UFC 105 Preview: Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy

Mike "Quick" Swick (14-2, 9-1 UFC) vs. Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy (22-6-1, 3-0 UFC)

The Story So Far

Billed as a number one contender bout, Mike Swick and Dan Hardy face off to see who earns the right to get their ass kicked by GSP.

Swick was originally scheduled to fight Martin Kampmann at UFC 103, but after sustaining a concussion in training, he was reassigned to fight Dan Hardy when Hardy's original opponent, Dong Hyun Kim, was forced to withdraw with an undisclosed injury.

Training out of the renowned American Kickboxing Academy alongside fellow top 5 welterweights, Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, Swick has excellent submission skills which complement his wrestling ability and powerful, rapid-fire punches.  Amassing an impressive 9-1 record since entering the UFC, Mike "Quick" Swick's sole Octagon setback came against Yushin Okami back at UFC 69 when he was competing in the Middleweight division.  The loss to the much bigger Okami prompted Swick to drop down to the Welterweight division where he has since gone 4-0, albeit against less than stellar competition.

A purple belt in BJJ under Eddie Bravo, "The Outlaw" Dan Hardy is coming off a narrow split-decision victory over Marcus Davis at UFC 99 his last time out.  Hardy is undefeated so far in his UFC run, also compiling victories over Akihiro Gono and Rory Markham.  Hardy didn't exactly set the world on fire with his performances against Gono and Davis, but to his credit he has demonstrated a patient approach to his bouts that has so far paid off for him.  His precise counter-punch KO of Rory Markham at UFC 95 dispelled any doubts about his striking ability, and if Hardy can survive the onslaught that Swick will undoubtedly throw at him, it could lead to another spectacular finish.

Conventional Wisdom

This battle between two evenly-matched opponents could go either way.  Neither fighter has a significant advantage over the other in any one area and both have the ability to finish the fight standing or on the ground.  

WKR Analysis

To steal the tagline from the film Alien vs. Predator: "Whoever wins.... we lose."  Anyone who thinks the Hardy/Swick victor can pose a threat to GSP is certifiable on a Junie Browning-scale.

With the announcement that the winner of this fight is set to get a title shot, both Dan Hardy and Mike Swick know that they need to win in convincing fashion in order to gain some momentum heading into a bout with GSP.  With that being said, one might assume that they will both throw caution to the wind and come out looking to make a statement.  The only problem is that both guys have fought in a fairly cautious manner in the past.  One has to only look back as far as Swick's workmanlike victories over Josh Burkman and Marcus Davis to know that it isn't a given we'll see the Mike Swick who gained a reputation as being a crowd-pleasing finisher. 

Do you remember the last time we saw the "Swick-otine?"  It was at UFC 60.  Almost three and a half years ago.  

Fun Fact

If Dan Hardy's talents in the cage can catch up to his smack-talking and debate prowess he could eventually become ...wait for it... The Greatest Fighter in the World.