UFC 92 Breakdown: The Undercard

Antoni Hardonk vs. Mike Wessel

Antoni Hardonk Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 6’4/245 lbs.
Age: 32
Hometown: Weesp, Holland
Fighting out of: Los Angeles
Record: 7-4

The stakes: For some reason, I can’t help but think of Dustin Hoffman in “Rain Man” whenever talk turns to Hardonk. You see, Hoffman played a guy who could not even toast his own waffles, but sit him down at a blackjack table, and he turns into the world’s greatest card shark. Hardonk has a similar problem, as his leg kicks alone make him one of the world’s elite heavyweight strikers, but the rest of his game is about as intimidating as a Shih Tzu. If Hardonk keeps skating by on his striking, he’ll soon be skating out of the UFC.

The breakdown: Picking apart smaller opponents who fancy themselves as strikers is Hardonk’s specialty, and that’s precisely what opportunity he’ll be getting here. As long as Hardonk seizes the initiative on the feet and puts Wessel on gimpy legs early in the game, he should have no problem notching another KO victory. Of course, he’s only one takedown away from turning into Raymond Babbit.

Mike “Juggernaut” Wessel Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 6’0/250 lbs.
Age: 31
Hometown: Celina, Ohio
Fighting out of: Little Rock, Ark.
Record: 6-0

The stakes: As the UFC continues its search for the next generation of heavyweights and tries to replenish its thinning ranks, Wessel steps into this match as a short-notice replacement. Of course, toppling Hardonk would get Wesel plenty of attention from the matchmaking department and likely vault him onto a main card in the future. Lose, and Wessel gets to be just another bit player in a division that has plenty of them.

The breakdown: If you plan on beating Hardonk, there’s only one way to do it, and that’s by taking him down. Unless Wessel has something from Maradona’s “Hand of God” playbook lined up, he’ll end up in a heap if he sticks to his usual brawl-and-brawl-some-more approach. Given Wessel’s past showings, you have to wonder if he has the wherewithal to realize that the takedown or the knockout loss are his only options.


* * * The bottom line: Expect Wessel to come out guns blazing and Hardonk to brush that initial onslaught aside, as his clinical muay Thai takes over and summarily picks apart an overmatched opponent. One can only hope Wessel’s cornermen will have the ice packs ready, as their fighter will have the welts to prove he was in the Octagon with Hardonk.