By Joe Ferraro
As we get closer UFC Live: Vera vs Jones, excitement is begging to build for this stellar television broadcast. Rogers Sportsnet is the exclusive Canadian provider for this show, so for those who will be tuning in to watch the bouts, here’s what they can expect.
Main Card
Light Heavyweight bout: Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones
It’s the present vs the future in this contender bout. The present is Brandon Vera, who cannot afford a lose to the future of the division, Jon Jones. Vera will be looking to put all kinds of pressure on the twenty two year old, by making him react and counter-attack to the various muay thai combinations coming his way.
Jones is a real life version of an MMA Matrix. His unpredictable, acrobatic and unorthodox combinations have made really good fighters look ordinary. He makes otherwise game opponents appear helpless, using whatever strengths they possess, as actual detriments inside the octagon.
“Bones” is an extremely dangerous adversary; he is nowhere near is actual potential. In my conversations with Firas Zahabi and those within the Tristar gym in Montreal, they often choose their words carefully, if not our speechless when the try and describe some of the techniques he pulls off during training, let alone executing them in a real life scenario. Vera will be dealing with a gifted fighter, who has been compared to the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.
Heavyweight bout: Junior dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Similar to the main event, Gabriel Gonzaga will be looking to derail the major hype that continues to build for future prospect Junior dos Santos.
dos Santos trains with the Nogueira brothers as well as the aforementioned Anderson Silva, and I’ve seen with my own eyes, the speed, power and technical striking he brings to the table. I’ve seen him fight not only live, but in a training environment where he is pushed by some of the best fighters in the sport.
Wile Gonzaga does have knockout power of his own, his best chance will be to avoid giving “Cigano” any space to launch his weaponry. “Nepao” needs to get this fight to the mat, where he can control dos Santos, while working for a submission or TKO victory.
There is a lot riding on the line for this fight, especially for dos Santos, who I firmly believe, should he get passed Gonzaga, will call out Cain Velasquez. There is surely a deep sentiment amongst his teammates that Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera’s loss to Velasquez at UFC 110 must be avenged, and dos Santos is the man to do so.
Heavyweight bout: Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello
This has all the makings of not only a great stand up war, but a knock out of the night candidate. Neither fighter cares about the ground game; both Kongo and Buentello want this fight to end quickly and are aiming to do so with their fists. I would definitely be surprised if this one makes it past two rounds.
Middleweight bout: Alessio Sakara vs. James Irvin
The same can be said for this fight here; neither Sakara or Irvin are known for their ground game, so look for a stand up battle that will be lucky to last more than five minutes.
With that being said, Sakara should put the heat on Irvin early, and work to fatigue him. Irvin is coming off a near two year layoff, having suffered multiple injuries that have kept him out of action since fighting Anderson Silva in July of 2008. Seeing as this will also be Irvin’s debut at middleweight, that’s just extra reasoning for Sakara to put the pressure on him right away, sticking and moving, being patient until the opportunity to finish him off presents itself.
As for Irvin, his power alone can send Sakara to sleep, so octagon rust aside, he needs to eliminate Sakara’s escape routes, corner him, and work his muay thai combinations.
Preliminary Card
Lightweight bout: Clay Guida vs. Shannon Gugerty
Anytime you mention Clay Guida, you automatically think “Fight of the Night” candidate. The lightweight energizer bunny is coming off two straight losses (Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian) while Gugerty is 1-2 in his last three bouts.
Gugerty is a grappler by nature, and Guida is a wrestler by trade; if the former is unable to submit the ladder, he is in for the longest fifteen minutes of his career. Clay will likely glue himself to Shannon and not give him any room to move, escape or breath, suffocating him into a TKO or unanimous judges decision.
Light Heavyweight bout: Eliot Marshall vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
This bout is going to surely be a grueling affair. Marshall brings a great submission acumen into this tilt, while Matyushenko, a former division contender simply works to suck the will to win out of his opponents. It’s going to be a fifteen minute brawl in this one, so if it make the telecast, sit back and enjoy.
Welterweight bout: John Howard vs. Daniel Roberts
“Doomsday” was originally scheduled to face Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who was replaced by Roberts, after suffering a knee injury.
Roberts is an undefeated welterweight, winning all of his nine fights, while Howard has yet to lose a fight in the UFC. Roberts will likely be fighting the infamous UFC Rookie curse, along with dealing with Howard’s refusal to quit, and persistent attacking strategy.
I cannot see this fight going the distance, as Howard may simply be too much for Roberts on this day, but, crazier things have happened in the octagon.
Heavyweight bout: Brendan Schaub vs. Chase Gormley
Hometown hero Brendan Schaub will be looking to rebound from his disappointing performance vs Roy Nelson during the finale of The Ultimate Fighter Ten. The Team Jackson fighter will have his hands full with wrestling standout Chase Gormley, who will be looking to show that his octagon debut loss to Stefan Struve was just a blip on the radar.
This has the markings of another long heavyweight fight. If Schaub can avoid being taken down, forcing Gormley, a wrestler, to consistently work for the takedowns, his striking should prove to be the difference in this fight. But, if Gormley has his way, it’s going to be a ground and pound festival of hammer fists that Schaubb will be defending and dealing with for three straight rounds.
Welterweight bout: Mike Pierce vs. Julio Paulino
I am personally surprised that Mike Pierce is on a prelim card, while also being relegated to the second fight on the card. In his last fight, he went the distance with Jon Fitch, nearly finishing him off late in the bout. He happens to hold victories over Brock Larson and Paul Bradley, to very tough guys, so again, one would expect him to be a little higher up on the pecking order, but I digress.
Pierce’s opponent, Paulino stands 6 ft tall and will have considerable reach on his opponent. Like the aforementioned Daniel Roberts, he will be dealing with the UFC rookie jinx as well, so if Pierce can shock and awe him, he should be able to finish him quick, but the longer the fight goes, the more Paulino has a chance at surviving. With that being said, I still believe Pierce is just going to be too much for the octagon newcomer.
Light Heavyweight bout: Eric Schafer vs. Jason Brilz
Schafer is an exceptional ground fighter, but just hasn’t been able to translate that skill set into his stand up game. He has all the tools to be a contender, but simply cannot get over the hump of beating the next level of tough guys.
Brilz should just be another victim for “Red”, but I’m thinking otherwise. Schafer will be dealing with a fellow light heavyweight who is known to have incredible strength and will likely be pushing the pace in this bout. He does need to be careful though, as Eric will be more than happy to fight from the bottom. His sweeps, reversals and submissions are slick, so if Jason doesn’t keep his limbs close to his body, this one might end quickly.
What are your thoughts on these exciting bouts? How do you see them unfolding?
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