Christian Morecraft vs. Matt Mitrione
John Heinis
Matt "Meathead" Mitrione is 4-0 as a professional fighter, but unfortunately for him, he is best known for beating Kimbo Slice.
That is the short way of saying that Mitrione is yet to face a real challenge yet in the UFC.
Mitrione is looking past a feud with a way-past-his-prime Tito Ortiz and looking to focus on fighting legitimate competition in the heavyweight division.
The former NFL-er is a decent wrestler that has power with his hands, and doesn't mind if the fight stays on the ground for a little while as his jiu-jitsu skills are at least adequate.
His opponent, Christian Morecraft, is another heavyweight with a ton of potential; however, no one is really sure where his ceiling is as a fighter.
Morecraft started off his career with seven straight wins, and looked strong as he punished Stefan Struve in the first round of their August 2010 brawl.
As most folks reading know, Struve came back to knock out Morecraft in the second round.
While Morecraft is no easy win, Mitrione has heavier hands and at least equivalent jiu-jitsu skills to his adversary. I like Mitrione to get the knockout here.
Mitrione by KO in Round 2
Dana Becker
Since his time on
The Ultimate Fighter, Matt Mitrione has become a potential heavyweight contender.
Mitrione (4-0) was seen as an all-talk and no-show guy on the series, but, since scoring a knockout victory over Marcus Jones, the former Purdue football player has become a force.
Following the win over Jones, "Meathead" downed Kimbo Slice by TKO, followed that up with a decision victory over Joey Beltran and topped Tim Hague with a series of first-round punches.
After switching camps from Integrated Fighting Academy to Roufusport, the ex-New York Giant and Minnesota Viking has shown a sense of finishing ability and smarts, making sure to only go in for the kill when the time is right.
Morecraft (7-1) rebounded from his first career loss to Stefan Struve by submitting Sean McCorkle in March. With three knockout wins and four submission victories, the younger Morecraft presents a challenge to Mitrione.
I feel like Mitrione's ability to wait for an opening in the striking department will make the difference, as he will not allow Morecraft to lock in a submission attempt.
Mitrione via Second-Round TKO
Dale De Souza
Christian Morecraft is a surprising name in that he nearly defeated Stefan Struve in his first fight, only to lose 22 seconds into the second round, and then he rebounded with a second-round submission win over Sean McCorkle.
Meanwhile, Matt Mitrione has defeated the likes of Tim Hague and Joey Beltran in his last few fights, and one has to think that a win for Mitrione will be the big break that "Meathead" deserved a long time ago, and likewise, Morecraft's stock will have to rise impressively if he gains a decisive victory over Mitrione.
Mitrione is a four-fight veteran, and Morecraft will be coming into his ninth career fight against MItrione, but every opponent Mitrione has faced so far has been more experienced than he, and they all have fallen.
Expect the stand-up game of Mitrione to be in full effect this Sunday as he drops Morecraft with a big left hand and takes another step towards the "mix" at 265 pounds.
Matt Mitrione by R1 TKO
Jordy McElroy
Besides a catchy nickname, Christian "World of" Morecraft is mostly remembered for turning Stefan Struve’s face into a concoction reminiscent of a Rachel Ray bread pudding.
Against Matt Mitrione, he’ll face a much more athletic and hardened striker.
This should be a fun stand-up fight for fans, but don’t be surprised if Morecraft reverts to grappling mode after being on the wrong end of some exchanges.
Unfortunately for Morecraft, Mitrione will have just enough wrestling to shrug off takedowns and pick up the first-round TKO.
Mitrione by First-Round TKO
Sean Smith
Mitrione's stock has risen quickly in the first four fights of his MMA career, to the point where many believed he should have received a bigger name than Morecraft for his fifth fight in the UFC.
Another potential contender in the heavyweight division, Morecraft has the potential to provide a big test for Mitrione, though. Morecraft's only loss in his eight-fight career came after getting into an unnecessary exchange in the second round of his fight with Stefan Struve.
Morecraft had dominated Struve in the first round of that fight, and I would argue Morecraft could defeat Struve nine times out of 10. Still, Morecraft will be facing a fighter with even heavier hands than Struve when he fights Mitrione.
Unless Morecraft can repeatedly put Mitrione's back on the canvas and work some ground-and-pound, he is likely going to have his chin tested once again in this fight.
After coming out strong in the first round once again, Morecraft's pace will slow and Mitrione will take advantage with a second-round stoppage.
Mitrione by Technical Knockout in the Second Round