Preview: DWCS Season 3, Episode 4

Armando Villarreal vs. Ode Osbourne

A Legacy Fighting Alliance and Bellator MMA veteran, Villareal gets his chance to impress the UFC brass after amassing a 5-1 professional record that includes three straight victories. He is not a great athlete but makes up for his lack of explosion with sheer toughness. The Texan is a well-rounded fighter but does not possess elite skills in any area. The southpaw has an unorthodox striking style, using constant herky-jerky movement to confuse his opponent. “La Lumbre” uses a lot of feints to draw out attacks and counter with power shots. He drops his hands often but does dodge shots due to his good head movement. The Blitz Sports MMA product fires off a lot of kicks but does not pack much power behind the blows. Villareal excels in the clinch, where he likes to grind his opponent against the fence until he finds openings for his dirty boxing. The 29-year-old often drops down on his opponent’s hips, where he is relentless at trying to catch a takedown. The Texan is a strong grappler who constantly looks to advance his position while firing off brutal ground-and-pound.

Osbourne is an 7-2 professional fighter with six first-round stoppages. He represents Pura Vida MMA but has also trained at Roufusport. The Jamaican-born fighter -- who now calls Wisconsin his home -- is the self-proclaimed “Picasso of MMA” because he is a master at violence. Osbourne is a school teacher by day and a sharpshooting striker by night. The southpaw has fast and accurate hands. He is aggressive but also remains in control of his shots. He attacks with combinations and loves to excite the crowd with a spinning attack or flying knee. His check right hook keeps him in his desired range. He excels at slipping out of his opponent’s range but tends to pull his head straight back instead of darting it off the centerline, which might become an issue in the future. Osbourne throws powerful kicks but plants heavy on his front leg, leaving him open to his opponent’s leg kicks. While he is a former three-time Wisconsin high school state finalist and NCAA wrestler, Osbourne hardly ever uses his wrestling skills and has been taken down by less-credentialed wrestlers in the past. If he does decide to take down his opponent, he does well at battering him with ground-and-pound and is a serious threat with submissions, even forfeiting dominant position to attempt to secure an ankle lock.

This fight represents a significant step up in competition for Osbourne, as his former opponents hold a combined losing record. With that said, the Jamaican fighter poses a tough stylistic matchup for Villareal. Osbourne is a much better athlete and should uses his speed advantage to pick apart his opponent. Villareal’s toughness will keep it competitive for a while, but it seems unlikely that he will be able to keep up with Osbourne. “The Jamaican Sensation” will eventually overwhelm his opponent with unanswered strikes to pick up a second-round TKO and a job in the UFC.

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