UFC Ultimate Fight Night 19 Preview
Diaz And Guillard Share The Spotlight On September 16th
Sep 7, 2009
The UFC's 'Ultimate Fight Night' cards are becoming a staple of an MMA fans' diet. The last one featured a great fight between Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann in the main event, and UFN 19 should have it's fair share of exciting fights too.
Diaz vs. Guillard An Explosive Main Event
Both fighters have something to prove in the main event of this upcoming UFC show. Nate Diaz knows this is a must win fight for him, as he his last two matches have ended in defeat. Usually, the UFC releases fighters that have lost three on the slide, and Diaz obviously doesn't want to suffer the same fate.
As for Guillard, it is time for him to prove that he belongs in the upper echelon of the UFC. He has won his last three fights, and another win could propel Guillard into a big fight in the lightweight division.
It is hard to favour either fighter in this one. Guillard is explosive and has great muay thai, but if Diaz gets the fight to the ground, his jiu-jitsu could be hard to beat. However, that is what Diaz may struggle with - getting the fight where he wants it.
Guillard's takedown defence is good, and he may dictate where this fight goes. If it does indeed remain standing, one would have to favour Guillard, as the boxing of Diaz is good, but nothing like as effective as the striking of his opponent. If the fight ends up on the ground, Guillard arguably still has a chance if he ends up on top, but Diaz should be favoured there.
The smart money is probably on the in form, explosive fighter Guillard, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and Diaz might just turn in an excellent performance, knowing a bad one could lead to his release.
'The Bully' Continues His Progress
Gray 'The Bully' Maynard will face what is easily his toughest challenge yet at UFN 19. His opponent will be Roger Huerta, a man who has had seven fights in the UFC and only lost one (and that was to Kenny Florian). However, the Huerta that Maynard faces might not be the one UFC fans know best.
Huerta is more interested in acting at this point in time, and has only taken this fight to finish his UFC contract. If his heart isn't in MMA anymore, this could manifest itself horribly against a young, hungry and determined Gray Maynard.
Maynard is undefeated in his professional career, and 'The Bully' trains at Xtreme Couture, an excellent camp. He has a wrestling background, but is also proficient in boxing, and in the next couple of years, he could really prove to be a handful in the lightweight division.
Roger Huerta is a stern enough test though, and this should be a good indicator as to how far Maynard can go. If he can deal with Huerta clinically, he will get a big fight soon enough, but if he struggles, or he loses, he wil need more time to mature.
If Huerta had his eye on the prize and was concentrating on MMA, he would probably have the edge, but his acting priorities may just tip the scales in Gray Maynard's favour, and 'The Bully' should grind out a decision.
Ultimate Fight Night 19 Undercard
Carlos Condit will return to the Octagon, after a narrow loss to Martin Kampmann at the last Ultimate Fight Night. In an interview with MMA Weekly, Condit claims that the "UFC jitters" are over, and that he intends to knock his opponent, Jake Ellenberger out. It may be tough to knock Ellenberger out, as out of Ellenberger's four defeats, none have come by way of knockout, but he should be able to stop it early by submission.
Nate Quarry is also on the card, and he fights Tim Credeur. If Credeur manages to get the takedown, Quarry will struggle with the ground game of Credeur, but if it remains standing, Quarry should have a significant advantage. Both can win this - it just depends where the fight goes.
Evenly Matched Fights At UFN 19
One can't insist with any conviction that any given fighter will win on this card, as all the fights are evenly matched. This should be a great card to watch, and this will be a great prelude to the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter 10.
How To Watch Ultimate Fight Night 19
In the UK, this can be viewed live on ESPN at 2am GMT on Friday 17th September. In the USA, this can also be seen live on Thursday 16th Spetember on Spike TV at 9pm ET.
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