Tomorrow is going to be a great day for me and a horrible day for my girlfriend because of the copious amounts of games/fights that will be taking place tomorrow. Not only do the NBA playoffs commence tomorrow but the true main courses of the evening, at least for me, is the stacked UFC on FOX 7 show(free on fox) and Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez taking on Austin Trout in front 30,000+ fans on Showtime live from the Alamodome. Here is a small preview of the fights that will be happening tomorrow but really its just reasons I look forward to tomorrow evening. Hope you enjoy!
Canelo Alvarez vs Austin Trout on Showtime (10pm ET)
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (40-0-1) had a case of bad luck in 2012. Not in terms of anything that happened to him inside the ring. He easily beat a past his prime Shane Mosley and destroyed Josesito Lopez. The body shots that he nailed Lopez with were full of vigor and nastiness. But his quest to fight boxers like Paul Williams and Victor Ortiz all fell through for one reason (motorcycle accident) or another (a broken jaw TKO loss). By the time Austin Trout (26-0) defeated Miguel Angel Cotto (who was set to fight Canelo in 2013) at MSG, it didn’t take long for people to start talking about la the Canelo curse – an obviously silly but entertaining talking point.
It’s going to be a tough fight on both ends. If you’re rooting for Canelo, you should be hoping that he has worked on his defense since his last fight. In-between Canelo’s big power punches, Lopez was landing some decent combinations. On Trout’s end, he’s going to have to make it very clear that he’s winning the rounds. In the past, Canelo has had low output in the first round, so I can see Trout winning that first frame convincingly. But the other rounds will really tell us what each man is capable of. Trout should try to stay in movement and not get stationary.
This fight should live up to the hype but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Canelo(Cinnamon in Spanish) get his first loss in his career. Expect an action packed bout with an electric atmosphere.
UFC vs Strikeforce UFC on Fox 7 main card (8pm ET):
Benson Henderson(18-2) vs. Gilbert Melendez(21-2) for the UFC Lightweight title
This match is interesting not only because of the caliber of talent that is in it but cause both Henderson and Melendez are the kings of the lightweight division in Zuffa. While Henderson was establishing himself in UFC, Melendez was in Strikeforce putting on classic fights with Josh Thompson and establishment himself as the king of the lightweight division where he defended the 12lbs of gold four times. When Strikeforce(Zuffa owned company) shutdown last year, Melendez was the reigning lightweight champion which is the reason he got the immediate title shot against Benson Henderson despite never having fought in the UFC. This will be Henderson 3rd title defense and might be the toughest defense yet. This one is scheduled to go five rounds and Henderson would be wise to try and finish Melendez before it gets in the judges hand. Melendez has fought 9 times in the Shark Tank(HP Pavilion) when he was in Strikeforce and is a huge hometown favorite for this match. Regardless of who gets their hand raised at the end of the fight, I expect this to be a candidate for MMA fight of the year.
Daniel Cormier(11-0) vs. Frank Mir(16-6) Heavyweight
This match was scheduled to go down last November in Oklahoma City in what was to be Strikeforce’s swan song. Mir, unfortunately had to pull out citing injury. Mir last fought in May 2012 where he was defeated by the fists of Junior De Santos.
This match is booked to showcase the talents of the debuting Daniel Cormier. The former Olympian and Strikeforce Grand Prix winner comes into the UFC with a record of 11-0 and with an impressive win over Mir, he should be the next in line to face Cain Velasquez- his friend and sparring partner. Besides Josh Barnett and Antonio Silva, D.C really hasn’t fought top tier heavyweights which is why Mir is the perfect opponent for Comier since Mir has a name in the sport and is ranked 5th in the UFC rankings.
Nate Diaz(16-8) vs. Josh Thomson(19-5) Lightweight
It’s been 9 years since we’ve last seen Josh Thomson (19-5) inside the UFC. To a large portion of fans that will be tuning in to watch UFC on FOX, he’s practically an unknown. He’s probably best known for producing what is arguably the best trilogy in MMA history with Gilbert Melendez who is headlining the event. As for Nate Diaz he is coming off a one sided ass kicking that was delivered by Benson Henderson. This is an important fight for both men. Diaz is looking to redeem himself after losing a terribly one-sided fight. Who better to prove yourself than against the man who’s given Melendez – Diaz’s long-time amigo/training partner – his toughest fights? For Thomson, this is his last shot to prove that he has something to offer at the major-league level in MMA. Too bad this lightweight tilt isn’t five rounds.
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