411s MMA Roundtable Preview: WEC 37 Torres vs. Tapia
Posted by Larry Csonka on 12.03.2008
Will there be another huge upset on this WEC show? Beware Mr. Torres
WELCOME:
Welcome back kids to another MMA Roundtable Preview! After a short break we're back for the busy month of December. The WEC kicks things off, and if the last show taught us anything it was this: anything can happen! We should all know that by now, but the way Mike Brown defeated Urijah Faber reminded us of that. Will Miguel Torres fall at the feet of Manny Tapia? Let's meet the staff and break down the show!
THE STAFF:
The MMA Juggernaut himself, Jonathan "KING" Solomon!
He's know to make people tap out, he is Todd "TBERG" Bergman!
From the Fightin Stance News, Adam "THE" Tool!
And finally I am your humble editor, Larry "No Gimmick Needed" Csonka!
WEC 37 TORRES vs. TAPIA
THE TOP BOUTS: Johny Hendricks vs. Justin Haskins
Jonathan Solomon: Another top collegiate wrestler makes his debut with WEC here as Johny Hendricks takes his 3-0 MMA record against Haskins. Like Jake Rosholt, Hendricks was featured earlier this year with the TAPOUT crew so he has a following. Hendricks is a powerful dude with submission knowledge and has worked to improve his striking. Haskins is said to be a great wrestler, too. I haven't seen a Haskins fight so it's tough for me to pick him.
Winner: Johny Hendricks, Submission, Round 2
Todd Bergman: This fight looks like a showcase for Hendricks and his awesome wrestling ability. Hopefully he doesn't get punched repeatedly in the face like Jake Rosholt did last month. This fight will be dictated by Hendricks and his ability to finish his opponent. I'm guessing that Hendricks will look to finish early and come out strong. He should be able to get Haskins down, and hold him down, before finishing with a TKO victory early in the fight.
Winner: Johny Hendricks, TKO, Round 1
Adam Tool: First off I just wanted to tell everyone to do whatever you can to catch this show. I know you probably don't recognize a lot of the names, but the fact is that the main card will be a true showcase of the action-packed lighter weight classes. Starting out in the prelims though, we have two welterweights making their WEC debuts. Hendricks has a fair amount of hype behind him thanks to his outstanding collegiate wrestling career. I know nothing about Haskins, so we'll take the guy with the hype.
Winner: Johny Hendricks, TKO, round 1
Larry Csonka: With MMA being all the rage, collegiate wrestlers are more often choosing MMA over pro wrestling these days. Johny Hendricks is 3-0 in MMA, and looks to get his first big profile victory here, similar to Jake Rosholt. Let's hope that Hendricks has better stand up than Mr. Rosholt.
Winner: Johny Hendricks, STRIKES, Round 2
Mark Munoz vs. Ricardo Barros
Jonathan Solomon: Munoz returns to the cage for the first time since his knockout victory over Chuck Grigsby in June. Munoz is an undefeated fighter, taking on newcomer Barros. Ricardo Barros is 2-1 in his young MMA career with both wins coming by way of submission in the first round. Barros has not fought consistently although he is a BJJ black belt. Munoz should be able to dominate with his wrestling skills although he must avoid the submission attempts. His power should win him this fight.
Winner: Mark Munoz, TKO, Round 1
Todd Bergman: Avoiding the submission ability of Barros is the key to victory here. Munoz struggled early in his last fight to get past the reach of Chuck Grisby. However, that shouldn't be a problem here. Munoz must remain calm when the fight goes to the ground and throw smart and accurate punches. I think that Munoz will showcase that ability and win this fight along the way to joining the UFC's 205lbs division.
Winner: Mark Munoz, TKO, Round 1
Adam Tool: Here we have two guys that will likely be fighting for the last time in the WEC. This light heavyweight bout could determine who moves on to the UFC, and my money is on Munoz. He's got the advantage in striking, and while Barros has some submission skills, I don't think he'll last long enough to show them.
Winner: Mark Munoz, TKO, round 1
Larry Csonka: With the light heavyweights moving to the UFC, these guys will be looking to not only impress, but the man with the victory seems a lock to get a job. Munoz is coming off of a string victory over Chuck Grigsby. I feel he takes the win and heads off to the UFC and a stacked light heavyweight division.
Winner: Mark Munoz, STRIKES, Round 1
Wagnney Fabiano vs. Akitoshi Tamura
Jonathan Solomon: Fabiano is a tremendously skilled fighter and was at one point, teaching GSP Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is a former IFL Featherweight Champion and his only loss was a split decision to Jeff Curran. He has great striking ability and a top-notch ground game. His opponent is no walkover though as Tamura is a former Shooto champion and has used a variety of submissions to earn some of his 12 victories. This should be a great fight with a lot of action. I see this fight either lasting the full 15-minutes or someone winning by knockout.
Winner: Wagnney Fabiano, Decision
Todd Bergman: This will certainly be a contender for "Fight Of The Night." Both are extremely creative and exciting fighters, who will be making their WEC debuts. The deciding factor in this fight is certainly going to be Fabiano's underrated striking game. He should be able to pick apart Tamura from the clinch and then, when the fight hits the ground, tap out his opponent. No disrespect to Tamura, but Fabiano is a better fighter.
Winner: Wagnney Fabiano, Round 2, Submission
Adam Tool: At the moment the WEC's featherweight division has never been more exciting, and it's about to get a whole lot deeper with the addition of Wagnney Fabiano. Anyone that has read my column will know of the love I have for Brazilian fighters and the former IFL Featherweight Champion is no exception. Tamura is a former champion himself, having held the 143.5-pound belt in SHOOTO. Still, Fabiano is heads and shoulders above the rest of the featherweight division in terms of his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and I think that will be the difference maker.
Winner: Wagnney Fabiano, submission, round 1
Larry Csonka: FABBY~! The former IFL Featherweight Champion walks into the WEC with an impressive 10-1 record, including going 6-0 in the IFL. A strong victory and or performance here vaults him right into Mike Brown's face and a possible title shot. A lot of people are looking past Tamura, who is 12-6-2, but he is 5-1 in his last six fights. This should be a hell of a fight, but I am not sure FABBY will finish him.
Winner: Wagnney Fabiano, Decision
Joseph Benavidez vs. Danny Martinez
Jonathan Solomon: As is usual with WEC, this is another fight that should provide a ton of action. Benavidez has worked with Urijah Faber and has competed around the world. He last fought in DREAM and defeated Junya Kudo by submission (he has won his last four fights with chokes). Danny Martinez is 12-2 and both losses were from decisions. He makes his WEC debut this week and is riding a three-fight win streak into the cage. A lot of his fights end up in the 3rd round but I don't think this one will.
Winner: Joseph Benavidez, Submission, Round 2
Todd Bergman: Working with Urijah Faber is certainly a positive and Joseph Benavidez will greatly benefit from this. This will be a treat for the hardcore and casual fans alike. The key to this fight will be Benavidez's ability finish the fight and not give Martinez any thought of comfort. I believe that Joseph will push the pace and put Martinez on his back and keep him off balance with great technique. Note to Joseph: Back elbows don't work: whatever you do, don't try them!
Winner: Joseph Benavidez, Submission, Round 1
Adam Tool:As has been mentioned, Benavidez is the protégé of former (that still sounds weird) WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber. Of course, just because he trains with Urijah doesn't mean he is Urijah. Both fighters will be making their WEC debut and are looking to establish themselves amongst the ever-thickening bantamweight ranks. Both fighters prefer to take their opponents down, but I think Benavidez has had the better training and will be able to ground-and-pound his way to a win.
Winner: Joseph Benavidez, TKO, round 2
Larry Csonka: Martinez is 51- in his last six fights as he goes into battle with the undefeated at 8-0 Benavidez. This one should be a really fun battle with some sweet groundwork, which I am looking forward too.
Winner: Joseph Benavidez, Submission, Round 2
Brian Bowles vs. Will Ribeiro
Jonathan Solomon: Brian Bowles has had quite the run so far, winning all six of his fights. I think that run will come to an end Wednesday night. He has used solid striking and nice submissions to win his fights but Will Ribeiro is the better striker. If this fight turns into a striking game, Ribeiro, a former boxer, should have the advantage. If it goes to the ground, it could even out. Will the winner here be in line for a WEC Bantamweight Championship shot in 2009? If Ribeiro wins, I think so.
Winner: Will Ribeiro, KO, Round 1
Todd Bergman: The winner of this fight will certainly be looking at a title shot in 2009. Both fighters are extremely dangerous with their hands, but I think that this fight will come down to Bowles's ability to take down Ribeiro and work his ground and pound. Ribeiro's last opponent, Chase Beebe, was extremely one-dimensional and Ribeiro barely got the victory. Brian must avoid prolonged striking sessions here, but he should have the ability to dictate where this fight goes and that's the most important thing in MMA.
Winner: Brian Bowles, Decision
Adam Tool: I have little doubt that Miguel Torres will be watching this fight closely, as the winner here will almost certainly be the new #1 contender for the bantamweight strap. Bowles is still undefeated, and has had little trouble taking his opponents down and imposing his will to get the submission win. Ribeiro certainly takes his Muay Thai seriously (which is evident by the fact that he has those words tattooed on his forearm) so he'll look to keep this fight standing and work in the clinch. For me this is the hardest fight on the show to pick, but at the moment I think Bowles is too hot to pick against.
Winner: Brian Bowles, submission, round 2
Larry Csonka: The 6-0 Brian Bowles has been impressive thus far in his WEC run, going 3-0 and finishing people. Ribeiro is 10-1 and is coming off of a strong victory over Chase Beebe. A win here would likely get him a Bantamweight title shot. I see this one going the distance, and honestly I will flip the coin.
Winner: Will Ribeiro, Decision
WEC Bantamweight Championship Bout: Miguel Torres vs. Manny Tapia
Jonathan Solomon: Miguel Torres is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and he is slowly turning into the face of WEC. Torres' fierce hands took Yoshihiro Maeda apart in their classic war in June. He has a tremendous ground game and a big heart so he won't be beaten into submission. Tapia is undefeated with 10-wins under his belt and is a solid striker, too. However, Torres is the complete package and it's not going to be easy to defeat him (whenever that time does come). If this fight stays standing, Torres should do fine. If it goes to the ground, the advantage goes to Torres. Trust me, there will not be an upset.
Winner: Miguel Torres, TKO, Round 2
Todd Bergman: Having checked out some recent interviews between both fighters, I've come to one conclusion: Manny Tapia is scared of the "MULLET" and that's why he is talking loads of trash coming into this fight. All kidding aside, Miguel Torres is one of the best fighters on the planet. He doesn't get the credit that he deserves, and it's because he's a little guy in a big man's world. Tapia won't have the gas tank to compete with Torres. This one won't go to the championship rounds as Torres taps out Tapia with a beautiful arm bar.
Winner: Miguel Torres, Submission, Round 3
Adam Tool: What makes Miguel Torres so good? Is it the mullet? Of course not, although it doesn't hurt. Torres is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters today because he is a true mixed-martial artist. He's comfortable wherever the fight goes and he's dangerous in all positions. I saw a recent interview with Tapia where he claimed he wasn't worried about Torres' ground game. I can understand if Manny's feeling confident in his abilities, but if he underestimates the champ then it will be a short night. Tapia will try to keep this fight standing, but he may be underestimating Torres' power as well. If they hit the mat then Torres will have his way with Tapia, and that's exactly what I think will happen.
Winner: Miguel Torres, submission, round 1
Larry Csonka: Last month I was positive that Faber would win. I am usually never positive about a victory because I had learned not to be. I failed, Faber lost and Brown is the new champion. And that brings us to this fight. I see Tapia giving Torres a good battle and this should be full of win, for Mr. Torres. Oh, and MULLET. It's all the rage. Wacky MMA hair and beards are where it's at!
Winner: Miguel Torres, Submission, Round 3
Remember to join us TONIGHT for LIVE coverage of the show!
