THE CLINCH REPORT

MAIN CARD 

Donald Cerrone vs. KJ Noons

Donald ‘The Cowboy’ Cerrone fighting style is no secret, he stalks his opponents with vicious muay thai kicks, and can transition to a submission from virtually any position. KJ Noons is making his debut for the UFC, after coming over from the defunct Strikeforce promotion. Noons is also known for his tough, brawling style. This fight has the makings for either Fight of the Night, or a Sub of the Night for Cerrone.

Winner: Cerrone via submission rd 2

T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard (#1 Contender spot)

T.J. Grant has quietly earned this fight, riding a 4 fight win with his last being an impressive TKO over Matt Wiman. He has improved with each fight, and will be looking to capture a title shot with a win. Maynard is best known for his trilogy of fights with former champion Frankie Edgar. Twice, Maynard appeared to be just seconds away from the title, only to be thwarted by the heart of Edgar. The winner of this fight, has been guaranteed the next shot at champion Benson Henderson

Winner: Grant via unanimous decision

James Te Huna vs. Glover Teixeira

James Te Huna is one of the most talented fighters in the light heavyweight division. His only problem has been the fact that he is coincidentally making his rise with two of the most heralded light heavyweight prospect in recent history Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira.  Te Huna lost his second fight in the UFC to Gustafsson. Since that loss, Te Huna has rattled off 4 impressive wins including his last over Ryan Jimmo. Glover Texieira started his career at 2-2, since then he has won 18 consecutive fights. Now at 20-2, Texieira was last seen handing Rampage Jackson his walking papers via unanimous decision. An impressive win over Te Huna could set up a #1 contenders fight with Alexander Gustafsson.

Winner: Teixeira via Submission rd 2 (strikes set up a choke)

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

dos Santos is making his return to the Octagon for the first time since losing the title to Velasquez in December. Even though he lost the fight, his striking is still the best in the division. He will need to keep his opponent at the end of his jab, to effectively set up his power punches. Mark Hunt may be tailor-made to beat dos Santos, if his last fight against Stefan Struve is an indicator. Hunt was very effective at closing the distance, and neutralizing a sizable reach disadvantage, and eventually ended the fight with a spectacular knockout.  However, recent visa issues for Hunt (New Zealand) left the bout in limbo up until last week. This leaves Hunt only a small amount of time to acclimate to the environment, and that could be the intagible that gives dos Santos an advantage.

Winner: dos Santos via TKO rd 2

Main Event  Cain Velasquez vs Antonio Silva – for Heavyweight Title

The last time these two faced off in 2012, Velasquez dominated ‘Big Foot’ Silva for 3:36 and left the challenger busted and bloodied. Velasquez then went on to regain the heavyweight title. However, ‘Big Foot’ proved in his last fight, that the illusive creature was still a threat in the division when he destroyed the heavily favored Alistair Overeem in just over 2 rounds. Since rejoining American Top Team, Silva has shown tremendous improvement, and will present a threat on his feet or on the ground. Cain Velasquez is an absolute monster inside the cage. In his last fight he proved he could learn from defeat, and executed a game plan that gave his opponent virtually no chance at winning. After being dismantled by dos Santos, Velasquez came back and returned the favor by pummeling him for 5 rounds. Velasquez will probably utilize a very similar game plan in this fight, to counter the reach of Silva. The key for Silva, is to ride the “Rocky-like” momentum that thrust him in this position to begin with. His hunger to win, will be his best asset.

Winner: Velasquez via TKO rd 3