Jesse”JT Money” Taylor vs. Jay “The Thoroughbred” Hieron
The semi main event of the evening has been in constant flux since the second it was announced, it seems. Originally scheduled to be a rematch between Nick Diaz and Joe “Diesel” Riggs, Riggs was forced to withdraw due to an injury sustained in training. IFL and Affliction veteran Jay Hieron was brought in to replace Riggs and take on Diaz for the title.
Now, with the announcement that Diaz missed a drug test mandatory for re-licensing, the card is changing again, with Ultimate Fighter alumni and complete bonehead Jesse Taylor being brought in to replace the controversial Diaz.
Taylor, who was famously dismissed from The Ultimate Fighter after making it all the way to the final, is rightfully more famous for his drunken antics than for his extremely limited fighting ability. Primarily a wrestler, with very little else in the way of offensive capability, Taylor is something of a throwback to when wrestlers didn’t feel like they need to cross train. Over the years, guys started realizing that lay and pray just wasn’t going to cut it anymore, and began beefing up their skillsets. Taylor, though, is noticably slow on the uptake in most matters, and continues to rely almost exclusively on his wrestling, which in truth isn’t even that impressive.
Hieron, unlike anyone interested in watching quality fights, has to be ecstatic about this card change. Overnight, he went from a huge underdog to a huge favorite. There is literally no area in which Taylor has an advantage over Hieron in this fight. Hieron has better standup, comparable wrestling, better submissions, better cardio, a better training camp, more experience, and more intelligence.
Clearly, the pickings were slim when it came to replacing Diaz. Jesse Taylor has no business competing for a top-level organization, period. Hieron will completely destroy him out of hand. Hieron by KO, 1:00 round 2.
