UFC on Fox 8 preview: The Valley’s John Moraga looks to win gold in just his third UFC fight
Jul 27, 2013, 3:52 PM | Updated: 3:53 pm
Fight fans are in for a treat this Saturday as the UFC heads back to Seattle for UFC on Fox 8. Sandwiched between the historic UFC 162 and the upcoming UFC 163 next weekend, this free fight card has gone rather unnoticed, which is a travesty as it has all the makings to be an explosive event.
#5 Liz ‘Girl-Rilla’ Carmouche (8-3) vs. Jessica ‘Bate Estaca’ Andrade (9-2)
Arguably the most popular female fighter in the UFC outside champion Ronda Rousey, Liz Carmouche will become the first female to have multiple fights inside of a UFC octagon when she squares off against the young Jessica Andrade in the main card’s first fight. With all nine of her career wins coming by stoppage, ‘Bate Estaca’ has established herself as a ‘can’t miss’ fighter when that cage door closes. With some very impressive submission skills, she will have to put the pressure on the former No. 1 contender and look to grapple her opponent into submission. Easier said than done as Carmouche has already proven she can hang with the best in her division, including the likes of Rousey and former champions Sarah Kaufman and Marloes Coenen. She may have lost all three matchups, but the first openly gay fighter in UFC history kept the fights exciting and came closer than anyone ever has been to defeating Rousey back at UFC 157. If ‘Girl-Rilla’ hopes to win she’ll have to do it on her feet, something she is more than capable of as her matchup against Coenen saw Carmouche land 238 of her 335 attempted strikes. In the end, I see Carmouche pulling off the TKO victory late in the third round in a Fight of the Night performance.
Carmouche via round 3 TKO
#9 ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler (20-9) vs. ‘Vicious’ Bobby Voelker (24-9)
Making his first appearance inside a UFC octagon since UFC 50, Robbie Lawler made a splash in his return to not only the UFC but also the welterweight division back at UFC 157 with a Knockout of the Night performance over veteran Josh Koscheck. With absolute dynamite in his fists, it is almost a guarantee the former EliteXC middleweight champion will finish the fight early, as 18 of 20 career wins have ended with the referee pulling Lawler off his opponent and 17 of those wins coming by knockout. But his opponent, Bobby Voelker, is no slouch as he’s finished 19 of his 24 career victories with 15 of those wins coming by way of knockout. It’s tempting to pick Voelker in the upset but the fact that he’ll be fighting on two weeks notice, as Lawler’s original opponent Tarec Saffiedine and his replacement opponent Siyar Bahadurzada both pulled out due to injury, will be the key factor in the matchup. I see Voelker putting on an admirable performance, but I see Lawler earning yet another knockout victory.
Lawler via round 1 KO
#4 Jake ‘The Juggernaut’ Ellenberger (29-6) vs. # 3 Rory ‘Ares’ MacDonald (14-1)
The biggest grudge match of the night features a matchup between welterweight standouts Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger. Essentially a No. 1 contender fight for the 170-pound belt this fight has turned into one of the most anticipated of the summer as both MacDonald and Ellenberger have taken jabs at one another on Twitter leading up to their co-main event matchup.
With a combined record of 13-2 since 2010, the winner of this bout will undoubtedly usher in a new era in the welterweight division. MacDonald is by far the more complete mixed martial artist, excelling in every aspect of the game with training partners like UFC champions Georges St. Pierre and Chris Weidman. After dismantling a legend like B.J. Penn back in December, the man known as ‘Ares’ looked to be the future of the division. But fight fans won’t find many better than ‘The Juggernaut’ in the earlier rounds as Ellenberger has managed to finish 13 of his career 29 victories early in the first round. Combine this with world-class wrestling and MacDonald will have to withstand a barrage of punches and takedowns in the first round if he has any hopes of winning. If MacDonald can make it out of round one, his chances of winning will grow exponentially. But in the end, I see Ellenberger doing what he does best as he finishes off his young opponent en route to earning his long-awaited title shot.
Ellenberger via Round 1 TKO
#4 John Moraga (13-1) vs. (c) Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson (17-2-1)
Since joining the UFC almost a year ago, Phoenix native John Moraga has looked as impressive as anyone in the young 125-pound division. As the only flyweight to finish all of his opponents in the UFC, Moraga has essentially been thrown into the spotlight against Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. But don’t think for one second the former ASU wrestler is going to let the bright lights of prime-time television stand in his way of UFC gold.
“I’m anxious more than anything,” Moraga told the Power MMA Show. “I’m just ready to get in there and fight. I’ve got this big chip on my shoulder and I’m ready to prove everybody wrong, all these little haters running their mouths.”
But Moraga will have his hands full against “Mighty Mouse,” as the champion hasn’t dropped a fight since 2010. Utilizing lightning fast takedowns and deadly quick punches, Johnson has reeled off wins over flyweight contender Ian McCall, Joseph Benavidez and (the last man to defeat Moraga) John Dodson, in a fight that saw the champion land 127 significant strikes, the third-most significant strikes ever landed in a UFC title fight. But where Johnson excels in speed Moraga more than makes up for in pure power and accuracy, landing 44 percent of his punches, a whole 6.6 percent more than the average flyweight. If Moraga can manage to get past Johnson’s speed and land one of his thunderous shots, the belt will more than likely change hands.
“When I hit this dude he’s going to be running around like a little girl,” Moraga said. “I have to use my patience to not play his game.”
If Moraga has any chance of dethroning Johnson it will have to be on the ground, where he has shown he can submit just about anyone. With submission victories in four of his last seven bouts, Moraga has proven he is more than just a wrestler with heavy hands. While Johnson has just as many submission victories as Moraga, he hasn’t submitted an opponent since his WEC days back in 2010.
Neither fighter has been finished in their professional careers and if this bout does go the distance, history has proven that the judges will favor Johnson. But I see Moraga pulling off the TKO victory and joining his former ASU teammate Cain Velasquez in the UFC’s championship circle.
Moraga via Round 3 TKO
