UFC 191 Date: September 5, 2015 Arena: MGM Grand Garden Arena City: Las Vegas, NV Heavyweight bout: Andrei Arlovski (-150) vs Frank Mir (+130) Fight Breakdown: Two former UFC Heavyweight Champions and resurging big men will go toe to toe in the main event of the evening in Las Vegas this Saturday night. With each man potentially being a win away from getting the opportunity to capture UFC gold one more time, Jackson-Winklejohn MMA’s Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlsovski and Las Vegas’ own Frank Mir are ready to go to war. Arlovski is a -150 ($150 to win $100) betting favorite heading into this contest, with Mir being the underdog at +130 ($100 to win $130) at Several Bookmakerss. Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (24-10-1 NC MMA, 13-4 UFC) has made a resurgence in the UFC’s heavyweight division in his second stint with the promotion, with a split decision win over Brendan “Big Brown” Schaub and a pair of bonus-winning first round knockouts over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Travis “Hapa” Browne, respectively. “The Pitbull” is a true veteran of the sport and a very well-rounded mixed martial artist who holds his own in every facet of the sport. He is solid on the feet and packs power in his hands, owning an impressive 17 of 24 professional mixed martial arts career victories by way of knockout. Arlovski’s defensive grappling is good; he has a solid base and is hard to take down. Offensively, the Belarusian’s grappling is on-point, too, as he comes from a Sambo background, owning multiple titles in the sport. Training in high-altitude out of Jackson-Winklejohn MMA in Albuquerque, NM, Arlovski has excellent cardio and should be ready for three rounds of action, if necessary. Frank Mir (18-9 MMA, 16-9 UFC) is another UFC heavyweight to make a ressurgence in the division, coming off back to back first round knockout wins over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Todd Duffee, respectively. He was on a four fight skid with one with out the door heading into the “Bigfoot” bout but scored the upset in Brazil and returned to his winning ways. This Saturday night in his hometown of Las Vegas, he will aim to make it three in a row against fellow former UFC Heavyweight champ Arlovski. Mir owns a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is exceptionally talented on the mat, having arguably the most dangerous offensive submission game in the heavyweight division (Fabricio Werdum unquestionable is the most dangerous heavyweight off his back, offensive I think it’s a toss up between him and Mir). He is a very serious threat any time the fight hits the mat, and the fact that he owns nine of his 18 professional mixed martial arts victories by submission reflects that sentiment. Even at 36 years of age, Mir continues to improve as a mixed martial artist, as he has been showing improvements in both striking and conditioning, which had been two weaknesses for the veteran heavyweight throughout his UFC career. Gabe’s Thoughts: I think there is a good chance this fight plays out for three rounds, with Mir doing enough to take the nod on the judges’ scorecards. Contrary to popular opinion, I think it’s 50/50 whether Mir finishes this fight or takes it on the cards. I think Mir is capable of outpointing Arlovski on the feet and grinding him out up against the cage and down on the canvas. Arlovski’s submission defense is solid, so I don’t think it’s a sure thing that Mir submits him if the fight hits the mat. I could easily see Arlovski beint outpointed and outgrappled for three rounds of action for a unanimous decision defeat. Gabe’s Call: Mir by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Mir (+130) 3u to win 3.9u
