UFC Fight Night 15: Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer Preview
If there’s one thing that’s for certain in the world of mixed martial arts right now it’s that UFC Fight Night 15 is being slept on in a big, big way. So that’s why we’re going to start previewing the fights on the main card beginning today with Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer.
Going into this fight there is a lot to prove for both fighters. Houston Alexander is coming off two consecutive losses, one to James Irvin via superman punch and one to Thiago Silva via ground and pound. So far we’ve seen some good things and some bad things about Houston Alexander. Firstly, Alexander has good power and a lot of athleticism going for him. He proved that with knockout victories over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara. Those are very good attributes to have on your side. Secondly, he has absolutely zero ground game and a weak chin. Thiago Silva mounted him within a matter of minutes and pounded him out from the top and James Irvin knocked him out in eight seconds with a superman punch. These are not so great attributes. So while there is a lot to like about Houston Alexander, there’s also a lot to dislike.
Eric Schafer, on the other hand, is much more well rounded than Alexander is. He’s a BJJ black belt under Pedro Sauer. His wrestling is very good. And he’s been training kickboxing under Duke Roufus, one of America’s premiere kickboxing coaches. So all in all, he’s capable of handling the fight wherever it goes. His jiu jitsu is top notch, his wrestling is much better than average and his hands are more than serviceable should the fight stay on the feet. The problem with Schafer is that he is willing to sacrifice position to get the fight to the ground. He often pulls guard and brings his opponent down to the mat but leaves too much space in between him and his opponent so that his opponent can rain down ground and pound from the top. Michael Bisping and Stephan Bonnar both finished Schafer this way.
Obviously both fighters have their strengths and their weaknesses as any fighter does. But whose weakness will be more exposed during the fight? For my money, it’s Houston Alexander’s weakness. Alexander once told me in an interview that his ground game was “as good as anyone’s in the UFC.” Obviously he was just posturing. His ground game is terrible. I asked him if he worked jiu jitsu with a gi or no gi and he simply responded “I do it all.” The fact of the matter is that Alexander has a very rudimentary ground game. Schafer is light years ahead of him on the ground and will find a way to get it to the ground either with a takedown or by clinching and pulling guard to bring Alexander down on top of him. Once it hits the ground, it’s over. There’s only so much that someone at a white belt level can do against someone who is a black belt.
And I know, I know. “This is MMA. BJJ doesn’t always work while you’re getting punched in the face.” To an extent, that’s right. But I’d like to think that Schafer has learned from his mistakes and that if Alexander is on top that he won’t let him create space and pound him from the top. He should be able to utilize his guard and either sweep Alexander or throw up submissions from the bottom. If Schafer ends up on top? I don’t think we even have to go there.
The Houston Alexander bandwagon has lost a lot of passengers. Is the guy a great story? Sure. Anyone who’s a single father with a multitude of children, a full time fighter and a DJ is someone to be respected. A father who will give his extra kidney to his child, such as Houston did, is a feel good story. But feel good stories and heartwarming moments don’t matter inside the Octagon. It’s Houston’s lack of total MMA knowledge that will be his downfall in this fight. The weak ground game has hurt him before. It’s going to hurt him again. Look for Schafer to submit him in the second round.
Adam Morgan is
| All posts by Adam Morgan
when a striker with a bad ground game meets a decent fighter with a good ground game…the striker almost always gets subbed
schafer by sub r1
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
i agree with what you say to an extent… this fight will not get out of the first round.. whether its an alexander knock out or a schaefer sub its done in the 1st.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
Houston A. via TKO Rd 1. His hometown Omaha fans are going to go batshit crazy for Alexander.
Nathan Diaz will get sub of the night. You heard it hear folks.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
you know, if there’s one person i’d LOVE to see win right about now, it’s Houston.. but, last time i checked, Ravishing Red is a BEAST!
Eric’s ground game is awesome for a LHW, and although he got beat by Stephan and Bisping, those are guys with great all-around games..
Houston is simply a striker.. now, personally, i think Houston’s DEFINITELY been workin’ his ground game lately.. i mean, he really wants to make it in the UFC, and he HAS TO KNOW that you can’t do that without a ground game..
i would like to say Houston’s going to win this with a KO, or survive the ground game and win it however.. but.. i think i have to go with Eric..
i really like the idea here by the way.. the whole “preview” thing.. good job..
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
This should be a loser leaves town match. Honestly it would not hurt my feelings if it was a winner leaves town as well. Houston has a great story but I wonder if his shipped has sailed.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
scott whitt: there was a recent report that said houston’s been reupped for five more fights with the ufc. a bit odd, but win or lose, his fights seem to be quick.
i kinda feel like he needs to be in a more high profile camp, and develop a more well rounded game. not sure i like his chances against a guy like schafer. i’d like to think he’s been working on his ground skills, but i wouldnt put money on it. and at his age, i wonder if he did start now, how much difference it would really make.
since his fight with thiago, i’ve often thought he would be better suited for slugging it out with the lhw’s in the wec. maybe he’ll at least get to fight some of them when they fold that division into the ufc. i could see a fight with him and brian stann creating fireworks (with zero percent chance of lay n pray).
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
Great call on discussing Fight Night 15. MMA on free TV is something we all take for granted now, but this card has a lot of potentially good fights on this card. And i think no matter what, I just hope Houston lasts a little longer this time and at least has a chance to put on a good show. At least we can thank Joe Silva for booking this because my guess is it lasts one round either way, and hopefully we can get some addl. fights shown.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
dang people, what have we learned underestimating? We all know that upsets are nothing new lately? If Shafer is thinkin he will just get him down and isnt careful with those hands i dont doubt they don’t have enough power to knock him in a couple shots if not one. May the best man win
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
I hope Schafer rips his arm off in a armbar or puts him too sleep again like his last 2 fights.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
I gotta agree with Mr. Morgan on this one. I really think Schafer has a huge advantage on the ground, and as long as he doesn’t fool around too much on the feed with Alexander he should be able to get it to the ground fairly easily and work for a submission. I’d say RNC late first round.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0