UFC 114 Breakdown
Former light heavyweight champions Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans will settle the score in a long awaited grudge match this Saturday night at UFC 114 in Las Vegas.
After one of the most compelling fight buildups in recent memory, this 205-pound eliminator will determine the next challenger for recently crowned champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
Here’s a breakdown of the UFC 114 main card:
-Rashad Evans (14-1-1) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-7)
With the winner already guaranteed a title shot, the stakes are high for both men.
A standout American wrestler from Michigan State University, Evans is hoping for another crack at divisional supremacy after a disappointing outing against Lyoto Machida at UFC 98.
Based at Greg Jackson’s academy in New Mexico, Evans benefits from some of the premier training partners in the industry, including Shane Carwin, Keith Jardine, Nate Marquardt, Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre.
After beating Brad Imes to win the second installment of “The Ultimate Fighter” at heavyweight, Evans dropped down to 205 pounds. He attained continued success in the weight class, rattling off wins over Stephan Bonnar, Jason Lambert and Michael Bisping.
In addition to his world-renowned wrestling game, Evans has developed into one of the division’s most vicious strikers. Evans was also awarded his black belt in no-gi BJJ from Rolles Gracie prior to his win over Thiago Silva in January, which is not to be confused with a traditional BJJ black belt for gi competitors.
Once labelled as a one-dimensional wrestler, Evans has proven that he has legitimate one-punch power. His sensational knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 in September 2008 was the turning point of his career, which later led to a victory over Forrest Griffin to claim the UFC light heavyweight title.
Fresh off a win over Silva, the 30-year-old Evans will need to utilize head movement and leg kicks to wear down his arch nemesis this Saturday night.
Jackson, a world-class wrestler in his own right, could still be a wrecking machine in the UFC at 31 years of age.
Throughout his storied career, Jackson has fought and beaten some of the best fighters on the planet, including Keith Jardine, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, Murilo Rua, Ricardo Arona, Murilo Bustamante, Kevin Randleman and Igor Vovchanchyn.
“Rampage” has won eight of nine fights since losing to the current champ Rua at Pride Total Elimination 2005 with his lone setback being a contentious decision loss to Forrest Griffin in July 2008.
A gifted heavy-handed boxer with the sport’s most distinguishable slams, Jackson’s Achilles’ heel is dedicating himself to long hours in the gym. “Rampage” is quick to let the world know he hates training.
When “Rampage” is motivated to train and perform at the highest level, there are few fighters who can hang with the man who unified the UFC and Pride 205-pound titles. Hell-bent on revenge for all the trash talk, “Rampage” insists the work has been done inside England’s Wolfslair Academy where he prepared alongside UFC notables Michael Bisping and Cheick Kongo.
But “Rampage” has also embraced the movie star lifestyle as he will be playing B.A. Baracus in the upcoming A-Team feature film remake. Ring rust and conditioning will be major factors as Jackson has not seen action since defeating Evans’ training partner Jardine in March 2009. If this fight goes past the second round, Evans’ cardio could be the difference maker.
In order to emerge victorious, Evans will need to exhaust “Rampage” by forcing him to move around the octagon. While both men are world-class wrestlers, Evans could have an edge in that department given his superior gas tank and higher calibre training partners. But “Rampage” will undoubtedly possess the power advantage and Evans could pay the price if he shoots in with half-hearted takedown attempts.
Evans can also pick Jackson apart with leg kicks, a technique his teammate Jardine and Griffin both employed effectively against “Rampage.”
Conversely, “Rampage” punishes his opponents with looping hooks and power shots. If Evans slugs it out or gets sloppy in close quarters, he will be playing right into Jackson’s hands. The Michigan native will likely fight from a distance where he will focus on constant movement to tactically dissect the former Pride star.
This fight could come down to strategic planning and fitness. “Rampage” is a born fighter with a unique chin capable of sustaining exorbitant punishment, while Evans is a better gameplanner who will be in prime shape for this bout.
Both men may be heavy hitters, but “Rampage” is known for putting opponents to sleep in devastating fashion.
Evans winning a decision is hardly outside the realm of possibility. However, he may need to land a series of punches to rock Jackson’s granite chin, while “Rampage” will need just one solid connection to put Evans to sleep.
Verdict: Jackson via KO, Round 2
-Michael Bisping (18-3) vs. Dan Miller (11-3)
In the co-feature, Bisping looks to rebound from a disappointing setback against Wanderlei Silva this past February.
The brash Brit is a member of England’s Wolfslair Academy where he trained with “Rampage” to prepare for this fight. Both men are hoping to peak at the same time in their training for UFC 114, which marks the first card on which the teammates have both competed.
Aside from losses to Silva, Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson, “The Ultimate Fighter 3″ winner has compiled an impressive list of victories during his UFC campaign, defeating the likes of Eric Schafer, Matt Hamill, Chris Leben and Denis Kang.
Meanwhile, Miller is a BJJ black belt under Jamie Cruz with a base in wrestling.
The AMA Fight Club product could receive his walking papers if he fails to impress the UFC brass as he is coming off back-to-back losses against Chael Sonnen and Demian Maia, respectively.
Prior to the successive setbacks, Miller was on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC. The submission stylist tapped out both Rob Kimmons and Jake Rosholt in the first round.
The brother of fellow UFC competitor Jim Miller has his back against the wall fighting another tough opponent in a matchup that he simply cannot afford to lose.
Armed with a sharper stand-up game, Bisping should be able to pick Miller apart with his boxing, much like Maia did in their February meeting. However, if this fight goes to the ground, it will play more to Miller’s strengths.
The durable American has never been stopped, which is unlikely to change as Bisping will utilize his striking and defensive grappling to prevail by decision.
Verdict: Bisping via Unanimous Decision
-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3) vs. Jason Brilz (18-2-1)
Initially slated to face former UFC champion Forrest Griffin, Nogueira will take a step down in competition against Brilz.
The 33-year-old BJJ black belt Nogueira trains at Team Black House with his brother Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva.
The former Pride standout has defeated Guy Mezger, Kazushi Sakuraba, Alistair Overeem and Dan Henderson in Japan. In 2009, he avenged one of his only three career losses against Vladimir Matyushenko in a bout promoted by Affliction Entertainment. Shortly thereafter, Nogueira joined the UFC’s stable of light heavyweights, impressively knocking out Luiz Cane in his promotional debut.
With another win, the top-ranked 205-pounder could inch closer to a potential title shot against “Shogun” in a rematch of their classic 2005 Pride encounter, which “Shogun” won by unanimous decision.
Brilz, a three-time Academic All-American wrestler at the University of Nebraska, trains at Elite Performance MMA under Jeremy Horn.
Nicknamed “The Hitman,” Brilz has beaten a handful of UFC veterans, including Jason MacDonald, Alex Schoenauer, Tim Boetsch and Eric Schafer.
A tough American wrestler, Brilz will need to secure a takedown in hopes of administering any punishment against Nogueira.
The Brazilian is a superior striker with lethal hands, in addition to possessing one of the best ground games in the division. Even if Brilz manages to take him down, he could wind up in a dangerous predicament against the slick submission player.
This mismatch will be controlled entirely by Nogueira, who will likely keep the fight standing and punish Brilz with his boxing.
Verdict: Nogueira via TKO, Round 2
-Todd Duffee (6-0) vs. Mike Russow (12-1)
The 24-year-old Xtreme Couture product Duffee is among the most hyped heavyweight prospects in MMA.
Unbeaten in six pro bouts with six knockout wins, Duffee made an emphatic statement in his UFC debut.
Last August, Duffee knocked out Canadian Tim Hague in seven seconds to record the fastest knockout in UFC history.
With no shortage of solid training partners, the sky is the limit for Duffee. It remains to be seen how the physically imposing heavyweight responds to pressure against a more experienced adversary.
Russow, a 33-year-old veteran of 14 pro bouts, has only one blemish on his record — a submission loss to Sergei Kharitonov at Pride 33 in 2007. His notable wins include Jason Guida, Roman Zentsov and Justin McCully.
Riding an eight-fight winning streak, Russow has been training with Andrei Arlovski and Brock Lesnar to prepare for Duffee’s size and raw power. A well-rounded heavyweight, Russow may aim to secure a takedown to cope with Duffee’s explosiveness.
However, Duffee may very well prove the buzz surrounding him is warranted. Despite Russow’s experience, Duffee will be favoured to score yet another knockout on his ascent up the UFC ladder.
Verdict: Duffee via KO, Round 1
-Diego Sanchez (21-3) vs. John Hathaway (12-0)
After a complete destruction at the hands of B.J. Penn last December, Sanchez will be returning to 170 pounds against a solid undefeated prospect.
Sanchez stopped Kenny Florian to win the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” as a middleweight and later dropped to welterweight where he defeated Nick Diaz, John Alessio, Karo Parisyan and Joe Riggs.
In addition to his loss against Penn, Sanchez has dropped decisions to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch.
Following a solid run at 155 pounds, which included wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida, Sanchez is returning to the division where he attained his greatest success in the UFC.
A BJJ brown belt under Saulo Ribeiro, “The Nightmare” has expressed interest in competing in both divisions.
To some observers, Hathaway may appear to be a mere stepping stone for Sanchez in his welterweight comeback fight, but the unbeaten Brit could also embrace this opportunity to shock the world.
Anchored at ZT Fight Skool and London Shootfighters in the U.K., Hathaway has exhibited solid striking and wrestling in his three UFC victories over Thomas Egan, Rick Story and Paul Taylor.
“The Nightmare” is far more dangerous on his feet and he will wear Hathaway down with an abundance of strikes if the Brit is unable to put him on his back. However, Hathaway’s aggression and survival skills may be enough to take this fight the distance.
Only 22 years old, Hathaway will learn a lot from stepping into the octagon against an experienced veteran like Sanchez. Although the odds are stacked against him, Hathaway should not be counted out in what is being billed as a showcase fight for Sanchez.
Verdict: Sanchez via Unanimous Decision
