155 lbs: Gleison Tibau vs. Josh Neer
In the second of the night’s Lightweight matchups, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Gleison Tibau will face off against well-rounded veteran Josh “The Dentist” Neer. Both men have excellent ground games, so this might shape into a high-level grappling war.
Tibau, a very skilled grappler, will also enter the Octagon with a substantial size advantage. Probably the largest Lightweight on UFC’s roster, Tibau cuts an almost inhuman amount of weight to make 155 pounds, and it shows when you see him next to his opponents. That combination of size, strength, and his top-notch Jiu Jitsu make him a force to be reckoned with on the ground, where he can wear opponents out with top control, use his size to sweep from the bottom, or use his technique to finish fights from any number of positions.
Neer may not have the same Jiu Jitsu credentials that Tibau can boast, but he has a wealth of experience submitting guys in Mixed Martial Arts. In addition, he will bring a sizable advantage in both striking technique and knockout power into this fight. His ground experience may well prove to be the deciding factor in this fight, because if he can keep Tibau from forcing the action to the ground, it is his fight to lose.
I think that Neer’s well-roundedness is going to be the deciding factor in this contest. Tibau may have a slight edge on the ground, but Neer is no slouch himself and has a wealth of experience fighting top-level grapplers. I think he should be able to keep this fight standing for the most part, which will allow him to exploit his striking advantage.
Fight Prediction: Neer by TKO, round 2.
