UFC 121 Preview: The Undercard

Middleweights
Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor

In the annals of MMA, there is only one thing cooler than the legendary “Just Bleed” guy or Dan Severn’s moustache, and that’s Tom Lawlor paying tribute to both in his UFC weigh-ins and entrances to the cage. In terms of pre-fight awesomeness, Lawlor consistently breaks the scale each time he weighs in.

For a guy that probably has the best sense of humor and awareness of obscure MMA memes to get hardcore fans’ attention, while enthralling casual types to watch him throw down, Lawlor fights his ass off, to boot. Since losing on season eight of “The Ultimate Fighter” to eventual winner Ryan Bader, he’s steadily improved, using his good wrestling and rock ‘em-sock ’em style to establish himself as a fan favorite.

Cote, meanwhile, has proven that you can never judge a guy from one fight. He’s been impressive in victories, showcasing his big right hand and decent takedown defense, underwritten with good conditioning and very good chin. He blitzed Kendall Grove in a bout where most perceived him as an easy opponent for the TUF 3 winner. Cote remains based largely in a standup style, hoping to avert a ground fight by waiting to land his heavy strikes.

Lawlor should be careful closing the gap, and establish the threat of his good takedowns early to keep Cote guessing. Lawlor is very good at transitioning between tie-ups and striking when in close, and has sneaky uppercuts from this position. He’ll probably want to feel out the standing situation a bit before letting the dogs loose, especially with a strong-chinned banger like Cote. The more tie-ups and grappling the bout has, the more it favors Lawlor, who should be able to take a close decision win in a good, but not great, bout.