UFC Live 6 Preview: The Main Card

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Lightweights
Matt Wiman (13-6, 7-4 UFC) vs. Mac Danzig (20-8-1, 4-4 UFC)

The Matchup: This is a rematch of a June 2010 bout in which Wiman won by a guillotine choke that many thought did not warrant a stoppage. Since entering the UFC in 2006, Wiman has been a reliable-if-midlevel talent, offering a stout test with a mix of wrestling and willing standup, though his default plan is to take down opponents when the action gets too hot on the feet. His close decision loss to Dennis Siver in July was a controversial one, namely because Wiman won on some scorecards and secured more takedowns.

Danzig, meanwhile, has soldiered through his UFC career with mixed results since winning Season 6 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” With experience against world-class competition under his belt before he ever stepped into the Octagon, Danzig has found himself fighting like a “tweener” in certain bouts, as he was outwrestled by better grapplers and lacked the effective standup to dictate the range to deny opponents tie-ups and takedowns. He scored a nice one-punch knockout on the faded Joe Stevenson in his last outing in December, but given Stevenson’s careening stock of late, that does not look as impressive as it originally seemed. Danzig’s comfort zone is on the ground, where he uses good jiu-jitsu and a hard-boiled veteran’s savvy to outthink opponents.

A win here does not vault either guy into the Top 10 of the division, but any victory is critical in an especially stacked division where opportunities and tough fights are everywhere.

Wrestling will be key in this bout, and the critical battle will be for the first takedown in an attempt to win the opening round and do sufficient damage to impress judges and wear out the opponent. Expect plenty of scrambles back to the feet, as both are excellent at doing so. Wiman’s standup is decidedly better, and he hits with more power, so Danzig will probably want to turn this into a wall-and-brawl match against the cage if he cannot score takedowns easily.

One given with Wiman is that he will ground-and-pound opponents, instead of just laying in their guards. This can make a major difference with judges. His slightly better athleticism and punching power will tilt the scales his way in a back-and-forth battle.

The Pick: Wiman by decision.

Jason Probst can be reached at [email protected] or twitter.com/jasonprobst.