UFC 91 Breakdown: The Main Card

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks

Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’1/242 lbs.
Age: 29
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Fighting out of: Ludlow, Mass.
Record: 9-3

The stakes: By now, Gonzaga was supposed to be the UFC heavyweight champion and well on his way to having the highest hair-to-bare-skin ratio in UFC history. The second is still within reach, but the first is getting long odds in Vegas thanks to Gonzaga’s demoralizing loss to Randy Couture in a title tilt and a subsequent poor showing against Fabricio Werdum. While “Napao” rebounded with a win over Justin McCully and his tragic cornrows, he’s on uneven footing in the UFC and can’t risk putting anything other than a dominant showing against an unknown like Hendricks.

The breakdown: This fight reeks of the same showcase status that Gonzaga’s bout with McCully gave off. Hendricks is basically more of the same -- a big wrestler who brings little else to the table. Gonzaga’s jiu-jitsu and striking give him an edge wherever this fight goes, while Hendricks has to bank on a top-control special against one of the division’s premier grapplers. I’ll take unlikely scenarios that will never pan out for $500, Alex!

Josh “Heavy” Hendricks Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’2/240 lbs.
Age: 32
Hometown: Dennison, Ohio
Fighting out of: Wadsworth, Ohio
Record: 15-4 (1 NC)

The stakes: After watching Junior dos Santos land an uppercut that absolutely botched everyone’s heavyweight rankings, you’ve got to believe that Hendricks has a chance to do something that will infuriate anyone who likes betting on huge favorites. For Hendricks, this is a chance to step into a division desperate for fresh faces with plenty of upward mobility. Then again, being nicknamed “Heavy” would have me doubting anyone’s mobility.

The breakdown: Barring some sort of flying ninja axe kick from hell, Hendricks needs to get on top of Gonzaga, stay conservative and put the behemoth Brazilian’s blasé cardio to the test. Steady, unspectacular ground-and-pound while keeping the risks to a minimum is Hendricks’ sole and best hope for keeping a steady UFC paycheck. Otherwise, it’ll be back to the not so bright lights of the Gladiators Fighting Series.


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The bottom line: As much as I love watching chaos reign over MMA, Dos Santos fulfilled this year’s heavyweight MMAdness quotient and there just isn’t any chaos left to fuel a Hendricks upset. That and Gonzaga is better at MMA than Hendricks, who can’t keep up with Gonzaga’s jiu-jitsu on the ground or the powerful striking of the Brazilian on the feet. Those things will definitely play a role, too, as Gonzaga notches a tidy first-round submission win.