UFC 99 Preview: The Prelims

Paul Taylor vs. Peter Sobotta

The Breakdown: One of Germany’s prized prospects makes his UFC debut in the homeland as Sobotta matches wits and fists with English invader Paul Taylor. While Taylor will be looking to deliver a spectacular knockout, Sobotta has to be more concerned with getting this fight on the floor and out of harms way before Taylor starts unloading plan A. Just how much Taylor’s grappling has improved could be the deciding factor -- Sobotta’s hopes lie in a mat battle.

The X Factor: Fighting in front of by far the biggest crowd you’ve ever seen in your UFC debut is stressful enough. Throw in a raucous hometown crowd pinning their hopes on you and it starts to get ridiculous for Sobotta. The pressure will be palpable, and how Sobotta responds to it will tell us a lot about the supposed German wunderkind. If he can keep his composure amidst the chaos, we may have Germany’s next great fistic hope.

The Bottom Line: Sure, Sobotta is a solid prospect, but Taylor is the far more battletested of the two and his overall game has improved to the point that some AA-level ground-and-pound won’t be enough to keep him down. The action will be back and forth, but Taylor will make the best of his opportunities while Sobotta gradually buckles under the weight of both the pressure and Taylor’s never-ending offense.