UFC 91 Breakdown: The Undercard

Alvin Robinson vs. Mark Bocek

Robinson Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’8”/155 lbs.
Age: 26
Hometown: West Covina, Calif.
Fighting out of: Denver
Record: 9-3

The stakes: One of Royce Gracie’s prized pupils, Robinson has yet to match the UFC accolades of his ju-jitsu instructor and now finds himself with a 1-2 record in the Octagon. He faces the possibility of being bounced from the UFC if he can’t even out his ledger at Bocek’s expense. If “Kid” is ever going to carve out a spot inside the sport’s hallowed cage, he needs not only to win but to do so in impressive fashion.

The breakdown: Hardly your stereotypically slight grappler, Robinson’s stout, powerful build belies his vast technical ability on the mat. Those skills will come in handy against Bocek, a legitimate grappling terror who’s regarded as one of Canada’s premier prospects. With that in mind, Robinson needs to secure top position and use his ground-and-pound to open up guard passing opportunities while also staying mindful of Bocek’s sweeps and submissions. The same hard-nosed approach served Robinson well against Jorge Gurgel at UFC 77, and he’ll need a repeat to take out Bocek.

Bocek Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’8”/155 lbs.
Age: 27
Hometown: Toronto
Fighting out of: Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada
Record: 5-2

The stakes: Stuck with the same middling 1-2 mark as Robinson, Bocek entered the UFC viewed by many as the next great Canadian prospect set to make a splash in the lower 48. Those hopes quickly turned sour, and Bocek’s now barely hanging onto a UFC contract in one of the most stacked divisions around. Simply put, win or go home is the name of the game for Bocek and his quarry.

The breakdown: While no one doubts Bocek’s ground wizardry, it has become apparent that he relies on gaining top position; his bottom game leaves much to be desired. Throw in suspect striking, and Bocek has no choice but to go for broke in search of a takedown, as any other approach leaves him painfully vulnerable. If Bocek can avoid the clinch -- where Robinson excels -- and force him into a slow-paced ground war, he’ll have a win well in hand.


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The bottom line: Someone will continue their tumble down the slippery slope of expectations, and the style clash here favors Robinson, who has solid wrestling ability and knows how to fend off a skilled grappler. Bocek simply lacks the dominant wrestling to make his jiu-jitsu sing, and once his top game’s off the table, he doesn’t have anything else on which to fall back.