UFC Heavyweight bout: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman
Odds: ( +190 Einemo / -250 Herman )
Betting Pick: Einemo
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In the third bout of the evening, Golden Glory’s Jon Olav Einemo returns to the sport after a layoff of nearly five years to face off against Elite XC and Bellator veteran Dave “Pee-Wee” Herman. What’s interesting about this fight is that Herman has way more fights under his belt than Einemo does, and all 22 of his professional bouts have come since the last time Einemo fought. Both of these guys are big, strong, and have great striking, so this should be a very exciting matchup.
Jon Olav Einemo is a very compelling figure. At 6’6, he is a very tall and rangy fighter who uses his reach very effectively. He has very good striking with a lot of power, but he is also one of the world’s best Heavyweight grapplers. He is somewhat thin and lanky and isn’t very physically strong, but he has a huge arsenal of offensive tools both standing and on the ground. The big question is how he will handle the long layoff from the sport. After fighting four times between 2000 and 2003, he was away from the sport for almost 3 years, fought two more times, and has not competed since 2006. A layoff like that could be disastrous on his performance, but he has so many skills that it would be extremely dangerous to underestimate him.
Dave “Pee-Wee” Herman is an extremely prolific striker who has fought on smaller shows all over the world, but this is his first appearance in the UFC. His striking technique is excellent, and he has a surplus of knockout power. Unlike Einemo, Herman has been very active over the last five years, fighting all over Japan, in Bellator, and in Elite XC. He does have some ground game, but he will not be able to hang with Einemo’s submission skills if this fight gets to the ground. He is going to need to try to keep this fight standing, use his superior strength and physicality to bully Einemo around, and try to get inside his range and land power punches.
Despite his five year layoff, I think this matchup favors Einemo. His long arms and ability to use his reach to keep Herman at a distance should help him avoid Herman’s power punching, and he should be able to find a way to drag this fight to the ground, where he will enjoy a marked advantage. I just think Einemo is too well-rounded for Herman, and he should be able to survive on the feet long enough to get this fight down to the ground and secure a submission.
Prediction: Jon Olav Einemo via first round armbar.
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