On December 10 the Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold only their second event ever in the province of Toronto, Ontario, Canada when they present UFC 140: Jones vs Machida. The main event will be a well anticipated clash of styles for the Light Heavyweight title when the unorthodox champion Jon Jones meets karate specialist Lyoto Machida. The co-main event will be a rematch of two elite Heavyweight BJJ black belts when Frank Mir meets Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the second time in the cage. The midway bout will be a meeting of Light Heavyweight veterans when longtime bad-boy of the sport Tito Ortiz meets well rounded Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. The second bout on the card will pit a Welterweight veteran in Brian Ebersole against a fellow submission grappler in Toronto's own Claude Patrick. The opening bout on the card is expected to be a Fight of the Night candidate when Featherweights Mark Hominick and Chan Sung Jung meet in the cage. With a stacked card of talent and veterans this event is expected to showcase some entertaining match-ups for the citizens of Toronto.
Main Card Bouts:
Jon "Bones" Jones (14-1-0) vs Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (17-2-0)
Frank Mir (15-5-0) vs Antonio "Minotauro" Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1(1))
Tito "The People's Champ" Ortiz (16-9-1) vs Antonio "Lil' Nog" Rogerio Nogueira (19-5-0)
Brian "Bad Boy" Ebersole (48-14-1(1)) vs Claude "The Prince" Patrick (14-1-0)
Mark "The Machine" Hominick (20-9-0) vs Chan Sung "The Korean Zombie" Jung (11-3-0)
Main Event/Light Heavyweight Title Bout: (C)Jones vs Machida
The main event will be a clash of two unpredictable styles for the Light Heavyweight title when reigning champion and unorthodox striker Jon Jones meets former division champion and illusive Karate specialist Lyoto Machida. Jones comes into this bout on a five fight win streak that includes a Rnd1 TKO over former contender Brandon Vera that earned KO of the Night, a Rnd1 TKO over former contender Vladimir Matyushenko, a Rnd2 Submission over then undefeated TUF8 winner Ryan Bader that earned Submission of the Night, a Rnd3 TKO over veteran Mauricio Rua to capture the title, and a Rnd4 Submission over former division champion Quinton Jackson to defend his title for the first time at UFC 135: Jones vs Rampage that earned Fight of the Night. Machida comes off an amazing Rnd2 KO over former five-time Heavyweight/Light Heavyweight champion Randy Couture with a Crane-Kick at UFC 129: St. Pierre vs Shields that earned KO of the Night. This bout presents one of the most interesting style match ups pitting the length of Jones' limbs combined with his unorthodox style against the evasion and precision striking of Machida. Comparing these two fighters in the stand up, Jones is a heavy favorite with the more unpredictable style and a 10.5" reach advantage. With a still developing Muay Thai and kickboxing game Jones knows how to use his kicks to push back his opponents and how to use his extensive reach to pick at them. Though some elite fighters look at Jones' striking and claim that he does not possess real knockout power, he knows how to put together combinations and land continuous strikes that add up causing serious damage. For Machida's striking, he is primarily a counter-striker based off of his karate style staying on the outside of his opponent's reach and quickly moving in to strike and move back out of range, or wait for them to rush him and catch them. With the reach advantage and still developing striking skill set Jones is a heavy favorite in the stand up. When grappling Jones will again be the favorite with a Greco-Roman wrestling background that makes his clinch game even more dangerous. With that Greco-Roman wrestling background and a slick developing BJJ game of his own Jones is a dangerous grappler when he ends up on top and his vicious elbows that generate so much energy in a short space can cause serious damage. Though Jones is a strong favorite Machida is an experienced grappler as well with a black belt in BJJ that will likely be a key part of his game to utilize with the likelihood of this bout ending up on the ground. For Jones, the gameplan will likely be to play off of Machida's style of staying on the outside and pick at him and clinch against the cage where his Muay Thai skills can tear into him. For Machida the gameplan may be to use his elusive style to slip into range of striking Jones to test his endurance and somehow get the fight to the ground ending up on top to test Jones' unseen defensive grappling game. Overall Jones is the heavy favorite to win.
Co-Main Event: Mir vs Nogueira II
The co-main event will be a rematch in the Heavyweight division when former two-time division champion Frank Mir meets first/former PrideFC Heavyweight champion and former UFC Interim-Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Mir comes into this fight on a two fight win streak that includes a Rnd3 KO over former 2006 PrideFC Open-Weight Grand Prix winner Mirko Cro-Cop and a Unanimous Decision over former IFL division champion and TUF10 winner Roy Nelson at UFC 130: Rampage vs Hamill. Nogueira comes into this bout off an upset Rnd1 KO over TUF10 finalist Brendan Schaub at UFC RIO/UFC134: Silva vs Okami II that earned KO of the Night. This bout will be a rematch that fans have demanded after Nogueira revealed that prior to their first bout he had been recovering from a severe staph infection that may have affected his output and endurance in the fight. This bout is made even more interesting seeing that Nogueira seems to have revitalized his career coming off an upset over a top prospect in the division. For the advantage when striking, Mir will be the favorite, though not far above Nogueira. With a more diverse striking skill set that includes boxing an Muay Thai, Mir has proven the improvement in his striking power when he knocked down the more experienced striker in Cheick Kongo with a single punch and will likely have the speed advantage. For Nogueira however he does have a strong boxing game that has stuck with him throughout his career and has shown improvement training with his brother Rogerio and new division champion Junior dos Santos. Though considered the underdog against Schaub in his previous bout Nogueira showed improved speed and resilient endurance that allowed him to land the better strikes finishing the fight in Rnd1. For the advantage when grappling, many analysts will go back and forth debating this. When comparing experience Nogueira is the favorite when grappling being seen as possibly one of the best BJJ black belts in MMA earning twenty of his thirty-three wins by way of submission. When comparing aggression and control Mir is a favorite having learned more about combining wrestling with an already elite BJJ skill set in MMA. For Mir, the gameplan could likely be to keep the fight standing where he may have the speed advantage and more diverse striking skill set to control the fight standing up. For Nogueira, the gameplan may be to get the fight to the ground where many analysts and hardcore fans will consider him the superior grappler. Overall Mir will be a favorite to win in this rematch.
Ortiz vs Nogueira
The midway bout will be contested at Light Heavyweight between two well known veterans of the sport when former division champion Tito Ortiz takes on well rounded PrideFC veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Ortiz comes into this bout following a Rnd2 TKO loss to fellow former former division champion and TUF2 winner Rashad Evans at UFC 133: Evans vs Ortiz II that earned both fighters Fight of the Night. Nogueira comes into this bout on a two fight losing streak that includes a Unanimous Decision loss to then undefeated TUF8 winner Ryan Bader and a Unanimous Decision loss to undefeated contender Phil Davis at UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs Davis. This bout pits two veterans with opposing styles against each other pitting a wrestler against a skilled BJJ black belt. For the advantage when striking Nogueira will be the favorite holding three boxing championships under his belt and solid knockout power. Though Ortiz has never been known as a striker he appears to have finally put together a decent stand up game after having gone through multiple surgeries that hindered him from performing to his best before. With the more well rounded striking game Nogueira will be the favorite when standing. For the advantage on the ground Ortiz will be the favorite with the wrestling and grappling game that could neutralize Nogueira's BJJ game. With a smothering wrestling game that allows him to control his opponents on the ground to land some ground-&-pound combined with a rarely seen BJJ game Ortiz is capable of controlling a fight on the ground. Though Nogueira is a dangerous submission grappler himself he has been proven to have trouble with strong wrestlers knowing how to neutralize his own ground game with him getting too comfortable on his back at times relying so much on his BJJ. For Ortiz, the gameplan will likely be to return back to his old ways looking for the takedown to control the fight on the ground and land his signature ground-&-pound either to look for the finish or grind out a decision victory. For Nogueira the gameplan will likely be to prefer keeping the fight standing where he will have the advantage when striking and have his BJJ game prepared more to get back to his feet rather than rely on his submission game alone off his back. While some analysts will see this fight as possibly even, Ortiz will be a favorite to get the win. A win for both fighters is well needed with Ortiz still seen nearing the end of his career and Nogueira coming off of two losses that commonly adds up to being on the chopping block for his career in the UFC.
Ebersole vs Patrick
The second bout on the card was originally scheduled to pit rising Canadian contender Rory MacDonald against Brian Ebersole, however MacDonald received an injury while training and has now been replaced with fellow Canadian Claude Patrick. Ebersole comes into this bout on a nine fight win streak with the last two including his promotional debut on short notice earning a Unanimous Decision over TUF4 finalist and veteran Chris Lytle that earned Fight of the Night, and a Rnd1 TKO over fellow veteran Dennis Hallman at UFC 133: Evans vs Ortiz II that earned the first and only "Get Those Horrifying Shorts Off TV As Soon As Possible" bonus; the second bonus earned was because Hallman had come into the fight wearing traditional "vale tudo" shorts that UFC President Dana White deemed inappropriate. Patrick comes into this bout thirteen fight win streak with the last three including his promotional debut earning a Rnd2 Submission over Ricardo Funch, a Unanimous Decision over TUF9 winner James Wilks, and a Unanimous Decision over Daniel Roberts at UFC 129: St. Pierre vs Shields.. For the striking advantage, Ebersole will be a favorite with a sometimes random striking game that makes him hard to predict at times. Though Patrick does have a good Muay Thai game, Ebersole's experience is expected to be a key factor in the stand up. For the advantage when grappling, Ebersole will again be the favorite with an NCAA1 wrestling background and a strong submission game, though Patrick is no slouch on the ground either. Being a brown belt in BJJ Patrick has earned nine wins via submission out of fourteen total in his record. With the experience and grappling background Ebersole will still be a favorite. For this bout some would consider both fighters even in the stand up being such skilled grapplers and for either the gameplan may be to get the fight to the ground. Depending how comfortable either fighter may feel when engaging on the ground this bout could end up a stand up affair. Overall Ebersole is a favorite to win.
Hominick vs Jung
The opening bout on the card will be contested in the Featherweight division in what many expect to be a Fight of the Night candidate when Canadian contender Mark Hominick looks to get back in the hunt for a title shot when he takes on the always exciting South Korean fighter Chan Sung Jung. Hominick comes into this bout following a failed attempt to capture the division title from reigning champion Jose Aldo losing a Unanimous Decision at UFC 129: St. Pierre vs Shields that earned Fight of the Night. Jung comes into this bout following a rebound Rnd2 Submission win where he became the first fighter ever to use the "Twister" submission in the UFC and earned Submission of the Night in a rematch with Leonard Garcia at UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs Davis. This bout will likely showcase an entertaining exchange with two fighters who constantly move forward. For the advantage in the stand up Hominick will be the favorite with the more credentialed background and solid knockout power. With a kickboxing background that includes being a two-time champion, Hominick is a disciplined striker with precision striking. Though Jung is seen more as a grappler, his entertaining style of always coming forward and getting into wild striking exchanges proves that he is not afraid to engage with almost any opponent in the stand up game. For the advantage when grappling, Jung will be a big favorite with a submission grappling game that has improved greatly since joining Team Alpha Male training with top wrestlers in the lighter divisions like contenders Chad Mendes, Joseph Benavidez, and former longtime WEC champion Urijah Faber. Though Hominick has a defensive grappling game of his own, he is not one who looks to get the fight to the ground. Overall Hominick is a strong favorite and will be the hometown favorite fighting in his native province of Ontario, Canada. The gameplan for Hominick will be to keep the fight standing at all times and be the more technical striker. Jung being one who does not mind getting into striking exchanges may look to stay standing for some time, but will likely look to get the fight to the ground where his grappling could overwhelm Hominick.
An added "X" factor in this bout could be a mental and emotional aspect working either for or against Hominick. Earlier this year Hominick's head coach and longtime friend Shawn Tompkins passed away at the age of 37 in August from a heart attack during his sleep. Being a big part of Hominick's team helping him train for many fights throughout his career, the fact of him not being in his corner physically could have some affect on him during this fight being that it will be his first since bout following the passing of Tompkins. Though some fighters have performed greatly utilizing the emotion of enduring such a personal loss to motivate them and push them in their fights, this will all depend on where Hominick's mindset is when he enters the cage.
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