Breakdown UFC Fight
Night 82
Despite the cancellation of a Heavyweight
Championship rematch between current Champion, Fabricio Werdum and Former
Champ, Cain Velazquez, and the subsequent rebranding of UFC 196 on PPV to UFC
FN 82 to air on Fox Sports-1, we still have top level HW’s featured in the
co-main event, on the NFL’s biggest weekend.
Jared
Rosholt is ranked as the #12 HW in the UFC. He is currently on a 3 fight win
streak, most recently, “The Big Show” bested Stefan Struve for a Unanimous
Decision in November. At 6’2” the twenty-nine year old has a two inch advantage
and comes in with five first round finishes, and 10 wins in his last 11 fights.
Rosholt was a three time All American Wrestler at Oklahoma State and the school’s
winningest HW. His MMA record is 14-2. He takes on Roy “Big Country” Nelson.
Nelson is
the #11 HW in the UFC. At 20-12 with 13 KO’s the Thirty-nine year old is in
desperate need of a win. He has just one win in his last six fights. “Big
Country” is a Black belt in BJJ under Renzo Gracie, but tends to fall in love
with his striking game (last 11 wins have come by KO or TKO). Nelson was The
Ultimate Fighter season 10 winner and the former IFL HW Champ and IFL Grand
Prix Champion.
In The Main Event
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson looks to improve from his
ranking as the #8 Welterweight in the UFC with a win over #2 ranked, and former
WW Champ, Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks. Thompson comes in 6-1 in the UFC and
11-1 overall. His single stumble: Matt Brown by UD (4/21/12). “Wonderboy” also
is an undefeated Kickboxer, with a record of 57-0 including 40 KO’s and is a
five time World Champion in the sport. He is on a five fight win streak and owns
UFC Knock Outs of: Daniel Stittgen (2/4/12), Chris Clements (9/21/13), Robert
Whittaker (2/22/14), and most recently Jake Ellenberger by spinning hook kick
(7/12/15). Thompson will enjoy a six inch reach advantage.
Hendricks is
a four time All American and two time D-1 Champion Wrestler at Oklahoma State,
but “Bigg Rigg” also has KO power. At 17-3 with 8 KO’s and 5 first round
finishes, Hendricks striking is powerful. He has KO wins over: Kampman, Fitch,
Waldburger, Brenneman and Sadollah. To overcome the world class striking of
Thompson not to mention that six inch reach advantage, Hendricks will likely
resort to his wrestling skills and look to take the fight to the mat.
19 First Round Finishes
Combined
Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, Rafael “Feijao”
Cavalcante has finished each of his 12 wins (12-6-1 overall), seven of those
finishes came in the first round. “Feijao” has 11 KO’s and 1 submission win,
but is 1 of his last 4. The one win: a first round TKO of Igor Pokrajac, what
else would you expect. Cavalcante’s most memorable career highlights came in
Strikeforce when he KO’d: Yoel Romero in the 2nd 4:51 (9/10/11) and
a 3rd rounder 1:14 over King Mo Lawal (8/21/10).
Ovince St.
Preux is 6’3” with an 80” reach, he has first round finishes in twelve of his
fights. “OSP” is also coming off a loss, by RNC to Glover Teixeira (3rd
3:10). Prior to that St. Preux had back to back first round KO’s: Patrick
Cummins (4:54) April 18, 15 and Shogun Rua (0:34) 11/8/14. Look for a fast
start to this LHW match.
Top Ten Flyweights
Battle
Joseph Benavidez is on a four fight win streak since
losing his second attempt at dethroning Champ, Demetrious Johnson. Benavidez is
23-4 with 6 KO and 9 Sub wins. The four losses have all come in title fights,
in addition to the pair with “Mighty Mouse” at 125, Benavidez has also competed
and lost to the current Bantamweight Champion, Dominick Cruz for that title, twice.
He is currently ranked the #1 FW in the UFC.
Zach “Fun
Size” Makovsky is 3-2 in the UFC, with UD wins over: Josh Sampo (2/22/14),
Scott Jorgensen (12/14/13), and Tim Elliot (2/14/15). He dropped a UD to John
Dodson his last time out (5/23/15). The former Drexel Wrestling Captain’s MMA
record is 19-6 with 1 KO, 6 Sub and 12 Dec wins.
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