UFC 195 Date: January 2, 2016 Arena: MGM Grand Garden Arena City: Las Vegas, NV Lightweight bout: Abel Trujillo (+105) vs Tony Sims (-125) Fight Breakdown: Kicking things off for the UFC 195 main card on Pay Per View will be a lightweight contest between Blackzilian team member Abel “Killa” Trujillo and Team Elevation’s Tony “2.0” Sims, with Trujillo being +105 ($100 to win $105) and Sims -125 ($125 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. Abel “Killa” Trujillo (12-7-1 NC MMA, 3-3-1 NC UFC) is coming off a very flukey and controversial “submission” loss to Gleison Tibau in his latest outing, which will certainly be turned into a No Contest; if not for the fact that Trujillo never tapped to Tibau’s rear naked choke, then because the Brazilian has tested positive for his drug test. The 32-year old comes from a wrestling background, but he has evolved into a solid striker. Having always been a heavy hitter, he began to add technique to his striking arsenal when he made the move to the Blackzilian’s camp in Boca Raton, FL and started putting time in with head striking coach Henri Hooft. Trujillo first went over there when he was brought in to be a temporary training partner for one of their fighters, but he ended up making it his home for his fight camps. “Killa” is an aggressive fighter who possesses an above average chin and a good amount of heart. He packs serious power in both hands, has nice counter hooks and throws some brutal knees, including a beautiful jumping knee to the body. The North Carolina native has decent takedowns, and when in top position on the mat, he works a merciless ground and pound attack, putting all his strength behind all of his shots. That said, since his move to the Blackzilian’s camp, he has more so been using his wrestling defensively, so he can keep his fights on the feet and look for the knockout finish, which is what he goes for with every attempted strike. His takedown defense is not the best, but when taken down, he is very hard to keep down, as he does a tremendous job of finding his way back to his feet. Trujillo’s cardio seems to be hit or miss, and I expect him to be at a disadvantage in that department in this bout against Sims. Tony “2.0” Sims (12-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) made his promotional debut back in June on short notice in the welterweight division against Amercan Top Team’s Steve Montgomery and defeated him via knockout inside of the very first round. His next Octagon outing came less than two months later and saw him take on TUF: Nations semi-finalist Olivier Aubin-Mercier and lost the bout via unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards. Now, four months later, he looks to get back on track with a win over Trujillo. Sims is a former amateur boxing champion who is quick on his feet and possesses excellent footwork and fast hands. He puts together some beautiful combinations on the feet and has some nice 1-2s. He is a southpaw who likes to switch stances and is effective in both. The 30-year old throws perfect punches, like his straights, hooks and uppercuts. He has dangerous over-hands, as well. The Iowa native has an effective counter-left, and although he does not have much of a kicking game, he does throw some decent leg kicks. He also does a good job of mixing it up with elbows and knees, prefering to go to the body with his knees. Sims is a durable fighter with a very good chin and solid striking defense. Not to mention, a ton of heart. “2.0” owns a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has a decent submission game, both offensively and defensively. His first professional mixed martial arts bout resulted in submission defeat and he has since improved in the area, as is evident by his purple belt status. Sims works decent takedowns, prefering the double-leg. He is effective from top position on the mat and works a relentless ground and pound attack. The 30-year old’s takedown defense is above average, and when taken down, he does a good job of finding his way back to his feet. He also does a good job of scrambling. Wrestling is another area Sims has improved on and continues to improve, as he puts time in with head wrestling coach Leister Bowling at Team Elevation in Denver, CO. He gets high-altitude training in Denver and has tremendous conditioning, so I have no doubt he will have enough in the tank for a full 25 minutes of action, if necessary. I believe he will have the edge in cardio heading into this contest against Trujillo. Gabe’s Thoughts: I think Trujillo is going to try to strike with Sims and I see that as being a mistake. Sims has the better hands, not to mention the better chin and cardio, so I see him catching Trujillo sooner or later and putting him away, earning his first victory in the UFC’s 155-pound division. I think he should be a -400 betting favorite heading into this contest and see a world of value in him at his current asking price of -125. Gabe’s Call: Sims by T/KO (punches, 2:36 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Sims (-125) 6.25u to win 5u
