UFC 119 Preview: The Prelims

Steve Lopez vs. Waylon Lowe

Getting your guts blown up by Melvin Guillard is nothing to be ashamed of, and Lowe is a good example of why. He’s an excellent wrestler with nasty power in his hands, and his bout with Lopez is going to illustrate those facts quite well.

Lopez is the classic case of a fighter who scrapes together a few wins on the regional circuit but never takes on a real challenge before being offered a UFC deal. He isn’t anything special in any one area of the game and was dominated in his fight with Jim Miller. Well-rounded but mediocre skills aren’t going to cut it against Lowe.

If he tries to stand with Lowe, the disparity in power alone is too much for him to overcome. Reach advantage aside, Lopez doesn’t time his jab well and is easily countered, which won’t play well against Lowe. Beyond that, should Lopez get the better of the standing exchanges, he doesn’t have much power and Lowe will just double leg him into oblivion before any disparity in striking skill comes into play.

Submissions aren’t exactly Lopez’s forte, and hitting them at this level takes more than a lanky frame and a bit of training. Unless Lowe comes in and fights a silly fight, he’s going to coast and likely pick up a stoppage.