UFC 137 Preview: The Main Card

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Bantamweights
Jeff Curran (33-13-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Scott Jorgensen (12-4, 1-0 UFC)

The Matchup: A hard-boiled veteran with phenomenal durability and a load of experience, Curran returns to the UFC at 135 pounds. His last appearance in the organization, a January 2004 decision loss to Matt Serra, was at lightweight, back when that was the smallest weight class available.

Jorgenson is a tough wrestler with fairly good but basic standup and solid conditioning. He figures to have the takedown edge, and if he can land his quick right hand, a punch he mixes in nicely with tie-up and takedown attempts, he can put Curran on his back. However, Curran’s subtle jiu-jitsu game is excellent, and he is very experienced and tough to finish; he is equal parts crafty and tricky and uses those traits to stifle opponents looking to work from the top.

The longer this fight spends on the mat, the less exciting it is likely to be, as they figure to cancel one another out. In the context of the bantamweight division, however, it is an interesting bout to move one guy up a couple notches. Jorgenson was unable to mount much effective offense in a one-sided title challenge decision loss to Dominick Cruz, but he remains a tough bantamweight with the basic tools -- wrestling and a great gas tank -- to pose problems for anyone. Curran’s a relatively proven veteran and an upset would be an inspiring story, as “The Big Frog” has hardcore fans who have watched him ply his trade in virtually every major non-UFC promotion for years.

This is a wrestler’s edge fight, with little to choose between them except for Jorgensen’s superior wrestling. The standup is likely to be mostly a stalemate, as both have solid chins and neither man figures to be able to easily hurt the other. Both have good submission defense, though Curran’s submissions are better. He will need them to shut down Jorgensen from the top if “Young Guns” takes him down and to create opportunities to get back to his feet.

The Pick: Jorgensen will probably have too many opportunities to score point-critical takedowns in the eyes of the judges, and he should be able to land a solid shot or two on the feet. He will grind out a unanimous decision.

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