UFC Fight Night 75 emanates from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan Saturday and one of the most intriguing matchups on the card takes place in the co-main event as Gegard Mousasi squares off with late replacement Uriah Hall in a pivotal middleweight matchup. Both fighters have been criticized for failing to live up to expectations in their UFC careers and both hope that stigma changes with an impressive win on the weekend.
Mousasi (37-5-2) was dubbed as one of the best fighters outside the UFC for years, especially when he captured the Strikeforce light-heavyweight championship in 2009. When he signed with the UFC in 2013, many pundits felt he’d eventually challenge for UFC gold but that has yet to materialize. Riding a seven-fight unbeaten streak, Mousasi endured his first loss in the Octagon suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Lyoto Machida at UFC Fight Night 36. It was a lost opportunity for the Dutch-Armenian fighter, who saw the Brazilian go on to face champion Chris Weidman at UFC 175. Following the loss, Mousasi would bounce back with an impressive first-round victory against Mark Munoz at UFC Fight Night 41 but would suffer another setback with a third-round submission loss to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at UFC Fight Night 50. If the 30-year-old ever wants to be considered a UFC title contender, he needs to finish a quality opponent like Hall in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Hall (11-5) was perhaps unfairly tabbed as next “big thing” during his stint on The Ultimate Fighter 17 thanks to UFC president Dana White calling his knockout win over Adam Celia during the quarterfinals as “the most devastating KO in UFC history.” Fans and pundits alike were picking Hall to win the show and oddsmakers had him as a 3-to-1 favourite during his TUF 17 Finale bout with Kelvin Gastelum. The Team Jones fighter didn’t live up to the hype, though, as Gastelem won a convincing decision. Following the loss Hall would suffer another setback, this time losing to late replacement John Howard in an uneventful three-round performance. Since that loss Hall has gone on an impressive 4-1 run, but hasn’t faced anywhere near top-level competition. Saturday’s showdown should give a good indication as to where the Hall fits in the middleweight division.
Heading into this matchup, Mousasi is currently a 4-to-1 favourite and with good reason. Along with having fought better competition, Mousasi has 44-career bouts compared to Halls’ 16. While Hall has the edge in power, Mousasi is the better technician on the mat, however it should be noted that Hall has never been submitted in his career. Most of Hall’s setbacks have appeared to be mental with an inability to pull the trigger against his opponents. If he’s unable to do so in this matchup, it could be a short night for the New York native.
An impressive win for Mousasi would not only be his third straight victory, but it would also put him back in the driver’s seat for a middleweight title shot. If Hall can pull off the upset, it would silence all his critics and undoubtedly earn him another top-flight opponent in his next matchup. While the division waits for the championship showdown between Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold at UFC 194, the winner of his matchup won’t be far behind.