As stated in the last preview, much of the talk amongst the media surrounds the possibility that Brandon Vera will breakout at UFC 105 with a win over Randy Couture. While the match-up is easily one of the most intriguing bouts on the card, two other bouts have drawn my attention over the main event showdown. Denis Kang vs. Michael Bisping was one of those very important match-ups, but the welterweight tilt between British striker Dan Hardy (22-6, 3-0 UFC) and American Kickboxing Academy fighter and long-time UFC fighter Mike Swick (14-2, 9-1 UFC) will be one of the most significant fights on the card as it has title implications attached to it.
While both men seemed to have no problems with one another following run-ins at previous UFC events, the lead-up to this showdown has brought out the trash talk from Dan Hardy in an attempt to get into the mind of Mike Swick, the same tactic he used to anger Marcus Davis to the point of pre-fight rage. Swick seems relatively unaffected by the mind games, but it has brought some bad blood between the two with the potential for the talk to add some fire to this match-up.
Stylistically, this should be one of the better match-ups on the card. Swick brings his trademark "Quick" hands to this fight as he's known for throwing blazing fast combinations. He has solid takedown defense, but he has shown a lackluster ground and pound game in the past. His wrestling ability should be very good as he trains with fellow welterweight fighters Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck.
Hardy brings a history of solid striking ability with the propensity to throw technically superior strikes than most of his competition. He's adept enough to realize that looping punches mixed with straight power blows and jabs is one of his most effective weapons, and training with powerful fighters like Paul Daley can only help him in his quest to become one of the most formidable punchers in the division. He's also very well versed on the floor, something he hasn't had to show heavily in the Octagon yet. The only blemish that we might look at is his inability to finish off Gono, and he actually looked a little deficient in that fight.
I think this is a fight in which Mike Swick could either show us he's a very seasoned striker or reveal his weaknesses in his striking ability. A lot of the hype that surrounds Swick relies on his quick combinations, but his opponents have failed to counter those combinations by slipping in counter jabs. Hardy is very good at throwing those counters, and he's managed to crush some of his opponents with those types of blows. Only until recently with wins over Jonathan Goulet and Ben Saunders has Swick's stock in his striking once again risen to, in my opinion, heavy hyped levels.
On the floor, Hardy can hold his own, and Swick's ground and pound abilities are far from stellar. Hardy's Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques are game enough to catch Swick in the later rounds if he gets lazy, but I am more inclined to believe that Swick will rely heavily on his hands to end this fight. Hardy will be more than enamored with that type of battle.
I'm not a huge fan of Mike Swick for the simple fact that I believe he's a bit overhyped in terms of his striking. He has a chance to shut me and a number of fans up with his performance on Saturday night. It's a tough sell for me to pick Dan Hardy as I think he's another fighter who has been packaged by the UFC as an unbelievable fighter who needs to improve to prove that to be true. He has some solid striking ability, but Swick may have a more well-rounded came to counter. I'll take Swick by decision, but I will secretly be rooting for Dan Hardy to end the hype.