BELTON, TX, June 20, 2012 – Central Texas native TJ Waldburger returns to the UFC octagon this Friday night (June 22nd) when he takes on long-time veteran Brian Ebersole on the main card of the UFC on FX 4 event slated for Atlantic City, New Jersey.
An instructor at the Grappler’s Lair academy located in Belton alongside father-in-law John Moore, TJ has a long history in Texas MMA prior to making it onto the national scene. Debuting as a 17 year old way back in 2005, he competed in events like Ultimate Texas Showdown, Renegades, and King of Kombat until getting the call to go to the big leagues back in September 2010.
He won his debut at UFC Fight Night 22 over David Mitchell before finding himself facing another Texas-based pro in Johny Hendricks, losing by first round knockout. Despite that setback, TJ would rebound impressively with a pair of first-round submission wins in his next two fights over Mike Stumpf and Jake Hecht.
As for Brian Ebersole, he too has been impressive as of late with 3 UFC wins in his last 3 appearances as part of a streak that spans 10 wins in a row. That streak includes wins over Dennis Hallman, Chris Lytle, and Carlos Newton. He hasn’t lost since being beat by highly-regarded Hector Lombard way back in 2008. With a record of 49-14-1, Brian has nearly 3x as many fights as his Texan opponent and should present a stern test.
As for how this fight plays out, it’s anybody’s guess but Waldburger will likely look to capitalize on his submission prowess and lightning quick transitions to counter the hard-hitting unorthdox style of his veteran opponent – who’ll likely look to slow him down and/or hurt him early.
All in all, this should prove to be an intriguing matchup for fight fans at UFC on FX 4 with both Waldburger and Ebersole looking to climb up the ladder of contention in the welterweight division.
Make sure to tune in to FX for the main card starting at 9PM EST / 8PM Central. Prelims will be televised as well: on Facebook beginning at 5PM EST / 4PM central and Fuel TC starting at 6PM EST / 5PM Central.
Below is the full card along with our quick picks.
UFC on FX 4 – TXMMA Quick Picks
UFC on FX 4 – MAIN CARD (FX)
Clay Guida vs. Gray Maynard – Gray Maynard by unanimous decision.
Spencer Fisher vs. Sam Stout – Spencer Fisher by split decision.
Brian Ebersole vs. T.J. Waldburger – Pick’em.
Ross Pearson vs. Cub Swanson – Ross Pearson by knockout, RD2.
UFC on FX 4 – PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)
Hatsu Hioki vs. Ricardo Lamas – Hatsu Hioki by submission, RD2.
C.J. Keith vs. Ramsey Nijem – Ramsey Nijem by submission, RD2.
Brock Jardine vs. Rick Story – Rick Story by unanimous decision.
Joey Gambino vs. Steven Siler – Steven Siler by unanimous decision.
Matt Brown vs. Luis Ramos – Matt Brown by unanimous decision.
Chris Camozzi vs. Nick Catone – Nick Catone by unanimous decision.
UFC on FX 4 – PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Ricardo Funch vs. Dan Miller – Dan Miller by submission, RD2.
Dustin Pague vs. Ken Stone – Dustin Pague by unanimous decision.