UFC on FOX 12 is finally here this Saturday night and this could very well be the best FOX card on paper. I’m sure you’ve heard that on multiple occasions in the past, but it’s hard to argue when you look at the main card. All four fights feature appealing bouts.
The main event between Matt Brown and Robbie Lawler has the potential to be remembered for years to come. Clay Guida versus Dennis Bermudez is a very intriguing fight. Anthony Johnson is always amusing to watch, even if it’s against a likely overmatched Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Josh Thomson versus Bobby Green is going to be an exciting opener as well.
The image below is all of the prices of fighters in the UFC on FOX 12 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
Anthony Johnson ($5500)- This is the most surefire pick of the night. While Johnson is expensive, he costs less than Robbie Lawler (6000) and Josh Thomson (5800). We know how imposing he has proven to be at light heavyweight. He manhandled Phil Davis for three full rounds.
I don’t expect Johnson to be as timid as he was in the last round. Johnson respected Davis wrestling to a great degree, which was a wise decision. Nogueira is known for being an excellent boxer, but he’s been out for over a year and can’t be any faster than he was from a year ago. This is Johnson’s time and he will deliver. Don’t put any credence into Nogueira’s lackluster win over Rashad Evans, who is Johnson’s teammate. It was clear that Evans was off that night.
Robbie Lawler ($6000)- With so many unknown fighters on the preliminary portion and fighters who don’t always finish, Lawler seems to be only other top choice. Josh Thomson and Jorge Masvidal are excellent strikers, but don’t always necessarily finish. The value of a finish in a Kountermove game has always proven to be significant in trying to win money.
There is no denying Lawler’s power and in a five round fight, he will surely have all the opportunities to finish Matt Brown. While this fight may be dangerous to touch, I’ll be surprised if Lawler lost. He responds better to taking damage and has more power in his striking. Brown has been dropped by body shots against Erick Silva (liver kick) and Jordan Mein (knees). He may be as gritty as they come, but I can’t see him surviving against Lawler’s technical striking.
Underdog Picks
Kyle Kingsbury ($4800)- This doesn’t technically count as an underdog, but it’s an even pick. With so many unknown fighters making their debuts, underdogs have been tricky to choose from. Kingsbury has been out for nearly two years. You’ll hear that be repeated, as that’s an obvious cause for concern.
Still this is his long-awaited comeback and Patrick Cummins hasn’t garnered enough trust for me to pick him. Kingsbury has always been a solid well-rounded fighter, who simply ran into a few bad matchups. Glover Teixeira and Jimi Manuwa are two massive light heavyweights, who have serious knockout power. Cummins has proven to be a wrestler for the majority of his MMA career. This would be a solid “underdog” or at least even pick to save cash for someone like Johnson or Lawler.
Daron Cruichshank ($4200)- The classic high-risk and high-reward pick. I’m not expecting Cruichshank to beat Masvidal, but he has a better chance to win than other underdogs. Bobby Green leaves himself too open and doesn’t have enough tools to beat Thomson. Clay Guida would be a decent pick, but it’s highly unlikely that he will finish Dennis Bermudez. Matt Brown wouldn’t be a terrible pick, but I don’t have much faith in him for this matchup.
Cruichshank’s striking has proven to be unorthodox. His highlight reel head-kick knockouts have opened people’s eyes on his potential. I’ve always been a huge proponent of Masvidal and expect him to neutralize his striking. Still out of all the underdogs in high-profile fights, you could have success in taking this risk to save cash. Cruichshank’s upset over Erik Koch showed that he shouldn’t be completely overlooked.
My picks
I’m still relatively unsure of my picks. I usually wait until MMA Mania and Bloody Elbow staff posts their picks of every fight to gain more information. I always try to target a few preliminary fighters for picks. They do an excellent job of describing fighters, who are debuting and have been on the regional scene. Other than that, I’m going to have to do more research. The main card price tags are heavily priced. You can probably only add one of those fighters, before looking at a few preliminary fights.
