Legacy FC 23 Date: September 13, 2013 Arena: Cowboys Dance Hall City: San Antonio, TX Welterweight bout: Pete Spratt (+250) vs Tim Means (-350) Fight Breakdown: The Main Event for Bellator Legacy FC 23 is a welterweight battle between two UFC veterans when Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt faces off against Tim “Dirty Bird” Means. Spratt is the underdog in this bout at +250 ($100 to win $250), while Means is the favorite at -350 ($350 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. PETE SPRATT (25-22 MMA, 1-2 Legacy FC) is a 42 year old veteran who many consider a “journeyman”. Splitting wins and losses, Spratt always shows up to fight and is always a game opponent. He is talented in every aspect of mixed martial arts, but as the cliche goes; he is not specifically excellent in any area. He does well on the feet and holds his own on the mat. His main weakness over the years have been submissions, as 16 of the 22 losses on his resume are due to tapout. Spratt has not learned to improve on his submission defense, so against a tall fighter with long limbs like Means, there could be trouble. Even in the later stages of his career, Spratt has good cardio and should be game for fifteen minutes of action, should he avoid a knockout or tap. I think his best shot at a victory in this bout is to close the distance and dirty box. He would need to spend some time holding Means against the cage and beating him up there. If he gives Means distance or decides to take the fight to the mat, I think he will be in trouble. TIM MEANS (18-5-1 MMA, 0-0 Legacy FC) is coming off consecutive Unanimous Decision losses to Jorge Masvidal and Danny Castillo in the UFC, which resulted in his release from the promotion. Of course, that is not including his TKO loss versus a sauna at UFC 151. Means is a talented striker who trains out of Arizona and New Mexico. Before Masvidal and Castillo, Means’ only loss in his past 19 fights was in a middleweight bout, in which he tapped out to a guillotine choke a minute into the fight. Means didn’t agree with the UFC’s choice to release him because he was 2-2 in the promotion and felt he had won the two fights the judges scored against him in. Not to mention; he was fighting Danny Castillo on very short notice. Means has great conditioning and an effective ground game. His takedown defense is average but if taken down, he is not easy to deal with, as he is very active from his guard. Only two days after being cut, Means immediately booked a Legacy FC main event match-up against another former UFC veteran in Spratt. Means looks to get past Spratt and add a couple more notches to his belt, in hopes of earning another call from the big show. Fight Prediction: Tim Means is making his welterweight debut against one of the divisions most experienced fighters in Pete Spratt. I envision this battle taking place on the feet, with the taller/longer fighter who has the superior striking getting the better of the exchanges. Gabe’s Pick: Tim Means by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Tim Means -350
