UFC 164 ‘Henderson vs. Pettis 2’ Preview

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Lightweights

Jamie Varner (21-7-1, 3-2 UFC) vs. Gleison Tibau (27-9, 12-7 UFC): A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a thickly muscled frame, Tibau thrives on overpowering opponents. The Brazilian has won five of his last seven bouts and ranks second all-time in the promotion in takedowns landed with 69. Varner will struggle to take down his opponent, but the Arizona Combat Sports product should have the better standup. Avoiding prolonged battles in the clinch will be the key for the former WEC champion. Varner wins by decision.

Flyweights

Louis Gaudinot (6-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Tim Elliott (9-3-1, 1-1 UFC): In his first UFC bout at flyweight, Gaudinot survived an onslaught from Brazilian wrecking machine John Lineker, choking out the former Jungle Fight champion with a guillotine in the second round. After more than a year-long layoff, “The Ultimate Fighter 14” alum returns to the Octagon to square off with Elliott, who captured his first UFC victory over Jared Papazian in December. Elliott’s most impressive showing, however, was going the distance against former No. 1 contender John Dodson in his UFC debut. Gaudinot wins a competitive fight, either by submission or decision.

Welterweights

Hyun Gyu Lim (11-3-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Pascal Krauss (11-1, 2-1 UFC): Krauss has a multi-faceted striking attack and solid takedown defense, both of which were on display in a decision victory over Mike Stumpf in January. He will face a stern test in Lim, who owns a seven-inch reach advantage and debuted in the UFC by knocking out the previously unbeaten Marcelo Guimares with a knee at UFC on Fuel TV 8. At some point, Lim makes Krauss pay for attempting to navigate distance, winning by KO or TKO.

Bantamweights

Chico Camus (12-4, 1-1 UFC) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (11-6, 0-0 UFC): Kang appeared to control much of his Octagon debut against Alex Caceres with takedowns and moderate ground-and-pound, but it was “Bruce Leroy” who emerged with a split decision triumph after a third-round surge. However, the result was later changed to a no-contest after Caceres failed a drug test. Meanwhile, a lack of strategy was Camus’ downfall in losing via submission to Dustin Kimura at UFC 156; despite having an edge on the feet, the Roufusport product chose to work repeatedly in his foe’s guard. Give the edge to the fighter on his home turf. Camus captures a decision.

Heavyweights

Soa Palelei (18-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Nikita Krylov (15-1, 0-0 UFC): Palelei returns to the Octagon for the first time since a third-round TKO loss to Eddie Sanchez at UFC 79. Since then, “The Hulk” has won 10 of 11 bouts, with only a loss to Daniel Cormier sullying his record during that time. Krylov, meanwhile, is just 21 years old and has finished all 15 of his wins by knockout or submission. In terms of upside, Krylov seems like the best bet, but he will have to avoid the massive power of a larger adversary in order to prove himself. Palelei wins by KO or TKO in round one or two.

Lightweights

Al Iaquinta (5-2-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Ryan Couture (6-2, 0-1 UFC): Randy Couture’s son does a good job of maximizing his talent, but he was given a tough matchup for his initial Octagon foray, as Ross Pearson stopped the Strikeforce veteran on second-round punches at UFC on Fuel TV 9. Iaquinta is not on Pearson’s level, but he was widely regarded as the top talent on “The Ultimate Fighter 15” cast before falling to Michael Chiesa at the series finale in 2012. A balanced approach by Couture nets him a decision victory.

Middleweights

Jared Hamman (13-5, 2-4 UFC) vs. Magnus Cedenblad (10-4, 0-1 UFC): It has been a rough stretch for Hamman, who has suffered back-to-back knockout losses at the hands of Costa Philippou and Michael Kuiper. Cedenblad, who was submitted by Francis Carmont in his first promotional appearance, would probably prefer to avoid trading shots with the heavy-handed Hamman. Hamman wins by TKO in round one.

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TRACKING TRISTEN 2013

Overall Record: 155-93
Last Event (UFC Fight Night 27): 7-4
Best Event (Strikeforce “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine): 9-2
Worst Event (UFC 156/UFC on Fuel TV 8): 5-6