Preview: UFC Fight Night 118 ‘Cerrone vs. Till’

Middleweights

Oskar Piechota (9-0-1) vs. Jonathan Wilson (7-2)

ODDS: Piechota (-190), Wilson (+165)

ANALYSIS: This bout may seem out of place as a main-card opener, although there is hardly a distinction here since this entire event is being broadcast on UFC Fight Pass. Nonetheless, even if this were a Fox Sports 1 card, this would still appeal to many sensibilities as a television curtain jerker. Here is the deal: Native Gdansk son Piechota is undefeated, 27 years old and very, very good.

If you watched a quick Piechota highlight or went through his record, you may think he was some especially athletic native striker; that is far from the case. Piechota was a jiu-jitsu prodigy out of the Piranha Grappling Team before he was a hot MMA prospect. He went to the 2013 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World championships, and he has beaten Claudio Calasans and Vinny Magalhaes in grappling matches. This man is not to be trifled with on the floor, and he has proved as much in the brief glimpses in which his MMA fights have hit the floor.

However, “Imadlo” -- Polish for a vice grip -- has mostly flexed his striking in his recent fights. He has shown an incredible amount of power in his lead left hand, connecting with punishing, short hooks and some versatility with his feet, having destroyed Brazilian Sergio Souza in 36 seconds with a head kick. The Cage Warriors Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder’s two 2017 fights have both ended in knockouts -- in a combined 68 seconds.

Wilson still remains in a state of chrysalis. Formerly a heavyweight, “Johnny Bravo” is dropping from 205 to 185 pounds for this contest, but weight has not been his problem. An obviously powerful and explosive athlete, Wilson seems content to carve out a niche as a range striker but lacks the craft and assertiveness to attack with more than single shots. He has some basic wrestling and grappling skills but seems to get lost chaining different phases and techniques together. After nine amateur bouts and nine pro bouts, Wilson still seems like a perpetually raw prospect, but he is already 30 years old and appears to have stagnated.

Wilson can hit hard, especially early, before his very shaky cardio rears its ugly head -- a trait that resulted in the lopsided beatings he took from Henrique da Silva and Ion Cutelaba. He would be wise to try to jump on Piechota from the outset and exploit the Pole’s striking confidence. However, that runs contrary to the way Wilson fights. Plus, Piechota prefers to press the action, and despite many quick finishes, the local fighter has gone into the second round comfortably and capably before.

Whether it is with his new, shiny striking or his genuinely world-class grappling, Piechota shows out for his native Gdansk crowd and finishes off Wilson in the late first or early second round.

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