UFC Fight Night 18 Breakdown: The Main Card

Ryan Bader vs. Carmelo Marrero

Ryan “Darth” Bader Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’2/205 lbs.
Age: 25
Hometown: Reno, Nev.
Fighting out of: Tempe, Ariz.
Team: Arizona Combat Sports
Record: 8-0

The Breakdown: The latest in a long line of highly touted light heavyweights to graduate from the wringer that is “The Ultimate Fighter,” Bader is your prototypical, hulking All-American wrestler with cinder blocks for hands. The problem is that we’ve seen plenty made from the same mold, and the end game always comes down to how well they grasp the nuances of the sport.

In Marrero, Bader gets an opponent whose only offensive option consists of ground-and-pound. That means this will be the first time Bader will have to take on a legitimate wrestler within the confines of MMA. Learning how to use his wrestling-in-reverse in tandem with his striking is a lesson Bader used to starch Vinny Magalhaes in his official UFC debut, and he’d be wise to use it again.

The X Factor: We’ve all seen what happens when a supposedly unstoppable wrestler lands on his back: They act like a slasher movie victim and start doing things so transparently dumb that even the lay-fan is screaming sound strategic advice via the moving image box. While Marrero is hardly a ground-and-pound prodigy, he may not need to be if Bader ends up on his back and does his best impersonation of the black guy in every horror movie ever made.

Carmelo “The Fury” Marrero Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’0/205 lbs.
Age: 28
Hometown: Philadelphia
Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, Fla.
Team: American Top Team
Record: 10-2 (1 NC)

The Breakdown: If nothing else, the strategy for Marrero is obvious. Lacking both in striking and jiu-jitsu, he relies on scoring takedowns and grinding out decisions with a conservative, top-control oriented strategy. What Marrero has to be mindful of is Bader’s striking, which, while lacking in refinement, makes up the difference in sheer power.

Any time spent on the feet is just more time Marrero is giving Bader to unload the heavy artillery; he has to close the gap early and put the pressure on Bader with constant takedown attempts. If Marrero makes himself a nuisance and forces Bader on the defensive, it would not only disrupt Bader’s heavy-handed style but also open up the opportunities Marrero so desperately needs to score takedowns.

The X Factor: In the past, Marrero has been far too cautious from the top position, and that will only lead to referee restarts in the UFC. Assuming Marrero has the skill to consistently get Bader on his back, he better be ready to keep him there with something other than the usual blanket “attack.”

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The Bottom Line: This is your usual showcase match for the latest “TUF” alumnus and one Bader is built to capitalize on. Even if Marrero can land the odd takedown, he won’t do it for three rounds straight and he’s never had the style to pound out opponents in short order. Bader does have those tools, and he’ll use them to notch a second straight TKO win under the UFC banner.