UFC on Versus 6 Preview

Walel Watson vs. Joseph Sandoval

UFC rookie Walel Watson (8-2) will make his debut at UFC on VS 6 against another newcomer, Joseph Sandoval (6-0) in the bantamweight division on the preliminary card.

Watson, 27, is a California-based mixed martial artist who fights out of Team Hurricane Awesome. Watson began his professional career in the summer of 2008 with a loss in his debut. He followed that loss with seven straight victories while competing on the regional scene for Gladiator Challenge in California and several promotions throughout Mexico. His second career loss came in May at Tachi Palace Fights 9 via Cody Gibson TKO. He rebounded from that loss in his most recent action this summer with a submission victory over Ismael Leon in Mexico.

Sandoval, 25, is a Texas-based mixed martial artist who fights out of the Bighead MMA team. He made his professional debut in April 2010 and has fought primarily for Shark Fights. Sandoval won four bouts last year and has won both of his contests so far in 2011. He defeated Sean Shakour by decision in March at Shark Fights 14 and then submitted Randy Hinds three months later at Shark Fights 16.

Prediction – Sandoval decision

Josh Neer vs. Keith Wisniewski

A pair of octagon veterans will return to the organization at UFC on VS 6 when Josh Neer (31-10-1) meets Keith Wisniewski (28-12-1) in a welterweight bout on the preliminary card.

Neer, 28, is an Iowa native who remains in-state training out of the Miletich Martial Arts Academy. “The Dentist” began competing as a professional in 2003 and lost only once over his first fifteen bouts fighting on the local scene in Iowa and Mississippi. His impressive start earned him an opportunity to fight in the octagon, where from August 2005 to August 2006 he went 2-3 defeating the likes of Joe Stevenson and Melvin Guillard. Neer won six of his next seven bouts to earn another chance to fight for the UFC. This time he fought for a little over a year and produced the same result: 2 wins in 5 fights. Neer has now earned a third chance inside the UFC after winning six of his last seven while fighting in respectable organizations such as Bellator and Shark Fights. His most recent win took place this past August for the Superior Cage Combat organization when he earned a TKO victory over Blas Avena.

Wisniewski, 29, is an Indiana born mixed martial artist who fights out of the Duneland Vale Tudo fight team. He made his professional debut in 1998 and won nine of his first fifteen while fighting on the local circuit throughout the Midwest. His career really took off from September 2002 through September 2005, winning 13 of his 15 fights to earn a UFC 56 bout with Nick Thompson. Wisniewski lost his lone octagon bout and dropped four more consecutive defeats before turning it all around. Since his five fight losing streak, the submission specialist has won six in a row while fighting all over Indiana and Illinois for a variety of organizations. His most recent victory took place this past April at HFC 7 defeating UFC veteran Chris Wilson via decision.

Prediction – Neer decision

Shane Roller vs. TJ Grant

Former NCAA Division I wrestler Shane Roller (10-4) will look for some consistency inside the octagon at UFC on VS 6 when he meets submission specialist TJ Grant (16-5) in a preliminary bout in the lightweight division.

Roller, 32, is a former All-American collegiate wrestler out of Oklahoma State University who has successfully transitioned into mixed martial arts. The former “Sooner” began competing in professional MMA in 2007 and won three of four while fighting on the regional circuit in Oklahoma. He signed with the WEC in 2008 and won six of his eight bouts for that organization defeating the likes of Jaime Varner and Anthony Njokuani. Roller joined the UFC earlier this year and won his UFC on VS 3 debut in March with a “KO of the Night” victory over Thiago Tavares. He failed to win back to back bouts at UFC 132 this July when Melvin Guillard knocked him out.

Grant, 27, is a native of Nova Scotia, Canada and a five year mixed martial arts veteran. After making his professional debut in 2006, Grant went on to win 13 of his first 15 professional bouts while competing all over eastern Canada on the regional scene. Since joining the UFC over two years ago, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt has alternated wins and losses over his six contests. While he does hold octagon victories over Ryo Chonan, Kevin Burns, and Julio Paulino, Grant lost his most recent fight last December at UFC 124 against Ricardo Almeida.

Prediction – Roller TKO

Mike Easton vs. Jeff Hougland

UFC rookie Mike Easton (10-1) will make his octagon debut at UFC on VS 6 against Northeast-based Bryon Bloodworth (6-1) on the preliminary card in a bantamweight bout after Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Jeff Hougland had to back out due to injury.

Easton, 27, is a Washington D.C. native who splits his training camps between Alliance MMA and Team Lloyd Irvin. “The Hulk” made his professional debut in 2003 and won five of his first six fighting in New Jersey, Virginia, and Brazil. Since joining the Ultimate Warrior Challenge in 2008, he hasn’t lost winning five in a row. Easton won the UWC Bantamweight Championship at UWC 5 in February 2009 with a submission victory over Justin Robbins. He has since defended his belt twice including an October 2009 UWC 7 split decision victory over Chase Beebe in his most recent action.

Bloodworth is a North Carolina-based mixed martial artist who fights out of the Iron Clutch Fitness in Wilmington. The 5’9” Bloodworth made his professional debut in late-2008 and won his first three bouts while fighting for the Carolina Fight Promotions organization. His lone career loss came in a January 2010 bout in Georgia for the Bullet Fight Gear promotion against Jon Queiroz. Since his only career defeat, Bloodworth has won his last three bouts while fighting on the regional circuit in Georgia. His most recent victory came this past August at Wild Bill’s Fight Night 39 event with a KO over Scott Farhat.

Prediction – Easton TKO

Michael Johnson vs. Paul Sass

The Ultimate Fighter 12 runner up Michael Johnson (9-5) will take his next step in progression at UFC on VS 6 when he meets undefeated submission expert Paul Sass (11-0) in a preliminary card lightweight bout.

Johnson, 25, is a St. Louis, Missouri native who now fights out of Florida at Imperial Athletics. After making his professional debut in early-2008, Johnson went on to win eight of his first twelve while fighting throughout the Midwest regional fight scene for promotions such as Midwest Cage Championships, FM – Productions, and Titan FC. He earned a position on The Ultimate Fighter 12 making it all the way to the December 2010 Finale where he dropped a decision against winner Jonathan Brookins. Johnson rebounded and won his follow-up bout at UFC on VS 5 this June with a TKO victory over Eddie Faaloloto.

Sass, 23, is a Liverpool, England native who fights out of Next Generation MMA and Team Kaobon. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt made his professional debut in 2007 and won his first seven bouts while competing for the British promotion Cage Gladiators. In 2009, Sass signed with OMMAC and won three more including the organizations’ Lightweight Championship. After winning ten of ten he made his octagon debut at UFC 120 last October and won via submission over Canadian Mark Holst.

Prediction – Johnson decision

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Yves Edwards vs. Rafaello Oliveira

Muay-Thai striker Yves Edwards (40-17-1) will be in search of his third octagon victory over his last four bouts at UFC on VS 6 when he meets Brazilian Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira (14-4) in a preliminary card bout in the lightweight division.

Edwards, 34, is a Bahamas born former professional boxer turned mixed martial artist who fights out of the American Top Team. The Texas based fighter began his professional career in 1997 and won 18 of his first 24 bouts prior to making his octagon debut at UFC 33 in September 2001. The precise striker lost his first two inside the octagon before reeling off six victories in a row under the UFC banner. In addition to the UFC, Edwards stayed busy with other organizations, which were thought to be the cause of him dropping back to back bouts in 2006 leading to his departure from the organization. He bounced around from Elite XC to Strikeforce to Maximum FC to Bellator before returning to the UFC in late-2010. Upon his return, Edwards won back to back bouts over John Gunderson and Cody McKenzie before losing via KO at UFC 131 this past June against Sam Stout.

Oliveira, 29, is a Brazilian native who now fights out of Knoxville Martial Arts Academy. “Tractor” made his professional MMA debut in 2004 and won 9 of his first 10 while fighting on the local scene in Brazil, United States and Canada. He dropped 2 of 3 in his first octagon stint from September 2009 through March 2010 before pounding out four consecutive victories on the regional scene. Oliveira returned to the UFC this past May at UFC 130 and lost via submission against Gleison Tibau.

Prediction – Edwards TKO

Matt Wiman vs. Matt Danzig

Finally, one year and four months after their controversial match up at UFC 115, Matt Wiman (13-6) looks to erase any doubts about his submission victory the first time around when he meets TUF 6 winner Mac Danzig (20-8-1) in a main card attraction contested at 155 pounds.

Wiman, 28, is a Denver, Colorado based mixed martial artist who fights out of Easton Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The well rounded Wiman began his professional career in 2004 and won 6 of his first 8 while competing on the regional circuit. He lost a UFC 60 debut via KO against Spencer Fisher but got a second chance when he was chosen to appear on The Ultimate Fighter 5. “Handsome” made the most of his second chance and won his next four octagon bouts beginning with his TUF 5 Finale victory over Brian Geraghty. After inching closer to title contention, Wiman dropped back to back bouts against contenders Jim Miller and Sam Stout before rebounding to win his next three fights. His recent three fight winning streak was snapped at UFC 132 this past July with a decision loss against German based Dennis Silver.

Danzig, 31, is an Ohio born mixed martial artist who relocated to Los Angeles, California where he bases his fight camps. The submission specialist made his professional debut in 2001 and won 16 of his first 21 including capturing the King of the Cage Lightweight Championship in the middle of a 12 fight winning streak. After defending his KOTC title four times, Danzig went on to win The Ultimate Fighter 6 with his submission victory over Tommy Speer. Danzig won back to back bouts to begin his octagon career but followed his success with three consecutive losses to fall on shaky ground with the organization. Since dropping three straight, Danzig has won two of his last three including a UFC 124 KO against Joe Stevenson back in December 2010.

Prediction – Wiman decision

Anthony Johnson vs. Charlie Brenneman

Rising welterweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (9-3) will return to the octagon at UFC on VS 6 taking on a streaking Charlie Brenneman (14-2) in a main card attraction contested at 170 pounds.

Johnson, 27, is a Georgia born mixed martial artist who fights out of American Kickboxing Academy and Cung Le’s Universal Strength Headquarters. “Rumble” made his professional debut in 2006 and won his first three bouts in the regional promotions across Colorado and California. Johnson won his June 2007 UFC Fight Night 10 contest with Chad Reiner but split his first four overall. In December 2008, he won his TUF 8 Finale bout with a KO over Kevin Burns that began a streak of three consecutive victories. Overall Johnson has won four times over his last five appearances inside the octagon losing only to perennial contender Josh Koscheck at UFC 106 almost two years ago.

Brenneman, 30, is a Pennsylvania born former NCAA Division I wrestler who has made the successful transition into mixed martial arts. The AMA Fight Club trained fighter made his professional debut in 2007 and won 11 of his first 12 while fighting in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut for organizations like Sho XC, Extreme Challenge and Ring of Combat. He won his UFC Fight Night 21 debut in March 2010 with a decision victory over Jason High but lost his follow up UFC 117 fight with Johnny Hendricks. Since that August 2010 loss to Hendricks, Brenneman has won back to back bouts including a UFC on VS 4 match up with Rick Story while filling in for a released Nate Marquardt.

Prediction – Brenneman submission

Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve

Former professional kick-boxers Pat “HD” Barry (6-3) and Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve (21-5) will meet in the UFC on VS 6 co-main event in a heavyweight battle.

Barry, 32, is a Louisiana born mixed martial artist who now fights out of Wisconsin at Roufasport. “HD” made his professional debut in 2008 and won his first three bouts while fighting for the Combat USA organization in Wisconsin. Since arriving in the UFC, Barry has alternated wins and losses over his six bouts. After winning two of his first three under the UFC banner, he lost to Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, defeated Joey Beltran at UFC Fight for the Troops 2 this past January, and lost to Cheick Kongo via KO at UFC on VS 4 this past June in Pittsburgh, PA.

Struve, 23, is a Netherlands based mixed martial artist who fights out of Team Schreiber. “Skyscraper” made his professional debut in 2005 and won 16 of his first 18 while competing in Russia, England, Germany, Finland, Netherlands, United States, Ukraine, and South Korea. Struve lost his UFC 95 debut in February 2009 via TKO against current contender Junior dos Santos. He rebounded with three consecutive victories over solid competition before falling to Roy Nelson at UFC Fight Night 21 in March 2010. Struve did rebound to post back to back victories to end 2010 before losing his most recent competition at UFC 130 this past May against Travis Browne via 1 st round KO.

Prediction – Barry KO

Dominick Cruz vs. Demetrious Johnson

UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz (18-1) will try and defend his title for the first time in the UFC on VS 6 main event against number one contender Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (10-1).

Cruz, 26, is an Arizona born mixed martial artist who fights out of San Diego, California at Alliance MMA and Team Lloyd Irvin. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt made his professional debut in 2005 and won his first nine bouts including the Total Combat Lightweight Title before losing in his WEC 26 debut against Urijah Faber for the organizations Featherweight Title. After dropping his lone career bout, Cruz went on to win his next seven including a WEC 47 March 2010 TKO over Brian Bowles for the Bantamweight Championship. Cruz defended his WEC 135-pound title twice before joining the UFC earlier this year. The former WEC Champion became the first UFC Bantamweight Title-Holder this past July at UFC 132 with his “Fight of the Night” performance over Urijah Faber.

Johnson, 25, is a Kentucky born mixed martial artist who fights out of Washington State at AMC Pankration. “Mighty Mouse” made his professional debut in 2007 and won his first six fighting on the local scene throughout Washington, California, and Alaska for multiple promotions. Johnson lost his WEC 48 debut in April 2010 via decision against Brad Pickett before defeating Nick Pace and Damacio Page before being absorbed into the UFC earlier this year. So far, Johnson has defeated Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto at UFC 126 and Miguel Torres at UFC 130 to earn his UFC title opportunity.

Prediction – Johnson decision

By: Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer