Heavyweight bout: Steve Mocco (-600) vs Lew Polley (+400) Fight Breakdown: The RFA 9 main card features a heavyweight match-up between former Oklahoma State wrestler Steve Mocco and Orange County’s Lew Polley. Mocco is currently the big favorite at -600 ($600 to win $100) while Polley is the big underdog at +400 ($100 to win $400) at Several Bookmakerss. Steve Mocco (2-0 MMA, 1-0 RFA) steps into the cage for the third time in his professional mixed martial arts career, and second in the RFA organization. Mocco is a very talented wrestler, arguably one of the best in all of the heavyweight division in MMA. After stringing together a few more wins, I see him getting a call from Joe Silva and the UFC. Steve Mocco trains out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL., one of the most renowned gyms in all of mixed martial arts. Mocco is still very new at the sport of MMA and has not yet faced any tough opposition. Fellow decorated wrestler Lew Polley will be Mocco’s toughest opposition to date. Lew Polley (12-4 MMA, 0-0 RFA) took this bout on less than a week’s notice as a late injury replacement. Polley was scheduled to face Hans Stringer in a light heavyweight bout at WSOF 4 last week but weighed in for the bout 32lbs overweight; the fight was ultimately cancelled. Polley makes his RFA debut in his home-state of California on the verge of a two fight win streak. Polley is a very strong wrestler with powerful takedowns. In fact, he was the wrestling coach for Team dos Santos on season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter. He was on the show for the first few episodes, until being fired boy Junior dos Santos himself when he tried taking role as head coach rather than sticking to wrestling. Dos Santos felt Polley was trying to take the spotlight away from him on the reality show and canned him. Polley’s striking is average-at-best, and that’s being generous. He is good at setting up his takedowns with strikes, though. He isn’t looking to get in there and have a brawl, he wants to get the fight to the mat and use his superior wrestling to grind it out. I believe a decision victory via blanketing is his only route to victory in this bout. Fight Prediction: I think Mocco has Polley out-matched everywhere. The main difference between the two is that Mocco is mentally strong whereas Polley is a mental weakling. I see Mocco using a wrestling and ground and pound attack to do damage to Polley, and Polley wilting and giving up his back or possibly covering up and taking strikes until the ref steps in to call it off. Gabe’s Pick: Steve Mocco by Submission (rear naked choke, 4:34 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Steve Mocco -600 — I recommend including him in a parlay with UFC Fight Night 26’s Uriah Hall -400, which will reduce the juice from -600 all the way down to -218.
