UFC Fight Night 22 Preview: Nate Marquardt vs Rousimar Palhares
UFC Fight Night 22 is coming up and it will showcase one of the most interesting match-ups in the middleweight division. Nate "The Great" Marquardt will face heel hook submission specialist, Rousimar Palhares, on 15 September.
Palhares is a monster on the ground. He can end fights whether on top or bottom. Apart from Demian Maia, this other Brazilian is probably the most dangerous Brazilian Jiu-jitsu finisher in the UFC today. Rousimar just came from a 90-day suspension due to his prolonged submission hold (heel hook) against Tomasz Drwal. Palhares defended that it was not his fault but the referee's, but the athletic commission thought he should have released when Drwal tapped, hence the suspension.
The Brazilian is aggressive with his submission game and when he gets his opponents in a lock, he commits with furious strength. His physical gifts magnify his technical skills on the ground. He is stocky and strong but he is limber enough to create amazing BJJ transitions.
But this is MMA and Palhares needs more than grappling skills to make it to the top. Dan Henderson, the last man to beat Palhares, exposed the Brazilian's weaknesses. He showed that you just need wrestling skills to avoid Palhares' takedown attempts and make it a stand-up affair. Palhares has limited stand-up abilities, so if he can't get it to the ground he'll in trouble.
If Palhares wants to win against Marquardt, he needs to be better than the fighter who was beaten by Henderson. If not, Marquardt may just use the same strategy Henderson exhibited. Stylistically, if Palhares fails to improve his game and Marquardt opts to play safe, this match-up can be a snoozer.
Marquardt is a true veteran of MMA. A BJJ blackbelt and a respected submission fighter in his own right, he may have enough knowledge and tools to neutralize Palhares' ground wizardry.
Palhares believes that he can bait his opponent in a ground fight but Marquardt is not some young upstart that can be lured into disadvantageous situations. He is a vet and he trains under Greg Jackson's camp which is known for its strategies and safe plays. Nate is also physically strong therefore Palhares won't overpower him easily on the ground. Marquardt just needs to be sure that he'll land on top of Palhares so he can choose to unleash a bit of ground-and-pound or stand back up and make it a kickboxing match.
Marquardt vowed to improve his wrestling after his loss to Chael Sonnen. By far, wrestling is the biggest hole in his game. If he indeed improves his takedown defence, Palhares is in for a difficult night.
Anybody with as strong a skill as Palhares's has a good chance on any given night to catch his opponent, in the same way a heavy-handed puncher can be a threat to any fighter. With submission skills of Rousimar's calibre, he also has that similar element. When on the ground, he can pull a rabbit out of the hat and make anyone tap.
However in this fight Marquardt's overall skill-set should be the greater advantage than Palhares's one-dimensional submission assault. If Nate Marquardt plays it smart and keeps it standing, he will get the victory.
Tags: