UFC 147 ‘Silva vs. Franklin 2’ Preview

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‘The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil’ Middleweight Final

Sergio Moraes (6-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Cezar Ferreira (4-2, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Ferreira has known “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” coach Victor Belfort since he was 17 years old, which probably gave him a sense of comfort as he progressed through the show. “Mutante” defeated Gustavo Sampaio, Leonardo Mafra Texeira and Thiago de Oliveira Perpetuo to get to the final. Ferreira has relocated from Brazil to Las Vegas and will benefit from a training camp alongside the high-caliber fighters that reside at Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts.

Moraes’ ticket to the 185-pound final was punched when Daniel Sarafian was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury. “Serginho” submitted Thiago Rela and Delson Heleno before falling to Sarafian via knockout during his time on the show. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Moraes owns five of his six professional victories by submission, including a triangle choke triumph against Josh Martin at Bellator 12 -- his lone appearance outside of Brazil. Moraes rose to prominence in the grappling world with his victory over Kron Gracie at the 2008 World Championships, a tournament he would eventually go on to win.

“Mutante,” meanwhile, paid for his aggression in his last outing in the form of a knockout loss to Elvis Mutapcic at Superior Cage Combat 2. As the Brazilian pressed forward, he walked straight into a left hook from his opponent, ending his night in 25 seconds. Ferreira has power of his own, as evidenced by his 17-second knockout of Chaun Sims in April 2011. On the show, he often used his striking to set up submission finishes.

Moraes’ jiu-jitsu skills were on display in his triumph over Heleno, as he caught a leg, took the fight to the floor and maintained control until finishing the fight with a rear-naked choke. The Alliance Jiu-Jitsu representative is physically strong and fundamentally sound on the ground, and he waits patiently to take advantage of small openings. However, his striking appears somewhat tentative, which is something that a fighter like Ferreira -- who is skilled enough on the mat to avoid digging himself a serious hole -- can exploit. “Mutante’s” time at Xtreme Couture has also probably allowed him to improve his wrestling, which should help him in negating his opponent’s offense on the canvas.

The Pick: The two men will probably cancel each other out on the mat, but Ferreira is the more explosive and dangerous striker. He will move forward, mixing in kicks with heavy punches while not allowing the conservative Moraes an opportunity to get comfortable. “Mutante” will daze his foe on the feet before finishing things with a guillotine choke in round two.

Final Fights » The Prelims