The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale Date: November 30, 2013 Arena: Mandalay Bay Events Center City: Las Vegas, N.V. Heavyweight bout: Jared Rosholt (-220) vs Walter Harris (+180) Fight Breakdown: The TUF 18 finale on FOX Sports 1 will feature a preliminary card match-up between two UFC newcomers in talented wrestler Jared Rosholt and vicious striker Walter Harris. Rosholt is the favorite in this bout at -220 ($220 to win $100), with Harris being the underdog at +180 ($100 to win $180) at Several Bookmakerss. JARED ROSHOLT (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is making his promotional debut while riding a four fight win streak that includes two first round TKO stoppages. He is a talented NCAA Division I wrestler who competed for Oklahoma State University, and holds the school record for most wins by a heavyweight. After his college career, the three-time All-American decided he was not done competing at a high level, so he followed his older brother’s footsteps and made the transition into mixed martial arts. As the younger brother of UFC veteran Jake Rosholt, Jared knows what to expect when fighting in the big show, so I don’t expect Octagon jitters to be as big a factor with him as they normally are with fighters making their debut. Rosholt’s striking skills are elementary, as he generally uses it to set up his takedowns. His footwork is okay, but his striking defense is not very good. He gets tagged easily, and by fighters who are not talented strikers. Rosholt is a well-conditioned athlete who is will be ready for a three round fight, though he probably does not expect it to last that long. I believe he will have the cardio advantage heading into this bout. He will obviously have the grappling advantage, as well, though he will be at a striking disadvantage. WALTER HARRIS (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is making his Octagon debut while enjoying a five fight win streak. All six of his professional victories are by way of knockout in the very first frame of action. Harris is a talented and brutal striker who is always looking for the finish. His takedown defense is average, but when taken down, he is good at working his way back to his feet, though that may not necessarily be true against a three time All-American Division I wrestler like Rosholt. In order to win this bout, Harris has to be smart and avoid the takedowns. He needs to keep the fight on the feet, and find Rosholt’s chin, which I think is very questionable. If Harris connects, I think he can put Rosholt’s lights out. I think he can even stop him with knees and punches to the body. Rosholt has superior conditioning, so Harris needs to get things going early, because if he doesn’t find a finish within the first half of the fight, he will probably be too tired to get a finish in the second half. Fight Prediction: I think once Harris starts connecting with some good shots, his power will prove to be too much for the All-American wrestler to take. Gabe’s Pick: Walter Harris by TKO (knees and punches, 1:44 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Plays: Walter Harris (+180) Risk 2u to Win 3.6u – Make sure you are following me on Twitter, because I will be giving out more plays on this fight, once the props are released.
