265 lbs: Marcus Jones vs. Matt Mitrione
Odds: (-340 Jones / +260 Mitrione )
In something of a grudge match, two Seaon Ten also-rans will meet in physical monster Marcus “The Darkness” Jones and the sometimes indecipherable Matt “Meathead” Mitrione. In addition to the fact that both men made it out of the first round, they had a bit of a scuffle on the last episode of the season when Marcus nearly lost his mind over the news that teammate Scott Junk’s fighting career was in jeopardy. With both men coming off losses on the show and their personal distaste for each other, this promises to be an exciting contest.
Mitrione, known at various points in the season as “The Rat” and “Meathead”, was not a favorite with his teammates, his housemates, or his coaches. He was portrayed on the show as a whiner and someone with little to no interest in fighting. Despite his portrayal, though, when the time to fight came he showed up. Against Scott Junk, who everyone assumed would destroy him, Mitrione landed heavy shots seemingly at will despite gassing badly. In his loss to James McSweeney, Mitrione showed good standup again before making an elementary mistake and getting caught in a guillotine choke. Against Jones, Mitrione will clearly try to keep the fight standing, where he has a massive advantage in technique, power, footwork, and everything else.
Jones, though, is not going to make that easy for him to say the least. A huge former defensive lineman, Jones showed scary grappling and ground and pound through his stint on The Ultimate Fighter. In his loss to Brendan Schaub, he got overzealous on the ground and went for the full mount only to be bucked off and handled on the feet. Still, his grappling is a force to be reckoned with, especially considering his absurd size.
In the end, this fight is going to come down to whether or not Jones can take Mitrione down before he gets punched. Against Brendan Schaub, Jones showed pitiful standup defense and a noticeable dislike for being punched. If Mitrione can get after him fast, he can probably push him back with punches, force him to cover up, and knock him out easily. The other side of that coin, though, is that if Marcus secures a takedown Mitrione is in an alarming amount of trouble. If he got submitted by the likes of James McSweeney, there probably are not words for what Marcus will do to him. Despite his utter lack of anything resembling a standup game, I give the edge to Jones. He is just so big and so strong, and his long limbs make it easier for him to tie up his opponents and Donkey Kong them to the ground. Once he gets Mitrione down it is all elementary, and he will easily pass guard and punch him into a coma.
Fight Prediction: Jones by T/KO round 1.
