UFC 115 Preview: The Main Card

Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel

While many fans prefer to remember the Gilbert Yvel of old -- a supremely talented kickboxer with sadistic tendencies that would make Jack Tatum blush -- the Yvel of today is a parody of the fighter he once was. The trademark athleticism is all but gone, and he clearly isn’t showing up in serious shape anymore, as demonstrated by his halfhearted performance against Junior dos Santos. Rothwell may not be a top 10 heavyweight, but he shows up ready to fight and brings in a strategy.

Going further, Rothwell is actually a nightmare matchup for the current version of Yvel, who hates being crowded and is easily gassed out. What Rothwell lacks in offensive brilliance, he makes up for in grizzly bear level mauling. He has no qualms about stuffing people into the cage and clubbing them into submission. There isn’t much to dissect about Rothwell beyond that because he keeps it simple: If you let him grab a hold of you, you’re going to get roughed up.

Cain Velasquez battered Rothwell by using his speed and wrestling to force a pace that a lumbering fighter like Rothwell can’t keep up with. This would have been Yvel’s path to victory back in the day, but he no longer has the cardio or the quickness to work that kind of game plan. As per usual with Yvel, it all comes down to him trying to land something spectacular before he eventually calls it a day. Being able to throw some cool-looking high kicks just isn’t cutting it anymore, and Rothwell is exactly the kind of fighter who can remind Yvel that talent and nothing else is a good start and a bad ending.

Bank on Rothwell running Yvel through the meat-grinder, as he keeps him close and goes into rag-doll mode for however long it takes. This is normally the part where I’d mention Yvel always has a shot at scoring the KO, but Rothwell’s beard is plenty good enough to survive whatever Yvel can muster up.