Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweights Alan Jouban and Richard Walsh will slug it out this Saturday (February 28, 2015) at UFC 184 inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
After putting Seth Baczynski down hard inside the first round of his UFC debut, Jouban lost a controversial decision in his second showing thanks to Brazil's infamous judging. Despite the questionable nature of his loss, "Brahma" definitely needs to get back into the win column here.
Similarly, Walsh pretty clearly earned the victory in his last bout against Kiichi Kunimoto, but the judges did not agree. With their recent history in mind, both men are likely eager to avoid another scorecard mishap here.
Let's take a look at the keys to victory for each fighter.
Alan Jouban
Record: 10-3
Key Wins: Seth Baczynski (UFC Fight Night 47)
Key Losses: Warlley Alves (UFC Fight Night 56)
Keys to Victory: Despite his brown belt under Eddie Bravo -- which has produced just a single submission win -- Jouban greatly prefers to stand and bang with his opponents. It's worked pretty well for him thus far, as he's finished seven of his opponents via knockout.
In this bout, being able to mix up his grappling and striking will be key for Jouban. For the most part, Jouban should be looking to maintain the kickboxing range, as he is the superior kicker of the two. Plus, his kicks will be especially effective from the Southpaw stance.
Additionally, Jouban should focus on his footwork in order to keep his back off the fence. That way, Walsh will have a much harder time forcing any takedowns.
If Jouban is able to keep his back off the fence, he can likely make his opponent miss. Then, Walsh will reach for him with strikes, which is Jouban's opportunity to shoot for a quick takedown.
In his last fight, Walsh had trouble with Kunimoto's top game, as the Japanese fighter was able to take his back quickly and threaten with submissions. If Jouban gets on top, he may be able to secure a submission victory.
Richard Walsh
Record: 8-2
Key Wins: Chris Indich (TUF Nations Finale)
Key Losses: Kiichi Kunimoto (UFC Fight Night 52)
Keys to Victory: Walsh is an experienced striker, as he's competed in both amateur boxing and Muay Thai. Inside the cage, Walsh is very much a scrapper, as he pushes forward with heavy punches often.
In this bout, Walsh needs to constantly pressure his opponent. Since he also likes to work from the clinch, it can only be beneficial for Walsh to punch his opponent into the fence and dirty box from there.
Luckily, that's his usual game plan.
When Jouban's back is against the fence, he won't be able to move as dynamically or generate nearly as much power. That's one of the factors of his game that he relies on, so taking it away from him would greatly increase Walsh's chances of victory.
Additionally, it will make it easier for Walsh to both defend and land takedowns if his opponent's back is pressed to the fence. In what is likely to be a rather competitive fight, the takedown game could decide the winner.
Bottom Line: Both of these welterweights are athletic and exciting up-and-comers, and this bout should be a fairly entertaining and competitive fight.
Though these two are officially 1-1 inside the Octagon thus far, neither has a real loss in the UFC just yet. With their position as prospects largely unaffected by those "losses," this match up will create a fair amount of hype for the winner, as this is a major card. While Walsh is still young in the fight game, Jouban is 32 years old and should be in his athletic prime, so it's an especially important bout for him.
On the other hand, welterweight is one of the most talent-rich divisions in the sport. An actual loss will not send either man to the chopping block, but it will take away any momentum either man has earned. Plus, two straight losses is never a good look, even if one of them was extremely questionable.
At UFC 184, Alan Jouban and Richard Walsh will go to war on the main card. Which fighter will get back into the win column?