UFC on FOX 4: August 4, 2012 Staples Center in Los Angeles, California UFC Featherweight Contender Josh Grispi (-160) Profile: Beginning his career in MMA as a 17-year-old on the independent circuit, Josh Grispi (14-3) was able to parlay his 9-1 record into a slot in the WEC. Grispi ran through the WEC featherweight division, finishing all of his opponents, including Jens Pulver, Micah Miller and Mark Hominick in his debut. All in all, Grispi went 4-0 in the WEC and was slated for a matchup with champion Jose Aldo. However, after the WEC was absorbed by the UFC, the former No. 1 contender fell to to newcomer Dustin Poirier and lost his title shot. The 23-year-old then followed up that heartbreaking loss by getting knocked out by George Roop at the TUF 13 Finale. Now, the once-promising star is simply looking to get his MMA career back on track and start the climb to the top once again with a win. UFC Featherweight Contender Rani Yahya (+130) Profile: Longtime WEC vet Rani Yahya (16-7) is 1-1 in his UFC career with a win over former WEC champ Mike Brown and a loss to Chad Mendes. The 27-year-old Brazilian has a long resume of impressive feats accomplished in the grappling world, with wins in ADCC and the CBJJ Pan Ams. Going to the ground with this second-degree BJJ black belt is always a scary proposition, as 14 of his 16 wins have come via submission. Many of his opponents have been able to overcome the slick grappler though, with Yahya going just 4-4 in the WEC and losing to the best of the best in the featherweight division. The big question is, will he be able to develop his fight game to become more well-rounded in the future? Opening UFC on FOX 4 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas has made Grispi a slight -160 favorite (bet $160 to win $100) against Yahya, who opened as a +130 underdog (bet $100 to win $130) according to the MMA odds. Grispi has much more potential than Yahya despite coming off consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He proved he can beat solid opponents during a 10-fight winning streak that was capped by a 4-0 run in the WEC while Yahya has dropped three of his last four. Yahya’s past three have all ended in decisions compared to Grispi, who has seen just one of his previous 10 go the distance with eight of those being finishes in his favor. Grispi figures to have the upper hand in terms of his ability to stop his opponent, and three of Yahya’s seven losses have ended that way.
