UFC 94 Breakdown: The Undercard

Jake O'Brien vs. Christian Wellisch

Jake “Irish” O’Brien Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’3/205 lbs.
Age: 24
Hometown: Indianapolis
Fighting out of: Indianapolis
Record: 10-2

The stakes: After disappearing from the UFC following back-to-back losses to Andrei Arlovski and Cain Velasquez, O’Brien will attempt a return against another returning UFC exile. Given the undercard status of this bout and the unsure footing both men are on in the UFC, O’Brien needs this win desperately.

The breakdown: This is the kind of vintage wrestler-versus-striker clash that every card needs, and if O’Brien plans to pick up a much-needed win, he would do well sticking to his wrestling roots against Wellisch. While Wellisch does have surprising submission savvy for a fighter who prefers to stay on his feet, O’Brien has the strong base and positioning needed to keep “The Hungarian Nightmare” in place. O’Brien needs to improve upon his impotent ground-and-pound, which often leads to referee restarts, in order to secure victory. The last thing O’Brien needs is extra time on the feet with Wellisch.

Christian “The Hungarian Nightmare” Wellisch Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’3/205 lbs.
Age: 33
Hometown: Budapest, Hungary
Fighting out of: Sacramento, Calif.
Record: 8-4

The stakes: Thankfully, Wellisch has made it back to civilization after his knockout loss to Shane Carwin at UFC 84 and has another shot at staking his claim to a spot in the UFC light heavyweight division. All he has to do is take out an opponent with the exact same motivation.

The breakdown: Ironically, Wellisch’s versatility may be his downfall in this fight, as his willingness to work off his back is a bad mentality to have against a wrestler like O’Brien. What Wellisch needs to do is crack O’Brien from the opening bell and make it clear that every step O’Brien takes forward will mean taking a shot to the dome. If Wellisch can control the distance and keep O’Brien on his back foot, this fight becomes a glorified sparring session for the talented Hungarian.


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The bottom line: Thinking Wellisch will pull it all together and figure out his talents is as compelling as it is unlikely. O’Brien, unlike many young wrestlers, has no illusions about his skill set and immediately goes about his usual business of grinding out a top control special. Count on Wellisch making it interesting, but do not count on him leaving the cage victorious.