UFC Fight Night 49 Date: August 23, 2014 Arena: BOK Center City: Tulsa, Oklahoma Lightweight bout: Beneil Dariush (+125) vs Tony Martin (-135) Fight Breakdown: The UFC Fight Night 49 preliminary card on FOX Sports 2 will be featuring a lightweight contest between the Iranian Beneil Dariush and Minnesota’s Tony Martin, with Dariush being a slight underdog at +125 ($100 to win $125) and Martin being a small betting favorite at -135 ($135 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. Beneil Dariush (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) was very impressive in his promotional debut, dispatching a very game Charlie Brenneman in the first round of action. He hurt “The Spaniard” on the feet, before tapping him with a rear naked choke submission on the mat. Unfortunately, things did not go his way in his second Octagon outing in Abu Dhabi nearly five months ago, suffering a bloody and brutal first round TKO at the hands of Ramsey Nijem. He will now be looking to redeem himself against Martin and get back to his winning ways. The Iranian is a southpaw who packs a powerful punch and is a very effective counter-striker, as was evident in the Brenneman bout. He is a very talented grappler who works excellent takedowns, and has a solid submission game, owning a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Dariush is really good at taking his opponents backs during an exchange. He also has an excellent guard, and is a real threat off of his back. His defensive grappling skills are noteworthy, as well, as he has good takedown defense and is capable of keeping the fight on the feet. The 25 year old has a nice straight left, which he used to drop Brenneman in their bout. He loves to throw kicks, and has a variety of them in his arsenal. He also loves to implement his knees, and even has a nice flying knee he likes to go for. Training out of Kings MMA in Southern California under the tutelage of striking coach Rafael Cordeiro, Dariush is a very well-rounded and well-conditioned mixed martial artist who will be prepared to for three rounds of action against Martin, should the fight hit the judges’ scorecards. Tony Martin (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) came up short in his promotional debut seven months ago, getting his first taste of defeat against fellow newcomer Rashid Magomedov. He impressed with his performance and nearly beat Magomedov in the first place, as he had the Dagestani fighter grimacing in pain during a armbar. The sambo veteran got out of it, however, and the things took a turn from there, as Martin went on to lose the following two rounds and ultimately the decision. Martin is a very talented grappler who possesses solid takedowns and does a great job working the double-leg, single-leg and body-lock takedowns. He is excellent from top position and does a tremendous job advancing from position to position. He has a fantastic submission game and considers the guillotine and kimura to be his favorites. Martin is always a threat from both top and bottom positions. His takedown defense and submission defense are both very good, as well. He does a good job of stopping his opponents’ takedown attempts, but when taken down, he does a good job of working his way back to his feet; defends well off his back and has an excellent butterfly guard, which was in full display against Magomedov. The Minnesota native has rudimentary striking but is constantly working on it. He mainly uses his strikes to set up his takedowns, as the ground game is his bread and butter. He is the type of fighter who takes risks in search for a finish, often transitioning from one submission attempt to another, and going for things when he sees a split second of an opening. Martin gassed himself out in his promotional debut, but I think that was due to him going all-out in the first round combined with the general Octagon jitters, adrenaline dump and what have you. This time around, I expect his conditioning to be in check for a full 15 minutes of action, should this one also see the judges’ scorecards. Gabe’s Thoughts: Martin will be the bigger fighter in this match-up and the more aggressive fighter. I think he will be pushing the pace in this fight, and ultimately, I think being the aggressor inside the Octagon will earn him a victory on the judges’ scorecards when the fight goes the full three. I think they cancel each other out pretty much everywhere else. Neither are really strikers, but I would give the advantage in that department to Dariush, though he is more of a counter-striker, which is something that I think will play a role in him losing the decision. Gabe’s Call: Martin by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Martin (-135) 4.05u to win 3.5u
