By Dwight Wakabayashi
The UFC 161 preliminary card from Winnipeg will feature five Canadian fighters in pivotal matchups for their respective careers, all of which will air live on sportsnet.ca and Sportsnet.
The night will feature hometown boy Roland Delorme and include all-time fan favorite Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout taking on James Krause. The prelims are also headlined by a very intriguing welterweight fight between rising star Tyron Woodley and struggling veteran Jake Shields.
Here is my complete preview of the prelims, including predictions for every fight:
Yves Jabouin (18-8) vs. Dustin Pague (11-7)
The 34-year old fighter out of Montreal was on a three-win title shot run before being derailed by Brad Pickett last September. Jabouin got rocked and knocked out in the first round in what was the biggest fight of his career to date and he will definitely be looking to start one last run up the ranks in this fight.
Jabouin is at his best when he is using relentless pace and mixing up his complete arsenal of strikes to keep his opponent guessing. It’s quantity, not quality at times with Jabouin and he will have to keep this one standing and stay busy to get the win.
Pague is a submission fighter who is coming off of two losses in a row and is fighting to save his job in the UFC. He will be desperate, and that is dangerous, but I don’t think he has the all-around game to finish Jabouin.
Jabouin via decision
Mitch Clarke (9-2) vs. John Maguire (18-5)
Saskatoon’s Mitch Clarke will get one last chance to win in the UFC Octagon at UFC 161 and he will be taking on savvy grappler John Maguire with his job absolutely on the line. Clarke is 0-2 in his first two fights in the UFC although he looked very good in his split decision loss to Anton Kuivanen in July.
Clarke is a filthy fighter, with a mauling grappling game, and he will have to be relentless on the veteran Maguire to keep him out of his comfort zone. Maguire may be just as good on the ground, but he is a fitness wild card so Clarke should use pace and conditioning as his biggest tools to victory.
Clarke via decision
Roland Delorme (8-1) vs. Edwin Figueroa (9-2)
Winnipeg has one hometown boy in the UFC and he is in a very tough matchup against tough veteran Edwin Figueroa. Delorme should get the biggest crowd support of the night and should look to use that energy to blitz Figueroa before he gets loose and comfortable.
Figueroa is coming off being knocked out for the first time in his career by Francisco Rivera and Delorme should pounce on that doubt early and seize the moment.
Delorme was also knocked out by Rivera in his last fight but it was later overturned to a no contest after Rivera tested positive for a banned substance. Delorme is 2-0-1 in the UFC and can really move up the rankings with a four fight unbeaten streak.
Delorme via submission, Round 2
Sean Pierson (13-6) vs. Kenny Robertson (12-2)
Toronto fighter Sean Pierson is on a two-fight win streak and was originally set to take on TJ Waldburger in a very important matchup to the landscape of the welterweight division. Waldburger was forced out due to injury and crafty American Kenny Robertson steps in.
Robertson is coming off a submission of the night win over Brock Jardine in February and is looking to even his UFC record with a win.
Pierson was supposed to face Rick Story in March but was forced out of that fight with an injury and has not fought since September of last year. Cage rust may be an issue and Pierson will want to get his bearings quickly against a fighter like Robertson. It may be best for Pierson to keep this one standing as much as possible and use his boxing as his key to victory.
Pierson via decision
Sam Stout (19-8-1) vs. James Krause (19-4)
One of Canada’s most popular fighters of all time, Sam Stout is fighting on the card and looking to put back to back wins together for the first time in two years. Stout was originally set to take on slick fighter Isaac Vallie-Flagg but injury has forced Flagg out, with UFC newcomer James Krause in to take his place.
No disrespect to Krause, who is on a seven fight win streak, but he has not been fighting the level of competition that Stout has over the last few years and that should play a role in this fight. Stout should be the better fighter the question will be if he is fully prepared for the take downs that Krause will search for all night long. I am expecting Stout to make a statement in this fight and move on to bigger things towards the end of the year.
Stout via decision
Jake Shields (27-6-1) vs. Tyron Woodley (11-1)
The preliminary portion of the card gets a very nice headliner between one young gun looking to leapfrog over an established veteran in the welterweight division once and for all. It can already be argued that Woodley is the better and higher ranked fighter, but he has yet to really beat an established UFC veteran contender and Shields is the perfect opponent for him to stamp his legitimacy as an elite fighter.
Woodley has one of the best wrestling pedigrees in the game and it will go head to head with one of the best MMA grapplers the sport has ever seen in Shields.
Woodley was impressive in his debut win over Jay Hieron in February, but he lost to Nate Marquardt last July and Shields should be the toughest opponent Woodley has faced to date. If Shields can get this fight to the ground and take top position on Woodley it will be a long and ugly fight for the youngster.
Woodley via decision
