The 23rd ranked welterweight in the world, Jake Ellenberger (23-5, 2-1 UFC), faces undefeated submission expert Carlos Eduardo Rocha (9-0, 1-0 UFC) on the main card of UFC 126.
How do these guys stack up?
Ellenberger: 25 years old, 6’0″
Rocha: 29 years old, 5’10”
What have they done lately?
Ellenberger: W John Howard (TKO), W Mike Pyle (TKO), L Carlos Condit (DEC)
Rocha: W Kris McKray (SUB), W Fatih Balci (SUB), W Artur Kadlubek (TKO)
How did these guys get here?
Jake Ellenberger is a well traveled veteran of mixed martial arts having fought in the United States, Canada, Russia, Costa Rica, Japan and South Korea while building up a solid record and reputation. He debuted in the UFC with a loss by split decision to Carlos Condit but has since rattled off two consecutive TKO wins over Mike Pyle and John Howard. His wrestling background, powerful punching and solid grasp of the submission game makes him a handful for anyone.
Carlos Eduardo Rocha is undefeated in his nine career fights. He has won eight by submission and one by TKO. His UFC debut was an impressive kneebar victory over Ultimate Fighter finalist Kris McKray at UFC 122. Rocha is a jiu-jitsu black belt.
Why should you care?
Ellenberger is a well rounded and tough fighter with two solid wins in a row. Rocha has stopped everyone he has ever stepped in against. The winner of this fight will be just outside of title contention.