UFC Fight Night 42 Date: June 7, 2014 Arena: Tingley Coliseum City: Albuquerque, NM Lightweight bout: Piotr Hallmann (-185) vs Yves Edwards (+160) Fight Breakdown: The UFC Fight Night 42 main card will be featuring a lightweight match-up between Poland’s Piotr Hallmann and 19-time Octagon veteran Yves Edwards. Hallmann is the favorite heading into this Saturday’s contest at -185 ($185 to win $100), while Edwards is the underdog at +160 ($100 to win $160) at Several Bookmakerss. Piotr Hallmann (14-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Al Iaquinta over seven months ago and will be looking to get back into the win column on Saturday night. He is a well-conditioned athlete who has good footwork and solid striking skills. The native of Poland has a solid Muay-Thai clinch, from which position he likes to deliver devastating knees to the body. Hallmann likes to close the distance and deliver powerful short shots. He has a good chin, regardless of having been dropping several times throughout his fighting career. He also has excellent recovery, as was evident in his promotional debut against Trinaldo. “Pletwal” is a talented grappler, being well-versed in wrestling and the submission gameo. He works good takedowns, preferring to get opponents to the mat and get in top position, from which point he loves to employ a vicious ground and pound attack. The 26-year old has heavy hands and does serious damage in the ground and pound, as he is very strong from the top position. He is also strong enough to pull off “strong man” submissions, such as the kimura he got Trinaldo with in his Octagon debut. The Pole is undoubtedly a finisher, as seven of his fourteen career victories come by way of TKO/KO and six by submission. He does not necessarily look for submissions, he just beats his opponents up until they give something up, at which point he takes advantage of the opening and secures the tap. Hallmann is a well-conditioned athlete who will be prepared for a hard three rounds against Edwards, should the fight hit the judges’ scorecards. Yves Edwards (42-20-1-1 NC MMA, 10-8-1 NC UFC) is set to make his 20th appearance inside the Octagon, coming off a knockout against Yancy Medeiros that was turned into a no contest because of Medeiros testing positive for having marijuana metabolites in his system during the post-fight drug test. That likely saved Edwards’ job, as the loss would have put him on a three fight skid and in serious jeopardy of being cut. He got lucky, and he gets another chance, but he has his back against the wall in this one, too, so I expect him to be fighting his heart out, and for him to leave it all in the cage. The 64-fight veteran is a southpaw who trains out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL along with fellow lighter weight fighters Cole Miller, Marcus Brimage, Nik Lentz, Brad Pickett, Dustin Poirier, Jason High, and others. Competing for 16 years now, Edwards is a true veteran of the sport. There isn’t anything he has not seen, so he is comfortable regardless of where the fight goes. The 37-year old is a well-rounded mixed martial artist whose most notable career victory came against Josh Thomson a decade ago. Despite suffering a flush knockout at the hands of Sam Stout at UFC 131 three years ago, Edwards has displayed a solid chin; he has only been knocked out twice in the past eleven years. This lightweight is nearing 40 years of age and still has great cardio, so I expect him to be game for a full 15 minutes against the Pole, should the fight go the distance. Gabe’s Prediction: Hallmann is the younger fighter and at the moment he is in my opinion the superior mixed martial artist. He may not possess all the tools and have all the knowledge that Edwards has, but I feel he was what it takes to best the veteran, regardless of where the fight goes. I think this will be a close fight, but I see Hallmann doing enough to win every round en route to picking up a unanimous decision victory. Gabe’s Call: Hallmann by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Piotr Hallmann (-185) 5.55u to win 3u
