UFC president Dana White said this week that the winner of Saturday’s Stipe Miocic-Stefan Struve will be the fifth or sixth heavyweight in the company’s pecking order.
Maybe. But the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 6, which airs live 4 p.m. from Nottingham, England, will say more about Miocic than Struve.
Struve has already fought the upper tier of the heavyweight division – guys like Junior dos Santos and Roy Nelson – and come out on the losing end. If he wins against Miocic, who has just nine pro fights, he’ll remain as a gatekeeper though he’s just 24 years old.
However, if Miocic runs through Struve, the 30-year-old, who started MMA late, will go from intriguing prospect to legitimate heavyweight contender. Miocic has all the physical abilities – the strength, the athleticism and physicality – so it’ll be interesting to see if he can put it all together into a full mixed martial arts package.
Struve, the 6-foot-11 beanpole, needs this win. No, it won’t make or break his career. He’s not even in his prime yet. But to accelerate the process and work his way back into the elite of the division, this is an important fight.
Same goes for Miocic. At 30, he’s not getting any younger. He probably has only one path to a potential title fight and it starts Saturday.
Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah
Hardy lost four straight fights in the UFC before beating Duane Ludwig in May. Very rarely does anyone get that kind of leeway – usually three losses in a row and you’re cut. But Hardy connects with fans and has an exciting kickboxing style, so he got a second chance in the welterweight division. A loss here will put him back on the chopping block, though.
Hardy is a solid favorite, because of his knockout power and sharp striking. But he’s susceptible to wrestling, which pretty much all of the opponents he has lost to have shown, and Sadollah can grapple a little. If Hardy has improved his takedown defense, it should be enough to score a finish with his hands in this one.
Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin
Get ready for fists and legs to be flying in this featherweight fight. Both of these guys are exciting strikers and not afraid to stand in the center of the ring and throw down. Jabouin might be slightly more technical in his standup, but Pickett is called “One Punch” for a reason. Look for a slugfest with one man left laying on the canvas before the end of the first round.
Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman
Sass makes grappling exciting. He’s 3-0 in the UFC with three impressive submissions against solid competition. The Brit has never fought anyone as durable as Wiman, though. Wiman has been through the wars, stood in front of everyone in the lightweight division has to offer and only been finished once – in his UFC debut way back in 2006 by Spencer Fisher (flying knee). Wiman is also a four-time Fight of the Night winner. This should be a fun one no matter the result.
John Hathaway vs. John Maguire
Hathway stumbled after stunning Diego Sanchez, but losing to wily veteran Mike Pyle is nothing to be ashamed about. Since then, the 25-year-old Brit has beaten Kris McCray and Pascal Krauss. He seems to be back on track toward welterweight contendership. Hathaway will be opposed by countryman and submission artist Maguire, who won his only UFC fight over DaMarques Johnson in April via submission. Hathaway’s experience and well-rounded ability should win out.
Duane Ludwig vs. Che Mills
You’ll want to settle into your seat early for this one. It might not take long. Ludwig, whose nickname is “Bang,” owns the UFC record for fastest knockout – six seconds over Jonathan Goulet in 2006. Mills is an athletic striker who is coming off a loss to rising welterweight star Rory MacDonald. This should be another standup war in the center of the cage.
PRELIMS
Jimi Manuwa vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Andy Ogle vs. Akira Corassani
Brad Tavares vs. Tom Watson
Gunnar Nelson vs. DaMarques Johnson
Jason Young vs. Robbie Peralta
Keep an eye on Nelson, who is making his UFC debut in a catchweight against Johnson. The Iceland native’s submissions are explosive and he could be an exciting addition to the company’s welterweight division. Guys like Tom Watson and Jimi Manuwa are also debuting, although against much tougher guys. Wins for either one of the prospects could be a springboard to bigger and better things to come.
PREDICTIONS
Struve
Hardy
Pickett
Sass
Hathaway
Mills
Kingsbury
Ogle
Tavares
Nelson
Young
Fight of the Night: Sass vs. Wiman
Knockout of the Night: Hardy
Submission of the Night: Nelson