UFC 146: May 26, 2012 Las Vegas, Nevada Stipe Miocic (-165) Profile: Miocic (8-0) has been impressive in his first two UFC bouts, defeating Phil De Fries by first-round knockout at UFC on FUEL TV 1 on February 15 and Joey Beltran via unanimous decision at UFC 136 last October 8 in his debut. The 29-year-old Croatian earned Knockout of the Night honors with the win over De Fries, and he is a former Golden Gloves boxing champion and wrestled collegiately at Cleveland State University. Miocic previously competed in the North American Allied Fight Series, going 5-0 and defeating Bobby Brents for the heavyweight title last June 4 by leg kick submission. Miocic’s first five wins were all decided by KO/TKO in the first or second round. Shane del Rosario (+135) Profile: Del Rosario (11-0) will make his UFC debut after going 3-0 in Strikeforce, including a first-round armbar submission win over Lavar Johnson in an alternate bout for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix on February 12. Johnson’s other two wins in Strikeforce came against Lolohea Mahe (first-round TKO) and Brandon Cash (first-round submission). The 28-year-old was expected to fight eventual champion Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, but he was involved in a car accident that prevented him from competing. Earlier in his kickboxing career, del Rosario twice won the WBC Muay Thai world heavyweight title, becoming the first American to accomplish that feat. Of his 11 career MMA wins, 10 have ended in the first round, with eight coming by knockout and three via submission. Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Miocic a small -165 favorite (bet $165 to win $100) against del Rosario, who is the +135 underdog (bet $100 to win $135) according to the UFC 146 odds. Both of these fighters are trying to work their way up the ladder in the heavyweight division and eventually become legitimate contenders for the title belt. Neither is currently in the Top 15 rankings by MMA OddsBreaker, but the winner could very well earn a spot there in the near future. Miocic’s boxing skills could be the difference, as he looked very impressive in his KO of De Fries and has well-rounded fighting experience between the Golden Gloves and his college wrestling career. Del Rosario will present Miocic with a unique challenge as a champion kickboxer who also possesses a first-round finishing power. Each of them is capable of ending this fight early, and the winner will likely be the one who is able to capitalize the most on his opponent’s mistakes.
