Preview: UFC Fight Night 159 ‘Rodriguez vs. Stephens’

Featherweights

Martin Bravo (11-2) vs. Steven Peterson (17-9)

ODDS: Bravo (-110), Peterson (-110)

Hopefully, Bravo starts fighting more often, as “El Toro” has all the makings of a cult favorite. Since he beat Claudio Puelles to win “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America,” Bravo has not fought all that often, but when he has, it has resulted in constant action. Bravo has already experienced the full range of results in his three UFC bouts. His non-stop pressure overwhelmed Puelles; his aggression and lack of defense got him quickly knocked out by Humberto Bandenay; and he engaged in a back-and-forth war with Alex Caceres. Aggression and pace define Bravo’s fighting style, which guarantees something will happen either way, and adding Peterson to that mix only further guarantees fireworks.

Nearly everything about Bravo also applies to Peterson, who has quickly made a name for himself as a reliable action fighter. Like Bravo, Peterson constantly moves forward, wading through abuse and trying to pay it back twofold to his opponent. It has not been a particularly successful approach, resulting in only one win in four UFC bouts, but if nothing else, Peterson has proven to be a tough out, as nobody has been able to knock him out inside the Octagon yet. With a willing dance partner like Bravo, this figures to be a guaranteed contender for “Fight of the Night.”

In the aggregate, Bravo is probably the better fighter. If faced with the same challenge, the Mexican would do the better job of mixing up things and being able to cut off his opponent rather than chasing him around the cage. However, if these two are going to just march forward and smash into each other, Peterson should have the advantage, given that he appears to be the harder hitter, the more durable fighter and, if it comes down to it, the better wrestler. This should not be a blowout by any means, as it figures to descend into three rounds of madness, but if Bravo is going to play his counterpart’s game, the pick is Peterson via decision.

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