UFC Fight Night 45 Date: July 16, 2014 Arena: Revel Casino Hotel City: Atlantic City, NJ Featherweight bout: Alex “ The Spartan” White (-160) vs Lucas Martins (+140) Fight Breakdown: Getting the action started for UFC Fight Night 45 on FOX Sports 1 will be a 145 pound scrap between Alex “The Spartan” White and Lucas Martins. White is the betting favorite heading into this contest at -160 ($160 to win $100), with Martins being an underdog at +140 ($100 to win $140) at Several Bookmakerss. Alex “The Spartan” White (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is coming off a first round TKO of Estevan Payan at UFC on FOX 11 nearly three months ago, in what was his promotional debut. It was an impressive debut for White, who kept his undefeated record intact and took home a $50,000 ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus. “The Spartan” is a well-rounded southpaw who has a nice lead jab and likes to push the pace, being the aggressor in his fights. He is fast and explosive, though he is also flat-footed. He works nice inside leg kicks, likes to throw the front-kick, and looks for opportunities to land his high kick. White has a nice left-right combination he likes to use, and to compliment his offensive striking, he has solid striking defense and a good chin to back it up. His defense translates to the mat, as the undefeated featherweight has excellent submission defense. “The Spartan” has a decent sprawl and takedown defense, but when taken down, is active off his back, attacking with elbows and submissions. He is good at finding the triangle and the armbar, and he is also good at working reversals. Offensively on the mat, White has a solid submission game and works a dangerous ground and pound attack. He is a fighter who is very durable and possesses a ton of heart. Lucas Martins (14-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) last saw action at UFC Fight Night 28 nearly a year ago, where he knocked out Ramiro Hernandez, Jr. in the first round of action to make it back-to-back knockout victories inside the Octagon. The lone blemish on Martins’ professional mixed martial arts resume came against top lightweight Edson Barboza in what was Martins’ promotional debut. He was a late injury replacement in the match-up and lost via tapout due to strikes in the first round of action. Since then, he has racked up two straight, and after a lengthy layoff, looks to make it three in a row in the Octagon. The Brazilian is a talented striker who uses some flashy moves and scores highlight-reel knockouts. In fact, 10 of his 14 professional mixed martial arts career victories have come by way of T/KO. As soon as the first round bell sounds, Martins moves forward, looking for the finish. While his offensive striking is good, his defensive striking leaves something to be desired, as he gets tagged quite easily by his opponents. Perhaps that is a hole in his game he has worked on during his time away from the cage. The now-featherweight does not have the best of cardio, so I expect him to be at a disadvantage in that department in this match-up. Gabe’s Prediction: Though taking this fight on short notice, I think White will have the edge in cardio and expect him to be able to go 15 minutes without gassing. I don’t think Martins will have the cardio for a full 15 minutes, especially considering his lengthy layoff. I think White’s advantages in cardio, size and power will come into play in this fight, as he over-powers the Brazilian en route to earning the second TKO finish of his two-fight Octagon career. Gabe’s Call: “The Spartan” by TKO (punches, 3:09, round 2) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Alex White (-160) 4.8u to win 3u
