UFC 99 Preview: The Main Card

Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders

The Breakdown: A battle of old and new alumni of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Mike Swick and Ben Saunders know that beyond the obvious clash, this fight is their potential launching pad in the perpetually stacked welterweight division. Although both fighters are known for their striking, Swick has moved away from the mad bomber routine of old and become more varied and methodical in his approach while Saunders’ clinch game and impossibly long reach make him a master of controlling both distance and tempo. That is critical against Swick who often tries for the ground game when things don’t go his way, a tactic that could sound Swick’s death knell if Saunders starts popping jabs from halfway across the cage in between using his devastating Thai clinch technique.

The X Factor: No one knows much of anything about Saunders’ chin and while the old-school 30 seconds or less version of Swick is all but gone, he still has the power and hand speed to chin check anyone. If Saunders gets too cocky about his stand-up game, he’ll be setting himself up for disaster against one of the UFC’s premier fast-break specialists. By the same token, if Swick doesn’t show enough of his frustratingly intermittent aggression, he’ll be behind the cards against a guy who can kill the clock from both close quarters and long distance.

The Bottom Line: One of the most underrated aspects of striking is the ability to control distance and tempo, Saunders has both thanks to his long reach and fluid clinch game. While Swick has the quicker hands and likely more power, he mostly relies on movement and getting in and out, neither of which will work well against Saunders who can choose to either peck away from afar or wait on Swick to come forward and trap him in the clinch. Either way, Saunders takes a spirited decision and continues his unlikely run up the ranks. Just think of him as a mutant version of Rudy Ruettiger.