Preview: UFC on Fox 18 ‘Johnson vs. Bader’

Heavyweights

Josh Barnett (34-7) vs. Ben Rothwell (35-9)

THE MATCHUP: Rothwell has a few things that make him uniquely successful as a heavyweight mixed martial artist. He is very physically strong, he is not easily discouraged and he is absurdly durable. This allows him to stay in just about any fight long enough to be a threat. It has also allowed him to remain a fighter long enough to genuinely improve over time. At 34, Rothwell is fairly young for a heavyweight, but he has been fighting professionally for over 15 years. He is not the same fighter now that he was even five years ago. His toughness has remained, and his skills have improved.

Rothwell’s most stunning victory in the past year was his first-round knockout of Alistair Overeem. Watching the fight again, Rothwell’s potent blend of innate physicality and learned skill becomes apparent. He absorbed several clean blows from Overeem, including a number of powerful shots to the liver. He was too big and too strong for Overeem, often the bully, to push around in the clinch. He was also, however, patient enough to wait for his openings. When he saw them, he attacked with speed and precision, countering Overeem three separate times with sharp, short right-handed attacks. Rothwell still hangs around in large part due to his durability, but he is better than ever before at capitalizing on the opportunities that extra time gives him.

Of course, Barnett has long been underrated himself. It was no fluke that Barnett reached the final of the stacked Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, and he was competitive in a losing effort to Daniel Cormier, the man who currently holds the UFC light heavyweight belt. Barnett accomplished all of this by being one of the most well-rounded heavyweights on the planet. He has always been celebrated for his submission wrestling -- and rightfully so -- but Barnett is a diverse and tactical kickboxer, with an educated jab and solid defense.

Barnett is also a mauler in the clinch, where he uses a dazzling array of elbows, knees and Duran-esque uppercuts to pummel his opponents into submission. Whether Barnett will be able to use his clinch game against Rothwell remains to be seen. Rothwell is strong and tall, making him hard to control inside. His commitment to pressure means that he is unlikely to be put against the fence easily. Barnett may look to outbox Barnett from a distance, but it will be interesting to see how the two match up at close range.

THE ODDS: Barnett (-130), Rothwell (+109)

THE PICK: I really love this fight. Barnett is one of the most interesting heavyweights to watch because his diversity of skills is unmatched in his division. There is no doubt that Rothwell is more limited as a fighter, but he is also more dangerous. I doubt whether Barnett will be able to get Rothwell down, but I also doubt whether his chances of success rely on his ability to do so. In the end, I think Barnett decides to box with Rothwell, taking advantage of the big man’s slow feet while pot-shotting him from the outside. The pick is Barnett by unanimous decision.

Next Fight » Alcantara vs. Rivera