Ennis' Take
ENNIS: Six Reasons Not to Miss UFC on Fuel 5 "Struve vs. Miocic" This Saturday
Sep 26, 2012 - 11:00:22 PM ENNIS: Six Reasons Not to Miss UFC on Fuel 5 "Struve vs. Miocic" This Saturday

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By: Shawn Ennis, MMATorch Senior Columnist

With the number of events we're going to see over the next few months, there are probably going to be a few that fly under the radar, so to speak. That's a shame, because barring injury (right), each card for the rest of the year looks pretty solid on paper. It started with UFC 152 last week, and it keeps going this Saturday night with the UFC's latest Fuel TV offering. This looks to be one of those cards where there aren't a ton of household names, but the event could very well deliver a ton of action. Here's a look at some reasons why you shouldn't miss it.

The TUF Guys vs. Debuting Europeans

It may sound like just a heading, but it's true in the case of three preliminary fights. The UFC's matchmakers are putting Ultimate Fighter veterans up against debuting European fighters to see how they might fit into the promotion. One convenient byproduct of the stubborn insistence of the UFC brass to continue putting on season after season of TUF is that you get a baseline. The lower-tier TUF veterans are a good litmus test for debuting fighters or guys about whom we may not be sure. So it is in the case of Kyle Kingsbury vs. Jimi Manuwa, Brad Tavares vs. Tom Watson, and DaMarques Johnson vs. Gunnar Nelson. I'm expecting big things from Watson and Nelson – if not long term, definitely in their first fights. Watson is the real deal as far as prospects go, and he's going to be fighting in front of a raucous crowd who knows him well. Watson is as close as an MMA fighter can come to being a star in the UK without being in the UFC. Nelson is a Renzo Gracie black belt and will have a decided advantage over Johnson on the ground, where I'm expecting a pretty definitive submission win. The only question mark is Manuwa. He could very well come out and score a quick knockout over Kingsbury, which is something to which his hyper-aggressive style lends itself. But the 11-0 fighter has never been out of the second round, and Kingsbury is going to be his toughest test thus far, and probably by a pretty wide margin. I like Kingsbury by decision in that one.

The Solid Killer Returns

Remember when Che Mills fought Rory MacDonald? Joe Rogan sang his praises, trying to insinuate that the poor guy had a shot against the best young welterweight around. He called Mills "solid" and "a killer" I'm going to say about 45 times. So how good is Mills, exactly? Well, Duane Ludwig hasn't had a meaningful win in a long time, but he's still…um…solid. So if he can look good against "Bang," we should be able to conclude that Rogan was at least half right.

Battle of the British Johns

John Hathaway and John Maguire meet on the main card in a matchup of tough fighters who don't get a ton of play. Hathaway entered the UFC to a string of increasingly impressive wins, peaking with a decision win over Diego Sanchez. But just when people were beginning to take notice, Hathaway came crashing back to earth with a decision loss to Mike Pyle. He's gotten back on track with a couple of nice wins, but a win here for either fighter would probably mean at least a fight against a welterweight with some name value. I've liked what I've seen from John Maguire quite a lot since his UFC debut, and Hathaway will be a tough test for him. I'm not sure whom I'm picking here, but a finish for either fighter will not come easy.

Will the Paul Sass Submission Train Keep Chugging?

Perhaps the most intriguing question of the night – at least for me – is whether Paul Sass will continue his incredible run of submissions. In case you're new to the area, he's 13-0 with 12 submission wins – nine via triangle choke and three via heel hook. Not exactly two submissions you'd picture going hand-in-hand. And Sass matches up this time with Matt Wiman, who has only been finished once (in hilarious fashion against Spencer Fisher in his UFC debut), and has never been submitted. Sass' record is not exactly rife with world-beaters, but a submission win over Jacob Volkmann is nothing to sneeze at, especially when Volkmann had ground the first five straight lightweights he faced to a pulp before stepping into the cage with Sass. If he can pull off another tapout win against Wiman, it will be his most impressive win to date, and an indicator that he's ready for some top 15 talent.

And Now, the Severe Beating of Amir Sadollah

I will freely admit that I could be way off-base with this one. Dan Hardy isn't always the most technical guy in the world, and Sadollah has his moments, but I just don't see this going well for him at all. Hardy has some serious power, and he should be able to connect early and take Sadollah off his game. Unfortunately for the TUF winner, he's got a good chin and will probably hang in there longer than is necessary. But Hardy gets the win either way (And by the way, not everyone will get that reference in the heading, but that's alright).

The Main Event Where Just About Anything Could Happen. Except a Decision.

I mean really, is there any way this thing goes five rounds? And would anyone be surprised with any other result, outside of maybe a Miocic submission win? Stefan Struve gets knocked out a lot, even in the fights he wins. Stipe Miocic hits very hard, but doesn't have the best defense all the time. That may not be the recipe for a technical masterpiece between two heavyweights, but it should make for an entertaining fight for as long as it lasts.

Questions? Comments? Hit me up on Twitter - @shawnennis, shoot me an email – ennistorch(at)gmail.com, or leave a comment below.