In the evening's first main card bout, UFC veteran Brandon Vera (10-3) will continue his ascension up the light heavyweight ranks as he takes on former IFL fighter and TUF Season 8 fighter Krzysztof Soszynski (18-8-1). Vera is currently 2-1 since his move to the light heavyweight division with wins over Reese Andy and Mike Patt at UFN 14 and UFC 96 respectively, and dropping a split decision to Keith Jardine at UFC 89. Soszynski is coming into the bout with an impressive six-fight win streak that includes wins over former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann and former IFL fighter Andre Gusmao. He was a favorite on The Ultimate Fighter season 8, but he was defeated by finalist Vinny Magalhaes in a semi-final match-up via submission. He returned at the TUF Finale to defeat Shane Primm via kimura.

Soszynski is a Polish immigrant that moved to Winnipeg when he was 10 years old. Unlike many of today's up-and-coming talent, Soszynski actually comes from a mold of that is predominant in the earlier fighters in the UFC in a pro wrestling background. He ended up training the techniques of jiu-jitsu at a gym in Winnipeg under Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Rodrigo Munduruca. He also had the benefit of working with former pro wrestler Allen "Bad News Brown" Coage, who suprisingly was an Olympic Bronze Medalist in Judo at the 1976 Olympics Games and a gold medal winner at the 1967 and 1975 Pan-Am games in Judo at Heavyweight.

From those early training sessions, Soszynski entered the world of mixed martial arts. He's mainly considered a ground and pound fighter with solid stand-up skills and good submission technique on the ground. He trains out of Team Quest with Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. He widely known for using the under-utilized kimura in competition, but he's recently been showing some much more improved stand-up in his fights. The Andre Gusmao victory was a prime example of that progression.

Vera comes from a Filipino-American family that was raised in the Norfolk, Virginia area. He was a wrestling standout at his high school and earned a scholarship to Old Dominion University, but dropped out and joined the Air Force. He actually joined the wrestling team with the Air Force, but tore ligaments in his elbow in 1999. Losing use of his right arm due to the injury, he was medically discharged from the service.

After the discharge, he rehabilitated his arm enough to enter submission wrestling competitions on the East Coast that grabbed the eye of Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Lloyd Irvin. Irvin introduced him to mixed martial arts and trained him at his gym. Vera also trained in the area at gyms to add a Muay Thai base to his skill-set as well. He trained with the likes of wrestlers Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, and Matt Lindland during his stint in the Air Force at the U.S. Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs, so his Greco-Roman base isn't bad either. He holds a brown belt under Lloyd Irvin, and he was a W.K.A. Muay Thai National Champion.

Stylistically, Vera should have the advantage of both having better jiu-jitsu and better overall striking. He has vicious kicking power from his Muay Thai base along with devasting knees in the Thai plum. Soszynski is a major question mark in how he approaches the striking game though he did manage to dismantle Muay Thai figher Andre Gusmao standing. Vera is much more elusive in the striking department though as he's only been finished once in competition (i.e. loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 85).

Brandon Vera ultimately will decide if he loses this fight. If his cut to 205 goes similar to his cut against Reese Andy, Soszynski will finish him. Being at his fourth fight at the weight class, he shouldn't have huge problems coming in with energy to spare. He has better striking, jiu-jitsu, and talent in comparison to Soszynski, so he should get the win on Saturday night.