UFC 107 Preview: The Prelims

Johny Hendricks vs. Ricardo Funch

The Breakdown: After knocking out would-be UFC golden goose Amir Sadollah in the time it takes Chris Brown to form a complete sentence, Hendricks has been inexplicably demoted to the undercard and finds himself in a must-win situation against fellow undefeated prospect Ricardo Funch.

A loss here would nullify his starching of Sadollah. That is certainly a possibility against Funch, who has the kryptonite for every young wrestling convert -- jiu-jitsu. Of course, taking down a two-time Division 1 wrestling champion is harder than the LSAT, and Hendricks happens to have the striking to put down Funch like Old Yeller.

Prone to getting into brawls and especially weak inside the clinch, Funch has some major holes that Hendricks is built to take advantage of. Specifically, Hendricks’ striking is built for the clinch thanks to a sneaky left uppercut. That is the punch that was supposed to have stamped his ticket to the big-time, and it just might be the punch that sends Funch back to the B-leagues.

The X-Factor: Hendricks is not without his flaws. The most worrisome one is his conditioning, which nearly cost him his bout with Alex Serdyukov at WEC 39. Working past the first round is a regular reality in the UFC, and if Hendricks’ gas tank isn’t up to snuff, Funch’s will only have to last long enough to take advantage.

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The Bottom Line: Funch just doesn’t have the wrestling to force Hendricks to the mat, and there aren’t many human beings with the chin to shrug off his punches. Expect that unorthodox left uppercut to show up like Spike Lee at a Knicks game as Hendricks notches his second-straight TKO scalp in the Octagon.