UFC 154: November 17, 2012 Montreal, Quebec, Canada UFC Middleweight Contender Francis Carmont (-220) Profile: Training out of the Tristar Gym alongside fellow Canadian Georges St. Pierre, Francis Carmont (19-7) has had a solid, career, going 16-7 before joining the UFC ranks where he is currently undefeated at 2-0. With wins over Chris Camozzi and Magnus Cedenblad, the 31-year-old has turned a corner in his once spotty career and formed a pattern of dominance with an eight-fight winning streak. Following his 10th submission win against Karlos Vemola, Carmont will look to continue his hot run against Tom Lawlor, hoping to keep his revitalized career alive and make a bigger, more noticeable splash in the division. UFC Middleweight Contender Tom Lawlor (+170) Profile: The clown of the UFC, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (8-4-1) found his way into the Octagon via The Ultimate Fighter 8. Although he lost in the semifinals to eventual TUF 8 winner Ryan Bader, Lawlor made enough of an impression on the UFC brass with his wild personality and solid ground game that he was invited to the UFC proper. Dropping to middleweight, Lawlor has been up-and-down in the organization with a 4-3 mark, but he has shown vast improvement in his skills standing up and on the ground with each entry into the cage. Lawlor’s bread and butter is his wrestling and fundamental BJJ, but recently he’s been able to develop his stand up well in his last few outings. With his mind off his whacky entrances that include Dan Severn and Hulk Hogan, and more on the task in front of him, Lawlor is a tough fight at 185 for a lot of men. His cardio has improved along with his martial arts skills. Opening UFC 154 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Carmont a solid -220 favorite (bet $220 to win $100) while Lawlor opened as a +170 underdog (bet $100 to win $170) according to the MMA odds. As entertaining as Lawlor is, this is a fight he should be taking very seriously if he hopes to stay in the UFC. He has won two of three but has gone 2-3 in his past five and is still lacking a signature win that could make him a real contender within the division. Carmont is also searching for an impressive victory against a quality opponent but is in a much different position because he has not lost in more than four years. Seven of his eight fights during his winning streak have ended with finishes (five submissions and two TKOs), so you can bet Carmont will not simply be looking to grind out a decision. Lawlor has been submitted twice among his four career losses, with both coming in his last two setbacks. Only three of his 13 career bouts have gone to the judges, making a stoppage more than likely.
