|
UPF-M 16: Rousey vs Stevenson 2 is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by Ultimate Pit Fighting – Montreal on September 28, 2013 at Hayashi's Lounge in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Background
Welterweight champion Ronald Rousey has all but cleared out his weight class. With dominant performances over Cauthon, Tapettava, and current challenger Stevenson already in the bank, it's hard to imagine that a contender will rise that can challenge Rousey.
Despite having a recent defeat to the young champion, Bear Stevenson believes that he has the style that can defeat the champion. Bear Stevenson rebounded from his first career loss by challenging top contender Matrim Cauthon. This time, Stevenson found little trouble keeping the fight standing en route to a dominant unanimous decision victory.
Official Fight Card
-[Welterweight Championship bout]: Ronald Rousey(c) (7-1) vs Bear Stevenson (6-1-1)
-[Preview]: The green haired Jujitsu extraordinaire returns to defend his welterweight championship against the man he defeated to earn the belt. When Rousey and Stevenson last met, the title was vacant. Ronald Rousey is an unstoppable force with a nearly flawless record. Bear Stevenson is a powerhouse wrestler with thunder in his hands. He can stop you on the feet or on the ground... but don't expect him to go looking to wrestle with Rousey. The wrestling transitions will be the key to winning this fight for both men: Rousey needs the takedown like the great white shark needs an image change (because seriously they're not THAT bad) and Stevenson needs to keep the fight standing at all costs. He needs to keep the fight standing like my dog needs to stop staring at me while I eat. Or shower. Or change my clothes. Or walk into the gas station and leave her in the car. Because seriously, it's freaking me out.
-[Heavyweight Championship bout]: Tigellinus Satanae(c) (7-0) vs Gleison Maldonado (2-0)
-[Preview]: Tigellinus defeated Sean Coleman to claim the title of undisputed heavyweight champion. Tigellinus is an undefeated Muay Thai phenom from New York with some of the most brutal knees in the entire company. The only way to survive with this knee-sighted striker is to stay out of the clinch. Don't clinch with him, don't talk about clinching with him, don't think about clinching with him... don't think about talking about clinching with him. Luckily for us, he's fighting a boxer that is always one swing away from winning the fight. If he can keep this fight at a range, he has a very real chance of winning the heavyweight championship.
-[Welterweight bout]: Nando De Leeuw (3-1) vs James Dove (1-7)
-[Preview]: This fight was really a thing of happenstance. Both of these fighters needed a fight at the same time and everybody else was booked already. With no offense intended towards James Dove, I'm telling you right now that this is way below Nando De Leeuw's skill level. Nando De Leeuw has the potential to be a champion. He has an ever improving grappling base that is on par with current top contender Bear Stevenson. He also has arguably the best standup of any welterweight on the roster. James Dove is a trooper and a warrior and I don't want to take anything away from him here. James Dove has top flight boxing that he seemingly forgets to use as he attempts to drag opponents to the ground where his white belt in Jujitsu can take over. I mean, there's always a chance to lose to James Dove as his last fight proved.
-[Welterweight bout]: Sami Tarake (3-0) vs Greg Giraldo (3-2)
-[Preview]: Undefeated grappling sensation Sami Tarake makes his third and possibly final appearance inside the UPF cage. This talented young wrestler has grown a lot since his professional debut and now boasts an impressive wrestling and Jujitsu skill set that will make him a championship fighter wherever he may go. Stepping up to face the grappling phenom is Greg Giraldo, a company man that takes fights in any weight class he can cut to. Giraldo utilizes his boxing heavily to stop opponents but his true forte is his wrestling. He uses his wrestling base to keep the fight standing for as long as possible to deliver punches.
-[Middleweight bout]: James Van Der Sluijs (3-1) vs Biggie Shackleton (3-1)
-[Preview]: James is a striker with a background in Muay Thai. He throws a heavy volume of punches and kicks at a distance in an attempt to stop opponents. He is at his best when he is circling foes and landing leg kicks and punches to the face and body of his opponent. Biggie Shackleton fancies himself as a ground and pound stylist. Biggie has never been knocked out in his professional career. He may be able to take James down to land the ground and pound that has driven him thus far in his career.
-[Middleweight bout]: Time Bang (1-0) vs Sylvia Silva (3-3)
-[Preview]: Time “2” Bang is a young grappler that utilizes the ground and pound heavily in his game plan. In his first and only fight, he overwhelmed fellow grappler Jadyson Costa from the top position, forcing a stoppage early. Sylvia Silva is a hit-and-miss submission fighter. He wins one, loses a couple, wins another. Despite losing a few in a row early into his UPF career, Sylvia is a very real threat on the ground and is a huge test for the up-and-coming Time “2” Bang.
-[Lightweight bout]: Paul McBride (2-3) vs Brian McCarthy (0-2)
-[Preview]: These two young lightweights are a part of the ever growing crew of 155 lb fighters to sign with UPF-M as of late. McBride is a wrestler who uses the clinch and takedowns but doesn't really focus on securing a finish. McCarthy is a grappler that on two occasions has fallen into the game plans of his foes.
-[Heavyweight bout]: George McFly (2-1) vs Steppers Mohommad (3-1)
-[Preview]: These two strikers are going to throw down early. McFly is a clinch specialist that throws power punches against the fence. Mohommad is a pure boxing stylist that needs to do everything in his power to stay at a distance to win.
-[Middleweight bout]: George Greggors (1-1-1) vs James Abs (1-3)
-[Preview]: George Greggors is a wrestler that came out on the wrong end of a brief rivalry with Narcizo Thomas. In his debut, Greggors overwhelmed his opponent with devastating ground and pound to force the stoppage. James Abs is a boxer that needs desperately to keep this fight standing so that he can land punches and secure his second professional win.
-[Welterweight bout]: Michael St Jones (0-0) vs Allen Mason (0-1)
-[Preview]: Michael Jones is a young grappler that is making the transition from traditional grappling based martial arts into the world of mixed martial arts. He boasts an improving stand up game on top of his Jujitsu which could make him a force at welterweight. Meeting him in the middle is Allen Mason, a ground and pound fighter that throws punches in bunches from the top position. The key to this fight is controlling the dominant position.
Five Burning Questions
Can Bear Stevenson make the appropriate adjustments to defeat Ronald Rousey in the rematch? In their first fight, Stevenson pushed Rousey against the cage and was pulled into the guard of the then brown belt. Although he made it nearly four rounds, Stevenson fell into an expertly timed armbar from the wily Jujitsu specialist.
Will Gleison Maldonado be able to stay away from the clinch game of the heavyweight champion? It's no secret that our heavyweight champion Tigellinus Satanae is very focused on his clinch game. If Gleison is going to win this fight, it's very likely that he will need to keep this fight at a puncher's distance to do so.
A dominant performance by Nando De Leeuw could put him within one fight of a title shot. Will he be able to secure the position? Or will he become the second man to taste utter humiliation?
Is Time “2” Bang for real? The young wrestler impressed with his performance over Jadyson Costa, a seasoned grappler in his own right. However, a one sided beating of Sylvia Silva would put Time “2” Bang that much closer to the top five and a shot at the gold.
Will the real George Greggors please stand up? This powerhouse wrestler struggled against the superior grappling of Narcizo Thomas. In their first meeting, the terms were more than fair. However in the subsequent rematch, Thomas had earned his brown belt in Jujitsu and made short work of Greggors. I don't feel that the rematch with Thomas was a fair representation of the true abilities of George Greggors. Against a superior fighter of the same style, any man will struggle. However, Greggors will be given the opportunity to take the first step towards redemption when he meets James Abs.
Article views:
192
» Donate to this author |
