UFC on FUEL TV 9 preview: From injury comes Ilir Latifi's big shot

Ilir Latifi’s image doesn’t exactly mirror the Chuck “The Bayonne Bleeder” Wepner type that was fictionalized to create Rocky Balboa. He’s got a solid, if unspectacular, 7-2 professional record in MMA with notable losses to Bellator standout Emmanuel Newton and DREAM vet Tatsuya Mizuno.

But insofar as he came out nowhere to challenge Gegard Mousasi in the headliner of Saturday’s UFC on FUEL TV 9 event, and could jump halfway up the light-heavyweight ladder with a win, it’s a more acceptable comparison.

Fans and media have dropped the “Rocky” reference more than a few times, and not with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. UFC on FUEL TV 9, after all, was supposed to be Mousasi’s big shot. Before Alexander Gustafsson was cut in training and barred from fighting at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, the former Strikeforce champion was poised to rob the Swede of a shot at the light-heavyweight title. Instead, he’s in a lose-lose fight in his octagon debut.

UFC on FUEL TV 9's main-card airs live on FUEL TV (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT) following prelims on Facebook (10:30 a.m. ET).

To his credit, Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) hasn’t raised a fuss and is meeting the challenge head-on. (It is a payday, after all, which was absent during a long injury layoff.) Latifi (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who is a training partner of Gustafsson’s, is getting ready for his closeup. He really has little to lose, and assuming his representatives did him right, doesn’t have to worry about getting another fight in the UFC. The pressure should be on Mousasi to add another clip to his highlight reel.

It would be understandable, however, if octagon jitters and the fight’s stakes prompted one or both to be overly cautious.

Like many who face Mousasi, Latifi is best served by stuffing the Dutch-Armenian against the fence before roughing him up on the ground. Swinging for the fences in open range, as he did against Newton, is bound to end with a headache and a “do you know where you are?” from the cageside doctor. Mousasi is a seasoned kickboxer with 18 knockouts on his record. He’s also got a penchant for submitting substandard grapplers. (Latifi faired well eight years ago at the European ADCC, but like many of his countrymen who switch to MMA, doesn’t boast significant wrestling credentials.)

Admittedly, Mousasi has far more ways to win than lose, so he merely needs to avoid recklessness and put his skills to use. He’s got far more experience than his opponent, and by all indications, he has advantages whether the fight stays standing or goes to the ground. Latifi’s best outcome rests on a perfect performance, or alternately, after taking countless blows to the head, delivering a comeback fitting of “Rocky.”

Other main-card fights

Ross Pearson (14-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) vs. Ryan Couture (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC): Yet another leap up for lightweight Couture, who barely escaped K.J. Noons in his previous performance. Although not identical, Noons and Pearson are great counter-strikers, and Couture will face the same problems this time around as last. He managed to rack up points when Noons waited to strike, but Pearson is unlikely to make the same mistake. That leaves him the mat, where he might be able to catch the Brit in a submission or rack up points with ground and pound. Pearson, though, proved to be a tough customer in his previous fight, which came against submission artist George Sotiropoulos. Before the Aussie ever got a chance to show off his ground chops, Pearson starched him with punches.

Phillip De Fries (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs. Matt Mitrione (5-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC): Both heavyweights have recently hit the skids, but contrary to Mitrione’s perception, it’s De Fries who’s far more likely to be released with a loss. Mitrione is a far more marketable fighter, and despite back-to-back losses, he’s still developing. An opponent such as De Fries is probably whom he should have fought in his past outing, but instead he faced highly seasoned vet Roy Nelson on short notice, and that ended badly for him. Provided he can keep the fight on standing and stay away from De Fries’ decent grappling, he should be able to strike his way to victory.

Mike Easton (13-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) vs. Brad Pickett (22-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC): Like the heavies, these bantamweights are on the mend following recent losses. Pickett, though, comes into the fight having taken a small step down in the 135-pound division’s upper level. The Brit has lost only to the top-tier fighters, most recently dropping a split call to Eddie Wineland, while Easton recently faltered against a middle-of-the-road Rafael Assuncao. Easton does present an interesting stylistic challenge for Pickett since he likes to crowd opponents before beating them up in close. But Pickett might have the advantage in speed if he can stay on his feet, and Easton has never fought a guy with one-punch power.

Diego Brandao (15-8 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Pablo Garza (12-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC): Back on the mend after losing skids, these featherweights look to up their stock. Brandao, who won “The Ultimate Fighter 14? before a setback at the hands of the surging Darren Elkins, has to travel a long way to reach the impossibly lanky Garza, who recently outpointed onetime featherweight title challenger Mark Hominick. Both fighters like to take big risks in the cage, and Brandao, who likes to swing big, needs to land before Garza uses those limbs to choke him.

Akira Corassani (10-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Robbie Peralta (16-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC): We might see more of Corassani’s ground game in this featherweight bout since Peralta’s striking has recently proven to be devastating. Peralta knocked out Jason Young in 23 seconds, which served as his second straight UFC win (and might have been third had a headbutt not marred his fight with Mackens Semerzier). Corassani has one fight in the octagon so far following his appearance on “The Ultimate Fighter 14,” and he might want to play this one safe.

The full UFC on FUEL TV 9 card includes:

MAIN CARD (FUEL TV, 2 p.m. ET)

• Ilir Latifi vs. Gegard Mousasi
• Ryan Couture vs. Ross Pearson
• Philip De Fries vs. Matt Mitrione
• Mike Easton vs. Brad Pickett Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza
• Akira Corassani vs. Robbie Peralta

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 10:30 a.m. ET)

• Michael Johnson vs. Reza Madadi
• Adam Cella vs. Tor Troeng
• Adlan Amagov vs. Chris Spang
• Marcus Brimage vs. Conor McGregor
• Ben Alloway vs. Ryan LaFlare
• Michael Kuiper vs. Tom Lawlor
• Papy Abedi vs. Besam Yousef

For more on UFC on FUEL TV 9, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.