The Ultimate Fighter season 13 final saw the dawn of ‘Showtime’ to be denied, at least for now. Clay ‘The Carpenter’ Guida spoiled the much-anticipated UFC debut of Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision at the TUF Finale.
Guida used his superior wrestling, frenetic work-rate and Greg Jackson coaching to grind and wear out Pettis, who is most famous for his ‘kick heard around the world’ from his time as the WEC lightweight champion.
The night’s main event saw Tony Ferguson knock out Ramsey Nijem in the opening round to notch the title of TUF 13 winner. A swift left hook, a stiff right hand and 1min 57secs was all it took for Ferguson to join the ranks of the former TUF winners, such as former champions Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans.
“Holy crap, man. I don’t even remember throwing that.” Ferguson said on his knockout punch.
In other action on the card, Ed ‘Short Fuse’ Herman indeed made short work of Tim Credeur, putting the Louisana native away in less than a round. American Kickboxing Academy fighter Kyle Kingsbury outlasted Brazilian Fabio Maldonando en route to a competitive unanimous decision. Team Lesnar buddies Chris Cope and Chuck O’Neil put on a striking clinic, with Cope getting the nod via unanimous decision.
UFC 131 Main Events: analysis and predictions
Junior Dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin
UFC 131’s main event showcases two of the top heavyweight contenders, with the winner set for a title shot against Cain Velasquez. Brock Lesnar was originally slated to face Dos Santos, but another bout with diverticulitis has left the ex-champ on the sidelines once again.
Analysis: Carwin’s previous fight against Lesnar at UFC 116 revealed his biggest flaw: conditioning. After his initial onslaught, the heavily muscled Carwin tired quickly and fell victim to a submission. Reported changes to his diet and training regimen should remedy this problem.
Meanwhile, Dos Santos has been impressive in every outing since his UFC debut in 2008. His one trip to the scorecards was in his last fight at UFC 117 against Roy Nelson, and he showed no problems in fighting 15 tough minutes against a durable veteran.
While both fighters are known for their knockout power, both are vastly different strikers. Carwin is an ex-NCAA Division II wrestler with a hard punch, and has a tendency to throw looping hooks with little head movement. Dos Santos is the more technical striker of the two, utilising straight punches, kicks and a lethal uppercut. The BJJ black belt can fight effectively either standing or on the ground, and can do it for longer. It simply boils down to where Carwin’s wrestling advantage takes it.
Prediction: Dos Santos by TKO in Round 2.
Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes
It’s hard to fathom that Kenny Florian once competed in the same weight class as Anderson Silva. But if his last fight against Gray Maynard proved anything, it’s that even the lightweight division may be too big for him.
Here he looks for another shot at title glory, this time in the featherweight division. He makes his 145lbs debut against the impressive Diego Nunes, who defeated ex-WEC champ Mike Brown in his first UFC foray.
Though Nunes is the more dynamic and technically proficient striker, Florian holds a lengthy reach advantage. His time with Mark Dellagrotte ensures that he’s no slouch himself when it comes to the stand-up.
Florian’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu pedigree also negates any threats of a submission loss. It’s a close one to call, and is a likely candidate for ‘Fight of the Night’ honours.
Prediction: Florian via close split decision.
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