On April 16, 2014 the Ultimate Fighting Championship brings the show to Quebec City, Canada for the TUF Nations finale. The complete card will host 13 bouts with the main event highlighting a five round middleweight tilt between top 10 contenders Michael "The Count" Bisping (25-5-0) and Tim Kennedy (17-4-0). The main event, along with five other bouts, will be televised live on the Fox Sports 1 network.
This solidly matched main event brings two combatants together that have qualities that cause the other fighter problems. Bisping, hailing from England, has been out of the cage for about 11 months due to an eye injury. The past few years have also seen "The Count" trade wins and losses. While Bisping has lacked consistency, he is a rock star of sorts in the MMA world so any win keeps him relevant. His counterpart, on the other hand, is on the rise: Kennedy, hailing from Austin, Texas, has won his last two fights after he knocked out Rafael Natal and then beat Roger Gracie by decision.
Based on their strengths, one has to favor Kennedy's ground game as he is the more accomplished floor technician. The Texan has brute power and his cardio is second-to-none in the division. This is not to say that Bisping is not a much improved floor combatant; the fact is, making the mat a primary focus in the fight would be a major mistake for the Englishman.
Bisping's advantage lies in his standup game: the Manchester native is a skilled striker and that is his primary methodology while in the cage (54% for his offense consists of striking). His ground takedown ability has improved over the years but striking is where Bisping has the best shot to win. If he can keep Kennedy at the end of his punches, "The Count" will be able to control the distance and significantly reduce the risk of being taken to the ground. Regarding conditioning, Bisping is no slouch as he, like Kennedy, is one of the top conditioned athletes operating in the cage today.
Once it is all said and done, Bisping is the more experienced prizefighter and, in big fight, that often tells in the end. This contest is by no means an easy pick but the scale tilts "The Count's" way. It should be a great fight that for all to enjoy.
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com
