Preview: UFC 180 ‘Werdum vs. Hunt’

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WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS

Jessica Eye (10-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Leslie Smith (7-5-1, 1-1 UFC): Ohio’s Eye attempts to get back on track following a contentious split decision loss to title challenger Alexis Davis. She faces Smith, who absolutely steamrolled Jessamyn Duke in her last outing. This should be a barnburner of a scrap between two talented action fighters. Eye, a fantastic athlete, is more of a volume-centered boxer who generally works behind a sharp jab-cross sequence, while Smith is a straightforward brawler who loves to sling looping punches followed by sneaky high kicks as her opponents attempt to circle out and disengage. If Eye gets drawn into a brawl, this is Smith’s fight to lose. I think Eye will pepper Smith from the outside and take a close decision.

‘THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: LATIN AMERICA’ FEATHERWEIGHT FINAL

Yair Rodriguez (3-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Leonardo Morales (4-0, 0-0 UFC): Rodriguez and Morales meet to decide the featherweight winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America.” Team Mexico’s Rodriguez is quick and athletic, with a dangerous arsenal of unorthodox spinning, side and hook kicks backed up by a solid grappling game. His defensive wrestling could use some work, but that is not unexpected in a raw fighter. Morales, a native of Nicaragua, is likewise an excellent athlete. He throws a wicked left kick and straight left from his southpaw stance and takes solid angles, but he could stand to throw more combinations and round out the rest of his game. In a fight between two raw, athletic prospects with enormous holes in their games, I like Rodriguez to take a close decision.

‘THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: LATIN AMERICA’ BANTAMWEIGHT FINAL

Alejandro Perez (14-5, 0-0 UFC) vs. Jose Alberto Quinonez (3-1, 0-0 UFC): A pair of Mexico’s finest meet to determine “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” bantamweight winner. The 23-year-old Quinonez employs a stalking, pressure-based game on the feet, attacking with long punches, the occasional kick and dangerous knees from the double-collar tie that favor his height and length. Perez is likewise mostly a pressure fighter with some pop in his hands and a strong clinch game. I strongly favor Quinonez here on the basis of his size, power and more consistent output, as well as the fact that he already holds a win over Perez and has only gotten better since. Quinonez by decision is the pick.

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Gabriel Benitez (16-4, 0-0 UFC) vs. Humberto Brown Morrison (4-4, 0-0 UFC): “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” parade continues as Mexico’s Benitez takes on Panama’s Morrison. Benitez is fairly polished by the standards of the competitors on the reality series, with a fairly crisp southpaw kickboxing game accompanied by a dangerous submission repertoire on the ground. Morrison can do a little of everything, though nothing with any particular skill. Benitez is the easy pick here, and I think he will submit Morrison in the second round.

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Guido Cannetti (6-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Enrique Briones (15-4-1, 0-0 UFC): A pair of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” bantamweights meet in a post-show matchup. Briones, who has worked at Jackson-Wink MMA in the recent past, is an experienced, savvy and aggressive competitor with well-rounded skills, although he gets a bit wild at times. Cannetti has also put in some time at Jackson’s and is likewise a wild and aggressive fighter who can do a little of everything and packs a wallop in his left kick. I think Cannetti’s speed and athleticism should carry him through to a decision victory over the durable Briones.

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Marco Antonio Beltran (5-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Marlon Vera (6-1-1, 0-0 UFC): Two “Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” bantamweights kick off the show. Team Mexico’s Beltran is quick and athletic, with explosive forward movement on his punches and a particular knack for working in scrambles and transitions; however, he lacks much of a wrestling game or really a developed technical base in any area. The Ecuadorian Vera is young, at only 21, and has real talent, especially for phase shifting, using his strikes to cover his takedowns and immediately transitioning from takedowns into guard passes. Although he is still extremely raw, I think Vera should take this one fairly easily with a submission in the second round.

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