Patrick Cote has won eight of his past 10 bouts. | Photo: Dave
Mandel/Sherdog.com
Welterweights
Josh
Burkman (27-11, 5-6 UFC) vs.
Patrick Cote
(21-9, 8-9 UFC)
THE MATCHUP: Burkman draws Cote in a fight that
would not have been out of place on a Spike TV-era UFC Fight Night
card back in 2006. Since returning to the UFC this year, Burkman
dropped a decision to
Hector
Lombard -- the Cuban tested positive for steroids afterward --
and was then submitted by
Dong Hyun
Kim. Cote rebounded from a decision loss to
Stephen
Thompson with a win over fellow senior circuit member
Joe Riggs in
April. The winner gets to stick around the promotion a while
longer.
Despite his advancing age and nearly 13 years in the sport, Burkman
remains an above-average athlete with great cardio and durability.
He likes to strike, switching between orthodox and southpaw while
flicking sharp low kicks at range and searching for angles. His
southpaw straight left-right hook combination is his go-to
sequence, and he packs real power in his hands. Wrestling has
always been a strength for Burkman. He defends takedowns well
against all but the most skilled opposition and mixes in his own
singles and doubles. On the mat, Burkman can control from the top
and lands good ground strikes, but he is at his most dangerous
hunting for his trademark guillotine in transition.
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
Burkman’s last UFC win came in 2007.
Like Burkman, Cote has settled into the role of the well-rounded
veteran who retains some of his youthful physical gifts. Formerly a
one-dimensional brawler who relied on his potent right hand, Cote
has added substantially to the rest of his game. While he is still
open to trading shots in the pocket, Cote has added more kicks at
range, the occasional combination and an improved arsenal of
counters. He complements that striking game with a few takedowns,
and he retains the solid defensive wrestling he has shown
throughout his career. From top position, Cote controls well, hunts
for the occasional submissions and shows off excellent ground
striking skills, with good body-head combinations and strong
posture. The Canadian has slowed considerably, however, and does
not really stand out in any particular area at this point.
BETTING ODDS: Burkman (-135), Cote (+115)
THE PICK: This is a close fight, and neither
Burkman nor Cote has looked particularly outstanding in his last
several outings. I lean toward the American, however. He is the
slightly better wrestler and scrambler.
In addition, Burkman works at a quicker pace on the feet and has
generally looked better against a higher level of competition. The
pick is Burkman by decision.
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