UFC 109 Preview: The Prelims

Phillipe Nover vs. Rob Emerson

The Breakdown: You’ve got to feel bad for Nover. The guy went from having Dana White call him “the Next Anderson Silva” to dropping his first two UFC fights and being on the short end of an inept stoppage in his fight with Kyle Bradley at UFC 98. Luck has been in equally short supply for fellow “Ultimate Fighter” alumnus Emerson, who is trying to end a two-fight skid of his own.

The difference here is that Emerson is a known quantity while Nover remains a question mark. Lots of jabbing, the occasional leg kick and a powerful right cross are what you’ll see from Emerson. His vastly improved takedown defense has made it easier to keep his porous guard under wraps, but his flat-footed style and leaden footwork was brutally exploited by Rafael dos Anjos’ leg kicks in their fight at UFC 103.

The only thing we know for sure about Nover is that his chin is suspect, he’s prone to fainting and his past training camps were not helpful. The Brooklyn-based fighter had no access to a cage because of New York’s MMA ban and he didn’t even have a proper nutrition program, which led to major issues come weight-cutting time.

What Nover does have going for him is his training camp for this fight, which included trips to Las Vegas to train at Xtreme Couture and a much more professional approach to his preparation. It’s really about time since Nover’s run on “TUF” hinted at a fighter with slick finishing skills on the mat and the beginnings of a nasty striking repertoire.

A single quality training camp doesn’t mean a magical turnaround for Nover, though, especially since his wrestling isn’t good enough to get Emerson on the mat. Considering he got rocked in his fights with Efrain Escudero and Bradley, two converted wrestlers, a kickboxing match with Emerson doesn’t bode well for the supposed world’s baddest nurse.

The Bottom Line: This fight boils down to how much Nover’s new and improved training regime has done for him, and it’s hard to imagine a few months of quality training making up for years of bad habits. It’s hard to get going with a jab in your face, too, and Emerson’s voluminous striking style will net him a shutout decision win.