UFC 171 Date: March 15, 2014 Arena: American Airlines Center City: Dallas, TX Lightweight bout: Renee Forte (-125) vs Frank Trevino (+115) Fight Breakdown: The UFC 171 preliminary card on FOX Sports 2 will feature a lightweight contest between a Brazilian and a Mexican, when Renee Forte takes on Frank Trevino. Forte is currently a slight favorite in this match-up at -125 ($125 to win $100), while Trevino is a slight underdog at +115 ($100 to win $115) at Several Bookmakerss. RENEE FORTE (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is coming off a first round knockout loss at the hands of the Lebanese-Canadian striker John Makdessi. The unfortunate defeat followed a very impressive unanimous decision upset over the Brit Terry Etim in England. The Brazilian came through as the biggest underdog on that entire card. Forte’s UFC career officially started on season one of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil series, where he competed at middleweight, which is two weight classes above his natural weight class of lightweight. In the semifinals on the show, he was submitted by the larger Daniel Sarafian, who went on to become an eventual finalist on the television series. The 26 year old made his Octagon debut at welterweight against another contestant on the series in Sergio Moraes, who also competed at middleweight on the series. Forte won the first round against Moraes, but had his back taken in the second frame, at which point Moraes sunk in the rear naked choke and called it a night. The TUF: Brazil season one veteran fights with a lot of heart and leaves it all in the cage. He is skilled both on the feet and on the mat. Forte is not tremendously talented in any aspect, but enough so to hold his own, and even dominate certain opponents, especially with his aggressive, forward-moving style. While he has only gone the distance once at 155 pounds inside the Octagon, the Brazilian seems to have his cardio in check, so I don’t expect that to be an issue, as he heads into his fourth Octagon appearance against the promotional newcomer in Trevino. FRANK TREVINO (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is set to make his UFC debut, exactly four months after his last outing at Legacy FC 25, where he used his superior grappling to pick up a unanimous decision win over Lester Batres. He hoped that with a win he would earn a call from the UFC, and he got his wish. The 11 fight veteran is a smart fighter, as he finds the clearest routes to victory. For example, whenever he has a striking advantage over an opponent, but an even bigger grappling advantage, then he resorts to his grappling to pick up the win, which was the case in the Batres fight. The 31 year old is a well-rounded mixed martial artist who puts together some excellent and effective combinations on the feet. He has great Muay Thai and loves to do damage inside the clinch, employing his knees and elbows. The Mexican works solid leg kicks, has a nice high kick and great body kicks, which he often throws while knowing they will be blocked, with the intention of hurting his opponents arm and weakening it. He sometimes likes to throw a punch and a kick simultaneously and often connects. To compliment his striking, the Mexican has some solid grappling skills; on the feet, he likes to sometimes switch stances, and he is very good at using his strikes to set up his takedowns. He works a nice double leg, and is effective from top position. Trevino has a good submission game, and is a finisher in every regard, as he owns eight finishes in 11 career wins; four coming by way of T/KO, and four by submission. He is not very fast on the feet, but he does have pretty good cardio, so I expect him to be able to go a full 15 minutes, should the fight go the distance. Fight Prediction: This is a scrap between a pair of two well-rounded lightweights, but I think Trevino is overall the better fighter. The fight starts off on the feet, where I feel the Mexican holds a considerable advantage. I think he could manage to keep the fight on the feet and outstrike the Brazilian on the feet en route to picking up his first UFC victory on the judges’ scorecards, if not connect with Forte’s very questionable chin and put him away. Gabe’s Pick: Frank Trevino by KO (elbow, 4:01 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Frank Trevino (+115) 3.7u to win 4.25u
