Friday, 12 June 2009

UFC 99 PREVIEW

By David McKinney

It’s hard to believe that we’re already getting set for another great weekend of MMA, but it’s true. The UFC heads to Germany for the first time in history with UFC 99: THE COMEBACK, which features a fight that many fans have been waiting years to see, as former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin will take on former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva at a catchweight of 195 pounds. Also on the card is what will be a defining fight for heavyweight super-prospect Cain Velasquez, as he will face veteran Frenchman Cheick Kongo in a fight that he could very well lose. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the return of Mirko Cro Cop to the UFC – his comeback fight against Mustapha Al Turk will kick off the televised portion of the show.

 The other thing that impresses me about this card is the sheer number of fights. For the first time that I can remember, six of the incredible twelve fights are guaranteed to be on the PPV broadcast of the card. This is definitely one that you won’t want to miss.

 Undercard

 WW: John Hathaway (10-0) over Rick Story (7-1) – After being an “alternate” for Karo Parisyan in January, Rick Story is finally set to make his debut against big-time British prospect John Hathaway (1-0 UFC). Although he does have wins over WEC veteran Ryan Healy and UFC veteran Brandon Melendez, Story just doesn’t seem to be a guy who is headed to the top of the division. Hathaway, on the other hand, is a guy that the UFC really wants to push in the European market, and I doubt that they’ll put him in with a guy who could beat him in just his second UFC fight. 

HW: Stefan Struve (16-3) over Denis Stojnic (5-2) – Of the six undercard fights, this one could be the most intriguing. Struve (0-1 UFC), whose nickname is ‘Skyscraper’, is listed at 6’11”, a whole foot taller than Stojnic (0-1 UFC), who is listed at just 5’11”. Stojnic showed in his fight with Cain Velasquez that he has a hard head and that he can take a lot of punishment, but Struve will be looking to take him down to submit him in this fight. I’m not sure how Stojnic’s submission defense is, but I’m thinking that he gets subbed in this one fight, in which the loser is probably out of the UFC.

 LW: Paul Kelly (8-1) over Roli Delgado (6-3-1) – After making his lightweight debut against Troy Mandaloniz in February, Paul Kelly (2-1 UFC) is now entrenched in the 155-pound division, and I feel that he is a fighter who will begin to make waves. Delgado (1-0 UFC) is a TUF veteran who may end up being a solid gatekeeper in the UFC, but he probably won’t ever be much more than that. I look for Kelly to take a hard fought decision win in this one.

WW: Paul Taylor (9-4-1) over Peter Sobotta (8-1) – I can’t help but wonder if the only reason that Sobotta is making his UFC debut is because of the fact that this card is in his home country of Germany. Sobotta looks to be a well-rounded fighter who can finish fights, but Taylor (2-3 UFC) is a solid UFC veteran who should be able to take advantage of Sobotta’s Octagon jitters to take the decision.

 LW: Denis Siver (13-6) over Dale Hartt (6-1) – I have to admit that after watching his fight with Nate Mohr that I became a bit of a Dennis Siver (2-3 UFC) fan. Hartt (1-1 UFC) has a good background in training with Mark DellaGrotte at Team Sityodtong, but his only UFC win came because of a nasty injury TKO over Corey Hill. That coupled with the fact that Siver is fighting in his home country should give him the advantage, as I feel he’ll take a submission victory.

LW: Terry Etim (12-2) over Justin Buccholz (8-2) – UFC matchmakers must really want to see this fight. It was originally scheduled for February, but Buccholz (1-1 UFC) was injured, and Etim (3-2 UFC) ended up destroying a UFC newcomer in his fight on that card. This time the fight is definitely on, and I’m excited to see which fighter can take the next step on the UFC ladder toward actually making a main card. Etim’s overall skill coupled with the fact that Buccholz hasn’t fought in 11 months should give him the advantage here.

 Main card

 HW: Mirko Cro Cop (24-6-2) over Mustapha Al Turk (6-4) – Who isn’t excited to see Mirko Cro Cop (1-2 UFC) back in the UFC? I know that Al Turk (0-1) is a tough fighter, but he doesn’t belong in the UFC, much less against a fighter like Cro Cop.

 LW: Spencer Fisher (22-4) over Caol Uno (25-11-4) – I know that a lot of people are talking about the Hardy/Davis fight, but this is the one that could steal the show. I can’t ever remember having a tougher time picking a winner, and that’s because these two are so evenly matched. Both Fisher (5-3 UFC) and Uno (3-3-1) are UFC veterans who are on the second tier of the lightweight division, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the winner of this fight make his way into the top five. I expect this one to be an exciting 15-minute fight, but in the end I think that Fisher will overpower Uno just enough to take the decision.

 WW: Dan Hardy (21-6) over Marcus Davis (16-4) – One thing is for sure: Dan Hardy (2-0 UFC) can definitely sell a fight. He has started a war of words with Davis (8-1 UFC) in this one, even calling him a “fake Irishman” at one point. Both fighters definitely like to stand and bang, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Hardy decided to take this fight to the mat to use some of his Eddie Bravo jiujitsu to take the decision. 

WW: Ben Saunders (7-0-2) over Mike Swick (13-2) – Talk about a great fight! This is another “transition” fight that will definitely propel the winner into the upper echelon of the UFC’s welterweight division. I am a big Mike Swick (8-1 UFC) fan, but I just feel that Saunders (3-0 UFC) is a special fighter who could be headed towards something big. Swick has some of the best hand speed in the sport, but Saunders has a lot of technical Muay Thai skills (see: fight against Brandon Wolff) and I feel that he’ll pull this one out and will really open some eyes in the process.

 HW: Cheick Kongo (14-4-1) over Cain Velasquez (5-0) – It’s very difficult to stay undefeated in this sport, and I feel that, after his last underwhelming performance against Denis Stojnic, Cain Velasquez (3-0 UFC) is on the verge of taking his first loss in his MMA career. Kongo (7-2 UFC) is a veteran who could earn a title shot with a victory here. I think that Kongo’s all around game – especially his kickboxing – will overwhelm Velasquez just enough for Cheick to get the win and secure his shot at the winner of the Brock Lesnar/Frank Mir fight.

 CW 195lbs: Rich Franklin (24-4) over Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1) – Here’s a fight that I’ve been waiting a long time to see. Three years ago, Silva (2-4 UFC) was the most dominant fighter in the sport, and he would have easily overwhelmed the more technical Franklin (11-3 UFC). But now, Franklin is on a last upswing in his career, while it’s become apparent to me that Wanderlei may have taken too many beatings in his career to be effective anymore. I don’t think that he’ll knock him out or submit him, but this is definitely Rich’s fight to win.

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