UFC 149 ‘Faber vs. Barao’ Preview

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Welterweights

Brian Ebersole (50-14-1, 4-0 UFC) vs. James Head (8-2, 1-1 UFC)

The Matchup: Though he gets attention for his uniquely manicured chest hair and flamboyant cartwheel kicks, Ebersole is a blue-collar guy at his core. The Tiger Muay Thai-affiliated fighter gets results with wrestling and active ground-and-pound. Most recently, he put that formula to work effectively in earning a decision against submission specialist T.J. Waldburger at UFC on FX 4. As a fill-in for the injured Claude Patrick, “Bad Boy” will look for his fifth straight victory in the Octagon -- and 11th overall -- against Head.

A product of Lovato’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Head has split a pair of bouts in the UFC, losing via submission to Nick Ring in his promotional debut in 2011 before rebounding to choke out Papy Abedi inside of a round at UFC on Fuel TV 2. The manner in which Head lost to Ring is of particular concern, however, as the Oklahoman was battered on the ground by his opponent in the bout’s final two rounds. Ebersole, with his assortment of punches, elbows, hammerfists and shoulder strikes from top position, will no doubt be looking to capitalize on Head’s so-so takedown defense.

Ebersole’s most glaring weakness is his striking from range, but he compensates with a solid chin and the ability to close the distance quickly on his foes. Waldburger caught him with a short left hand early in their encounter, and Head, a golden gloves boxer, will hope to do the same as Ebersole moves forward to initiate the clinch. Head throws solid combinations and will mix in the occasional kick; the longer he can keep Ebersole at a safe range the better his chances will become. He has a decent jiu-jitsu background, as well, but considering that Ebersole has managed to escape and defend submissions against the likes of Waldburger, Dennis Hallman and Chris Lytle, he will not find much to fear in this matchup.

The Pick: Head needs to land something significant early to put Ebersole on his heels. Otherwise, this is going to look like his the latter portion matchup with Ring, only worse. Look for a steady diet of clinch work, takedowns and ground-and-pound as Ebersole gets a TKO stoppage or submission by round two.

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