UFC 149: July 21, 2012 Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada UFC Bantamweight Contender Bryan Caraway (-175) Profile: A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace who has trained under fellow bantamweight contender Urijah Faber with the wrestling-dominated Team Alpha Male, Bryan Caraway (16-5) was invited to be one of the contestants on The Ultimate Fighter 14, where he would go on to become one of the top featherweight picks after a brief and unsuccessful 0-2 stint in the WEC. Caraway won his first two fights in TUF 14, moving on to the semifinals before losing to eventual winner Diego Brendao via KO. The 27-year-old made his UFC debut at the TUF 14 Finale, defeating castmate Dustin Neace with a second-round rear-naked choke submission and now looks to continue his winning ways against Mitch Gagnon at UFC 149. UFC Bantamweight Contender Mitch Gagnon (+145) Profile: A four-year veteran of MMA, Canada’s Mitch Gagnon (8-1) is ready to make his UFC debut after impressing the organization by submitting eight opponents in nine fights. Even more impressive is that the 27-year-old has only left the first round a couple times, with one of those leading to a unanimous decision loss, which is the only negative mark on an otherwise stellar career so far. After visa issues delayed his first UFC bout by six months, the Canadian looks to bring his submissions to the Octagon and impress the fans in his home country at UFC 149. Opening UFC 149 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Caraway a small -175 favorite (bet $175 to win $100) while Gagnon opened as a +145 underdog (bet $100 to win $145) according to the MMA odds. This is a battle of two young submission specialists who are still learning and trying to get noticed in the UFC. Caraway is probably best known for his appearance on TUF 14 and his girlfriend Miesha Tate, who is the former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion. Gagnon was originally scheduled to fight another TUF 14 cast member Johnny Bedford at UFC on FOX 2 and will get the opportunity to make his UFC debut in familiar territory, as all of his previous fights have taken place in Canada. That could either work for him or against him since he may face added pressure.
