Just an hour before the main card airs I realized I never actually posted my preview of this show, so here it is. I remain utterly disappointed in the last minute demise of the Karo/Haz fight as Dustin Hazellet is one of my favorite fighters to watch, yet the card should still deliver all the same.
The UFC has been plagued with injuries recently and this card was one of the first victims of this recent run of bad luck. Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin will headline a card that was to originally feature the two biggest HWs in the UFC. Fortunately for the UFC one injury resulted in a more marketable match. Ortiz vs Coleman would not have stacked up to the rematch that is the current namesake of the event. It is also fortunate that the UFC had planned a really strong event from the get go, leaving UFC 106 at least interesting to the devoted MMA fan and headlined by two of the most widely popular fighters the sport has known.
Kendall Grove vs Jake Rosholt
Like many MMA fans I was ready to give up on Rosholt as an MMA contender but his most recent performance has made me think twice. Few fighters have the wrestling pedigree he posses, but that will mean little to his MMA career if he cannot continue to develop those skills and mold them. Kendall Grove is no cakewalk for anyone, let alone the much shorter, less experienced Rosholt. In some regards this fight looks like it has been designed as a test for Rosholt to see how he deals with a stand-up fighter with range. In others, it seems like it could be a rebound for Grove. Either way the fight seems like a must win for both fighters. If Grove can keep the distance he should be able to get back to winning, but he has had problems staying on his feet before. The time is now for both fighters to prove they were worth the hype.
Ben Saunders vs Marcus Davis
It is hard to believe that Marcus Davis only has three losses in the UFC and one of them came in his first UFC bout. It is also hard for me to conceptualize Davis as an TUF fighter. He will face a fellow Alum in Killa B, who at one time thought he could be Anderson Silva, and may still believe that to some extent. What Saunders has in confidence, he still must build in pure skill though. Davis should be able to test his chin, his heart, and his ability to adapt in a fight. Unfortunately for Davis, Saunders presents the one thing that Davis has struggled with in his UFC tenure, reach.
Amir Sadollah vs Phil Baroni
How can I put this nicely? I don’t care about this fight in the least. I haven’t been impressed with Amir Sadollah past upsetting another fighter I didn’t care much for on TUF and I haven’t found Phil Baroni interesting in years. Maybe one of them will impress me but I am not holding my breath.
Luiz Cane vs Angonio Rogerio Nogueira
This might as well be the main event for me. Little Nog was arguably the best Light-Heavyweight not under Zuffa contract. Finally he comes to the biggest company in the sport and the cake-walks are over. Luiz Cane is one of the most underrated fighters in any organization. His stand-up has been scary precise and he might as well be 4-0, given his DQ loss came in a fight he was dominating. Both of these men are well rounded future contenders. In terms of skill, this fight could headline a lot of cards, particularly this one but both fighters will really be looking to take a step towards one of the most coveted titles in all of MMA.
Josh Koscheck vs Anthony Johnson
This last minute addition adds some excitement and some name value to the card for sure, but in reality it could be a front runner to steal fight of the night. Both Johnson and Koscheck have been headhunting lately, constantly looking for the big KO. Josh Koscheck may be better off returning to his roots though as skillful wrestling may be a little too much control on the ground for Rumble to deal with. Johnson’s reach and power might be an issue for Koscheck, although his fight with Alvez may just give Kos the confidence he needs to stand in the pocket and bang. To me this fight is going to hinge on strategy as much as anything else. We are dealing with two of the most athletic guys in the sport. Kos’ experience will certainly play to his advantage but it wont be enough to leave Kos free reign to take the fight wherever he wants and impose his will.
Tito Ortiz vs Forrest Griffin
Tito Ortiz has received a lot of flack for the precieved downturn in his career as of late but upon review things haven’t been that bad. Tito lost to Machida (later to become champion), tied Rashad Evans (later to become champion) after being penalized a point, lost to Chuck Liddell (champion at the time), and earned a controversial victory over Forrest Griffin (later to become champion). Notice a pattern here? All this while Tito was apparently fighting an injury. It should come as no surprise that now the “old Tito” is back according to Zuffa, but that is what we heard before his last three fights. Forrest Griffin is in the closest thing to a must win that he has seen in the UFC. Sure, his popularity would buy him 2-3 more fights and it would be highly unlikely that we would ever see him cut from a Zuffa contract but a loss here would really move him back a few paces. Coming off the most devastating loss I think I have ever seen anyone take, a good showing will not be enough. Tito on the other hand really has to back up the talk this time. In reality it’s the perfect storm for this fight to put butts in seats and actually deliver, despite its lack of relevance on the title picture at 205. Lets hope its also enough to bring some attention to the card as it’s filled with talent and strong match-making.
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