TUF: Brazil 3 Finale
Date: May 31, 2014
Arena: Ibirapuera Gymnasium
City: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Bantamweight bout: Matt “The Crowbar” Hobar (+225) vs Pedro “The Young Punisher” Munhoz (-265)
Fight Breakdown: Getting the action going for the TUF: Brazil 3 Finale on the UFC Fight Pass prelims will be a match-up between a pair of former champions, when former Legacy FC bantamweight champion Matt “The Crowbar” Hobar makes his UFC debut against the former RFA bantamweight champion Pedro “The Young Punisher” Munhoz. Hobar is the underdog in this scrap at +225 ($100 to win $225), while Munhoz is the favorite at -265 ($265 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss.
Matt “The Crowbar” Hobar (8-1 UFC, 0-0 UFC) gave up his Legacy FC bantamweight title when he got the call from Sean Shelby, and is now set to make his Octagon debut on the heels of a three-fight winning streak. The only blemish on his professional mixed martial arts resume is an injury TKO loss to Steven Stevenson, a fight in which Hobar hurt and dislocated his elbow. However, he returned to action four months later and in a rematch with Stevenson, defeated him via majority decision on the judges’ scorecards. “The Crowbar” is a two-time high school wrestling champion who works excellent takedowns. He has great Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is a threat when the fight hits the mat, owning 50% of his career wins by way of tapout. The Legacy FC veteran has great cardio and keeps a good pace. He is a talented mixed martial artist who is constantly improving, though he has not seen action inside a cage since capturing the Legacy FC 135-pound title last July. An extremely talented wrestler who took up jiu-jitsu and made it a big part of his game, Hobar has been working on his stand-up and adding tools to his striking arsenal. He got the call he was dreaming about, and he is ready to make the most of it.
Pedro “The Young Punisher” Munhoz (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) made his promotional debut at UFC 170 on short notice, replacing an injured Francisco Rivera. He lost the fight via unanimous decision and had his first taste of defeat in his professional mixed martial arts career. “The Young Punisher” trains out of Black House MMA in Los Angeles with notable training partners Lyoto Machida, Baneil Dariush, and Rafael Dos Anjos. He works his striking under the tutelage of Master Rafael Cordeiro and his wrestling under Kenny Johnson. He has solid Muay Thai skills and throws very heavy leg kicks. The Brazilian also has decent boxing skills that are constantly improving. He works an effective lead jab and throws nice hooks to the body. A lifelong martial artist, Munhoz started training in Karate and Judo as a child, which explains his solid base, as he has excellent takedown defense. He is never afraid of the fight hitting the mat, though, as he has an incredible Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game. The RFA veteran is a durable fighter with a solid chin and great cardio, so I expect him to be ready for a full 15 minutes of action against Hobar, should the fight hit the judges’ scorecards.
Gabe’s Prediction: This is without a doubt the toughest fight of Hobar’s career, but I feel like he has a fairly decent shot at winning and is being undervalued in this spot. I believe this fight is a coin-flip. These are two talented grapplers, so I think that will cancel each other out and this will be a stand up affair. Hobar seems to have a high fight IQ, so I expect he will have planned an answer, or multiple answers for the Brazilian’s leg kicks. I think if he has an answer for those kicks, he will have a very good chance at picking up a decision and upping his winning streak to four in a row.
Gabe’s Call: “The Crowbar” by Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Gabe’s Recommended Play: Matt Hobar (+225) 2u to win 4.5u