Penick's Take
UFC ON FUEL 5 PREVIEW: Penick's main card fight picks for "Struve vs. Miocic" event in Nottingham
Sep 28, 2012 - 4:35:34 PM UFC ON FUEL 5 PREVIEW: Penick's main card fight picks for "Struve vs. Miocic" event in Nottingham

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

One of the positives for the UFC in being on Fuel TV is that it allows them to stage international shows that can air live in the U.S. On Spike TV, they were often forced to delay the broadcast of free cards until primetime, leading to viewer complaints and internet avoidance for fans who wished not to be spoiled.

On Fuel TV, however, they can run events in Sweden, the UK, even China, and fans who wish to see them live have the option to do so during the day due to the time difference. So it is with tomorrow's event in Nottingham; what is perhaps the best Fuel card to date top to bottom will air live in the middle of the day, so for those who wish to catch it live, they can (provided they have Fuel TV).

And with Saturday's card, there's plenty to catch, as the six-fight main card features a ton of entertaining matchups. Here are some quick thoughts on that main card, along with some predictions for those bouts.

Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic (Heavyweight): Struve wasn't wrong this week when he said this fight won't go five rounds, and one of them is likely to finish it in impressive fashion in the first couple of rounds. Miocic had a rough start against Shane Del Rosario in his last bout, but he brutalized him on the ground in the second frame to take the win. Struve's long limbs work wonders with his submission game, but he hasn't fully been able to utilize his reach on the feet. Miocic hasn't lost a fight yet, so it's tough to say what his real weaknesses are into this one, but while he can connect on the feet and do damage on the ground, things could change it Struve puts him on his back. I think Struve's ground game will be superior here, and though he's just as capable of delivering a finishing blow on his feet, the submission game is his edge here. Struve by submission in the second round.


Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah (Welterweight): Sadollah's win over DaMarques Johnson last March was a performance that seemed to indicate he was turning a corner as a fighter. Then, he got beat by Duane Ludwig in an uninspired performance and edged Jorge Lopez by split decision in an awful fight. Hardy finally bounced back from an awful string of losses in his last bout, knocking out the aforementioned Ludwig in a redemptive victory at UFC 146. Now, returning to fight in his hometown for the first time in years, Hardy will be out to finish Sadollah quickly. If he doesn't he'll be kept along the cage for three rounds en route to a decision loss. No one wants to see that, so let's go with the more exciting pick and Hardy by KO in the first round


Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin (Bantamweight): This is sure to be a fast-paced, back and forth, entertaining bantamweight fight, and Pickett will have a raucous crowd cheering him on here. Though Pickett lost in convincing fashion against now-Interim Bantamweight Champ Renan Barao, he's still a premier talent in the division. Jabouin enters with an undefeated mark at 135 lbs., but this is a big step up for him as well. Pickett's simply the better fighter, and though Jabouin will get in some offense of his own, I like Pickett's overall game to take over, and he may even pull off another highlight reel submission. That's what I'll go with, Pickett by submission in the second round.


Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman (Lightweight): Speaking of highlight reel submissions, if Paul Sass can pull off another one, this time against a man who has never been submitted in his career, that will be one insane statement. Wiman knows what Sass wants to do. Everyone knows what Sass wants to do. Still, it's been impossible to avoid for anyone who has faced him in the Octagon. Wiman's going to be confident in all aspects of his game, and he's probably not going to shy away from fighting on the ground with Sass. Whether that works for him or against him, it's probably going to be a struggle throughout. I can't bet against Sass at this point, not until someone proves they can avoid what they know is coming. Wiman might be that man, but until then, I'm taking Sass by submission in the first round.


John Hathaway vs. John Maguire (Welterweight): Hathaway's rise up the welterweight ranks came to a screeching halt when he ran up against a better grappler in Mike Pyle, and though he's added decision wins over Kris McCray and Pascal Krauss, he hasn't yet gotten back to the type of performances he had prior to the Pyle loss. Maguire, meanwhile, was very impressive with his win over DaMarques Johnson earlier this year. Though Hathaway is a step up in competition from that fight, this is still a winnable bout for Maguire, who hasn't loss since a 2010 decision against now UFC fighter Simeon Thoresen. This should be a competitive fight, but it's going to depend on how Hathaway looks as far as how tough an opponent he'll be. For now, I'm sticking with the theme of the night, with Maguire by second round submission winning out.


Che Mills vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig (Welterweight): Mills got rag-dolled and beat up by Rory MacDonald in his last bout, but he's taking on the right level of competition in this matchup. Ludwig is going to stand and trade with Mills, and this fight will be about who lands first and who lands hardest. At this stage, Ludwig's chin is the bigger question mark, and Mills is a fighter who can test it. I'll take Mills by TKO in the second round.