UFC Fight Night 19 Preview: The Main Card

Nate Quarry vs. Tim Credeur

The Breakdown: Watching Credeur go 3-0 in the UFC is like watching Brett Favre play quarterback: You just know things are going horribly wrong sooner rather than later. That 3-0 run can’t hide striking fundamentals so hideous they’d make Freddie Roach have a grand mal seizure on sight. Whether it’s Credeur’s telegraphed punches, uncoordinated footwork or the especially troubling combination of keeping his chin up while leaning his upper body forward, Quarry will have no shortage of openings to exploit on the feet and his down-the-pipe punching style is precisely what Credeur has appeared vulnerable to in the past.

The most bizarre part of Credeur’s striking is that there is no reason for him to use it so much. His jiu-jitsu skill is impressive, and he is one of the few whose offensive repertoire is not reliant on gaining the top position. That’s an important factoid since Quarry is the superior wrestler and will likely follow his usual game plan of unloading on the feet before transitioning to ground-and-pound mode if he meets with resistance. The problem here is that Credeur has the stereotypical banger’s mentality. Given Quarry’s significant edge in punching power, by the time Credeur realizes he needs to work his jiu-jitsu, he may be on a stool getting his brain functions checked. Fighting mediocre UFC talent has allowed Credeur to succeed without resolving the issues in his game; that trend ends with this fight.

The X Factor: Unlike most grapplers in an MMA setting, Credeur favors using an open guard that relies on butterfly hooks to disrupt his opponent’s base and keep him safe from ground-and-pound tactics. That strategy worked beautifully against Nick Catone, but if you watch Quarry’s bout with Jason MacDonald, you’ll notice Quarry turned into Conan the Destroyer as soon as MacDonald opened up his guard. If Credeur has to use his guard at any point, his usual approach may end with him being crushed and driven away as Quarry hears the lamentations of the women and ignores the vengeful howls of Crom. I need to stop writing after watching 80’s movies.

The Bottom Line: Quarry may not be a reference-quality striker, but he’s significantly improved his footwork and defensive skills, which has resulted in a fighter who isn’t quite so painfully robotic as he once was. Being able to use footwork to create angles on a fighter who throws sloppy, looping punches is always key. Not only does Quarry have that ability, his power means he will need only a handful of chances to put fist to face. Once that happens, Credeur’s awkward style will become a fight-ending liability as Quarry takes an impressive ground-and-pound TKO win after dropping Credeur with a straight right down the pipe early.