UFC 179 Date: October 25, 2014 Arena: Maracanazinho Gymnasium City: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Light Heavyweight bout: Fabio Maldonado (-150) vs Hans Stringer (+130) Fight Breakdown: The UFC 179 main card on Pay Per View will be featuring a light heavyweight contest between a Brazilian and a Dutchman when Brazil’s own Fabio Maldonado takes on Blackzilian product Hans Stringer. Maldonado is the betting favorite heading into this match-up at -150 ($150 to win $100), with the return on the underdog Stringer being +130 ($100 to win $130) at Several Bookmakerss. Fabio Maldonado (21-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) was unsuccessful in his short notice attempt at heavyweight, being knocked out by Ohio’s Stipe Miocic just 35 seconds into the fight, and ultimately having a three-fight winning streak snapped, though it still technically holds up in the light heavyweight division, where he is returning. Early on in his professional mixed martial arts career, Maldonado also competed professionally as a boxer in his native Brazil, compiling a record of 22 wins and no defeats, with 21 victories coming by way of knockout. That said, I am not personally very impressed with his boxing, as I find him somewhat slow and lacking in knockout power. People talk of his body shots, and yes, he is somewhat effective with them, especially against opponents he holds a cardio advantage over. While he can be effective with said body shots, he does not badly hurt anybody with them, much less put them away. As for his aforementioned cardio, it is solid and I have no doubt he will be able to go the full 15 against the Dutchman in his native Brazil, where he will again find himself as a big favorite with the hometown crowd. Hans Stringer (22-5-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was successful in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 38 seven months ago, defeating Francimar Barroso via split decision on the judges’ scorecards. He currently rides a seven-fight undefeated streak, which he will be looking to extend to eight against another Brazilian, again in Brazil on Saturday night. With the win over Barroso on enemy soil, he is no stranger to the Brazilian atmosphere. The 27-year old is not incredibly talented on the feet, but he has been showing improvements in the department, since putting time in with head striking coach Henri Hooft at the Blackzilian’s camp in Boca Raton, FL, and I expect to see more improvements in his stand up in this bout, as it has been more than half a year since we last saw him compete. Stringer puts together some decent combinations on the feet. He is a technical striker who possesses good head movement and a solid chin. The Dutchman has a very good ground game, as well. He works good takedowns and does an excellent job of changing levels. His defensive game on the ground is also impressive, as he is threatening off his back. His conditioning is generally solid, so I expect him to be prepared for three rounds of action against Maldonado, should this fight go the distance for a judges’ decision. Gabe’s Thoughts: I believe Stringer is the superior mixed martial artist of the two heading into this 205-pound contest, and think he should be a -280 betting favorite, so at the current underdog price of +130, I love him for a large wager. While Maldonado is generally hard to put away and Stringer is not known to be incredibly dangerous on the feet, I do think that his chances of putting the Brazilian away in this bout are decent; greater than any of his previous opponents’, save Glover Teixeira. In conclusion, even with a hometown disadvantage, I feel the Dutchman should be a big favorite here, so I love that we are getting him as an underdog. Gabe’s Call: Stringer by T/KO (knees and punches, 2:13 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Hans Stringer (+130) 5u to win 6.5u
