HOUSTON, TX, September 28, 2011 – It was recently announced earlier today that UFC-veteran Paul Kelly should be joining fellow top fight vets Jorge “Macaco” Patino and Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis on the Legacy Fighting Championship 9 card set for December 16th as he takes on Jeff Rexroad.
Rather than regurgitate the same information as before, let’s just take a look at this upcoming matchup and break things down from a distance.
TXMMA Tale of the Tape – Paul Kelly vs. Jeff Rexroad
A Look at Jeff “The Executioner” Rexroad
Location: Houston, Texas
Team: Paradigm Training Center
Height / Weight: 6 ft 3 in. / 170Ibs.
MMA Record: 4-1
Notable Facts:
► Member of the Houston Police Department – where he works in the gang investigations unit.
► Veteran of the United States Armed Forces.
► His fight with Ricardo Talavera at Legacy FC 5 is an early ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate.
► Family man outside the cage and father to a one-year old daughter, Riley.
Biggest Strengths in the Cage:
► Jeff is known for being a well-rounded fighter. As a BJJ brown belt, he’s exceptional on the ground, even showcasing extreme flexibility with his use of the rubber guard in his last several fights. He is equally adept on his feet where he likes to utilize his reach to keep his opponents at the end of his jab.
What he may need to do to win this fight:
► Looking at this matchup early on, one thing that may be apparent is that Jeff has to keep Paul at the end of his punches and avoid too many risky exchanges up-close with the shorter Englishman. If the fight goes to the ground, Jeff should try and control the action from top position and look for submissions when they become available.
What does this fight mean to his career?
► With three wins and a row, a win here could validate Jeff as a legit contender nationally and put him on the radar of promotions like the UFC and Strikeforce. Otherwise, he’ll definitely be in line for a Legacy 170 title shot against the winner of Macaco/Bronzoulis should get past Mr. Kelly in this bout.
A Look at Paul “Tellys” Kelly
Location: Liverpool, England
Team: Wolfslair MMA Academy
Height / Weight: 5 ft 9 in. / 170Ibs.
MMA Record: 11-4
Notable Facts:
► Participated in one of the UFC’s ‘Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights,’ winning a decision over Paul Taylor at UFC 80.
► As a child, he smashed his femur in a dirt bike accident that required 800 stitches, several operations, and 13 skin grafts.
► One of his jobs prior to becoming an MMA fighter involved stacking shelves at Costco.
► Like his opponent, he’s a family man and father to a two-year old daughter, Phoebe.
Biggest Strengths:
► Throughout his career, Paul has proven himself to an exceptionally well-rounded athlete who can slug it out when need be. He’s known to be a strong fighter in the cage and is well-verse at delivering punishing shots to his opponent through his ground-and-pound attacks.
What he may need to do to win:
► Paul will need to utilize his stronger strikes and bob & weave style to get inside on the Houstonian where he can deliver some punches with bad intentions. Should the fight go to the ground, he’ll needs to make sure to maintain top position, stay upright in his opponent’s guard, and control those hips while delivering his own punishment.
What does this fight mean to his career?
► Paul’s UFC record is over the .500 mark and he has two FOTN performances in the promotion already. A win here can on HDNet can land him right back in with Zuffa as they’ll want to showcase established international fighters as they expand their brand globally.
In conclusion
Based on all the information above and a clear look at all their notable past fights, this matchup has the makings of yet another ‘Fight of the Night’ type of performance for both men as they take their talents to HDNet. If nothing else, there’s certainly some significance attached here with Jeff getting his opportunity to deliver a break-out type of performance on the national scene while Paul looks to reaffirm his status as one of the world’s best and a fighter that deserves to perform only at the highest level of MMA. All things considered, we’re looking forward to this one.
What are your thoughts on this upcoming bout? Chime in with your comments!
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