UFC
Roy Nelson says UFC 146 opponent Dave Herman is "the white version of Jon Jones"
May 24, 2012 - 1:30:57 PM Roy Nelson says UFC 146 opponent Dave Herman is "the white version of Jon Jones"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Everyone on the main card for UFC 146 this Saturday night has dealt with either a change in opponent or a short preparation time as an injury replacement, but no one has had as many changes for this particular card as Roy Nelson.

Nelson was initially scheduled to take on Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva on the card, then Silva was moved up to face Cain Velasquez, pitting Nelson against Gabriel Gonzaga. Then Gonzaga suffered an injury taking him out of the event, and Nelson will now face Dave "PeeWee" Herman.

During Wednesday's open workouts in Las Vegas, Nelson was very complimentary of Herman's skills, and even made a rather lofty comparison regarding his opponent.

"He's a realistic threat," Nelson said (via MMAFighting.com). "He's the white version of Jon Jones, tall, lanky, unorthodox, you don't know what you're going to expect. At one time, he liked to party. So, you know, just like Jon Jones."

It was a somewhat serious, somewhat joking response, of course, but he made it clear he sees Herman as a difficult opponent; indeed, Nelson sees more threats from Herman than he did in the original matchup against Silva.

"Dave's one of the most versatile guys out there," Nelson said. "He'll take you to the ground and submit you, he'll ground and pound you, he's more versatile when it comes to unorthodox stuff. You know, with 'Bigfoot,' he's going to plod, he's going to kick you, he's more predictable the things he brings to the table. Dave is more unpredictable."

Penick's Analysis: It's a superficial comparison based on body type and unpredictability, but no one will confuse the skill level between Jones and Herman. Herman's an unpredictable fighter, sure, but that goes as much towards his offense as it does his mental state in a fight. He's been inconsistent with how he performs in his bouts, and there's no telling exactly what version of Herman we're going to see on Saturday night. As for Nelson, he's sure to be prepared for Saturday night, and he'll need to be as he's very much in need of a win.