Welterweight bout: Hyun Gyu Lim (+135) vs Pascal Krauss (-155) Fight Breakdown: The preliminary card for UFC 164 features talent-filled match-up when Korea’s Hyun Gyun Lim takes on the German Roufusport product Pascal Krauss. Lim is currently the underdog at +135 ($100 to win $135), with Krauss being the favorite at -155 ($155 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. HYUN GYU LIM (11-3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) makes his second trip to the Octagon coming off an impressive second round knockout win over Marcelo Guimaraes nearly six months ago. Lim is a talented Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. He is always a threat both from top and bottom positions. If the fight goes to the ground, Krauss should not get too comfortable in Lim’s guard, because Lim is excellent at setting up and locking up triangles, armbars, and triangle-armbars; he is definitely dangerous off his back. I decided to start off by telling you about his ground-game so you know how good his stand-up is when I tell you that his stand-up is better than his ground-game, which I guess I just did… Lim is a devestating striker and his resume reflects that sentiment, as 8 of his 11 career victories have come by way of TKO/KO. The only thing about Lim that is a question mark to me right now is his conditioning and that’s because he has only gone the distance just once in his 15 fight career, in a which that was ruled a Draw, which also happened to only be the second pro MMA bout of his career. PASCAL KRAUSS (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is making is fourth UFC appearance, coming off a Unanimous Decision win over Mike Stumpf seven months ago, in a fight he clearly dominated from start to finish for the entirety of the fifteen minutes. That play was a max bet for me at the time, as I felt Krauss was a real talent, while Stumpf was a can getting set up to be cut. The situation is not the same here, as I feel Lim is the biggest test of his career, aside from his fight with John Hathaway, which he lost by Decision. This will be the second time in his career he is going up against a very talented fighter, both on the feet and on the ground, much like Krauss himself. Pascal Krauss is an excellent striker, as he is technical and finds his shots really well. He does not get anxious or over-committ. Kind of vice-versa about what I said regarding Lim; Krauss has developed into a great striker under the tutelage of Duke Roufus at Roufusport in Milwaukee, and as great as his striking is, his ground-game is even better. Pascal Krauss has very good takedown defense, largely due to his solid base gained from experience as a Judo black belt. Once the fight hits the mat, he is very dangerous. 7 of his 11 career wins have come by way of submission. Fighting in front of his hometown crowd this Saturday night, cardio will not be an issue for Pascal Krauss. Fight Prediction: Both fighters have exceptional takedown defense so I expect this contest to take place mainly on the feet. If I had to say (which I do), I would say (which I am) that Lim is the better striker but Krauss will manage to get the better of him throughout the fifteen minutes en route to a close Decision win in front of his adopted hometown crowd. Gabe’s Pick: Pascal Krauss by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Gabe’s Recommended 12.5*UNIT Play: 5.5u on Pascal Krauss -155, 5u on Over 2.5 -165, and 2u on Krauss by Decision +170
