UFC 121 Preview: The Main Card

Light Heavyweights
Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill

The Matchup: The teacher-versus-student battle is always a fun one, and with Ortiz-Hamill, you get that along with both men hoping to prove the point that they’re still relevant amidst the top cadre of the 205-pound division.

Let’s face it, there’s nothing like a battle between two wrestlers because you know someone is going to end up on his back at a disadvantage. These matches often come down to who has the better stand-up to dictate range and events, and the edge here is with Hamill, who gets more heft and juice into his shots. Dogged by years of injuries, Ortiz performances of late make one wonder what he has had to overcome physically just to get into the cage.

The Pick: Less experience is not always a great thing, until you factor in years of training, injuries and general mileage on the body. Ortiz has probably forgotten more about MMA than most guys will ever know, and his takedown-based style overshadowed a chronically overlooked jiu-jitsu game.

The clinch work and duels for takedowns will be high-level stuff, as neither will want to cede one. Ortiz’s excellent guard and MMA savvy should be enough to get him out of some bad spots early, unless Hamill pushes such a relentless pace that Ortiz cannot keep up. This one is a case of a young lion versus the old one, and Hamill should bring enough to take a decision.