UFN 22: Marquardt vs. Palhares

[Turd Ferguson]

Main card

• Middleweight bout: Nate Marquardt vs Rousimar Palhares
• Lightweight bout: Efrain Escudero vs. Charles Oliveira
• Lightweight bout: Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau
• Lightweight bout: Ross Pearson vs. Cole Miller

Preliminary Card (Non-televised)

• Light Heavyweight bout: Jared Hamman vs. Kyle Kingsbury
• Middleweight bout: Tomasz Drwal vs. Dave Branch
• Middleweight bout: Rich Antonito vs. Rafael Natal
• Welterweight bout: Anthony Waldburger vs. David Mitchell
• Welterweight bout: Brian Foster vs. Forrest Petz
• Lightweight bout: Yves Edwards vs. John Gunderson

Alright, this isn't exactly the strongest card the UFC has put out, but whatever, there are a couple of interesting matchups on here anyway.

Nate Marquardt vs. Rousimar Palhares was a fight I was really looking forward to seeing in person at UFC 118. It got moved off the card because Alan Belcher got hurt, and might have his career in jeopardy over the injury he sustained in training. Demian Maia, who was supposed to main event this card with Belcher, fought Mario Miranda last night. Considering that fight was quite boring, when Marquardt/Palhares has potential to be quite interesting, and you can sense my frustration.

Rousimar Palhares is a fighter I've been paying attention to for awhile now. He's got some damn good ground grappling skills, and he's given Dan Henderson problems before. He's known for being a deadly submission artist, and his heel hooks are flat out scary. Palhares is a very intimidating dude. He's insanely muscular, yet is only 5'8". His nickname, "Toquinho", translates to English as "tree stump".

Seriously, look at him. When you have a dude this muscular trying to rip your knee out... there are really few worse situations.

He's come under fire for his last fight, when he heel hooked Tomasz Drwal and cranked it after the referee stoppage. Palhares stated that he didn't feel Drwal tap, or see the referee come in. Which is fine, but I think he's done that once or twice before too. Either way, he's doing something right, as this Nate Marquardt fight could be his coming out party. Marquardt doesn't exactly have the best history when facing grapplers, and Palhares in my point of view, is an elite grappler. Marquardt is undoubtedly the favorite, but I think Palhares will pull off the upset via submission.

As far as the rest of the card goes, it really isn't interesting to me at all. Charles Oliveira is loaded with potential and I hope he does well against Escudero. I'm a huge fan of the Miller brothers, so I hope Jim Miller wins. Ross Pearson is getting more impressive with each performance, and his fight against Cole Miller should be real good.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Yeah I agree Guy this isn't the best Fight Night card they put out, but it will have to do. It's free so not gonna complain anymore about it.

Marquardt vs. Palhareas could turnout to be a very good fight. Both have black belts in BJJ so a submission here can be highly unlikely. It could very well end up being a war like the Marquardt/Sonnen fight, which would be fine by me. If Palhareas gets past Nate then he should start be looked at as a contender for the title.

Escudero vs. Oilveira is a battle of two of the younger guys in the Lightweight division. For Oilveria, Escudero is gonna be his toughest opponent yet. The guy is quite a work horse having fought 13 times in 2 years. Escudero is gonna have to be real careful because Oilveria could end it with a submission or with strikes.

Miller vs. Tibau should be another decent fight. Miller has been on a decent role as of late, currently on a 4 fight winning streak and a like 13 out of the past 14. Tibau on the other hand is a streaky fighter, he'll win a coulpe lose, win a coulpe more then lose a fight while fighting for the UFC. Tibau by far is the biggest Lightweight I think I ever saw. This fight will probably ended going to a decision.

Pearson vs. Miller is yet another Lightweight fight on the main card. Pearson has been doing good since winning the TUF 9, with Cole Miller he will have his hands full. Not sure who I like in this one.

For the under card the only thing I'm interested in is Rich Antonito from TUF 11. Other than that nothing interests me.

 

[CyDeez]

Yeah for sure not even the best free card UFC has showcased.

But I am VERY anxious to watch Marquardt and Palhares. I think you hit the nail on the head, this very well could be Palhares' coming out party. Should be a good fight either way. For some unexplainable reason I will be going for Marquardt. I have nothing to back it up. LOL... I just do not like Palhares at all... But like I said, I just hope it's a good fight.

I want to see what Efrain Escudero does against Charles Oliveira too. Though I do think Escudero wins this in the late 1st round or early 2nd, it is a solid test for him.

One other thing is Cole Miller Vs. Ross Pearson. According to the other fights on this card, this might be the fight of the night. Pearson can go and Miller has shown flashes of being a really good fighter. Of course it could be quick or could be shitty. Anything can happen... But I have a feeling this will be a damn good fight!

 

[jmt225]

You know, it's not a bad UFN, but it's not one I'm really looking forward to.

I am not a fan of Nate Marquardt at all. He's a talented fighter and seems like a good dude, but he doesn't interest me for whatever reason. His opponent, Rousimar Palhares, has looked good in the fights no one cared about, but has gotten his ass handed to him in the one really big fight he has had, which was against the great Dan Henderson. So, in my opinion, this is a make or break fight for Rousimar Palhares. Either Rousimar is a top contender in the Middleweight Division, or he's a journeyman. We'll find out come UFN 22 I guess. Hopefully it just ends up being a great fight.

I'm interested in seeing Charles Oliveira in his toughest fight to date against TUF winner Efrain Escudero. Efrain is one of the most boring LW fighters to watch, but Charley Oliveira is very exciting, both on the feet and on the ground. Hopefully he has enough wrestling to keep the fight standing, and if not... hopefully he can catch Efrain on the ground. Either way, for Oliveira to stand the slightest bit of chance winning this fight, he'll need to catch Efrain, bottom line. Otherwise it's going to be yet another lay and pray victory for Efrain Escudero.

Jim Miller should completely dominate Gleison Tibau. That's all I have to say about that.

And hopefully Cole Miller can use those long legs of his on the ground to catch Ross Pearson in triangle or something. Ross is perhaps the far superior fighter, but I'm not a fan, and I actually like Cole Miller, so I'm rooting for Cole in this one to pull off the upset and start a little streak for himself at least once more.

 

[Rizza]

I am very excited for this. In the UFC there are really only three middlewights I really, really get amped up for their fights and have to show my fanboy-ism for. Maia(Surpise, Surprise), Cot'e(again surprise, surprise seeing how he has been my sig forever, and Nate the great. So I am very much looking forward to see Nate beat the shit out of Paul Harris, who if you read the overrated fighters thread, you know that I am not a big fan of.

I think Nate edges him on this one, Nate has great stand up(look at the Gouvia fight ending and tell me that guy is not a beast) he has heart from hell to back, almost finishing Sonnen the rightful #2 MW in the world in the 3rd round after getting thrashed by him. Very explosive takedowns, and while I know he got taken down at will in the Sonnen fight at will. Paul Harris isn't Sonnen, he does not have the wreslting pedigree that Chael has, nor the technique, all Paul Harris has is brute strength takedowns, something I think Nate will be able to negate with his own power and TDD, seeing how the guy is a beast.

Nate's BJJ is great, his top game is brutal, his sub defense is top notch, and to top it off his GNP is as fucking nasty as it comes. I have Nate taking this one and throwing his hat back in the title race.

Nate by KO from on the feet. Oh and I know Paul Harris has a great chin and hasn't been knocked out before....but there is a first time for everything.


Not much I can say about the Efrain Escudero vs. Charles Oliveira fight except I can not fucking stand Efrain, and am a total mark for top notch BJJ guys, so here is to hoping Oliveira goes home with Sub of the night and makes Efrain Tap like a bitch again.


Not much I can say about this one either in Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau. I just think its gonna be Tibau doing lots of big explosive takedowns and not doing shit with them. I am not counting Miller out though. He is as scrappy as they come, and you can never count people like that out.

Miller vs Pearson is interesting. I think Miller is kinda confident
in his hands because of his reach and the KO he put on Andy Wang a while back, but It will be a stupid, stupid decision to stand with Pearson, he is explosive, has great cardio and works the clinch like a beast. I am not really rooting for anyone in this one, but I think it just breaks down like this, if Miller gets it to the ground and gains top position. Its gonna be a long night for Pearson, but if he keeps it up top. Ross is gonna K him TFO. I am leaning towards the latter, but that Sub of the year(IMO) that Miller pulled on Little Lauzon has had me having second thoughts.

As for the under card I just want to see Gunderson( I'm a total mark for the guy lol) and Branch(who looking at some of his past fights has shown his BJJ is top notch) pick up wins and I will be happy. Against Yves Edwards and Drwal that is gonna be some tough shit to pull out.

 

[Via Armbar]

I'm rather excited about this card actually. There are no huge names, but it's your run of the mill Fight Night names competing here and some interesting bouts are set to take place.

Marquardt vs Palhares

Two names I always need to recheck on the spelling. This fight alone makes the card interesting for me because it's two fighters I really enjoy watching. Marquardt is settling into a gatekeeper position but can easily make his way back up to a title shot. Palhares's only loss in the UFC is to Dan Henderson, nothing to be upset about and his only other loss is from another decision. If you look at his record, 8 out of 11 of his wins are via submission and of those wins 5 of them are from heel hook. That's scary business. This fight is hard to call for two reasons: Marquardt's well roundedness and Palhares's gap between quality fighters. Nate has no glaring weaknesses but has had trouble with a grinding wrestler in Sonnen and guys who keep the offense strong like Silva. Palhares has undeniable grappling skills and I believe underrated take down ability. Is it enough to keep Marquardt grounded? I doubt it, but he doesn't need to. I firmly he believe he can sub Nate if he gets the chance. That's where Marquardt's well rounded game comes in though; he will either stop all the take downs or not give Palhares the chance to take him down at all if he lays the combos on heavy.

If I had to choose an end, it would be with Marquardt's hand being risen with a unanimous decision win.

The rest of the card looks fun but with no real effect on their respective weight classes. If Miller beats Tibau he might be looking for a contenders fight in the near future. If Escudero picks up a win I can see him getting a big step up in competition, someone like a Guida. Either way, Wednesday is going to be a fun night for fight fans.

 

[INDYjon22]

Marquardt vs. Palhares is an interesting match up on paper, but I don't think it will be a very exciting fight. I honestly believe that Marquardt will beat Palhares soundly. Palhares doesn't have any big wins against any fighters the level of Nate and I just feel like he is being thrown in the deep end with this fight. Yeah Marquardt is coming off of a loss but I think he will bounce back nicely and work his way to a decision victory over Palhares.

Escudero vs. Oliveira doesn't really excite me. Efrain just doesn't interest me, even if he is fighting an exciting fight, I really couldn't care less about this fight. I expect Escudero to come out and do what he usually does, box a little and wrestle but not work for a finish. I would be very surprised if this fight didn't go to the judges. And, I think Escudero will win in the end.

Jim Miller, Cole Miller, Gleison Tibau, and Ross Pearson should all provide some fun and hopefully exciting fights. Tibau is one of my favorite Lightweights in the UFC and he is usually very fun to watch. Same goes for Jim Miller who is a very solid fighter. Cole Miller has knocked off TUF fighters in the past, he ended Junie Brownings UFC run, and I think he has the potential to pull this win off. However, Pearson is very good and on the rise, I think Ross will pick up this important win and will then get a bump up in competition.

The rest of the card looks alright, but I won't go out of my way to check it out, unless I hear rave reviews about them.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Escudero tipped the scales a little chunky today. He came in at 159 pounds. Now will have to forfeit 20% of his purse. I understand being a pound or two over, but four pounds over is a bit ridiculous, knowing that you have a fight wouldn't you be sure to be right around the mark a week in advance? This makes me want to see Oliveira win all the more now. The fight is now a catchweight.

When fighters do not make weight, I would make it a rule that an extra 10% gets deducted if the overweight fighter wins. I understand that it would be a little steep and they have to eat, but it would make them not want to do it again.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Not a bad card at all. It was one of those that looks rather blah on paper but definitely was decent overall.

Pearson vs. Miller wasn't that bad. Pearson won the first round with his striking while Miller looked for takedowns and submissions. The second round Miller tried a flying knee that looks like it grazed Pearson, which made him back up, then Miller swung a helluva left hook that put Pearson down, Miller then slapped on a rear naked choke to get the win.

Jim Miller vs. Tibau was a very close fight. Miller relied on his striking, while Tibau looked for takedowns most of the fight. He secured a few takedowns but Miller was able to get right back up from them. Miller was definitely the more aggressor of the fight, which is probably what won it for him. Look out to see him fight a top contender next. I like GuyCompton's pick in saying Kenny Florian should be his next opponent in the LD.

Escudero vs. Oliveira was another solid fight. Oliveria stayed with leg kicks and push kicks throughout the fight and kept trying for single leg takedowns. Everything Escudero was throwing was pretty much being blocked. Both fighters exchanged incidental low blows, Oliveira caught Escudero with a kick to the groin in the second that didn't seem to hurt him that much, in the third Escudero caught Oliveira with a knee to the groin that seemed to hurt him. The ref for some odd reason wasn't letting Oliveira get his five minutes to rest (if he even wanted it) and was rushing him back to fight like he had somewhere else to be. Didn't understand that at all. Once the fight restarted Oliveira got a takedown, and tried took Escudero's back. Escudero stood up with Oliveira on his back and Oliveira slapped on a rear naked choke causing Escudero to tap.

Marquardt vs. Palhares ended with a bit of controversy in a little past the half way point of the first round. As Palhares attempted a heel hook, Marquardt slipped right out which led Palhares to look down at his hand and to someone outside the cage, in that split moment Nate jumped on him with a flurry of punches until Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight. Everyone was quick to say that Marquardt was greased, but after officials and the doctor checked him Joe Rogan announced that he wasn't. Which also leads me to say if he was than there would've been some grease rubbed off on Palhare's gloves and arms when he attempted the heel hook, but nothing was found. Nate brought up a good point when he said that he was checked before and after the fight and nothing was found.

 

[INDYjon22]

Yeah, not a bad card by any means. Definitely a good free card for the casual fans to watch. Not Pay Per View quality, but we all knew that coming in.

Cole Miller vs. Ross Pearson was a fun fight. I like Pearson a lot, so needless to say I was disappointed by the outcome. Cole Miller has some potential, he has knocked off two TUF alumni now and has done so in impressive fashion, however I am not a fan of the guy at all. He comes off as a bit of a dick, maybe it's just me.

Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau was a good fight. I love Tibau and have a lot of respect for Miller. Both men went toe to toe in what was a very exciting fight. Tibau just didn't do enough, he should have been more aggressive at the end of the fight, he could have stolen the victory or at least gotten a draw. However, Miller really worked his ass off and now has 5 straight wins. He definitely needs a bump up in competition.

Charles Oliveira vs. Efrain Escudero was epic. Escudero appeared to be doing just enough until Oliveira turned his shit on. Oliveira is a very exciting fighter and he turned it on to another level and really took the fight to Efrain. Oliveira has a very bright future and the killer instinct to back it up. The sky is certainly the limit for this kid.

Marquardt vs. Palhares started out rough. Both men seemed pretty even until it went to the ground. I know there was a little talk of Marquardt greasing his leg but I don't think so in retrospect. I think he was just really sweaty......yeah that's it. I don't really know what happened. I will give Nate the benefit of the doubt for right now, but who knows. I wouldn't mind seeing a rematch down the line.

It was also nice to read that Kyle Kingsbury and Yves Edwards both picked up some wins. A fun night for the most part, I just wish there wouldn't have been any controversy in the main event.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

Pretty good night of fights, at least I thought so. The ME was solid, Marquardt looked pretty solid, both men were banging in that fight though.

Olivera really impressed me, he's an undefeated, exciting, and very young fighter. If this dude keeps improving then he could make some waves in the lightweight division.

 

[jmt225]

It was decent enough for a free show.

Palhares handed the fight to Marquardt because of his stupidity, bottom line. This fight would have undoubtedly gone full three rounds and the fact is... Palhares would have had a chance to win. Instead, he handed it away by acting like a little bitch, and there's no telling if whether or not he'll ever get another opportunity like this to make himself a true contender in the UFC Middleweight Division. As far as Marquardt... when looking at the top 5 contenders for the Middleweight Title, he's still at the very bottom of that list in my mind. As GSP would say, I was not impressed by his performance last night. He was handed the win.

Efrain Escudero vs. Charles Oliveira was a fun little fight, all because of Oliveira. As I predicted in my post, Escudero tried to hold his way to victory, but thankfully Oliveira wasn't having any of it. Let me tell you something... this Charley Oliveira is the real deal. I mean, seriously... someone with his Jiu-Jitsu, plus the wild, unpredictable striking... he really could end up making something of himself in the UFC Lightweight Division. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what the future holds for him. And as far as Efrain is concerned... he's still young and has all the potential in the World, but he needs to work on his stand-up. His wrestling and BJJ are both good enough to compete, and he has a SHIT TON of power in his hands for a Lightweight, but fuck he's shit technically when striking. If he can work on that, then he'll bounce back from this and become a contender a couple of years down the line.

Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau was a nice little scrap. Both guys showed a ton of heart and chin, but Jim Miller was undoubtedly the more talented fighter. There's nothing more that needs to be said.

And Ross Pearson vs. Cole Miller was my personal fight of the fight. Cole Miller ALWAYS brings it, and man... he brought everything last night and it really paid off for him. What I respected about Miller was that after he came to the conclusion that he could not take Pearson down, instead of just avoiding the striking and being content with losing a decision, he went balls out and started boxing Pearson up. And it paid off for him. Beautiful, gutty performance on his part.