Hazelett looks to Reinvent Himself at 155lbs
Posted by M. C. Castaneda (Contributor)Dec 7
This Saturday, Dustin “McLovin” Hazelett (14-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) will make his return to UFC Lightweight division after a 2 ½ year stint in the Welterweight division. He will encounter Canadian grappling specialist Mark Bocek (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in a bout scheduled for preliminary card of UFC 124 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. Hazelett is counting on the change in weight class to provide him with the spark he has been searching for and return him to his winning ways.
Hazelett is no stranger to the 155lb division. He last competed in the Lightweight division in 2007 at UFC 67 where he defeated Diego Saraiva via decision. Hazelett is looking to correct his course after suffering back-to-back TKO losses at the hands of Rick Story and Paul Daley earlier this year. Even more troubling is that McLovin has not tasted victory since late 2008 at UFC 91 when the submission wizard mangled Tamden McCrory’s right arm in one of the more memorable arm bars in UFC history.
Bocek also enters the cage after suffering a loss. The BJJ black belt dropped a decision to Jim Miller at UFC 111. Prior to that loss, Bocek was riding a 3 fight win streak. The grappling ace will have the luxury of fighting in his home country and having the crowd in his corner.
The only thing certain about this fight is that both fighters will bring high level Jiu Jitsu to this bout. In fact, neither fighter has a TKO/KO victory in the UFC. Some speculate that these grappling experts may be overly cautious, which could lead to a non-eventful fight, or a very technical grappling match.
Each fighter should be more concerned than normal with the outcome of this bout. With the final WEC card taking place on December 16th, the UFC will have a flood of new Lightweight fighters at their disposal. The loser of this bout could find themselves released from the UFC.
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