Underneath a very solid main card, the preliminary fights for UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen feature some serious talent. Fans should hope that Anderson Silva gets his work done quickly in the main event so that some of these scraps make the broadcast.
Dustin Hazelett (-115) vs. Rick Story (+107)
Dustin Hazelett can submit anyone, anytime. This is known. The man, with his focus on practicing jiu-jitsu for jiu-jitsu’s sake, has a very slick game with transitions and setups that most fighters are not prepared for. He’s also naturally very large and has some natural pop in his strikes, although he’s not a kickboxing ace. Hazelett’s biggest weakness seems to be that he has a very open style and isn’t particularly durable. If he stands with Story and lets himself get cracked, or gives Story openings to really pound him on the ground, then Hazelett will take another nap.
Hazelett is a brilliant talent on the ground, and Story isn’t that kind of amazing standout, but what Story is is extremely solid in all areas, which will make him a real threat to Hazelett. Hazelett can win this in a heartbeat, but Story’s advantages give him a significant edge. Rick Story by TKO round 1.
Phil Davis (-675) vs. Rodney Wallace (+500)
Rodney Wallace is done in the UFC. He may not know it yet, but he’s getting bounced. Phil Davis is green, but he’s already clearly on another level from Wallace. Wallace is a strong guy that relies on his wrestling, physical gifts, and punching power. Davis is a far superior athlete and wrestler, and is simply going to run over him by however he wants. It’s likely that with only two weeks to specifically prepare for the opponent, Davis will play it safe and try to wear Wallace down from top position early and not risk any escapes that could let Wallace sling desperation haymakers. Phil Davis by submission round 1.
Tim Boetsch (-400) vs. Todd Brown (+300)
It’s a joy to have Tim Boetsch back in the UFC. The man will probably never be an elite LHW, but his meat-and-potatoes fighting style is a joy to watch. Furthermore, respect must always be given to any man that walks out to the Conan theme. Brown is a very late replacement for an injures Thiago Silva in this fight, and Boetsch should be able to man-handle him. Boetsch is a good enough wrestler to keep off his back against Brown, and he has enough defensive grappling not to fall into a submission the way Brown’s less-than-stellar opposition has. Boetsch has a propensity to wear himself out throwing those wild hammers, but Brown should be finished on the canvas before Boetsch runs out of steam. Tim Boetsch by TKO round 1.
Charlie Brenneman(+325) vs. Johny Hendricks (-400)
Brenneman has no offense aside from wrestling. Hendricks is a better wrestler. That’s a pretty simple equation. Hendricks will be on top doing work for the duration of this fight. Johny Hendricks by decision.
Christian Morecraft (+165) vs. Stefan Struve (-185)
Struve is terrible at using his reach on the feet, but he’s exceptional at using it on the ground, to set up submissions that shock even BJJ black belts because they come from so far out. Unless Morecraft has done diligent tape study of the positions Struve prefers to set up triangles from, he’s in huge danger when the fight hits the floor. On the feet, Morecraft should just be trying to land big shots on the hittable and fragile Struve, but Morecraft doesn’t have the kind of technique or power that has put Struve down in his recent fights, and Struve will probably be far more cognizant of his weaknesses and simply try to bully Morecraft to the floor early on. Struve has a long way to go to achieve his full potential, but this will be a step in that direction. Stefan Struve by submission, round 1.
Dennis Hallman (+205) vs. Ben Saunders (-220)
Why is Dennis Hallman back in the UFC? The only explanation is to hand Hughes a chance at revenge, but why is Hallman not fighting Hughes then? Saunders is a decent fighter with a ton of reach on Hallman and some dangerous striking offense. Saunders has enough size and grappling acumen not to fall into an instant-submission or get positionally dominated, which really is all Hallman can rely on. Saunders has enough pop to put Hallman away if he can really crack him, which he should be able to do eventually as Hallman slows down after failing to get takedowns on the physically larger Saunders. Ben Saunders by TKO round 2.
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