UFC 112 Preview: The Main Card

Terry Etim vs. Rafael dos Anjos

The Breakdown: This is the kind of matchmaking everyone needs to get behind. Both Terry Etim and Rafael dos Anjos have been putting on quality dustups ever since they got their big league ticket. More quality awaits as Etim’s aggressive striking and submission game will put pressure on the cool, calm and collected style of dos Anjos.

If there is a lynchpin to this fight, it’s dos Anjos’ underrated wrestling skill. Etim has struggled when forced to work off his back against superior wrestlers -- a troubling flaw since dos Anjos will be able to score takedowns at will, which also makes Etim’s striking less of an asset than usual. Even if dos Anjos does oblige Etim on the feet for a while, no one will soon forget the leg kick spree he went on at Rob Emerson’s expense in their fight at UFC 103.

Something tells me Etim’s spindly legs will make for a fine target. While dos Anjos isn’t the most defensively sound striker, he is durable and doesn’t give his opponents many openings. Being able to hold his own while striking and having the trump card while wrestling will make this fight a straightforward proposition for dos Anjos, but he’ll have to be wary of Etim’s Cobra Kai-level offense every step of the way.

The Bottom Line: As per usual, Etim will make this fight far more exciting than it should be, but his four-fight win streak is on borrowed time at this point. Dos Anjos is stylistic poison to him. Every opportunity Etim gets will be one he jumps on like a vulture, but dos Anjos’ ability to control where the fight goes is the one thing he can’t do anything about.