UFC Fight Night Preview

Ed Herman vs. Alan Belcher

Herman Scouting Report

Ht/Wt: 6’2”/185 lbs.
Age: 27
Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.
Fighting out of: Portland, Ore.
MMA record: 14-6

Why he’ll win: One of the middleweight division’s lunch-pail types, Herman won’t wow you with his game, but he knows how to wear down opponents with ground-and-pound while stifling their games. Given Belcher’s reliance on his striking, Herman has just the kind of opponent he excels against.

Why he’ll lose: Herman gets himself in trouble when he gets a bit too daring, and Belcher has the striking to end this bout in short order. While submissions are less of a concern, Herman will be tapping like Fred Astaire if he leaves himself exposed.

Belcher Scouting Report

Ht/Wt: 6’2”/185 lbs.
Age: 24
Hometown: Jonesboro, Ark.
Fighting out of: Biloxi, Miss.
MMA record: 12-5

Why he’ll win: One of the division’s more dangerous strikers, Belcher lives up to his “Talent” moniker when it comes to landing fight-changing strikes. Given that Herman likes to use the clinch, don’t be surprised if Belcher responds with the Thai plum and puts Herman down with knees and elbows.

Why he’ll lose: Dynamic fighters often struggle against opponents who can shut down their game, and Herman is just that kind of fighter. If Belcher can’t stop Herman’s takedowns, he’ll be staring down the barrel of a second straight loss.


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The bottom line: Belcher simply doesn’t have the wrestling to stop Herman from imposing his ground-and-pound game, which will leave him searching for offense while Herman builds a lead. The search will end up going about as well as Geraldo Rivera raiding Al Capone’s vault. * * * Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer

Alexander Scouting Report

Ht/Wt: 6’0”/205 lbs.
Age: 36
Hometown: East St. Louis, Ill.
Fighting out of: Omaha, Neb.
MMA record: 8-3 (1 NC)

Why he’ll win: Alexander is always dangerous inside the cage thanks to his explosive striking and incredible strength -- a combination that often overwhelms opponents unprepared for his opening-bell blitz.

Why he’ll lose: Once that blitz ends, so does Alexander, who has subpar conditioning and little in the way of submissions or wrestling. Considering Schafer’s wrestling and submission-centric game, Alexander will have to bank on his striking carrying the day.

Schafer Scouting Report

Ht/Wt: 6’3/205 lbs.
Age: 30
Hometown: Fond du Lac, Wisc.
Fighting out of: Milwaukee, Wisc.
MMA record: 9-3-2

Why he’ll win: An underrated submission wrestler, Schafer has shown capable wrestling and surprising slickness on the ground -- a major trump card against Alexander’s one-dimensional style.

Why he’ll lose: Schafer doesn’t have the striking to corral Alexander. He’ll have to be cautious from the get-go, or Alexander will be adding a red scalp to his collection.


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The bottom line: No one likes the idea of having to survive Alexander’s DMX-inspired rage, but Schafer has the wrestling to close the gap and get Alexander on the ground. From there, Alexander will be more P Diddy than Nasty Nas.


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Undercard

Keeping alive the proud tradition of a quality undercard, the UFC delivers with a six-pack of bouts that put the spotlight on the middleweights. First up is the return of Roman slugger Alessio Sakara, who takes on UFC newcomer and fellow fisticuff fan Joe Vedepo. A guaranteed slugfest if there ever was one, although Drew McFedries has been the UFC’s resident slugfest highlight reel of late. Matched against Mike Massenzio, look for McFedries to add some new clips to the reel.

The most evenly matched of the middleweight bouts, however, may be the clash between Ryan Jensen and newfound middleweight convert Wilson Gouveia. Look for plenty of offensive fireworks between these two well-rounded strikers. Finishing up the middleweight ledger is the dustup featuring Rob Kimmons and Dan Miller, which should keep all you grappling fans out there satiated.

With all that middleweight action, don’t sleep on the lightweights. Joe Lauzon will try to rebound from a loss to Kenny Florian by taking on Kyle Bradley. A classic grappler vs. striker throwdown, look for Lauzon to right the ship. Closing out the untelevised goodness is a pair of UFC neophytes, as Jason Brilz locks horns with Brad Morris in the always wide-open light heavyweight division.