The UFC returns to the Staples Center in Los Angeles on August 2nd for UFC 176. The main card will be co-headlined by a middleweight battle between top Strikeforce transplants Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza. The match will mark the second time the two men have met, as Mousasi holds a September 2008 win over Souza via TKO in the opening round, but more than 5 years on, both men are very different fighters.
Look for Souza to open the favorite when the line hits the sport books. Despite the previous loss, Souza has been a juggernaut since joining the UFC, while Mousasi has been little hyped and slow out of the gate in his UFC career.
Souza has been a perfect 3-0 in his UFC start, with the impressive KO that ushered Yushin Okami out of the UFC and a streak stopping win over Francis Carmont have left him on the cusp of a UFC title shot.
Mousasi is 2-1, with a flat win in his debut and a loss to Lyoto Machida that set him back a bit, he won his last outing by impressively finishing Mark Munoz in the opening round.
Mousasi has the edge on the feet, as his striking with kicking and punches are very polished and fluid. Though ‘Jacare’ has come a long way as a striker, it would be surprising if he could win a bout that was spent predominantly on the feet against Mousasi.
Mousasi has a lot of submissions in his MMA career, and he has a very relaxed and fluid ground game that make him very dangerous against most opponents. HIs ground game is likely to be stifled against Souza, whose Jiu Jitsu pedigree sees him as one of the most decorated JJ competitors of his generation. No one can question his heart or technique, just watch his absolute finals run a few years back when he beat Roger Gracie in the open weight class while his right arm dangled broken at his side. In MMA his JJ has translated into a control heavy game that searches for submissions. If Mousasi can land another upkick, that may be his best chance, as he will be nullified and possibly submitted on the ground. If Mosuasi somehow does catch ‘Jacare’ and submits him, he will have signed his ticket for a title shot.
