Five Things No One Is Talking About Leading Up To UFC 128

By Anyaa Carter

Yes, there are fights before the main event at UFC 128. Here are five things I’m looking at before Jon Jones walks into the cage and gets the light heavyweight belt.

Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland:
For some reason the 18-6-1 Eddie Wineland has become a punch line prior to his UFC debut. “Who is Eddie Wineland?” “I couldn’t recognize him if he walked in with a name tag stating his own name!” Well, I remember him. I remember his vicious last two wins. On the WEC’s voyage to Canada, he dropped Will Campuzano with a vicious punch to the body. Anyone who beats another human being with a body punch deserves (and will get) at least a tip of the hat from me. In his last fight against Ken Stone, a brutal KO slam victory immortalized his opponent in GIF form all over forums on the internet. Two violent, high caliber finishes like that lead him to fight one of the faces of the UFC, Urijah Faber. The potential for violence should make fans salivate for this fight, not question him. Whether he wins or loses, I still will be on the edge of my seat when his walkout music comes on.

Raphael Assuncao vs. Erik Koch:
Any Duke Rufus product should get fans excited. 11-1 Erik Koch is coming off a textbook head kick KO win against Francisco Rivera at WEC 52 and faces veteran Raphael Assuncao. Even though Mendes dominated him via takedowns and octagon control, Koch put on a good showing. He kept it interesting by going for submissions and at least making Mendes work for position on the ground. The game plan against Assuncao should highlight Koch’s 5’10 length and considerable reach advantage (Assuncao comes in at 5’5) Koch should be able to score on the feet and if it goes to the ground he definitely has skills. It is going to be tough for Raphael close the distance standing so I see the Brazilian going for the takedown almost immediately. If Koch has a good enough sprawl, Raphael will be another notch on his belt and bring him a step closer to Jose Aldo and the 145 title.

Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle:
Mike Pyle derailed the John Hathaway hype train. I was high in Hathaway and to some degree, I still am, but it made me stop and wonder: Can Pyle make a run at WW? In this fight, he gets the opportunity again to prove himself against Ricardo Almeida. Almeida’s game plan is simple: touch gloves and immediately shoot for a double. He will work for it the entire fight until he gets you on the ground and works his great jiu jitsu game. He uses shoots for an ugly power double IMO and uses one finish (a dump) once his opponent is up against the cage. If Pyle has been watching tape, he should know to get his feet as wide as possible, square up his hips and then use a wizzer to circle off the cage and take the center of the cage. If it were to hit the ground, Pyle can work well off his back. Pyle can win this fight standing and Almeida’s gas tank is not the best. I have no idea where Pyle fits in the big picture at WW, but a win against Almeida would impress me.

Anthony Njokuani vs. Edson Barboza Jr.:
Someone is going to be KO’d when Anthony Njokuani and Edson Barboza step into the octagon. At least I hope. I do not wish harm to either fighter. I just want a spark of violence to start the night out right. Both fighters are going to keep this fight standing. Plain and simple. The difference is Njokuani needs a win to remain in the UFC. Barboza on the other hand can add the 419 Nigerian Mail Scam to his list of victims and put the lightweight division on notice. Stopping a man with leg kicks is impressive, but a sweet KO will get him closer to the top of the lightweight division and possibly a sweet $60,000 check.

Nate Marquardt vs. Dan Miller:
Disclaimer: I am a huge Nate Marquardt fan. Why? He is fun to watch when he focuses and puts together combinations on the feet. Whether those combinations are punches, knees, kicks, it is visually pleasing to see. He has absolutely slaughtered my MMA soul by losing in big fights against Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami, but hey he is still young and he is still a viable opponent for anyone at middleweight. Unfortunately, for Dan Miller, he is going to be outsized and outmatched on the feet. I do not see how Dan gets this to the ground and after seeing him and Maia stand for three rounds, he does not have anything that could threaten Nate standing. I want to see Nate crawl his way back to the top and possibly fight Michael Bisping in the near future.