UFC 105 Preview - Matt Brown (-155) vs. James Wilks (+125)
by Tim Furious
James Wilks walked out of TUF Season 9 as a winner, but now his real career begins and standing at the gats is Matt Brown who would love nothing more than to put Wilks behind him and assert himself as a credible fighter. Brown is considered by many to be an absolute beast and the aggressive style the veteran shows Wilks may be too much for the raw fighter. “Ultimate Fighter”? I think not.
Many will tag Brown’s inability to perform during “The Ultimate Fighter” (he lost to eventual winner Amir Sadollah during the “Rampage vs. Griffin” season) as the reason he should be listed as an underdog. And certainly Brown has plenty to prove but his dominating wins over Ryan Thomas (armbar submission) and Pete Sell (TKO) prove that he’s a legit fighter that can give opponents plenty to worry about.
Nerves are against James Wilks in this one. A win over DeMarques Johnson catapulted him to relevancy, but he’s never showed the type of fury that Brown has and that’s the tilt for me. Wilks is the superior mat wrestler, but getting a takedown may prove to be a challenge as Brown keeps his distance and forces Wilks to stay striking.
If anything, Wilks proved he has a knack for closing in on his opponent and has excelled in tight spaces. But the key here is that Wilks will be fighting in a British venue, and nerves and pressure may prove too rousing to keep Wilks focused on taking this fight to the ground.
Brown will use his aggressive striking to give him some room to work, and an overzealous Wilks will try to close the gap and walk right in to a straight fist from Brown who will immediately go in to “death mode”. Unless Wilks can withstand the blow enough to immediately go in to a defensive mode on the ground, this fight is ending early and Wilks’ home crowd will turn ugly as they rage in to “soccer riot” mode.
Furious Free Pick: Matt Brown (-155) OVER James Wilks (+125)
