After a two-week break, the UFC returns and hosts their first ever event in Maine. It’s a pretty bland card on paper, but that’s what happens when you run four events in three weeks. One event was going to be the victim and it turns out to be this one. We’ll finally see what Ovince St. Preux can do against a legit top ten light heavyweight in Ryan Bader. After beating mostly mediocre opponents, this is his time to break out as a fresh contender or see another run towards title contention by Bader.
Unfortunately, the great co-main event between Ross Pearson and Abel Trujillo fell through. That was going to be a barnburner featuring two fighters, who have immense power in both hands. Now Pearson faces Gray Maynard, which is still intriguing to see if Maynard can survive and prove that he still can compete against the best.
The image below is all of the prices of fighters in the UFC Fight Night 47 Kountermove games. If you are interested in playing and unsure of whom to pick for your five, we will give you a bit of our insight.
If you have never played Kountermove before, it’s very simple — you have $25,000 to spend. To make the most of your money, you will more than likely not be able to take more than one favorite. With a team of five, you will look to stay at about a $5,000 average
Best Bets
Sara McMann ($5600)- Some may hesitate because female fighters not named Ronda Rousey don’t have many finishes. McMann is an exception, due to her dominance in wrestling and gaining full mount to unleash a wild fury. She did that against Sheila Gaff at UFC 159 in a dominant finish. Even if she doesn’t get the stoppage, I’m expecting three rounds of relentless takedowns and constant strikes being thrown. On an unpredictable card like this, she would ultimately be a safe choice that guarantees a good amount of points.
Shawn Jordan ($5400)- I’ve always rated Jordan higher than most people. While he’s still relatively raw, his deceptive speed for a man his size is impressive. He’s proven that he can box and be pretty agile for a 260 pound heavyweight. The pressure is on, as a loss here would most likely lead to him being released. Jack May is the perfect opponent for him to get his career back on track. Jordan needs to be wary of leaving his chin out though. He was too wild against Gabriel Gonzaga and became too complacent against Matt Mitrione, which led to both defeats.
Underdog Picks
Ross Pearson ($4800)- How can you not pick Pearson in this current situation? He’s coming off arguably the most ridiculous loss in his career, after outclassing Diego Sanchez in every facet of their fight. That should essentially mean that he’ll come even more aggressive. Regardless if it was Abel Trujillo or Gray Maynard, I’d favor Pearson for being more technical and having just as much power with his boxing. Instead of Trujillo, he faces Maynard, who’s on the decline and doesn’t respond well from taking damage. For this price, a highly possible first round knockout would be the ultimate steal.
Ryan Bader ($5100)- While Zach Makovsky would be a credible pick at $4500; he hasn’t earned a stoppage since 2011. You also have to take in account that five round fights usually generate more points. Bader hasn’t responded well from taking damage in the past, as he’s been on the receiving end of highlight reel knockouts from being careless. That doesn’t take away his experience in big fights, along with his wrestling pedigree. I’m still not convinced that Ovince St. Preux is a top-ten caliber light heavyweight.
The division is shallow and all his wins were against journeymen or below average light heavyweights. Bader doesn’t seem to possess the power that he once had, but he’s still very well rounded and could reach triple digits in a five round fight regardless of a finish or not. This will be a solid underdog choice rather than wasting $5500 on an unproven St. Preux.
My picks
Bader and Pearson are easy picks to make. Don’t be worried about Maynard potentially taking him down at will. Pearson is much quicker and knows how to utilize his distance to keep the fight standing. It also seems that Maynard has started to fall in love with his power, especially if you watch his loss to TJ Grant. Even though the fight was quick, it was surprising to see him not shoot in at least on one occasion. Shawn Jordan does give me slight concern for leaving himself far too open. I’m still going to trust him once more in knocking out an inexperienced Jack May.
Alan Jouban and Nolan Ticman are risky picks, which is what you would expect. I’m basing these picks off knowledge from two people that I’ve always respected greatly. Eddie Bravo is a major advocate of Jouban and what he’s capable of doing on the ground. Baczynski was lethargic against Thiago Alves and struggled to keep up with the rabid pace. I’m expecting the same here. Jake Ellenberger has spoken highly of Ticman, who was a division-one wrestler and now a black belt in Muay Thai under Rafael Cordeiro. I only have $4800 left to choose from, so I’m going to take his word for it.
This is a tough card to choose from, but I’ve given you at least three safe picks. McMann was a bit too expensive for me to invest in.
Make sure you get in on MMASucka.com’s $50 UFC Fight Night 47 Freeroll game.
Twitter: @Allen_Strk
