UFC Fight Night 18 Breakdown: The Prelims

Rob Kimmons vs. Joe Vedepo

The Breakdown: One of several undercard middleweight tilts, Kimmons (21-4) and Vedepo make for one of the night’s more intriguing style clashes, as Kimmons’ straightforward jiu-jitsu game goes against Vedepo’s well-rounded, catchall attack. The major difference, however, is that Kimmons’ jiu-jitsu is a major advantage, while Vedepo (7-2) lacks an extensive offensive arsenal. Unless Vedepo can force Kimmons out of his comfort zone, he will get stuck trying to survive a grappling clinic for which he is not prepared.

The X Factor: Like most middling jiu-jitsu converts, Kimmons is not the greatest of wrestlers and he’s not quite as athletic as Vedepo, either. If Kimmons gets himself into exchanges and scrambles, he’ll be at a major disadvantage trying to keep up with Vedepo’s pace. Unless Kimmons stays focused on turning this into a grappling match, he will wind up in a fight he’s not built to win.

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The Bottom Line: Vedepo does not have much to offer against opponents who can force him to fight under their terms. While Kimmons will not hit any light-speed double-legs on Vedepo, he should be able to drag him down fast enough to avoid any damage and do the human pretzel routine at Vedepo’s expense.