UFC 162 is shaping up to be the biggest card that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has put together thus far in 2013. The main card consists of five important fights in two weight classes, with each competitor having a lot on the line. These athletes have spent weeks coming up with the necessary strategies to win these bouts, and here is a look at what tactics should work best for each fighter on the main card:
Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman
Chael Sonnen laid the groundwork for what many believe is the best strategy to defeat Anderson Silva: take him down and outwork him for 15 to 25 minutes. While no one has been able to do it, Chris Weidman possesses the best skill set to be able to do so successfully. However, many observers are pointing towards Weidman’s striking and grappling abilities as a potential strategy for finishing Silva in this fight. While his striking skills have continued to improve, his submission skills are viewed as his best weapon in the bout. Weidman’s strategy for this fight should involve a mix of takedowns, control, and submission attempts, because he doesn’t want to get into a striking contest with Silva.
Silva’s striking is world class, and it’s what he has leaned on for the majority of his historic UFC run. He will have to avoid the takedowns that will come from Weidman while looking for the clinch to set up his strikes. If he can maintain distance and land his shots he will be able to control much of this bout. And when things enter close quarters, look for him to clinch and throw knees to set up strikes to the head. Silva has shown the ability to land strikes on everyone he’s faced, so it will be interesting to see how he asserts himself against Weidman.
Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira was once one of the hottest prospects that the UFC were looking to push to the public. He brought a submission-first game plan into the Octagon, and while it worked in his first two UFC bouts, he left himself open to being caught by Jim Miller. Since then he’s acquired two more submission wins, a testament to his ability to finish fights on the floor. His strategy against Edgar should be the same, even though Frankie has never been stopped in his career.
Edgar, on the other hand, needs to embrace his stick and move strategy, which has helped him during his UFC run. Oliveira has shown a weakness against fighters who can effectively strike and land blows from angles. This is Edgar’s specialty, and his most effective strategy when facing someone like “Do Bronx.” While there is a four-inch height difference, there will be only a one-inch reach advantage for Oliveira, which Edgar should be able to manage. He also has his wrestling to lean on, but that may create scrambles, which could place him in bad situations.
Roger Gracie is known as a world class grappler with the ability to submit anyone in the sport. It’s so well known that fighters are looking for ways to keep the fight off of the ground when facing him. Gracie’s standup abilities have improved, as he has learned how to use his range to control the distance until he is ready to work for the takedown. Tim Kennedy has never been submitted, and he faced Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza three years ago, who has a similar BJJ background as Gracie. However, that doesn’t mean Gracie won’t be able to score takedowns and control positioning en route to a decision victory.
Kennedy has a very aggressive fight style, and he will have to use those tactics against Gracie for this bout. Gracie will have a five-inch reach advantage, so Kennedy will have to cut the distance very quickly. He has the wrestling abilities to score takedowns when needed, but that wouldn’t place him in the safest position against this opponent. However, Gracie has been knocked out in the past, so the strategy for Kennedy should be to start off this fight pushing the pace and looking for an early knockout.
Munoz’s best bet is to take this fight to the ground and control the positioning for 15 minutes while racking up points with ground and pound. Cardio is also important for Munoz, who has missed a year of action, but has the ability to tire Tim Boetsch out. Boetsch was worn down in his last bout against Costa Philippou at UFC 155, which allowed him to be finished off in the third round. Standing in front of Boetsch would not be a good idea, due to not only his opponent’s power, but the fact that Munoz has been rocked by fighters with less punching power, such as C.B. Dollaway and Demian Maia.
For Boetsch the strategy should be very direct: close the distance and deliver power shots. “The Barbarian” has to keep his back off the cage and the mat, but stay in close enough to land shots such as the uppercuts that put away Yushin Okami at UFC 144. Boetsch has stopped 52 percent of the takedowns sent his way, but against a wrestler of Munoz’s caliber, that won’t be good enough, especially if he can’t put his combinations together to keep Mark on his heels.
Swanson and Siver should have similar strategies heading into their bout at UFC 162. Both individuals put together strikes looking for knockout victories, though Siver is more likely to use his diverse set of kicks, while Swanson leans on his boxing. Swanson will have to cut down the distance between the two, because he cannot stay on the outside and get picked off by Siver. Distance is the key for this fight, and whichever athlete can keep the contest in the range where he is best will control the bout.
At the highest levels of mixed martial arts, strategy is one of the most important factors that separates victories from defeats. Going into their respective bouts, each of these fighters on UFC 162‘s main card should have figured out the best approach to take in order to walk out of the Octagon with the win. Sticking to the script has paid off in the past, and will continue to do so going forward. But for those who fall short, each will need to examine whether the loss was due to poorly executing a sound strategy, or failing to develop one.
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UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman is due to take place on July 6, 2013 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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