Swick hopes to make “Quick” work of Burkman

Welterweights Mike Swick and Josh Burkman will be doing anything but lounging at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. The two headline UFC Fight Night 12 and look to make a definitive statement live on national television. When The Ultimate Fighter alumni enter the Octagon, can Swick’s fast hands and submission prowess translate to his new division after a long lay off? Or will Burkman’s wrestling-centric game put him out of commission?

By Danny Acosta

170lbs. is a new frontier for Mike Swick. The Texas-born fighter began his career at his natural weight of 185lbs. before moving to 205lbs to star in season one of The Ultimate Fighter. Time in the UFC allowed for the California-based fighter to return to his natural weight, but a hard fought decision loss against massive middleweight Yushin Okami forced “Quick” to buy sauna gear and enter the fray of the UFC’s most challenger-laden division.

The drop to welterweight is not of Gleison Tibau proportions. It allows Swick to be a well-sized fighter in the weight class. With “Crazy” Bob Cook in Swick’s corner, the weight cut should not deplete his cardio, speed, and strength. However, Burkman’s wrestling base proves to be a direct challenge to those three elements of the game. Takedown after takedown can neutralize the American Kickbox Academy’s speed and push his cardio into uncomfortable territory. “The People’s Warrior” is one of the division’s larger fighters—strength is his weapon.

The Utahan has demonstrated improved stand-up in his recent outings, but still needs to bring the fight to the mat to avoid Swick’s fast hands that will most likely still be loaded in his welterweight debut. A ground fight tests Swick’s submission game, which proved to be slow on the draw against Yushin Okami. The Japanese fighter is not as aggressive as the former Team Quest fighter yet he still managed to deliver vicious ground and pound that could have stopped the fight justifiably. Burkman must work on the ground, preferably against the cage, to frustrate Swick. Again, size can be Swick’s downfall as Burkman is athletic as well.

However, Burkman has a tendency to slow down in the later stanzas of the fight, while Swick has stellar cardio and strong takedown defense. Stuffed takedowns can diminish Burkman’s cardio early in the fight. Swick’s explosive stand-up typically lacks knees in his combinations. Working to the body damaged Burkman in his split decision win over Forrest Petz. If Swick retains his aggression, elusive footwork, and mixes up his strikes—including knees and body punches— against a fighter that struggled to solve the puzzle of Karo Parisyan’s winging punches, a successful arrival to 170lbs. is likely.

The featured fight of the night is a lightweight clash between Thiago Tavares and Michihiro Omigawa. Tavares is a Murilo Bustamante disciple with a powerful, technical, tireless ground attack and crisp Muay Thai to match. A tightrope loss in his last fight to Tyson Griffin will see the Brazilian eager to finish against the Yoshido Dojo fighter. Omigawa fails to arrive at the high-end of competition. His judo is enough to bring Tavares to the ground, but not much else. Look for Tavares to pick up his third UFC win.

Middleweights Patrick Cote and Drew McFedries are going to unleash their hellacious fists on each other. The French-Canadian is past his pitter-patting in the Octagon after picking up wins that eluded him inside the walls of the Octagon, including a stunning knockout over over-sized 185-pounder Kendall Grove. His Team Sitydotong muay Thai is the right combination for his devastating hands. Expect the former TKO champion to fight from a distance and employ superior technique. However, McFedries is not the type of fighter to allow his opponents breathing room. He can handle technical strikers ala Martin Kampmann and has the dynamite to find the mark on Cote’s yet-to-be-conquered chin.

Mixing in takedowns and challenging the Miletich fighter on the ground is Cote’s best bet. He is scared of no one, but he is also a smart fighter. McFedries has proved dangerous standing and docile on the ground. Cote can match strikes, especially since McFedries has displayed his chin is not unflappable. A slugfest only favors McFedries—a fight, Cote.

The recent murder of Agnes McFedries-Kennedy is the deciding factor in this fight: can Drew McFedries rise up over tragedy or is the trauma—three weeks removed—too heavy? With Cote’s mind finally aligning with his talent, there is no room for McFedries to waver. Win or lose, McFedries showcases his warrior spirit for stepping into the Octagon.

The opening bout of the night is another lightweight clash between Nate Diaz and Alvin Robinson. The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner has excellent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills under Cesar Gracie. The lanky fighter dominated the reality show before winning the finals due to a Manny Gamburyan injury. Submitting Junior Assuncao pits him against bulky wrestler Robinson, who holds a brown belt under UFC legend Royce Gracie.

“The Kid” struggled against Jorge Gurgel, being mounted at will. However, Diaz plays from his back. His wiry frame proves to be an advantage on the ground, but Robinson’s size poses new problems. Fortunately for Diaz, Robinson fails to utilize the cage effectively, so Diaz’s technical no-gi can lure Robinson into submission chains. In addition, Nate Diaz avoids punishment on the ground much like his older brother Nick Diaz. This is key against Robinson’s persistent punches.

The fight tips in favor of the Stockton, CA native when it comes to will. No one has broke Nate Diaz's will in a fight. Diaz’s precise boxing can break Robinson, who lacks composure under fire and the ability to fight out of a storm as Kenny Florian exposed. If Diaz employs the right gameplan, his top-flight training with Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez makes the difference in this fight. “Cooking” a strong wrestler and jiu-jitsu fighter who prefers top position is a step toward a decision loss—the only way Robinson walks away with a victory.

UFC Fight Night 12 spotlights young talent across the gamut. For Mike Swick and Josh Burkman, a win over such stellar opposition makes a strong case for elevating their contender status. Since it is Swick’s 170lbs. debut and he is coming off a loss, a win is invaluable. For Burkman, it would be the biggest win of his career as he drops his high-profile fights. These headliners hope to be quick in victory although it’s going to be difficult to make the other dead.