Quarterly Rankings
Paul Buentello vs. Stefan Struve
If ever there was a fight that wasn't going the distance, this is it. Paul Buentello and Stefan Struve have combined for 42 career victories and all but one of them have come by stoppage. Their matching abilities to finish fights is pretty much where the similarities end though. Buentello, known as the "Headhunter" likes to bang. He earned his nickname through 16 career knockout wins and he's on a roll, losing only 3 of his last 19 dating back to 2001. If Struve mistakes him for a one-dimensional brawler that could prove costly- Buentello has also finished 7 fights by submission. Although a few of those taps were due to strikes, the Headhunter has the experience and ground game to compete on the floor just as well. "Skyscraper" Struve didn't earn his nickname, he grew into it. At 6'11" he poses problems for fighters of any style. Struve's career sums up pretty simply. If you step into the cage with him there's a pretty good chance that you'll be tapping on his leg shortly thereafter. Of his 18 victories he has finished an astounding 14 by submission. He once finished a fight in the U.K. by first round triangle choke in an amazing 20 seconds. In this classic battle of contrasting styles, the outcome is anybody's guess.
Both of these fighters are coming off of losses in good performances. Florian was just over-matched by lightweight champ and highly ranked pound for pound fighter B.J. Penn. Guida was beaten by current number one contender Diego Sanchez in a 3 round war that's sure to be a fight of the year candidate. Florian, 11-4 in his career, is best known as a muay thai expert but his jiu-jitsu is probably even more dangerous as 7 of his 11 wins have come via submission. Florian is one of the more cerebral fighters in all of mma. His game plans and ability to carry them out are what sets him apart from most fighters. When it comes to pace and overall toughness, few can compare to that of Clay Guida. He's like a giant, hairy Energizer Bunny that can fight after main-lining a pot of Peruvian coffee. No matter what happens, this guy just keeps coming. In the Sanchez fight, he seemed to be finished on several occasions but in a matter of seconds he was recovered and back to throwing haymakers. Guida's popularity comes from not only his toughness but also in the way fans can relate to his blue-collar, "regular guy" style. His nickname, the "Carpenter" comes from his most recent job before fighting full time and he's also worked on an Alaskan crab boat. Guida's strong wrestling background makes him a danger to anyone on the ground and his cardio is second to none. Anytime he steps into the cage there's a chance for "Fight of the Night".
Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce
Fitch was originally supposed to fight Ricardo Almeida at UFC 106. When Almeida was scratched because of any injury the UFC scheduled Thiago Alves to replace him at 107. Now Alves is also injured and Fitch will now square off against Portland, Oregon native Mike Pierce. Pierce's name might not carry the reputation of an Almeida or Alves but he's 10-1 and hungry to prove that he belongs on a main card against top fighters. He was very impressive in his last outing, a unanimous...
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