UFC on FUEL TV 9: April 6, 2013 Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden UFC Heavyweight Contender Matt Mitrione (-350) Profile: “Meathead” Matt Mitrione (5-2) has been a fan favorite since debuting on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10: Heavyweights. It wasn’t until he decimated Kimbo Slice at UFC 113 that he became a sort of household name. He followed that eye-opening win with three more victories, starting his career with an impressive 5-0 mark and rapidly getting better. Then, at UFC 137, Mitrione would face his biggest test yet in Cheick Kongo. Through 15 minutes, Mitrione was put on his back by the Frenchman and dominated. It was his first loss, and he reacted by taking a year off to hone his skills with Duke Roufus in Milwaukee. Unfortunately for him, his hard work did not pay off as he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Roy Nelson at the TUF 16 Finale last December 15 while filling in for an injured Shane Carwin. UFC Heavyweight Contender Phil De Fries (+250) Profile: Phil De Fries (9-2, 1 No-Contest) is a 26-year-old English heavyweight who has just four years of experience in MMA, but he has earned a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and uses his superior physicality to bring the fight to the ground and submit his opponents. In fact, submissions have been his preferred method of stoppage inside in his career with eight of his nine wins ending that way. He suffered his first loss in the form of a brutal knockout at the hands of fellow heavyweight contender Stipe Miocic at UFC on FUEL TV 1. De Fries bounced back with a submission of strongman Oli Thompson at UFC on FOX 4 but was knocked out again by Todd Duffee in his most recent bout at UFC 155 on December 29, 2012. Opening UFC on FUEL TV 9 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Mitrione a large -350 favorite (bet $350 to win $100) while De Fries opened as a +250 underdog (bet $100 to win $250) at Several Bookmakers. With the enormous amount of cuts in the UFC lately, it’s not unfathomable that the loser of this bout could be on his way out of the organization. Granted, each of these fighters has just two losses a piece, but it’s the quality of competition that seems to be dragging them both down at this point. Mitrione has dropped two in a row, albeit against solid opponents, but losing three straight following a 5-0 start to his career could be a major cause for concern. De Fries has lost two of three, and the lone win during that stretch came against a guy who was subsequently cut by the UFC in Thompson. Mitrione and De Fries were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 155 before Mitrione was pulled to fight Nelson, so it does make sense for them to battle each other here. The problem is, both were victims of first-round knockouts in their last bouts, and neither can afford to suffer the same fate again. A stoppage remains a likely scenario though considering they have won just two decision wins between them compared to 12 finishes among 14 combined victories. The odds of the judges deciding this one look slim at best, so bettors might want to check out props on the fight to end via TKO/KO or submission.
