UFC 109 Preview: The Prelims

Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz

The Breakdown: One of the ongoing clichés of fight sport is that every fight is “do or die.” For Danzig and Buchholz, losing this fight really could mean an exit from the UFC. While Danzig at least doesn’t have to worry about being on the wrong end of another Dan Gable special, Buchholz has to know that his takedown and submission defense have failed him before and will be tested yet again.

The only way Buchholz is going to keep from replaying his submission losses to Terry Etim and Matt Wiman is by using his muay Thai-influenced style to keep Danzig on the defensive. Unlike most strikers in MMA, Buchholz mixes up his kicks to establish range and set up his punches instead of the other way around.

When he’s attacking, Buchholz is fluid and sharp. His kicks are accurate, and he knows how to sneak in punches behind them. Defense is another story, though, as Buchholz does not respond well to pressure and often resorts to moving straight back and covering up instead of using lateral movement or trying to counterstrike.

Two things that Danzig excels at are catching opponents as they’re moving in and using combinations in the pocket, both of which will give Buchholz problems. Combine that with Danzig’s superior footwork and aggressive striking style, and suddenly Buchholz has to hope his kicks are enough to keep Danzig at bay.

Even if Buchholz can consistently score with kicks and follow-up punching combinations, getting taken down is something he can’t really prevent. Danzig’s wrestling is never going to get him an invitation to the Olympics, but his double leg is solid and he’s adept at using the collar tie to set up outside leg trips.

Once he hits the mat, Buchholz has shown he can’t execute basic techniques like locking down guard or controlling posture. That basically means that his guard is easier to pass than a third grade spelling test. Danzig’s best fistic assets have always been his guard passing and finishing skills from top control, and Buchholz doesn’t have an answer for either.

The Bottom Line: Danzig will have the luxury of getting into a few exchanges with Buchholz since his chin and underrated boxing skill should be enough to keep him upright, but he’s far too cerebral a fighter to play into Buchholz’s game plan. Once MMA’s premier vegan realizes he can close the pocket with no consequences, a takedown and tapout won’t be far behind.