UFC 93 Breakdown: The Undercard

Tomasz Drwal vs. Ivan Serati

Tomasz “Gorilla” Drwal Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’0/205 lbs.
Age: 26
Hometown: Nowy Sacz, Krakow, Poland
Fighting out of: San Diego
Record: 14-2

The stakes: The latest chapter in the storied rivalry between Poland and Italy … OK, so there is no rivalry and I’m just making stuff up -- go write your congressperson. Anyway, some of you may remember Drwal from his bout with Thiago Silva, which was my pick for the best slopfest of 2007.

It’s hard to believe that Drwal lost that bout nearly a year and a half ago, but it’s hardly surprising that it took that long for the matchmakers to forget the showing and give him a second chance. If we get slopfest 2K9 from Drwal, the Poles could be looking at a UFC blacklisting.

The breakdown: While Drwal didn’t win many fans in his UFC debut, he did show plenty of punching power and brute physicality before his conditioning gave out in the same time it takes Rosie O’Donnell to wipe out the craft services table.

As long as Drwal stays away from the buffet and presses Serati with punches and slams, he has an easy road to victory lined up as Serati tends to wilt against opponents who can outmuscle him.

Ivan “Il Terrible” Serati Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’1/205 lbs.
Age: 34
Hometown: Monza, Italy
Fighting out of: Milan, Italy
Record: 10-2

The stakes: A UFC neophyte, it appears Serati was brought in to satisfy the Italian quota for the UFC’s latest European adventure. There is no nice way to say that Serati probably lucked his way into a UFC bid, as his record has been built at the expense of opponents who graduated from the Inspector Clouseau school of MMA.

With his legitimacy already on par with Bristol Palin’s womb prisoner, Serati needs to man up and prove Italy has more to offer than Alessio Sakara and Luigi from “The Simpsons.”

The breakdown: Serati is short on options in this one. He’d be hard pressed to last more than a couple of minutes on the feet with Drwal, and his guard work is about as potent as a Shirley Temple. Forget the UFC prototype; I don’t think that meets the standards of the KOTC prototype.

What Serati does have in his favor is a strong top position game backed up by solid ground-and-pound and submissions. As long as Serati can survive what is likely to be a rough opening patch, he could easily capitalize on Drwal’s flagging cardio and gain the top control he needs to win.


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The bottom line: When your best shot at a win rests on surviving an opening-bell blitzkrieg, waiting for your opponent to gas out and scoring an unlikely takedown, it might be time to bet your purse on the other guy.

Illegal investments aside, Drwal’s rugged striking and mountain man slams should be more than enough to overwhelm Serati in short order.