UFC Fight Night 33 Date: December 7, 2013 (in Australia), December 6 (in North America) Arena: Brisbane Entertainment Centre City: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Heavyweight bout: Mark “The Super Samoan” Hunt (+140) vs Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (-170) Fight Breakdown: The HUNT for BIGFOOT is on, as K-1 star turned UFC knockout artist Mark “The Super Samoan” Hunt takes on the Brazilian, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the main event of the evening. The bout will be broadcasted live on FOX Sports 1, and almost guarantees an exciting finish. Hunt will be the underdog heading into the match-up at +140 ($100 to win $140), with “Bigfoot” being the favorite at -170 ($170 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. MARK “THE SUPER SAMOAN” HUNT (9-8 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is coming off a third round knockout loss at the hands of former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, which snapped his four fight win streak inside the Octagon. Now, six months later, Hunt looks to get back in the win column with a win over “Bigfoot” in front of his adopted countrymen. Hunt is a Samoan kickboxer who was born in New Zealand, but currently resides in Australia, which he proudly calls home. He is a very talented and powerful striker who throws heavy hands and kicks. As Joe Rogan puts it, “he has tree trunks for legs!” Hunt’s cardio is good for a heavyweight, so I don’t see him gassing early on. He was tired in the third round against Dos Santos, but he was still hanging in there. If this bout reaches the third round, which I don’t think it will, Hunt will still be tired, but not as tired as he was in his last fight, because “Bigfoot” does not apply the same volume of pressure that Dos Santos does. Hunt’s weakness would still be his ground game, as six of his eight losses have come by way of submission. His takedown defense has improved and is solid, but his submission defense, while also improved, remains a concern. Hunt’s gameplan will be to keep this fight on the feet, while looking for Silva’s chin, which is no different than his gameplan for any other fight. ANTONIO “BIGFOOT” SILVA (18-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is split between two wins and two losses inside the Octagon, both losses coming via first round TKO stoppages at the hands of current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. Sandwiched between the losses are two knockout victories over top heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne, respectively. He was a big underdog in both those bouts, and with those wins, he proved to be a true “King of Upsets”. The biggest upset of which came against the then once-defeated Russian MMA legend Fedor Emalianenko nearly three years ago. “Bigfoot” moves slow and does not have good footwork, but he does possess serious power in his gigantic fists. He likes to land hard shots with his opponents against the cage, or while in top control on the mat. He throws hard with bad intentions, looking to put them away. He is a talented grappler who owns black belts in judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Currently training out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, F.L., Silva has good conditioning for a heavyweight, and will be able to go the distance against Hunt, if necessary. However, his best route to victory would be to close the distance from the get-go, and do his best to take the fight down to the mat, where he will have the advantage. From there, he should look to work his heavy ground and pound, while simultaneously looking for the submission finish. Fight Prediction: 80% of the losses (4 out of 5) on Silva’s professional mixed martial arts resume have been due to knockout. I think if Hunt manages to connect, Silva will go down. Silva is slow, and an incredibly big target. I think it is a target Hunt could find. Most people think Silva is going to get the takedown, and then the submission, but I think Hunt is gonna put Silva’s lights out in front of his adopted hometown crowd. Gabe’s Pick: Mark Hunt by KO (punch, 0:31 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Plays: Under 1.5 rounds (-175) 7u to win 4u, and Mark Hunt (+140) 2u to win 2.8u Make sure you’re following me on Twitter @GabeKillianMMA, as I will be giving out more plays on this card, after all the odds for the props are released. I may also be adding units to plays, and on rare occasion (which hasn’t happened yet) buying out of plays.
