R1
-Charles Oliveira def. Johnathan Brookins by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:42, R2
-Max Holloway def. Pat Schilling by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3
-Justin Lawrence def. John Cofer by KO (Kick) at 0:19, R3
Preliminary Card (on Fuel TV): – Daron Cruickshank def. Chris Tickle by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27), R3
-Myles Jury def. Chris Saunders by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:03, R1
-Sam Sicilia def. Cristiano Marcello by TKO (Strikes) at 2:53, R2
-Joe Proctor def. Jeremy Larsen by TKO (Strikes) at 1:59, R1
Preliminary Card (on Facebook):
-Erik Perez def. John Albert by Verbal Submission (Armbar) at 4:18, R1
(Brookins and Chiesa will be fighting hard for the UFC’s new “Filthiest Hair” bonus. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this gallery, click here.)
Since he’s been recapping the season for us anyway, Elias Cepeda is back to handle liveblog duties for this evening. Round-by-round results from the Ultimate Fighter Live Finale main card broadcast will be collecting after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please, no comment-section lurking; if you’ve got something to say, share it with the class.
(Brookins and Chiesa will be fighting hard for the UFC’s new “Filthiest Hair” bonus. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this gallery, click here.)
Since he’s been recapping the season for us anyway, Elias Cepeda is back to handle liveblog duties for this evening. Round-by-round results from the Ultimate Fighter Live Finale main card broadcast will be collecting after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please, no comment-section lurking; if you’ve got something to say, share it with the class.
Sorry for the delay, folks – my cable went out. We are in the second round of John Cofer vs. Justin Lawrence now.
We pick up the action midway through the 2nd…
Both men are swinging big and in combinations each time and are showing fatigue. Overhand right from Lawrence finishes up a combination that includes leg kicks. Lawrence gets inside with punches, they clinch up, Cofer lands a knee to the head.
Cofer takes Lawrence’s back while standing and suplexes the kid. Cofer takes Lawrence’s back on the feet and works him into a face-down position and looks for the rear naked choke. Lawrence escapes, stands up and jumps into the full guard. Round ends.
Round 3
Lawrence lands a foot kick straight to the jaw of Cofer as he backs away and knocks him out cold!
“I’m here in the UFC and I’m here to stay,” Lawrence declares.
Max Halloway vs. Pat Schilling
Rd 1
Halloway with his hands low, Schilling shoots in for a single leg, switches to a high crotch but Halloway defends well. Schilling contines to press in, backs Halloway against the cage. Schilling hits a single leg but Halloway gets right back to his feet. Schilling lands a left kick, Halloway lands a body kick.
Halloway lands a long jab. Schilling shoots in but gets stuffed. Schilling rushes in with uppercuts that miss. Schilling throws a spinning back fist. Halloway throws a head kick that is blocked. Halloway trying to mix in left hooks to the body in and they are landing. Halloway misses a flying knee, lands a leg kick and head kick.
Schilling rushes in with uppercuts and hooks again, all miss. He shoots in from too far away and Halloway sprawls and stands. Schilling lands the cross of a one-two combo. Schilling shoots for a double leg against the cage with ten seconds left, he rolls for a knee bar at the close of the round and it ends with him extending Halloway’s leg. Saved by the bell?
Rd 2
Halloway lands an overhand right. Schilling ducks down, Halloway throws and misses another flying knee. Schilling doesn’t get the take down, they are back on their feet. Halloway starting to find his range with punches to Schilling’s head.
Schilling half commits to a take down attempt after getting hurt on the feet. Halloway separates and they are back on their feet. Halloway just unloading on Schilling now with punches and knees. Schilling absorbs shots, backs away and then circles out before another half-hearted shot. Halloway lands another two body punches and then an over hand right to Schilling’s head as Schilling shoots.
Schilling shoots, gets stuffed and has trouble getting up to his feet. The body shots have appeared to have really taken Schilling’s spirit. Schilling shoots for an ankle pick and gets stuffed again. Schilling is hurt but has the presence of mind to keep his hands up and to try to circle away when he can.
Halloway hurts Schilling again with body shots, his hands drop and his mouth opens. He shoots for another take down, gets nothing. Schilling lands a spinning back first but then eats a check counter left hand. Halloway drops Schilling with punches against the cage and tees off on him as the bell sounds. This time Schilling is saved by the bell
Rd 3
Jon Anik mentions that Schilling told his corner that his right shoulder is injured. Halloway throws rapid-fire jabs that land. Schilling counters with a big right cross that lands on Halloway’s head. Schilling tries to get a head and arm control from the feet, Halloway backs away. Schilling shoots low for a take down and whiffs.
Halloway taunts Schilling, Schilling throws a spinning back fist followed by a side kick. Both are blocked. Halloway lands a left kick to Schilling’s body. Halloway lands a stiff jab, and another. A left hook, right cross punch combo from Halloway that drops Schilling. Halloway refuses to go down to the ground to try and finish and they are back on their feet with under a minute left. Halloway with a left hook to the body and right cross to the head. Halloway attempts a jump-off-the-cage spinning back kick. He rushes Schilling with punches and kicks. Halloway attempts a jumping spinning back kick, misses and the fight finishes.
Official decision is next.
All three judges scored the fight 30-27 for Halloway. The youngest fighter currently on the UFC roster says he wanted to show that he “belonged in the UFC.” He clearly does.
Jonathan Brookins vs. Charles Oliveira
Rd 1
Oliveira working kicks to the leg and body. Brookins gets inside and lands some nice dirty boxing punches to the head. Oliveira lands some hard knees to the body from the Thai plum. Oliveira misses a knee to the head and Brookins slips under and gets a double leg take down against the cage. Oliveira works a high guard and shoots an arm bar up at Brookins. Brookins defends and stands up.
They are both on their feet. Brookins lands a straight cross. Oliveira has Brookins backed against the cage now and Brookins’ chin starts to come up. Oliveira lands a huge over hand right that hurts Brookins.
Brookins gathers himself but still has his chin up and hands low as they stand up. He is eating punch after punch to the chin from Oliveira. Still, Brookins hanging tough. He starts to eat leg kicks to the inside and outside of his lead leg. Oliveira misses with a flying knee, Brookins catches a leg but fails to use it to score a take down.
Rd 2
Kenny Florian uses his multilingual skills to tell us that Oliveira’s corner was telling their fighter that Brookins has no hands, during the break. Brookins comes out hard, gets to work with slaps, yes slaps, to the head of Oliveira. The Brazilian responds with punches to the head. The punches look like they hurt more.
Brookins changes levels for another take down attempt, Oliveira gets a body lock of his own and lands a slam take down of his own. Brookins tries to lock in a guillotine choke but Oliveira escapes. Oliveira stands up, lands some short elbows to Brookins’ head as the tUF 12 winner tries to stand up. Oliveira locks in an arm-in guillotine from a D’arce grip, falls back into his own guard and gets the tap out win.
Oliveira with the 2nd-round submission win over Brookins.
Time for the TUF finale, nation!
Michael Chiesa vs. Al Iaquinta
Rd 1
Iaquinta immediately lands two big right hands. Al catches a leg kick from Mike and throws some punches. Chiesa shoots for a single, Al goes down but gets back to his feet. Al pushes the pace.
Mike finishes a punch combo with a leg kick that is caught. Al goes for a take down but Mike gets his back and drags him down to the mat. Chiesa with Al’s back, face-up, working for a rear naked choke with nearly three minutes left in the round. Chiesa gets the choke, Al refuses to tap and goes to sleep!
Michael Chiesa finishes up the most dramatic story in TUF history by winning the entire season in impressive fashion just weeks after the death of his father. Amazing.
And, oh yeah, Chiesa wins a sweet Harley.
“It has been such a journey…no way I was going to lose this fight,” Mike says.
Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann in a welterweight title challenger eliminator, or something.
Kampann comes out to Three-6 Mafia. I love it. Danish crunk rap, ftw. Ellenberger goes with the more tried and true inspirational “Till I collapse,” by Eminem.
Rd 1
The pair feel each other out with no strikes or shots taken for the first twenty seconds or so. Ellenberger lands a huge left hand flush to the jaw of Kampmann. The Dane looks to be out but hangs on somehow through a ground strike onslaught from Ellenberger. Kampann wraps full guard and controls Ellenberger’s posture.
Ellenberger has Kampman pressed against the cage on his back with three minutes left. Ellenberger briefly postures up and throws a flurry of strikes. Kampmann survives again, tries for a switch, then a guillotine. Ellenberger defending the choke.
Under a minute left, Ellenbeger still defending as Kampann tries to get his grip. He doesn’t but gets up to his feet. Ellenberger continues to crowd him. Kampmann goes for a take down of his own with seconds left in the round but doesn’t get it. Round ends.
Rd 2
They get right back at it with furious punches! Kampmann rocks Ellenberger. The wrestler buckles but does not stop swinging back! Ellenberger lands another huge left hook on Kampmann. The race around the ring, throwing hard punches at each other’s heads.
Kampmann’s nose is cut badly. Kampmann drops and apparently knocks Ellenberger out with a knee to the head and follows up with strikes and referee Steve Mazzagatti steps in before he can do more damage. Fight over.
Another come from behind win for Kampmann!
“I need to get punched a little bit to wake up,” Kampmann says. Geez, dude. I guess so. Kampmann has made a career out of taking damage and then managing to gut through and finish.
Charles Oliveira vs. Jonathan Brookins In a matchup of fighters trying to establish themselves in the 145 pound division, former Ultimate Fighter winner Jonathan Brookins returns to the octagon to face Brazilian prodigy Charles Oliveira..
Charles Oliveira vs. Jonathan Brookins
In a matchup of fighters trying to establish themselves in the 145 pound division, former Ultimate Fighter winner Jonathan Brookins returns to the octagon to face Brazilian prodigy Charles Oliveira. Both fighters are coming off of rebound victories in their previous appearance with Brookins defeating Vagner Rocha in February and Oliveira defeating Eric Wisely in January.
Brookins is a well rounded fighter who has shown the ability to finish with both strikes and submissions. He seems to lull opponents to sleep with his calm approach and unassuming personality. I would imagine fighters have a difficult time working up any animosity against Brookins who is one of the more humble and peaceful competitors in the UFC. But despite his personality, he has finishing instincts as he showed in his previous fight when he took out Rocha with ground and pound in the first round. Brookins seems to be confident wherever the fight goes so I expect him to stand with Oliveira until he feels threatened. If he starts to lose in the standup game, look for him to try to push Oliveira against the fence and turn the fight into a dirtier game of clinch work and scrambles. Oliveira appears to be the more talented fighter but that hasn’t stopped Brookins in the past and look for him to do whatever he can to take his young opponent out of his gameplan.
Oliveira is one of the most exciting young fighters in the UFC. He burst on to the scene at age 20 with an explosive armbar submission victory over Darren Elkins. After another victory, he lost two out of three fights against title caliber fighters Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone with a no decision against Nik Lentz due to an illegal knee sandwiched in between. I question why the UFC was putting him against that type of competition at age twenty one but it may turn out to be for the best as he has decided to move down to the featherweight division and was dominant in his first fight at that weight against Wisely. He made quick work of his overmatched opponent with a ridiculous calf slicer that most fight fans including myself had never seen used to finish a fight. This fight represents an appropriate step up in competition. He should have the advantage over Brookins wherever the fight goes but he will need to stay tight with his technique to earn the victory. Look for Oliveira to utilize his excellent striking game while being perfectly willing to display his grappling gift should Brookins decide to take the fight in that direction. Either way, Oliveira has the potential to give the fans an explosive finish.
Oliveira is a solid favorite at -200 with Brookins the underdog at +170. Oliveira has the talent advantage everywhere in this fight and I’m actually surprised the line isn’t a little more one-sided but I don’t blame the bookmakers for being wary of underestimating Brookins who has a habit of upsetting more talented opponents. Oliveira should have opportunities early against Brookins but if he doesn’t take advantage or if he gets sloppy or overconfident, Brookins can steal this fight. A longer fight benefits Brookins and if he can turn this into an ugly scrap with lots of close fighting against the cage, he might be able to grind his way to a decision.
