Heavyweight knockout artists Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson will look to move upwards in the wide open heavyweight division in the main event of UFC Fight Night 52 this Saturday (Sept. 20, 2014) inside Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. With so much potential for a knockout from either side, what can either man do to gain an edge? Read our fight preview and find out!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweights Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson will look for the knockout this Saturday (Sept. 20, 2014) at UFC Fight Night 52 inside the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, live on UFC Fight Pass.
"Big County" is a model of consistency. Against fighters undeserving of a Top 10 ranking, he finds a home for his looping overhand and secures himself an easy finish. Whenever given an opportunity to step up or matched with a prospect who will eventually make waves, Nelson finds himself on the wrong end of a beating.
Hunt is quite the opposite. "Super Samoan" is on the midst of a career revival, having earned a top ranking with his last few performances. Stunning just about everyone, Hunt snapped a six fight loss streak -- in which he was finished in the very first round in every fight -- with four straight victories over increasingly better competition. Though he lost to dos Santos and drew with "Bigfoot" Silva since, Hunt has proven himself a top heavyweight.
Let's take a look at the keys to victory for each man.
Roy Nelson
Record: 20-9
Key Wins: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (UFC Fight Night 39), Stefan Struve (UFC Fight Night 21)
Key Losses: Fabricio Werdum (UFC 143), Stipe Miocic (UFC 161), Junior dos Santos (UFC 117)
Keys to Victory: Nelson, despite his affinity for the overhand right, is a fairly well-rounded heavyweight with a dangerous jiu-jitsu game. Though it now gathers dust, he does have four submission finishes, mostly from early in his career.
More often than not, Nelson simply spams his overhand repeatedly. It may have resulted in Nelson's 14 knockout victories, but it has also gotten Nelson's ass kicked by the premier strikers of the division.
Which is precisely what Mark Hunt happens to be.
Therefore, it would be smart of Nelson to look for the takedown. Nelson is built similarly to Hunt: shorter, low center of gravity, and a decent amount of fat. That means he may not have the usual disadvantage of dealing with Hunt's low center of gravity, something many fighters attempting to shoot on Hunt have been troubled by.
Not only would a successful takedown open up potential submission opportunities, it would simultaneously win rounds and slow Hunt down. Hunt likely has the superior conditioning, so that would be a huge bonus if Nelson were to take away that advantage.
Since Nelson will likely ignore the smart game plan and look for his overhand, he should look to time it over Hunt's left hook. He should be wary of that strike anyway, as it's Hunt's favorite and quite nasty. However, if Hunt were to lunge in with the hook as he sometimes does, Nelson can fire off his overhand right.
Mark Hunt
Record: 9-8-1
Key Wins: Stefan Struve (UFC on Fuel TV 8), Ben Rothwell (UFC 144)
Key Losses: Junior dos Santos (UFC 160), Sean McCorkle (UFC 119)
Keys to Victory: Hunt is developing his ground skills rather quickly for a 40-year old, but his main attack is still his kickboxing. Of Hunt's nine professional mixed martial arts (MMA) victories, six come via knockout.
In addition to MMA, Hunt was the K-1 World Grand Prix champion in 2001. As a kickboxer, Hunt had 30 wins with 13 knockouts.
Despite his relatively few fights involving takedowns, Hunt is clearly very experienced in the fight game.
In fact, "Super Samoan" will have to rely on his status as a wily veteran in order to defeat Nelson. "Big Country's" game may not be complex or even multifaceted, but he can still knock out just about anyone, including Hunt.
Just as Nelson must watch out for Hunt's left hook, Hunt needs to be very cautious about Nelson's overhand. On the bright side, Nelson's overhand is much more predictable. He throws it from the same distance and at the same speed almost every time, whereas Hunt varies how he delivers the hook.
It would be an excellent idea for Hunt to look for his leg kicks again. Nelson is vulnerable to kicks of all types, and a few shins delivered into Nelson's thigh by Hunt's dense legs could seriously take some power off of Nelson's punches. Plus, if Nelson's mobility is limited, Hunt can really swarm on "Big Country."
Bottom Line: Though Nelson has won just one of his last three and Hunt is winless in his last two bouts, this fight majorly affects the heavyweight title picture.
Such is life in a division empty of contenders.
Nelson is likely two fights away from the title. If he can defeat Hunt in his usual spectacular fashion -- or pull out his submission game against the kickboxer -- he sets himself up for a title eliminator. That means, yes, there's a possibility that Roy Nelson could fight Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight title in 2015.
Though a loss would make Nelson's recent record rather ugly, it really would not affect his spot in the division. The UFC would then pair Nelson up with some lower ranked fighter that Nelson hasn't yet obliterated. Nelson will get another easier bout afterwards, until he's earned another chance to step up.
Rinse and repeat.
This bout is far more vital for Hunt. He's getting up there in years and will not likely have another chance to make a title run. His time is now, and Hunt needs to capitalize with a victory here.
A loss would signal the end of any talk of Hunt as a potential title challenger. He'd still have his devoted fan base but would be placed in fun fights with fighters outside the top 15 or lower, rather than fights which have serious impact on the division.
At UFC Fight Night 52, power-punching heavyweights Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson are set to battle. Which knockout artist will exit the cage on his own two feet?
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