UFC 120 Preview: The Main Card

James Wilks vs. Claude Patrick

Life in the UFC’s welterweight division will only get more difficult for Wilks. His match with the little known but vastly talented Patrick stands as a testament to that fact. With the UFC’s recent dismissal of fellow “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Efrain Escudero still fresh in the minds of many, one has to wonder if Wilks’ performances have him on the verge of being cut loose.

Either way, he finds himself in an awfully tough spot against Patrick. Ideally, Wilks would use the clinch to score a takedown and run a Mario Sperry seminar, as he works different positions in search of a submission. However, Patrick has proven incredibly dangerous in the clinch; a superior wrestler in this matchup, he also has a cache of guillotine choke transitions at his disposal.

Patrick’s combination of neck-snapping grip strength and adroit understanding of when and when not to commit to the hold makes him a natural with it. However, to define him by the guillotine would be to ignore his overall grappling game.

Wilks may be more willing to make daring gambits on the floor, but Patrick does an excellent job of holding position and finishing the submissions he attempts. That’s what the fight boils down to, as Patrick wields the better wrestling and a more efficient grappling style. Plus, the Canadian will always be on the lookout for an exposed neck. Expect Wilks to meet his demise there.