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Welcome Brandon Kaplan :)

Brandon is the newest writer to join the SteemSports team, and will be covering all combat sports. Brandon Kaplan is a lifelong Los Angeles native, lover of all things jiu jitsu and sushi, and a true to life combat sports enthusiast. A childhood of karate tournaments and Chuck Liddell highlights have made him the man he is, and he is a black belt with a pen!
Be sure to check out Brandon's youtube channel

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FIGHT CARD START TIMES

Saturday November 12th
FIGHTPASS PRELIMS : 6:30PM/3:30PM ETPT
FOX SPORTS 1 Prelims: 8PM/5PM ETPT
PAY PER VIEW MAIN CARD: 10PM/7PM ETPT

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Votes must be in by (7:00 PM PST 10:00 PM EST (November 13th 3:00 AM UTC)

SteemSports Presenter:
Brandon Kaplan @brandonk

Lost in the haze of the middleweight division is a former champion looking to reclaim glory, and an Olympic medalist seeking gold of a different sort. Both men pack dynamite in their fists...don't blink.

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UFC 205 - Weidman vs Romero

FIGHT STUDY

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Chris "The All-American" Weidman

Chris 'All American' Weidman is the former Middleweight UFC champion, and the current 2nd ranked contender in that division. His rise to fame came quick as he passed every test the organization put in front of him. Chris' wrestling prowess became quickly known when he dominated veteran bruiser Alessio Sakara in his debut, a true whirlwind of wrestling offense with that performance. His ability to counter and dismantle the best pound for pound jiu-jitsu artist in the UFC (Demian Maia) while dealing with a terrible weight cut and flu showed he truly has the heart of a champion. "The Chris" as we call him has many assets to his game, and his fight IQ gives him the intangibles that made him champion. Searing elbow knockouts and standing guillotines had Weidman tearing through the lower ranks of middleweight, and as an '8-0' fighter young to the game...he had a title shot granted to him. His obliteration of the the greatest mixed martial artist of all time in Anderson Silva had people truly noticing his worth, and when he took him out a second time...people had no doubt he would reign for as long as he could fight! The destroyer of Brazilian Dragons and Old Lions, he was a true force of maleficence and dominance. Weidman was one of the few reigning undefeated champions, but late last year he met his match in the cool handed Luke Rockhold who took his crown and his zero in a blistering war of power and attrition. Weidman took an immeasurable amount of damage in that last fight with his skull fractured and both his eyes plastered shut, but he was never completely out, and he never quit. This fight is a showcase for "The Chris" in front of his hometown crowd, but many questions linger as to whether he has that same spark!

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Yoel "Soldier of God" Romero

Yoel 'Soldier of God' Romero is the 4th ranked contender in the UFC's middleweight division, and by far the greatest freestyle wrestler to ever grace mixed martial arts! The Cuban is a grappler by trade, but "SoG's" striking acumen must not be underestimated. Yoel is a very heavy hitter, and his unorthodox nature with the ability to mix in powerful take downs make him a nightmare on the feet and the ground. Clifford Starks felt the seizing of his consciousness when Yoel landed a flying knee two minutes into there meeting, and Lyoto Machida (the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion) fell to his deceptively explosive snap take down and brutal ground and pound. He has outlasted and dominated real contenders in the streaking Derek Brunson and Jacare Souza... with his last win against Souza putting him on the map as a real threat to the belt. There are not enough adjectives to describe Yoel's power and athleticism, but there are also not enough ways to describe his polarity among fans and his inability to follow the rules. Disregarding his post fight rhetoric, his preachy demeanor, and his innate fence grabbing ability...we can focus on his most defining moment in the cage. This occurred in late 2014 when Romero fought his toughest test to date, long time MMA veteran and Army Ranger Tim Kennedy. A flurry of punches at the end of the first round nearly put Yoel out...but a 'deus ex machina' in his corner's distraction made a very legitimate referee in Big John flub badly, and allow the Yoel to rest longer than the regulated time given. This allowed Yoel to garner his energy and finish Tim with his classic left feint right bomb combination less than one minute into the third round of that war. Gods Soldier is a sturdy test for anyone, and his athletic capabilities allow him the power to finish anyone on the right night. Be aware that Yoel is a nullifier when he can not destroy, so surprises for the worst and lack of finish potential may be something to consider with this monster.

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The Matchup

Weidman vs Romero is a truly magnificent matchup! These are two middleweight juggernauts in their fighting prime, both seeking redemption in different ways. Romero was suspended for performance enhancers earlier this year, and his motivation along with his physical capabilities (post drug testing) have fans questioning his road to the belt. Weidman was dominated in his last fight against Rockhold...not only dropped on the feet but controlled on the ground with no defense to the absolute bludgeoning he received. This is a fight where one must question all and outweigh all factors: Will Yoel's speed and power counteract Weidman's intelligence and durability? ...or will we see a pure striking match between two men who nullify the other's ground game? With all the questions and spectacle of the main event, this is a fight you can not miss. Expect violence.

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Odds

Weidman (fav)	Romero
-170	+150
1.59	2.50
10/17	3/2

References:

Chris Weidman
Yoel Romero

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Predictions

Brandon K
Will Martin

Interesting STUFF

Conor McGregor's Coache's VLOG
Pre UFC Conor KO

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Copyright © Ricardo Goncalves 2016

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