The Ultimate Fighter 16 Quarterfinals Preview
Bristol Marunde (Carwin’s 2nd pick) vs. Neil Magny (Carwin’s 4th pick)
Marunde has the most experience against big name competition having faced big show veterans Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Jay Silva, Jordan Smith, Benji Radach, Matt Horwich, and Rich Attonito. After starting his career at 3-5, he’s gone 11-2 since including his two wins on TUF. Marunde lost both those fights via submission, but he will likely not have to worry about that against Magny. Magny is still developing as a fighter and he stands little chance at beating Marunde.
Igor Araujo (Carwin’s 7th pick) vs. Colton Smith (Nelson’s 4th pick)
Both of these fighters could be considered hotheads, but in the cage, they have both shown a very methodical sort of style. Smith attacks with his takedowns as his striking game is not up to par yet. Likewise for Araujo as he prefers to take his opponents down and use his long limbs to control the grappling exchanges. This fight could end up coming down to whose striking is better. I like Araujo’s experience in this fight, though Smith has proven to be a solid darkhorse in this competition.
Joey Rivera (Nelson’s 7th pick) vs. Jon Manley (Nelson’s 5th pick)
Joey Rivera pulled off the biggest upset of the season by defeating Shane Carwin’s #1 pick Sam Alvey. Rivera will once again have his hands full as he faces off against teammate Jon Manley. Manley was the only fighter to score a finish in the preliminary rounds and it should also be noted he beat Strikeforce veteran Ricky Legere to get into the house. Rivera and Manley both have solid size and it will likely come down to whether Rivera can keep the fight standing where he should have the edge.
Mike Ricci (Carwin’s 3rd pick) vs. Mike Hill (Nelson’s 2nd pick)
Canada versus Canada as Mike Ricci requested this matchup with Mike Hill. Ricci is coming off a solid decision victory over Roy Nelson’s #1 pick Dominic Waters. Ricci has the better overall skills and experience advantage to easily fight his way into the semi-finals. The only intangible working against him is his lack of size. Though Hill does not have the best wrestling or grappling, he is much bigger than Ricci and could potentially take Ricci down and possibly do enough to make the fight interesting, especially considering the judges’ bizarre decisions this season. Barring a huge upset, Ricci should use his striking and footwork to pick Hill apart with strikes.
