UFC on FOX 11 Date: April 19, 2014 Arena: Amway Center City: Orlando, FL Lightweight bout: Jorge Masvidal (-210) vs Pat “Bam-Bam” Healy (+175) Fight Breakdown: The UFC on FOX 11 preliminary card on FOX Sports 1 will feature a lightweight contest between a pair of Strikeforce veterans. It will be a battle when Jorge Masvidal steps into the Octagon to square off against Pat “Bam-Bam” Healy. Masvidal is the betting favorite heading into this match-up at -210 ($210 to win $100), while Healy is the underdog at +175 ($100 to win $175) at Several Bookmakerss. Jorge Masvidal (25-8 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is looking to bounce back from his unanimous decision loss to Rustam Khabilov at UFC Fight for the Troops last November. The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak for the former Strikeforce lightweight title challenger, a streak he had in fact put together after his unsuccessful bid for Gilbert Melendez’s title two years ago. Masvidal has excellent Muay Thai and is amongst the best technical strikers in the UFC’s 155 pound division. He works great kicks, and puts some excellent combinations together on the feet. His strikes can be both crisp and smothering. The 29-year old has a nice jab, and is generally effective with all of his punches, both in technique and power. He has the ability to outpoint opponents on the feet for three rounds, as well as the ability to put the pressure on and find the knockout, all the while remaining accurate with his strikes. Masvidal developed his wrestling game late, but you couldn’t tell, as he is very skilled in both offensive and defensive wrestling. He has great takedown defense, solid submission defense, and he has a nice submission game of his own, as was evident in his bout against Michael Chiesa. The Strikeforce and Bellator veteran has a decent chin, although Chiesa was able to hurt him for a moment, and he’s also been knocked out a couple of times throughout his career. That said, his chin generally holds up, and he recovers fairly well. Training out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL, Masvidal is a well-conditioned fighter who will be ready for 15 minutes of action against a fellow Strikeforce veteran in Healy. Pat “Bam-Bam” Healy (31-17-1 MMA, 0-2-1 UFC) is still in search of his first official UFC win, coming off a competitive unanimous decision loss to Bobby “King” Green four months ago, which followed a lopsided unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov just three months prior to that. Before the Nurmagomedov bout, “Bam-Bam” made his Octagon debut against Jim Miller, and won the fight via third round rear naked choke submission. He took home $130,000 in bonus money for winning ‘Fight of the Night’ and ‘Submission of the Night’ honors. Unfortunately, he tested positive for having marijuana metabolites in his system, so the New Jersey State Athletic Commission turned the result of the bout into a No-Contest, ultimately costing Healy the victory and $130,000 plus his win bonus. It was a hard hit for Healy to take, and likely the toughest pill he’s ever had to swallow. The fact that he followed that with two unanimous decision defeats did not do anything but add on to the sting. With his back against the wall now, Healy will leave it all in the cage in his attempt to save his job and get back to his winning ways. “Bam-Bam” had a somewhat successful run at welterweight before dropping down a weight class, as he holds notable victories over the likes of Dan Hardy, Paul Daley, and Carlos Condit. That said, he realized he needed to make the drop if he was ever going to get serious about making a title run. Healy is a gritty wrestler who loves to close the distance and grind his opponents out with an aggressive, smothering attack. He likes to grind his opponents against the cage, score takedowns, and constantly keep the pressure on them. The Strikeforce veteran has decent striking skills that are still improving after 48 professional fights. He is a warrior with incredible heart, and a will that is near impossible to break. Healy has tremendous cardio; I have no doubt he will be able to go hard for all three rounds of action, should the fight go the distance. Gabe’s Prediction: I think Masvidal is going to more-or-less follow the Bobby King blueprint of beating Pat Healy. I am expecting Masvidal to keep this fight on the feet for the majority of 15 minutes, while using his superior striking to take home a decision win on the judges’ scorecards. Gabe’s Call: Masvidal by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Jorge Masvidal (-210) parlayed with Miesha Tate (-210) for +117 4.75u to win 5.6u
