UFC on FOX 12 Date: July 26, 2014 Arena: SAP Center City: San Jose, CA Lightweight bout: Daron Cruickshank (+200) vs Jorge Masvidal (-240) Fight Breakdown: Headlining the UFC on FOX 12 preliminary card on FOX will be a lightweight barnburner between a pair of talented well-rounded mixed martial artists who prefer to keep things on the feet. Fireworks will be expected when “The Detroit Superstar” Daron Cruickshank tries to extend his winning streak to three in a row against Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal. Cruickshank is currently a +200 underdog heading into this fight at +200 ($100 to win $100), with Masvidal being the betting favorite at -240 ($240 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal (26-8 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over fellow Strikefroce veteran Pat “Bam-Bam” Healy at UFC on FOX 11 just over three months ago and will be looking to make it two in a row against “The Detroit Superstar” on Saturday night. “Gamebred” 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. Masvidal 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. The 29-year old 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 with his d’arce choke victory over TUF season 15 winner 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, too. 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 the second TUF season 15 veteran to cross his path. “The Detroit Superstar” Daron Cruickshank (15-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is coming off a very impressive first round TKO victory over Erik Koch just over two months ago, and it made back-to-back headkick-knockout victories for The Ultimate Season 15 veteran, as he scored a second round TKO over Mike Rio just over two months prior to that. “The Detroit Superstar” was an NCAA Division II wrestler at Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan. He is a good wrestler, but does not always find success with his takedowns, especially when facing opponents who have solid defensive grappling skills. While he will sometimes look to wrestle, he generally prefers to keep things on the feet and try to create openings to put his opponents away. Cruickshank is a black belt in Taekwondo and is unorthodox with his striking. He displays great stand-up skills and has knockout power, as nine of his 15 professional mixed martial arts career victories have come by way of T/KO. He mixes it up well on the feet; working great combinations, and scoring points with his hands, as well as with his kicks. He works solid kicks to the legs, body, and head, as is evident by the three head-kick knockouts he has scored inside the Octagon. The TUF 15 veteran is well-disciplined and always in shape, so he will be ready to go all three rounds against the Strikeforce veteran, should the fight go the distance. Gabe’s Thoughts: I expect this to be a close fight, and while I favor Masvidal to pick up the win, I think the value is with Cruickshank, so I will be making a small move on him. I don’t think Masvidal is worth a bet here at -240, but I also don’t want to put more than half an egg in the Masvidal-basket. I think this fight has a great chance of being entertaining, so I’m keeping things small enough to not be bothered if “The Detroit Superstar” does not pick up the win. Also, small enough to where I wouldn’t be rooting so strongly for Cruickshank and could just enjoy the fight, being satisfied with any outcome (assuming it is going to be a great fight). Gabe’s Call: “Gamebred” by Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Cruickshank (+200) .5u to win 1u
