THE CLINCH REPORT

Donald Cerrone (17-3 MMA 4-0 UFC) fresh of his his first round submission win over Denis Siver, at UFC 137 is reportedly being scheduled to fight Nate Diaz (14-7 MMA (-5 UFC) at UFC 141 December 30, 2011 in Las Vegas.

The many similarities between the two fighters will prove this to be quite a battle. At 6’0 and with similar long reaches, Cerrone and Diaz should be able to put on a striking display from the outside. Cerrone posses superior muay thai, but Diaz has the superior boxing. Both fighters posses iron clad jaws, and neither one is afraid to take shots, just to land their own.

The one advantage Cerrone would certainly have over Diaz would be Greg Jackson; who can plan and change a fight plan, on the fly better than anyone. Cerrone is also a very adept pupil. Several times in his fight with Siver, he adjusted, and executed the plan perfectly, showing Jackson he was listening!

Diaz on the other hand, is well “A Diaz”. Even though he is one of the most talented fighters in any division, like his brother, he can be goaded into a brawl, and eat several punches looking to counter. Usually leaving him bloody, which never translates well to the judges. It does however translate to fight fans, as even in losing efforts Diaz still manages to garner Fight of The Night honors.

Both fighters are warriors, and if this bout is finalized, it will surely be a candidate for Fight of the Year.

Fighter Payroll for UFC 137. Note that these figures do no include the Fight of the Night, Submission of the Night, and Knockout of the Night bonuses. Those bonuses were handed to Nick Diaz and BJ Penn (FON), Donald Cerrone (SON), and Bart Palaszewski (KON). Those bonuses were reportedly worth $75,000 each!

The full payouts included:
Nick Diaz: $200,000 (no win bonus)
def. B.J. Penn: $150,000

Cheick Kongo: $140,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus)
def. Matt Mitrione: $10,000

Roy Nelson: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic: $75,000

Scott Jorgensen: $33,000 (includes $16,500 win bonus)
def. Jeff Curran: $8,000

Hatsu Hioki: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
def. George Roop: $8,000

Donald Cerrone: $54,000 (includes $27,000 win bonus)
def. Dennis Siver: $27,000

Bart Palaszewski: $28,500 (includes $10,000 win bonus)*
def. Tyson Griffin: $25,500*

Brandon Vera: $120,000 (includes $60,000 win bonus)
def. Eliot Marshall: $15,000

Ramsey Nijem: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Danny Downes: $4,000

Francis Carmont: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
def. Chris Camozzi: $8,000

Clifford Starks: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
def. Dustin Jacoby: $6,000

*Tyson Griffin was reportedly fined some a percentage of his show pay, for not making weight. He weighed in at 149 for his fight which had a 146 lbs limit.

Ariel Helwani Interviewing Roy Nelson before UFC 137

This fight puts two very different fighters against each other, both of whom happen to be one loss away from the exit door. Much like a cornered animal, fighters in these situations tend to be very dangerous.

Roy Nelson is coming of two unanimous decision losses, too ranked heavyweights (Junior Dos Santos, and Frank Mir). However, in the fight against Mir he looked rather lethargic, and made difficult to ignore his rotund figure, which had become a cult trademark. With his lackluster performance behind him, Nelson coming out of training camp looks as good as he ever has, weighing in at just over 250 lbs, while sporting a fake fat suit!

Mirko Crop Cop is secured in the history books as one of the most dangerous fighters in MMA history.Like Nelson, Cro Cop too is on the verge of being removed from the UFC roster. Unlike Nelson, Cro Cop is also nearing the end of his fight career. Long removed from his dominant Pride fights, the Croatian legend is reeling after consecutive knock out losses to Frank Mir, and Brendan Schaub. The recent knockout losses may not tarnish his career, but they may indicate its conclusion.

Analysis: Both fighters are comfortable strikers, with varying styles. Cro Cop is more of a conventional kick-boxer with vicious leg strikes. Nelson is more of a conventional boxer, with very good punching power. On, the ground Nelson has a distinct advantage, his slick jujitsu is much more developed than any part of Cro Cop’s ground arsenal. Nelson will look to set up take-downs with strikes from in close, avoiding Cro Cops legs! Distance, and patience would be the key to a Cro Cop victory.

Prediction: Roy Nelson 2nd round submission set up by strikes