'The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale' Preview

Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach

The Breakdown: A late replacement for the injured Kurt Pellegrino, Veach gets a chance to send shockwaves through the lightweight division with a win over Edgar. Far easier said than done, however, as Edgar is essentially a more refined version of the HIT Squad disciple. Prone to getting reckless on the feet, Veach can ill-afford his usual rabid wolverine routine against a fighter as slick and studied as Edgar.

Equally important is how Veach uses his wrestling in conjunction with his striking since Edgar has finally developed the takedown defense to avoid being physically overpowered by the Herculoids of the 155-pound class. Most of Veach’s success thus far can be credited to brute physicality and natural talent, neither of which will get him far against Edgar, who has textbook answers for both.

The X-Factor: Edgar’s only downfall has been his relative lack of bulk in a division that is increasingly populated by temporarily dehydrated welterweights. While Edgar makes up for it with equal measures of speed and skill, you still get the feeling it’s a matter of time before someone grabs a hold of him and starts playing big brother.

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The Bottom Line: It’s rare that a quality undefeated prospect gets led to the slaughter, but the cage will quickly become Hannibal Lecter’s office for Veach as he finds himself outclassed and outgunned against Edgar. True to form, Veach will keep pressing the action, and he’ll eventually end up running headfirst into a TKO loss.