UFC on FUEL TV 6: November 10, 2012 CotaiArena, Cotai, Macao UFC Lightweight Contender Jon Tuck (-245) Profile: A newcomer to the sport of MMA and the UFC, Jon Tuck (6-0) has spent the majority of his fight life on the Philippines and his native Guam. He is a brown belt in BJJ with a Guam National BJJ championship at Abu Dhabi. He has KO power in both hands and is an extremely powerful lightweight. After a very brief stint on The Ultimate Fighter 15, Tuck was still able to move on to the UFC. His first fight in the big company will come against hometown favorite Tiequan Zhang, so that factor will be going against him. However, Tuck has all the tools to make an impact in the division if he lives up to his potential. UFC Lightweight Contender Tiequan Zhang (+185) Profile: A martial artist from birth, Tiequan Zhang (15-3) would study a variety of combat sports in his native China. From wrestling to Sanshou, Zhang would always be training. He made the conversion to MMA in 2005, joining the Art of War organization and other Chinese promotions and amassing a 13-0 record, with all the wins coming by submission or knockout. Zhang would make the move to the United States to join the WEC, where he would win his first fight against Pablo Garza via guillotine choke and and then lose his next to Danny Downes at WEC 53, the organization’s last show, by unanimous decision. Since his move to the UFC in 2011, he is 1-2 and has lost two fights in a row, including getting finished for the first time in his career via knockout at UFC 144. Now Zhang heads home to China and will fight in front of his home country for the first time in years. Opening UFC on FUEL TV 6 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Tuck a solid -245 favorite (bet $245 to win $100) while Zhang opened as a +185 underdog (bet $185 to win $110) according to the MMA odds. While Zhang clearly has more experience in the UFC, Tuck is a rising prospect who has yet to taste defeat and looks to have a lot more promise at this stage of his career. Zhang also will be fighting in his home country of China for the first time since 2009. Since then, he has fought at welterweight and featherweight before settling back at lightweight. “The Mongolian Wolf” has dropped three of his last four bouts following an impressive 14-0 start to his career and struggled with tougher competition. Tuck’s perfect record will be on the line as he makes his UFC debut, but he has finished all of his previous six opponents and likely will be trying to end this fight by either knockout or submission.
