UFC 160 analysis

First fight on the Facebook prelims- Jeremy Stephens versus Strikeforce import Estevan Payan-  UFC veteran Stephens, is coming off of  3 straight losses in the U.F.C. Lightweight division.“Lil Heathen” will be making his Featherweight debut tonight. A fan favorite for his power, striking ability and willingness to stand toe to toe, has tremendous power and a great chin. This is probably a must win for Stephens if he wants to continue his UFC career.

 Estevan Payan, a Strikeforce import, is coming into the UFC riding an 8 fight unbeaten streak including 1 n.c. The famous “UFC jitters” could be a factor in this fight as Payan is facing an experienced brawler in Jeremy Stephens.

 

In the second prelim fight on Facebook, Brian Bowles takes on the always tough George Roop. Brian Bowles is coming off of a loss to Uriah Faber at UFC 139 in November of 2011. Bowles is returning to UFC Octagon after 18 month layoff due to injury. Bowles, a former W.E.C. bantamweight champion, has rediscovered his passion for MMA. At 10 wins and 2 losses, Bowles has only lost to champions and former champions. He has great power and is the first fighter to knockout former W.E.C. champion Miguel Torres.

George Roop, an experienced W.E.C. and U.F.C. veteran, has lost 3 of last 5 fights. However, His 13-10-1 record is deceptive. Roop has great movement, striking and toughness. He has notable wins over Josh Grispi and Chan sung jung (head kick knockout). Do not sleep on George Roop. He always seems to come up with wins when he needs to.

 

The third and final Facebook prelim fight pits Stephen Thompson versus Nah-Shon Burrel. Stephen “Wonderboy" Thompson is a kickboxing and karate expert. Thompson comes from a family of traditional martial artists and has been training and fighting his whole life. His first defeat in any combat sport was in an exciting three round war with the always dangerous top welterweight contender Matt Brown at UFC 145 in which Matt Brown said “The Wonderboy” had him rocked several times. Thompson, mainly a striker, has been working on his ground game since his lone defeat. Undefeated in his kickboxing and karate career, Thompson announced his presence in his UFC debut at UFC 143 with a thunderous head kick knockout of the tough striker Daniel Stittgen.

Nah-Shon Burrel, another Strikeforce import, is coming into the octagon for the second time. Nah-Shon is coming off of a unanimous decision win over Yuri Villefort in his UFC debut in February 2013 and will be looking to go 2-0 in his young UF.C. career. Burrel has a dominating ground game with excellent takedowns.

 

The first bout on the FX televised portion of the U.F.C. 160 prelims pits Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Abel Trujillo. Khabib Nurmagomedov is undefeated at 19 wins 0 losses and has 3 straight wins in the U.F.C. with finishes over Kamal Shalorus,  a unanimous decision win against the always tough U.F.C. veteran Gleison Tibau and a brutal knockout of top Brazilian lightweight and UFC veteran Thiago Tavares in January 2013 at UFC on FX 7. Missing weight by 2 ½ pounds, Nurmagomedov Shoved Abel Trujillo during weigh-ins which seems to have garnered a lot more attention as this has turned personal for both fighters. Nurmagomedov famously said “If sambo was easy they would call it jiu jitsu.” Do not let the bravado fool you. Khabib Nurmagomedov is as tough as they come.

Abel Trujillo- Trains with super camp Blackzillians and is coming into his second fight inside the Octagon. With 10 wins and 4 losses, Trujillo is coming off of a TKO victory in his UFC debut this past December over Marcus Levessuer. His opponent Nurmagomedov missed weight, then during the faceoff was shoved by Nurmagomedov almost hitting Mike Tyson. Look out, this fight has two very angry and very skilled men facing off.

 

Colton Smith versus Robert Whittaker- Colton Smith is coming into this fight with 6 wins 1 loss. Smith is a strong wrestler with the ability to control his opponents. A member of the U.S. armed forces, Smith has the mental fortitude to be a tough match. Smith is coming off a unanimous decision win over Mike Ricci to become the TUF 16 winner in December 2012 and will be looking to continue that momentum.

Robert Whittaker, a TUF SMASHES winner, comes into tonights fight with 11 wins 2 losses. Whittaker is coming off a unanimous decision win against Brad Scott at UFC on FX 6 in December 2012. A well rounded fighter with good takedowns and well rounded striking, Whittaker has a background in karate and will look to keep his distance to unleash his striking arsenal.

 

Dennis Bermudez versus Max Holloway- Dennis "The Menace" Bermudezhas 11 wins with 3 losses and is 3-1 in the U.F.C. including 3 straight wins. The TUF 14 finalist is coming off of a barn burner FOTN performance against Matt Grice at UFC 157 earning the split decisionwin. Bermudez has great heart, a strong chin and is a powerful striker with improved ground game.

Max Holloway- 7 wins with his only 1 loss coming against to top featherweight contender Dustin Poirier in his UFC debut. Holloway is a great striker with a BJJ and kickboxing background. Coming off of a hotly contested split decision win over grizzled W.E.C. and U.F.C. vet bad boy Leonard Garcia in December 2012. Max Holloway is young with heart and talent.

 

Mike Pyle versus Rick Story- Mike Pyle comes into this fight with 24 wins and 8 losses and has won 3 in a row all via ko/tko. The Xtreme Couture coach and fighter has won 6 of his last 7 fights with finishes in 4 out of the 6 wins. Pyle has an excellent ground game, a good chin, is well rounded and ever improving striking.

Rick Story- With 15 wins and 6 losses, rebounded from a submission loss to top welterweight contender Damien Maia to take a tko win against Quinn Mulhern at UFC 158 this past March. This is a relatively quick turnaround as this is his second fight in 3 months. "The Horror" is well rounded with excellent takedowns, heart and determination. He bosts notable wins against Thiago Alves and #1 ranked Welterweight title challenger Johny Hendricks. Don’t sleep on this fight. Both guys are experienced and as tough as they come.

 

First fight Main card ppv:

Donald Cerrone versus K.J. Noons- Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, 19 wins 5 losses, is coming off of a tko loss to lightweight and featherweight contender Anthony "Showtime" Pettis. “Cowboy”, a Perrenial W.E.C. and U.F.C. title contender, has an excellent ground game, amazing kickboxing and an experience edge. A Thrill seeker with the skills to take anybody out, Donald will be looking to rebound with a dominant win.

K.J. Noons with 10 wins 5 losses, is making his U.F.C. debut coming off of a very questionable loss against Ryan Couture in the final Strikeforce card. With Professional boxing experience, fast hands and a great chin, Noons versus Cerrone has the ability to be a  FOTN bout. This fight Great way to start the ppv portion of this card.

 

Gray Maynard versus T.J. Grant – Gray Maynard, 12 wins only 1 loss (to Frankie Edgar in their third fight) 1 draw (Frankie Edgar for lw title) and 1 n.c. is a Top U.F.C. lightweight contender. “The Bully” has an excellent wrestling pedigree with some of the most dangerous hands and power in the lightweight division. Maynard has switched training camps to train at the famed A.K.A. The reinvigorated Maynard is coming off of a win over Clay Guida at UFC on FX 4 Last June 2012. The winner of this fight will face Champ Ben Henderson for the U.F.C. lightweight strap.

T.J. Grant- 20 wins 5 losses is coming off of a brutal knockout of the tough UFC vet Matt Wiman via elbow strikes. T.J. has an excellent ground game as well and improved striking with a powerful clinch game. T.J. has rolled up 4 straight wins in the UFC and is fighting Gray for the right to face U.F.C. lightweight champ Ben Henderson. This is an excellent Matchup!

 

Glover Teixeira versus James Te Huna- Teixeira has 20 wins with only 2 losses and is undefeated in the UFC at 3-0. Glover is powerful striker with fast hands with great timing in his takedowns with the ability to stand and trade or dominate on the ground. Coming off of a dominant performance against former U.F.C. light heavy weight champ "Rampage" Jackson at UFC on FOX 6, Teixeira will be looking to further solidify his spot in the LHW top five rankings. If Glover wins this fight tonight he will face a top ten opponent in his next bout. However, never look past James Te Huna.

James Te Huna is coming into this bout with 18 wins,5 losses and is coming off of 4 straight wins. James has won 5 out of his last 6 in the U.F.C. including a win over Ryan Jimmo at UFC on FUEL TV where he showed resilience after nearly being finished in the first round. With great heart, a durable chin and the ability to recover Te Huna is a very worthy adversary. Te Huna has excellent takedowns and powerful hands. He has notable wins over Igor Pokrajac, Joey Beltran and Ryan Jimmo.

 

Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos versus “Super Somoan” Mark Hunt- With 15 wins and 2 losses, JDS might be the best boxer in the U.F.C. heavyweight division. Junior is coming off the first loss of his U.F.C career after current champion, and tonights main event fighter Cain Velasquez pummeled him for five rounds at UFC 155. “Cigano” is a tough and resilient fighter with an amazing chin and the willingness to stand and trade. Junior has great head movement and takedown defense. He Trains with the Nogueira brothers and MMA legend Anderson Silva.

Mark Hunt comes into this highly anticipated heavyweight bout with 9 wins and 7 losses. Mr. Hunt has had a career resurgence since losing his U.F.C. debut to Sean McCorkle at U.F.C. 119  in 2010, winning 4 straight in the stacked UFC Heavyweight division. “Super Somoan” is a former K-1 champion with powerful striking and an unbreakable chin. Mark is a fan favorite and his career turnaround just may be the best story in sports right now. In his last fight Mark Hunt broke the Jaw of the 7’ Stefan Struve at U.F.C. on FUEL 8. Mark is much improved in his submission defense and has even added takedowns to his arsenal. With a great ability to get inside and throw that famous jumping left hook he is known for, this fight should not last long. Possible FOTN or fight of the year candidate. Don’t blink!

 

MAIN EVENT

Champ Cain Velasquez versus challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva- What can we say about Cain that hasn’t already been said? Cain has top wrestling pedigree, fast hands and a speed advantage over everyone in the U.F.C. heavyweight division. Once Cain gets you to the ground he smothers his opponents with vicious ground and pound. With great kickboxing, Velasquez throws scary combinations with awesome power and technique. Training in one of the best camps in the world, A.K.A., Cain has improved every day and has notoriously endless cardio. As he proved in his title winning effort against JDS, he can go five full rounds at top speed. We all knew Cain was a beast but he finally put it all together in his last fight to show the world the REAL Cain Velasquez.

Antonio Silva, who is coming into this championship fight with 18 wins and 4 losses, seems to always be the dark horse after starting out his UFC career with a loss to current heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez. “Bigfoot” has had two straight vicious wins against top U.F.C. heavyweights Travis Brown, and most recently a huge upset knockout win over Alistair Overeem at UFC 156. A fight in which he was being taken down and smothered in the clinch, “Bigfoot” came out in the final frame with anger in his eyes and within a minute had Overeem sleeping in the canvas.

 

I am not going to make predictions on this stacked card. I wish all fighters the best and I look forward to one of the most highly anticipated cards of 2013. Enjoy the fights everyone.

 

Randy Casjens- Twitter @SavageRandy