UFC 107 Preview: Can Lightning Strike Twice for Mike Pierce Against Jon Fitch?

The UFC's welterweight division may have a fresh face in the mix at the top of the heap as the surprising wrestling abilities of Mike Pierce (10-2, 1-0 UFC) will take on American Kickboxing Academy fighter and former contender Jon Fitch (20-3, 10-1 UFC) in a bout that could put Fitch back on track at a title shot or put Pierce on the map as a legitimate talent in the weight class. Fitch enters this contest riding a two-fight winning streak with victories over Akihiro Gono and Paulo Thiago while Pierce's lone UFC win came against Brock Larson at UFN 19 in which he was a heavy underdog going into the bout.

Stylistically, this could make for an incredibly boring chess match of wrestling ability. Both Fitch and Pierce come from wrestling backgrounds as Fitch was the captain at Purdue University while Pierce wrestled for Portland State University. Fitch has some competent striking ability and I'd probably give him the edge in that department, but Pierce's surprising wrestling ability is the real focus in this fight due to the importance it has in both fighters' skill-sets.

A lot of fans complained about Mike Pierce's gameplan against Brock Larson. If you didn't get a chance to see it, a majority of the fight was spent on the ground with Larson trying to defend against Pierce's top control game. Unfortunately for fans, Pierce wasn't able to unload a hellish fury of blows from the top in order to end the fight quickly. Larson continually grabbed arms for futile kimura attempts hoping he could get back to his feet and change the pace of the fight. At every instance, Pierce shot, gained the double leg, and explosively dumped Larson on his backside.  It was truly amazing to see how easily he was able to outwrestle a veteran who is primarily known for his wrestling ability

The post-fight argument among fans was that it was one of the most boring fights of the year, and I'll agree that it probably didn't win any of the hearts of the UFC's brass. But a win is a win, and I'd reiterate Joe Rogan's stance that if you can't stop it, keep on doing it. That's exactly what Pierce did, and it paid off with a victory.

Now, Pierce will have the opportunity to try to do the same to a much more seasoned veteran in Jon Fitch. The major difference, however, is that Fitch can provide some offense on the feet, and we haven't seen a whole lot from Pierce in terms of punching prowess. Fitch hasn't faced a great wrestler in awhile with the exception of Georges St. Pierre. Diego Sanchez provided a stiff test, but Pierce should provide a difficult challenge as well.

I'm trying not to overlook Pierce here, but the fact of the matter is that Fitch should be better in every aspect of this fight. He also happens to have one of the best camps in this sport in American Kickboxing Academy. Pierce has Rick Story up at Brave Legion (formerly Braveheart Fight Club), but will that be enough? I'm not banking on it. I'll take Jon Fitch via unanimous decision in this bout.