Right up there with Ben Affleck and Whitey Bolger, Dana White remains one of Boston’s most famous sons, to mark the promotion’s first event there in almost three years, he has brought an outstanding collection of match-ups to a city steeped in fighting history. Hosted in the TD Arena, the show will be televised in the US by Fox Sports 1 for the channel’s maiden voyage, temporarily alleviating the burden of pay-per-view for North American viewers.
After Irish fight fans have screamed themselves hoarse and forever changed the spring dynamic of their coaches from involuntary leaps of excitement watching a certain someone, no doubt, having a successful sophomore outing in the octagon, there’s still a tasty main card to look forward to, spanning six different divisions.
Chael Sonnen v Shogun Rua
It would be easy to be cynical about this one purely because a win for either man will not further their respective careers in any tangible way. Sonnen has inferred he will return to 185lbs win or lose, and Shogun, who is 2/2 in his four lights since losing the title to Jon Jones, has little to gain by way of the rankings.
However, if this is just looked at as fight for the sake of seeing who the better man is, it has all the trappings of a great one. Chael Sonnen, in many cases to his own detriment, will literally fight anyone, but in his first non-title fight since January 2012, he may not have bitten off more than he can chew. His style, in no way a secret, is a high paced, takedown-laden assault that can be a bugbear for a fighter with a questionable gas tank such as Shogun. Say what you will about Sonnen’s limited skill-set, he always shows up in incredible shape.
Because he closes distance so well and wraps people up, it could prevent Shogun utilising his attack style of leaping forward behind a barrage of strikes. But if Chael allows the Brazilian the freedom of the cage, he’ll be in trouble. Rua’s leg kicks are vicious, which are one of the most effective ways how hindering a wrestler’s shot. Any prolonged periods of stand-up and Sonnen will be put to sleep, unquestionably. This will be decided by the success of Sonnen’s takedowns and whether Shogun is fighting-fit.
My Prediction: Sonnen by Unanimous Decision.
Alastair Overeem v Travis Browne
The co-main event pits one of the Heavyweight division’s most promising fighters against one of its most polarizing. While his talent is without question, his partiality for questionable substances, coupled with an obnoxious persona, has meant the UFC ultras have not exactly embraced Alistair Overeem with open arms. But a win for the Dutchman on Saturday, should be put him back in the title mix. He is one of the elite strikers in the entire sport, with the CV to prove it, coupling that with 19 career wins by submission, it feels like a big ask for Browne. ‘Hapa’ is an extremely powerful, athletic man and, no doubt, Greg Jackson has devised a solid game plan for him to execute. But in terms of experience and calibre of opponents faced, Overeem enjoys a major advantage.
My Prediction: Overeem by KO/TKO in round 2.
Urijah Faber v Iuri Alcantara
Fan favourite Urijah Faber has come up short twice in his quest for UFC gold, against Dominic Cruz and Renan Barao, respectively. To ensure a third shot whenever the title is unified, he must beat Brazilian veteran Alcantara. Faber is close to the complete package; a strong wrestler, with great submissions and decent boxing. His opponent, although largely unknown, has solid record and his wins are almost equally distributed between knockouts and submissions. A win against Faber would elevate him considerably in terms of rankings. There’s a lot at stake for both parties.
My Prediction: Faber by Submission in round 2.
Matt Brown v Mike Pyle
The way Matt Brown has revived his career over the last 18 months has captivated fight fans around the world; on the verge of being cut, ‘The Immortal’ addressed the discrepancies in his grappling game and has been on a roll ever since, winning six of his last seven fights. In Mike Pyle, he faces one of the sport’s most long standing veterans, who is unbeaten in over two years. Although Brown’s grappling game has come on leaps and bounds, it would be ill-advised to take Pyle to the mat because off his back, he’s as crafty as they come. Both guys are proven finishers that like to stand in the pocket and bang, so we should be in for a good old scrap.
My Prediction: Brown by TKO in round 3.
Urijah Hall v John Howard
Boston native John Howard returns to the UFC, as a middleweight, to take on TUF 17 finalist Urijah Hall. As a member of Team Sonnen, Hall showed himself to be one of the most talented cast members in recent memory, and his loss to Kevin Gastelum in the season finale was a major shock, to him in particular. In what promises to be a stand-up battle, Hall appears better equipped to prevail. Howard is as tough as they come, but his brand of Muay Thai is belligerent and does not allow for much by the way of defence. In addition to being technically superior, Hall is a much bigger man, and should secure his first promotional win.
My Prediction: Hall by KO/TKO in round 1.
Joe Lauzon v Michael Johnson
Bonus-winning machine Joe Lauzon faces fellow TUF alumni Michael Johnson in the first fight of the main card. Johnson is on a two-fight losing streak and loss at the weekend, could make him surplus to requirements in the ultra-competitive lightweight division. Compounding this is the fact that Lauzon is fighting in his hometown and will have the crowd at his back. Lauzon’s BJJ should negate Johnson’s superior wrestling, and in the striking department there isn’t much between them. Lauzon is just that much better where it counts.
My Prediction: Lauzon by Unanimous Decision.
Coverage starts ion BT Sports at 11pm
By Tom Rooney – @oldmanrooney
Like this:
Like Loading...
0 comments