UFC 115 Preview: The Prelims

Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick

Few fighters have experienced the career arc Patrick has: an eight-year veteran with only a dozen professional fights who is making his UFC debut as a 29-year-old at a time when the average UFC rookie’s age is rapidly plummeting. However, despite all the easily construed knocks on Patrick, he is a serious welterweight talent and being paired with Ricardo Funch looks like a showcase bout for the talented Canadian.

Everyone who saw Funch’s fight with Johny Hendricks walked away with a profound respect for Funch’s will, but not nearly as much respect for his skill. A somewhat undisciplined fighter who tends to freelance his strategy in the cage, Funch often gets into losing exchanges on the feet that leave him in poor position to defend takedowns. Both are flaws that Patrick is built to exploit, as he has always been exceptionally composed and aware of what he’s trying to do -- a stark contrast to Funch’s go-for-broke style.

Typically, Patrick will change levels early for a single- or double-leg and look to advance position in search of the tapout. Funch did show in his fight with Hendricks exceptional durability and an innate skill at escaping compromising positions, but he doesn’t have the technique to make anything out of those escapes. Making it to the final bell doesn’t mean much when you just spent 15 minutes getting the Tyler Durden special, and Funch’s style suggests he is content with being the kind of fighter he’s always been.

Even if Funch gets the standing exchanges he wants, it’s not like he’s some kill-shot specialist who can starch anything on two legs. Quite the contrary in fact. Funch basically wings looping arm punches that tax his cardio more than anything else. Patrick just isn’t going to play that game, and should he decide to test his striking on Funch, you can expect to see lots of leg kicks and the occasional in-and-out punching combination at most.

I suspect this fight was made to kill two birds with one stone: namely, to give the UFC an excuse to cut Funch while building Patrick into their next welterweight prospect du jour. The apple cart does get tipped over in the Octagon with stunning regularity, but Patrick is simply too skilled and disciplined to let himself get into the kind of fight Funch wants. There may not be many sloppy exchanges designed to please bloodthirsty fans, but Patrick will thoroughly dismantle Funch en route to an easy decision win.