UFC 149 ‘Faber vs. Barao’ Preview

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Heavyweights

Shawn Jordan (13-3, 1-0 UFC) vs. Cheick Kongo (17-7-2, 10-5-1 UFC)

The Matchup: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was originally scheduled to face Kongo, but the former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder’s arm had not fully healed since it was broken by Frank Mir in December. Instead, the Frenchman gets Jordan, a fullback and special teams player at Louisiana State University who was part of national championship teams in 2003 and 2007.

“The Savage” made his Octagon debut in impressive fashion, knocking out strongman Oli Thompson in the second round of their UFC on FX 2 encounter. While Kongo represents a serious step up in competition from anything he has faced to date, Jordan has plenty of room for growth. Most fighters who relocate to Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts make a significant leap once they get a few camps under their belts, so it is reasonable to expect that Jordan will show marked improvement from his last Octagon appearance. Additionally, the Louisianan is a top-shelf athlete who once bench pressed 600 pounds, can dunk a basketball and punctuates his MMA victories with back flips.

Still, there is no substitute for experience, and Kongo has plenty of it, having faced the likes of Frank Mir, Mirko Filipovic, Cain Velasquez and Travis Browne during his 16-fight UFC career. Kongo has fallen short in bouts against top competition and will probably never be a title contender, but he will be a good gauge of Jordan’s standing in the promotion.

Jordan has aggression to burn and a solid chin, but his biggest issue will be navigating Kongo’s eight-inch reach advantage. The Frenchman is a skilled kickboxer with powerful and accurate striking who is not afraid to stand and bang. Jordan absorbed some decent shots against the heavy-handed Lavar Johnson in a Strikeforce Challengers bout in 2011, and he will have to be willing to do the same here. Otherwise, Kongo can pick him apart with stinging leg kicks and punching combinations on the outside.

Kongo can be prone to the occasional strategic error, however, and his upright stance will leave him open for takedowns from Jordan, a two-time state champion wrestler in high school. That would seem to be the best route for “The Savage,” who lacks Kongo’s technique on the feet but generally does a good job of stringing punches together. Jordan does not want to find himself on his back, as Kongo throws heavy strikes inside his opponent’s guard.

The Pick: It is possible to imagine Kongo getting stuck against the fence and eating some uppercuts from Jordan without an avenue for escape. However, the Frenchman should be able to control the range with his kickboxing and change levels for takedowns once he begins to land consistently against Jordan. Kongo wins by decision.

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