Issue 061

April 2010

Our resident experts preview three upcoming fights in their own different ways: Aldo vs Faber; Penn vs Edgar; and Hughes vs Gracie.

First, Andrew Garvey takes a look at the bigger picture. What are the career implications for the combatants? Where are they coming from, and what will victory or defeat hold for them? Next, Fighters Only’s technique expert Peter Irving breaks down the strategic and tactical considerations.

Jose Aldo (16-1-0) vs Urijah Faber (23-3-0)

WEC 48, April 24, 2010, Sacramento, California, USA

1

Inch advantage Aldo has over Faber in both height and reach.

3

Times Aldo has won ‘KO of the Night’ in the WEC.

3

In the rematch with Mike Brown, Faber injured both his hands (one broken, one dislocated) by the third round.

15

Number of punches Faber threw in the fifth round alone with his injured left hand.  

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Finally taking the pay-per-view plunge after being bought by UFC owners Zuffa in December 2006, WEC have put together an enviable run of consistently high quality events that reliably guarantee a couple of hours of truly superb fighting fun.  

Normally aired on cable channel Versus, asking fans to pay $44.95 for the show is something of a gamble, but the price certainly shouldn’t put off anyone who’s seen more than a brief glimpse of a WEC event over the past three years or so. While this won’t attract anything like the same size audience as even a below-par UFC event, those who do put their hands in their pockets should be more than satisfied. And they should get much of their satisfaction from this main event, where hometown hero Faber challenges the seemingly-unstoppable Aldo for his old belt, the WEC featherweight title.

The fourth WEC show at Sacramento’s ARCO Arena, Faber will, as ever, attract a large, vocally partisan crowd urging him on against what look like formidable odds. Undoubtedly the biggest star in WEC history, Faber held the featherweight title from March 2006 to June 2008, making five successful defenses until being smashed to a first-round defeat by Mike Brown.  

Rematched with Brown seven months later, Faber went the full five rounds but dropped a decision in a dramatic, punishing fight, and broke both hands along the way. Faber earned another shot at the belt (and its new owner) with his dominant showing against contender Raphael Assuncao in January. Taking apart a highly regarded, 14-1, BJJ black belt and choking him out in the third round, Faber upped his record to 23-3. Only Brown and UFC lightweight regular Tyson Griffin have ever beaten ‘The California Kid’ but despite his impressive track record and considerable ability, the 30-year-old should be a heavy underdog against the new champion.

The genuine breakout star of 2009, Aldo spent the year annihilating his opponents in ever-more impressive fashion, to acclaim from critics and fans alike. Of last year’s victims, only defending champion Mike Brown lasted beyond the first round, and took a truly frightful beating from the 23-year-old. If anything, Cub Swanson was lucky it was all over in 12 seconds when he faced Aldo last June. At least the eye-popping double flying-knee KO in that fight spared him a protracted torturing. Perhaps most impressively, Aldo is far more than a fast, concussive striker. He’s a superb grappler too, owning a BJJ black belt and training at the hugely respected Nova Uniao camp, though he rarely needs to use his mat skills. Just one of his 16 wins have come with an actual submission hold, and Aldo clearly enjoys punching, kneeing and kicking people in the face.  

Too often, a young fighter puts together a few wins and the hyperbole kicks in. Fans and pundits alike start throwing around effusive praise, only to look foolish when their newest indestructible Superman is shown to be, well, human after all. But in Aldo’s case, all the hype in the world may not actually convey just how good he is now, and how good he could be by the time he hits 30 in 2016. Faber, and his legion of fans, are most likely in for a very painful night.

TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN

Aldo rarely throws single shots, but mixes up bunches of hand and kick / knee combinations. Although by no means a counter fighter, he is content to give way, choosing his moments carefully to fly forward and land his shots. Aldo stalks when coming forward, using a little head movement and side-to-side footwork to cut off the cage. Although he is very flat footed, his footwork is fast, covering ground laterally and forward and back with great speed. Aldo’s reaction time is fast indeed, even for a featherweight.  

In spite of his relatively high elevation, Aldo shrugs off single leg attacks with a fast hip movement and stuffs the head, generally replying with some sharp striking before the opponent recovers their stance. On the mat, Aldo’s hips are tight on the opponent, smothering and tracking their movements. His ground ‘n pound, like his stand-up, is sharp, fast, accurate and relentless.  

81%

Percentage of his 16 fights Aldo has finished inside the distance

Faber’s dynamic wrestling-style is predicated on explosiveness, making for some impressive slams and reversals. Faber works very well inside the guard, clearing the tie ups to deliver vicious elbows. Once past the guard, those elbows are even more damaging. His grappling is highly creative; he works well from unpredictable situations, turning scrambles to his advantage with inventive movements. Although his wrestling base naturally leads him to a ground ‘n pound-based style, he attacks the neck with great force, boasting a host of choke submissions to his credit.  

Faber has some neat Muay Thai tricks up his sleeve, delivering unconventional kick combinations and elbows from unexpected angles. He is apt to get wild, throwing big hooks and uppercuts with reckless abandon. In the clinch he is never satisfied with a stalemate, happily abandoning underhooks to smash home an elbow.  

BJ Penn (15-5-1) vs Frankie Edgar (11-1-0)

UFC 112, April 10, 2010, Abu Dhabi, UAE

3

Inch height advantage Penn (5’9”) will have over Edgar (5’6”).

2

Inch reach advantage Edgar (72”) has over Penn (70”).

5

Number of fights Penn has finished by rear naked choke.

0

Number of times Edgar has fought outside of the USA. Penn has fought overseas three times.  

THE BIGGER PICTURE

When motivated and in shape, defending UFC lightweight king Penn is quite simply peerless. Most people would probably rather stick forks in their eyes and spoons up their nose than get into the Octagon with the cheerful-looking Hawaiian, and he’s a singularly unappealing task even for a fighter as tough and talented as Edgar.  

Beaten just once in his 12-fight career (where he was literally bullied around the cage by the much-larger Gray Maynard), Edgar is an excellent wrestler and neat striker who nonetheless has very little chance of dethroning the champion. Too small for the 155lb division, ‘The Answer’ would be better off as a WEC featherweight if not for the fact he can simply make far more money as a UFC fighter, especially with his habit of picking up lucrative Fight of the Night bonuses. Entering his fourth title defense, the 31-year-old Penn is in career-best form. En route to stoppage victories, he made challengers Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez look like absolute beginners.  A deserving, talented contender, Edgar will do extremely well to simply last the distance with such an impeccable champion

TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN

Having been accredited with ‘the best striking in MMA’ by boxing trainer extraordinaire Freddie Roach, Penn has justified this assessment of his hand skills time and again with his impeccable timing, crafty footwork and damaging punches. His kicking skills are less developed by far, but as demonstrated by the horrendous cut he inflicted on Sanchez with his shin, his legs cannot be discounted entirely. Edgar similarly favors his hands, striking with respectable power, if with somewhat less finesse than ‘The Prodigy’. When trading, Edgar’s static head offers a far more hittable target than the evasive Penn. Given Penn’s fast footwork and lightning hand speed, the boxing match has to favor the champion.  

100%

Penn defended all of Sanchez’s 27 takedown attempts  

Edgar’s offensive wrestling ranks among the best in modern MMA, not simply because of his extensive repertoire of takedown finishes, but also his ability to combine striking and shooting in with great timing. Conversely, Penn’s defensive wrestling is perhaps the best in the MMA world. BJ’s undoing has come only when his guard has been passed (Hughes 2, GSP 2) and Edgar has yet to demonstrate passing skills of that caliber.  

Matt Hughes (43-7-0) vs Renzo Gracie (13-6-1)

UFC 112, April 10, 2010, Abu Dhabi, UAE

'92

Year Renzo Gracie made his professional MMA debut, in Brazil, one year before the UFC existed.

4.25

Average number of times a year Hughes has fought in his 12-year career.

3-7

Years and months since Hughes won a fight other than by decision.

3

Renzo will be only the third Gracie to fight in the UFC, following his cousins Royce and Rolles.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

At bell time, former UFC welterweight king Hughes and Brazilian pioneer Gracie will have a combined age of 79. Making his UFC debut, Gracie won’t have fought professionally for over three years, his last appearance being a messy disqualification win (thanks to some misplaced knees) over Frank Shamrock. With friends in high places, that still-magical surname and an infectious likeability, the 43-year-old Renzo is an intriguing addition to the UFC roster and, marketed correctly, his fight with Hughes should be a real money-spinner.  

In May 2006, Hughes laid waste to Renzo’s cousin Royce, brutalizing him with powerful punches, sheer strength and yes, superior grappling. But Renzo has always been one of the family’s most adaptable and entertaining fighters and has gone 3-0 in his last three fights, though it should be pointed out that when he beat Hughes’ former trainer, Pat Miletich, the UFC heavyweight title was still securely wrapped around Tim Sylvia’s waist. Much has changed since then. A fascinating ‘legends fight’, neither Hughes nor Gracie should be top contenders in 2010 but their wrestling vs jiu-jitsu battle has a pleasingly nostalgic ring to it and should deliver some great entertainment.

TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN

While Renzo is famously the most progressive and open minded of all the Gracie clan regarding cross training the other arts, he is still very much a jiu-jitsu fighter. His ground ‘n pound comes after he has established a firm position, and he uses strikes sparingly in an effort to soften up the opponent for his submission attacks. It should not be forgotten that Hughes’ ground skills, although often overshadowed by his image as a wrestler, are no less potent than those of Gracie’s. Renzo’s wrestling is strong and simplistic, favoring fast leg-tackles from the outside or trip finishes from the bodylock. Although he lacks the wrestling credentials of Hughes, Renzo had little trouble putting the bigger Frank Shamrock on his back during his last outing in 2007.  

72%

Percentage of fights Hughes has won by TKO or submission

Renzo has historically had a habit of hanging his lead hand low and flashing the jab up from his waist. His kick defense is suspect, and he soaked up a lot of leg kicks when facing Frank Shamrock without making any effort to check or skip out of range. In spite of the claims that he has been working on his stand-up and intends to trade, Renzo is an instinctive grappler who will undoubtedly want the fight on the mat.