UFC on FOX 11 Date: April 19, 2014 Arena: Amway Center City: Orlando, FL Featherweight bout: Alex “The Spartan” White (+130) vs Estevan “El Terrible” Payan (-140) Fight Breakdown: The FOX Sports 1 preliminary portion of the UFC on FOX 11 card will be featuring a featherweight contest between promotional newcomer Alex “The Spartan” White and Strikeforce veteran Estevan “El Terrible” Payan. White is currently an underdog heading into this contest at +130 ($100 to win $130), while Payan is a favorite at -140 ($140 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. Alex “The Spartan” White (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will be making his Octagon debut on short notice, as he is replacing an injured Mike Brown, who himself was an injury replacement for Payan’s original opponent, Sean Soriano. White is an undefeated prospect at 9-0, with eight of nine victories coming inside the distance; five of them via T/KO, and three by way of tapout. He last saw action three months ago, notching a first round submission victory on the regional circuit. When Brown got hurt and had to pull out, White was thrilled to get the call to replace him. Eager to make his UFC debut, he will be looking to put on a show tonight in Orlando, as he steps inside the Octagon to square off against the biggest challenge of his professional mixed martial arts career in Payan. “The Spartan” is a well-rounded southpaw who has a nice lead jab and likes to push the pace, being the aggressor in his fights. He is fast and explosive, though he is also flat-footed. He works nice inside leg kicks, likes to throw the front-kick, and looks for opportunities to land his high kick. White has a nice left-right combination he likes to use, and to compliment his offensive striking, he has solid striking defense and a good chin to back it up. His defense translates to the mat, as the undefeated prospect has excellent submission defense. He has a decent sprawl and takedown defense, but when taken down, is active off his back, attacking with elbows and submissions. He is good at finding the triangle and the armbar, and he is also good at working reversals. Offensively on the mat, White has a solid submission game and works a dangerous ground and pound attack. He generally has good cardio, though on short notice, that is a question mark. That said, he has a lot of heart, and I expect him to leave it all in the cage in an effort to take his undefeated streak to 10-0 in what is his promotional debut. Estevan “El Terrible” Payan (14-5-1 NC MMA, 0-2 UFC) will be making his return to the Octagon for his third appearance, following a third round knockout defeat at the hands of Robbie Peralta at UFC 168 three months ago. He was up two rounds heading into the third and final frame, and Peralta caught him in the opening seconds to score a finish. Now he gets another shot at getting his first UFC win. Nowadays, it’s rare for a fighter to not be cut after back to back losses inside the Octagon. His performances in both of his bouts, though resulting in losses, earned him another chance. Payan is no doubt very tough. He is a fighter with a ton of heart. I’m certain he will leave it all in the cage tonight in an effort to save his job and get back to his winning ways. “El Terrible” is a talented kickboxer who packs a lot of power in his strikes, more so than his five knockouts would suggest. He moves well, puts together some nice combinations, and remains effective on the feet. He has good takedown defense, and when he is taken down, he’s very good at working his way back to his feet. He is very hard to keep down. Payan, when in the bottom position, does not allow his opponent on top to rest. He remains very active and constantly attacks. He is not easy to hold down and beat up. The Mexican is a striker first, but is talented in the grappling and submission departments, as well. He defends well, but does not really attack with many submissions, as he prefers to get the knockout finish. Training out of Arizona Combat Sports in Tempe, AZ, Payan is an extremely well-conditioned athlete who will not have an issue going all 15 minutes against the undefeated promotional newcomer in White. Gabe’s Prediction: Payan is the superior kickboxer, the superior wrestler, has more cage experience, especially inside the Octagon, and he has faced better opposition. For those reasons, I favor him to outstrike and outwrestle White en route to a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards. Gabe’s Call: “El Terrible” by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), though the fight may be closer than the scorecards indicate. Gabe’s Recommended Play: Estevan Payan (-140) 3.5u to win 2.5u
