In the co-main event headliner at UFC 102, light heavyweights Keith Jardine (14-5-1) and Thiago Silva (13-1) will clash in what should be deemed a battle for both fighters to get back into a relevant situation within the division. Both men are coming off losses to upper-echelon talent as Jardine lost to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson via decision at UFC 96 while Silva was destroyed by Lyoto Machida at UFC 94.

Keith Jardine appeared on The Ultimate Fighter season 2 as a heavyweight competitor. Jardine was one of the favorites during the show, but he was defeated at the hands of current light heavyweight fighter and training partner Rashad Evans in a semi-finals match-up. Since the show, he's went 6-4 in the Octagon with notable wins over Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Wilson Gouveia, and Brandon Vera. 

Jardine trains out of Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting in Albequerque, New Mexico. For this fight, he's been training with Elliot Marshall, Nate Marquardt, and Brian Stann along with some boxing and kickboxing fighters from Denver, which probably means he's been working with Trevor Wittman as well. Jardine's main focus in fights is maintaining range and using his boxing and kickboxing skills to point on opponents. It worked effectively against both Brandon Vera and Chuck Liddell, and it could easily work against an aggressive but short Thiago Silva.

Thiago Silva came to the UFC after amassing a 9-0 record in Brazil and Japan. He was a boy who grew up in the slums in Brazil, but found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as his calling at a very young age. He trained at the Chute Box Academy for most of his career before the UFC, training primarily in jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai -- the typical mold of all Chute Box fighters. He has earned the rank of black belt in jiu-jitsu along with being known for possessing an aggressive Muay Thai striking style.

Currently, Silva trains out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, a mecca of top MMA talent. He'll primarily be focusing on his striking for this bout as Jardine will likely try to stay away from any ground battle with Silva's jiu-jitsu prowess. Silva's striking game isn't exactly the most technical attribute in his skill-set. He comes in very aggressive, and he's paid for it with counters by his opponents in the past. Antonio Mendes and Tomasz Drwal nearly ended his night in their previous bouts, and Silva will need to look out for anything Jardine offers if he wants to remain aggressive.

This battle should be a typical chess match on the feet. Jardine will look to maintain distance while using his kicks to set up his stand-up game. Silva will want to be a bit more aggressive and put a powerful overhand on Jardine's chin, but I wouldn't put it past Silva to take down Jardine and try to mount an offensive by passing guard.

Ultimately, Jardine will need to avoid the early onslaught that put him down for the count against Houston Alexander and Wanderlei Silva. Thiago Silva does possess the sort of aggressive style that could end up tagging Jardine early, but if Silva wants to wage a kickboxing type of chess match with Jardine... he'll probably lose due to the range advantage that Jardine possesses. 

With almost anyone who loses after a lengthy undefeated streak, Silva could come out looking to do whatever he can not to lose. That may bring this fight to a boring pace in which both fighters aren't willing to take chances, but Silva's best chance is to go after Jardine from the opening bell. If he can create a scramble while throwing powerful punches, he could potentially win this battle in the first round. Anything else may put this fight into Jardine's hands.