UFC 106 Preview: The Prelims

Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann

The Breakdown: Moved to the main card after Karo Parisyan withdrew from his welterweight showdown with Dustin Hazelett, Thiago looks to get back on the left side of the ledger by spoiling the debut of Volkmann, an undefeated Minnesota Martial Arts Academy disciple. This serves as an interesting pairing since it will give both men the opportunity to show off their jiu-jitsu game against a willing opponent.

Not quite the dream scenario Volkmann may believe it to be since Thiago has shown quality submission skills when given the chance. While Volkmann may be the superior wrestler, he will be making a quantum leap in competition against a fighter who can render his wrestling a moot point.

The X-Factor: Thiago was universally written off entering his UFC debut against Josh Koscheck; all it took was a doom-hammer uppercut to turn him into a legitimate contender. A win for Volkmann may not reverberate quite as loudly, but the UFC has a long history of prospects pulling off the statistically improbable.

Some fighters shine with the pressure on, and Volkmann may well prove to be that rare breed. For his own sake, he had better hope so because this looks like a flat-out brutal way to make your debut in the big show.

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The Bottom Line: Look forward to a quality grappling clinic, with Thiago proving the superior limb manipulator and Volkmann struggling to find his groove against a far more technically sound opponent. The end comes in the second round, as Thiago advances position with surgical precision before cinching a textbook armbar from the mount.