UFC ‘Fight for the Troops 2’ Preview: The Main Card
Mitrione vs. Hague
Jason Probst Jan 19, 2011
Tim
Hague (top) | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Heavyweights
Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague
The Matchup: When other weight classes go crashing to the mat after a takedown, they do not make the cage shake, which is just one reason heavyweights will always be the red meat on the MMA menu. They also produce violent knockouts with a commonality rarely evidenced amidst the little guys. That makes Mitrione-Hague compelling.
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Despite a limited background in the sport, Mitrione seems to be at home standing, letting his hands go with nice, comfortable combinations. At times, he seems a little too relaxed, but he does not come off like a ship lost at sea when pinned against the cage or on his back.
Hague, meanwhile, is one of those huge guys that present problems for anyone not at the elite level. At 6-foot-4, 265 pounds, he’s a handful if he presses you against the cage or gets you on the ground. He will likely have the takedown advantage, and while he has proven willing to throw hard standing, Mitrione is the better technical striker. That advantage means less between heavyweights, simply because they generate more knockout power, pound-for-pound.
For Hague to win, he has to execute in a series of well-timed attacks, pinning Mitrione against the cage, taking him down and punishing him from top while running him out of gas and keeping him on the defensive. For Mitrione to emerge victorious, he will need to land effectively when avoiding tie-ups and pop up when taken down without taking too much damage from the powerful Hague.
The Pick: The guess here is that a back-and-forth fight ensues through the first two rounds, before Hague eventually pulls ahead en route to a third-round ground-and-pound stoppage or a hard-earned decision win.
Continue Reading » Next Fight: Hominick vs. Roop
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