The Ultimate Fighter 17: The Underdogs Revealed
This weekend, fight fans are going to be treated to an excellent line up of fights in Las Vegas. We have the fan favourite Uriah Faber against Jorgensen, the women’s battle with Meisha Tate vs. the undefeated Cat Zingano, the winner facing Rhonda Rousey and coaching on the next season of TUF. There is also a heavyweight battle, and a lot of hungry submission and KO fighters on the card anxious to secure a win. And this week, all will be revealed as to who will face off and win the TUF 17 finale.
Lets take a closer look at the card and let us know who you see as the underdogs.
FAN FAVOURITE URIJAH FABER vs. (UNDERDOG) Scott Jorgensen
For those unfamiliar with Scott Jorgensen (ranked No 7), he was on a five fight win streak in the WEC before his run came unstuck against current UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominic Cruz at WEC 53. The loss to Cruz came via uNanimous decision in a 5 round fight where Cruz completely dominated the fight with elusive footwork, strikes and takedowns.
While at WEC,Jorgensen’s most notably win was against Brad Pickett in 2010. Since fighting under the UFC banner, Jorgensen has gone 3-2-0. He’s noted for having excellent wrestling and durability and it will definitely be a tough fight against the number 2 ranked Urijah Faber. Faber comes in as the favourite with his fast footwork, takedowns, excellent hands and solid jujitsu game. Uriah definitely won’t be afraid to hit the mat during the fight or implement his own takedowns.
Meisha Tate vs. (UNDERDOG) Cat Zingano
While Meisha Tate comes in as the favourite being the former one time Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion, she has a big job on her hands in dismantling Cat Zingano who is holding a 7-0 record. The key in this fight will be Meisha’s experience inside the cage against better known opponents, and the mental toughness that she put on display in her armbar loss to Rhonda Rousey in 2012.
Travis Browne vs. (UNDERDOG) Gabriel Gonzaga
Travis Browne comes into this fight looking for a much needed win against Gabriel Gonzaga after a devastating first round KO loss to Antonio Silva ‘Big foot’ in his last outing. Gabriel Gonzaga looks to continue his two fight win streak with both fighters trying to edge their way closer towards the top ten ranks within the heavyweight division. Despite Travis Browne’s loss to ‘Big foot’, he comes in as a moderate favourite.
Cole Miller vs. (UNDERDOG) Bart Palaszewski
Cole Miller, a black belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu, desperately needs a win with back to back losses against Nam Phan and Steven Siler. Bart Palaszewski also a black belt in Jiujitsu finds himself in troubled waters with back to back losses against Diego Nunes and Hatsu Hioki. One of these fighters will go home for good unless they produce a win. Cole Miller is a slight favourite coming into this fight. Cole Miller has a higher finishing rate with 13 of his 18 wins in MMA coming via submissions.
Justin Lawrence vs. (UNDERDOG) Daniel Pineda
If you follow Kickboxing then you will know the name Justin Lawrence. Lawrence is a six-time national kickboxing champion with over 150 amateur kickboxing wins. Lawrence fought Michael Chiesa in TUF 15 only to lose the 3rd sudden death round. His first official fight in the UFC was a spectacular head kick KO delivered to John Cofer but he came unstuck against Max Holloway in his next fight losing by KO. Daniel Pineda is a brown belt in Jujitsu with impressive submission wins displaying knee bars, rear naked chokes, heel hooks, and arm bar finishes. Pineda also brings along a Muay Thai fighting style. Pineda has lost his last two bouts and is looking to salvage his career. Lawrence may come in as a slight favourite. We should expect some exciting exchanges in this fight.
Sam Sicilia vs. (UNDERDOG) Maximo Blanco
Sam Sicilia’s had a successful debut in the UFC after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter 15 proving he has KO power. He was able to knockout Christiano Marcello in the second round at the TUF Finale but lost his subsequent fight against Rony Jason via KO. His opponent at TUF 17 Finale Maximo Blanco has suffered two straight losses to Pat Healy and Marcus Brimage and appears to be a slight underdog. He does however possess great wrestling skills and KO power of his own. This should be an exciting fight.
Don’t forget to tune in this week to TUF 17. Will Uriah Hall be the next TUF Champion?
