Mexico City Arena
Mexico City, Mexico
Mr. Glass, Cain Velasquez has dropped out of yet another fight, and Mark Hunto gets to step in an complete the greatest MMA comeback of all time! There's a couple of other good fights, and then this card just falls off a cliff. These TUF Latin America fighters may be better than TUF China fighters, but not by much. This card is really shit and the UFC should be ashamed. They banked on Cain to draw eyeballs and that bit them in the ass!
Interim Heavyweight Title Fight
Fabricio Werdum (17-5-1) -450 vs. Mark Hunt (10-8-1) +325
"Vai Cavalo," the "Go Horse" has won 4 in a row showing vastly improved stand up skills, and he always has that crazy slick Jiu-Jitsu in the holster, should he need it.
"The Super Samoan" is on a 1 fight winning streak (though he should get the win over Antonio Silva who was juiced out of his TRT fueled mind) and took this fight on short notice. The weight cut was tough on Hunto, and this is the highest elevation, ever, for a UFC event, so there is no way Mark should win this fight.
And yet, MMA Gods be damned, Mark Hunt is your new UFC Heavyweight Champion! Sure, Werdum can take Hunt down and tap him out in seconds, and sure Fabricio has spent a month down in Mexico acclimating to the climate while Mark was scarfing down KFC, but this is destiny! MMAFO doesn't care about the odds. MMAFO doesn't care about rationale. Goddamn it, Hunt deserves to be the champ and it would be an amazing story for a guy who the UFC tried to buy out of his contract, but he wanted to earn his money like a man, and found popularity and success when he was as low as his career could go and nobody believed in him. Fuck it! We're riding with Hunto until the end.
Upset Pick WINNER-Mark Hunt by Rd.1 KO
Jake Ellenberger (29-8) +155 vs. Kelvin Gastelum (10-0) -190
The "Juggernaut" must have this fight to remain relevant at Welterweight. Jake has lost 2 in a row. Granted, it was to #1 contender Robbie Lawer, and #2 contender Rory MacDonald, but it was how he lost. Ellenberger could not seem to pull the trigger in either contest losing his past forcefulness and just standing frozen, in front of his enemies. When on point, Jake has brutal power in his hands and a quick, powerful shot.
Kelvin's criticism has been that he struggles with the weight cuts and gasses in fights. He has still been able to motor through tough evenings winning 4 in a row for Zuffa. Gastelum easily made weight this time, and if that problem is fixed, beware. Kelvin is a sturdy wrestler who has power in his southpaw based hands, but uses his boxing to get close and ground you into his world. Once on the canvas, Gastelum is adept at forcing foes into positions where he can latch on a submission, or really power down the G&P.
MMAFO really wants to pick Ellenberger, and we've been high on him since he came to the UFC. But we just can't. Kelvin is strong, like ox strong, and just puts opponents into advantageous positions with ease like Matt Hughes in his prime. Also, Jake has just looked so bad recently, its hard to side with him against such a spirited up and comer. Maybe, hopefully, we're wrong, but Gastelum is the pick to get Ellenberger down, and rough him up to at least win 2 of the 3 rounds.
WINNER-Kelvin Gastelum by Decision
Ricardo Lamas (14-3) +150 vs. Dennis Bermudez (15-3) -185
Lamas has gone 5-1 in the UFC only losing to venerable Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo in 5 rounds. The guy is a "Bully" as his nickname suggests, ratcheting opponents to the ground and grinding them down into the damn dust. Ricardo can crack as well, but the ground war is where he shines. Lamas will also enjoy the hometown hero advantage as he has just been mobbed as a hero this week in Mexico.
Bermudez has gone 7-1 for the UFC, only losing his initial bout for Zuffa by submission. Dennis leans more toward his striking, though he hasn't shown a ton of ability to finish there. Mainly, "The Menace" using aggressiveness and pressure fighting to bring volume boxing, but he is decent in scrambles as well.
Ooooh, this is a tough one to call. Both men are hostile fighters, determined to impose their respective wills. "The Menace" has come into his own while Lamas has already hit his peak. If Dennis can thwart the takedown attack, which is likely as his defense is pretty damn good, he has far more to offer standing. Bermudez quantity of striking easily outdoes Ricardo, and the ground game is really a wash. Lamas isn't one to go away, so he'll make Bermudez work for it which is what Dennis needs to elevate himself into the title scene.
WINNER-Dennis Bermudez by Decision
TUF Latin America Featherweight Final
Yair Rodriguez (3-1) -170 vs. Leonardo Morales (4-0) +140
Yair brings an unorthodox attack of spinning shit, crazy kicks, and a solid top game.
Morales is an athletic southpaw who strikes well, just not in volume.
This could go either way, but Rodriguez should be more active to win on points.
WINNER-Yair Rodriguez by Decision
TUF Latin America Bantamweight Final
Alejandro Perez (14-5) +185 vs. Jose Quinonez (3-1) -235 [Rematch]
Quizno's has already defeated Perez in August of 2013 by Decision so keep that in mind. "El Taco," wait, what's that? Oh, "El Teco," our bad, is an aggressive striker who uses the Thai Plum well to batter foes with knees. Jose has the size advantage and is faster. Did we mention he already beat this guy?
WINNER-Jose Quinonez by Decision (again)
Augusto Montano (13-1) -210 vs. Chris Heatherly (8-2) +170
"Dodger" trains out of the Jackson-Winkeljohn camp and has finished opponents in all 13 of his wins! Though primarily a striker, and a pretty good one at that, he knows how to pounce on opportunities and submit fools as well.
Heatherly is now famous for being the guy that was submitted by MMAFO favorite Ben "Killa-B" Saunders via crushing Omoplata! The 1st of its kind in the UFC. Anywho, "Stump" is a wrestler through and through. He has nothing else to offer but he grapples well and will not stop pursuing the takedown.
As long as Montano can stay off his back for at least half the fight, the night should be his. He is far, far better on offense but if he is a turtle on his back, Chris will lay on him for 15 minutes. We ever so slightly lean toward Augusto since he has more tools than the 1 trick pony.
WINNER-Augusto Montano by Decision
Edgar Garcia (14-3) -200 vs. Héctor Urbina (16-8-1) +160
This is a rock-em-sock-em kinda fight. Both guys throw leather and aren't afraid to take a punch. Garcia seems to be better at both in what should be a fun, though not important fight.
WINNER-Edgar Garcia by Decision
Jessica Eye (10-2) -250 vs. Leslie Smith (7-5-1) +195
Oh look. A fight that's actually worth talking about on this sad excuse for preliminaries. Jessica lost her UFC debut in a very close fight with Alexis Davis. The pot smoking liar (c'mon MMA fans, know your history) is a technical striker with a lot of speed. She excels from the outside jabbing enemies to death.
"The Peacemaker" (an odd nickname for a fighter) is just a brawler. She's fun, but doesn't bring a lot of technique instead relying on pugnacity.
This is "Red" Eye's (see what we did there?) fight to lose. She's the better fighter as long as she doesn't try to throw down in a phone booth with Smith. Could be "Fight of the Night."
WINNER-Jessica Eye by Decision
Enrique Briones (15-4-1) -125 vs. Guido Cannetti (6-1) -105
Both of these guys are mirror images of each other. Both men are wild aggressive strikers, but we favor Guido to be faster to the punch.
Upset Pick WINNER-Guido Cannetti by Decision
Marlon Vera (6-1-1) -265 vs. Marco Beltran (5-3) +205
"Chito" Vera is a pup at 21, and though he doesn't have much to offer as a striker, he will take you down, pass your guard, and look for the submissions wherever opportunities open up.
"El Psycho" is getting his shot in the UFC off the TUF show on a 3 fight losing streak. Beltran is here because he is Mexican though he isn't good at anything.
WINNER-Marlon Vera by Rd.1 Submission
Humberto Brown Morrison (4-4) vs. Gabriel Benitez (16-4)
Benitez is a decent kickboxer with submissions in his arsenal, while Morrison is just awful. Awful! We mean terrible.
WINNER-Gabriel Benitez by Whatever
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