UFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: Joey Beltran Vs Lavar Johnson

by Matthew Roth on Jan 28, 2012 12:30 PM EST in UFC Event

CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 27: (L-R) Heavyweight opponents Joey Beltran and Lavar Johnson face off after weighing in during the UFC on FOX official weigh in at the Chicago Theatre on January 27, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joey Beltran; Lavar Johnson

UFC on Fox 2 features a heavyweight tilt between Joey Beltran (13-6; 3-3 UFC) and Lavar Johnson (15-5; 0-0 UFC). This is the first fight on Fuel TV prelims. Neither man is currently ranked in the USA Today / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, though with them being heavyweights, that could change after a solid performance Saturday night. The Fuel TV prelims begin this Saturday, January 28 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, with the main card following on Fox at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

Heavyweight is notorious for having the shallowest talent pool in MMA as most big athletes tend to find themselves in other, more lucrative sports. That being said, the two men squaring off in this fight always leave everything they have in the cage and that shouldn't change on Saturday night.

How do these two stack up?

Beltran: 30 years old | 6'1"

Johnson: 34 years old | 6'4" | 82" reach

What have these two done recently?

Beltran: L - Stipe Miocic (UD) | W - Aaron Rosa (TKO) | L - Pat Barry (UD)

Johnson: L - Shawn Jordan (SUB) | L - Shane del Rosario (SUB) | W - Virgil Zwicker (KO)

How did these two get here?

Joey Beltran attempted to make his way to the UFC through the Ultimate Fighter but he never made it onto the show. Instead, he was a last minute replacement for Mustafa Al-Turk who was set to fight Rolles Gracie. Gracie gassed out early and Beltran picked up the TKO win. Though he's found some success in the UFC, Beltran has never been able to defeat stronger opponents. In his last outing against Stipe Miocic, Beltran had to rely on his toughness to get him through the fight.

Lavar Johnson finds himself in the UFC after the Strikeforce heavyweight division was shut down. While he was 3-2 in the promotion, he never really was able to take the next big step to become a star in the heavyweight division. Johnson is the first of the Strikeforce heavyweights to make his UFC debut.

Why you should care?

If you're looking for a highly skilling, hotly-contested heavyweight bout, this isn't the one for you. But when you put two heavy-handed fighters in the cage, there's sure to be entertainment. Both Johnson and Beltran are unbelievably tough and there is a chance for both fighters to end the fight with one punch. Also, Bruce Buffer is going to have to announce 'Lavar "BIIIIIIIIIIGGGG" Johnson!' which is sure to be a highlight of his career.

More UFC on Fox 2 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.

SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2

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Comments

Beltran has come into this fight lighter than usual.

I’ll be interested to see how this affects his stamina.

I’m backing Johnson though, the dude has never been the distance and has has only e
lost via submission. I don’t see Beltran submitted Johnson at all. Surely, with their combined Ko’s this can’t go the distance!

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by @KatanaClothing on Jan 28, 2012 12:41 PM EST reply actions

pretty similar

they even look similar, other than the height and reach difference..

I dont see Beltran being finished, he can take serious HW damage, i think he is the more experienced one here, but im guessing this fight is either going to be a sloppy brawl or a boring anti climactic 3 rounder with the 3rd round being two hws gassed out swinging in slow mo

I am willing to test myself against the toughest fighters in the world, in front of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans, over and over again. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I always come to fight. I've been doing this for the past fourteen years, and I have at least a few more strong years left in me. What have you done in the past fourteen years other than act like a moron on this forum and hang on Anderson's nuts? - Dan Henderson.

by elmojo on Jan 28, 2012 12:45 PM EST up reply actions

I have Beltran and even put money on him

I have seen Lavar have competitive matches with big brawler regional guys on challanger shows a few times. I would have understood not even bringing him into the UFC at all.

by mikedh on Jan 28, 2012 12:55 PM EST reply actions