UFC 154 ‘St. Pierre vs. Condit’ Preview

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Middleweights

Nick Ring (13-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Constantinos Philippou (11-2, 4-1 UFC)

The Matchup: Ring sports an impressive overall record, but “The Ultimate Fighter 11” cast member has lived something of a charmed live inside the Octagon. In his promotional debut, Ring was out-grappled and taken down repeatedly by Riki Fukuda but somehow managed to get the nod from the judges at UFC 127. Most recently, “The Promise” took a unanimous verdict over Court McGee at UFC 149, despite being out-landed by 40 significant strikes in the middleweight contest.

Philippou, meanwhile, has won four straight with the promotion, earning a unanimous decision over Fukuda at UFC 148 in his last outing. A former professional boxer, the Ring of Combat veteran relies primarily on his quick and powerful hands. Though all but one of his UFC bouts have gone the distance, Philippou showed a glimpse of his dangerous power at UFC 140, when he knocked out Jared Hamman in the first round.

Ring has some boxing experience, as well, but he also has a background in kickboxing and muay Thai, so he will need to incorporate his accurate kicks to keep Philippou off balance. The Serra-Longo Fight Team representative’s crafty footwork and crisp punching combinations could cause problems for Ring, who absorbed more than his share of punishment on the feet against McGee, a man not generally known for his striking.

If Ring finds himself losing on the feet, it is unlikely that he will be able to shift gears and get the fight to the canvas, where he could put his solid jiu-jitsu and submission skills to work. Fukuda and McGee went a combined 0-for-16 on takedowns against Philippou, while Ring was denied on each of his seven attempts by McGee in July.

The Pick: Ring will have to move constantly to avoid getting peppered with combinations, as Phillippou has a good understanding of how to control the cage. Ring is an accurate striker, but Phillipou has a little more zip behind his offerings and will eventually put away the Canadian with a solid hook or cross en route to a second-round stoppage.

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