FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST Opinion & Analysis : Staff Columnists BENT: UFC 101 Previews and Predictions - Josh Neer vs. Kurt Pellegrino

Aug 6, 2009 - 8:20:10 PM
By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist
Some of us, including myself, will often kiss Joe Silva's ass so much that it is a certainty that his cheeks shine like glazed hams at the holiday. Silva isn't perfect but sometimes the match ups he brings us are and this is indeed one of those such pairings. Neer vs. Pellegrino is a bout which makes sense for both men, is remarkably even in terms of talent and should prove capable of making this undercard seem like it was worth paying for.

No disrespect to Amir Sadollah or Kendall Grove personally but neither of their fights are essentially worth paying for. The top of this card is heavy but the bottom is relatively light, until you get to this particular match up which saves the day and just might steal the show as fight of the night.

Josh Neer is a 26 yr. old UFC fighter from Des Moines, Iowa who fights out of Des Moines Mixed Martial Arts Academy and is formerly of Miletich Fighting Systems. Neer is reported to have fought well over 100 amateur bouts and was once the sort of fighter who would take two punches to the face in hopes of just landing one in return. Times have changed the man and his fighting style but nothing has taken the edge off of him or lessened his drive and dedication for this sport.

Neer's professional record stands at 25 wins against 7 losses with 10 wins by KO and 11 of them coming by way of submission. Notable opponents he has beaten over the course of his career include the likes of Melvin Guillard, Joe Stevenson, Din Thomas and Mac Danzig. Those who have beaten him are Spencer Fisher, Drew Fickett, Nick Thompson, Josh Burkman, Nick Diaz, Mark Miller and Nate Diaz. He has faced top competition throughout the course of his career so far and has come up short against those who rank as such for the most part.

Neer has become much, much better on the ground than he ever was before and has truly become a well rounded fighter and in the process is a much more dangerous foe for anyone including Pellegrino at UFC 101. Neer used to shy away from the ground game but now welcomes the opportunity to submit an opponent and seems to relish this almost as much as he welcomes the chance to turn someone's lights out.

It would appear that Neer has finally arrived and in light of his recent run-in with the law and with a 22-month old daughter to care for it can be said that this man who has lived and breathed MMA for so long may just now be driven enough to truly reach his potential.

Kurt Pellegrino is a 30 yr. old UFC fighter who was born and raised in Point Pleasant, New Jersey and has recently returned to his home once more after having relocated to Jupiter, Florida for some time. Pellegrino now spends his time running his own gym, Kurt Pellegrino's MMA Academy in Belmar, New Jersey and has not only trained there but also with Kenny Florian's camp in Boston, Massachusetts. Pellegrino is a natural athlete with a strong amateur wrestling background as he was a 2-time state finalist at the high school level.

Kurt Pellegrino's professional record stands at 13 wins against 4 losses with 9 of these wins coming by way of submission and 1 by KO. Pellegrino scored his first professional victory over eventual 'TUF 6' winner Mac Danzig and has since then gone on to defeat such notable names as Junior Assuncao, Thiago Tavares and Rob Emerson. Those to have bested Pellegrino are Satoru Kitaoka, Drew Fickett, Joe Stevenson and Nate Diaz. Much like Neer, Pellegrino has faced some decent opposition but for the most part he has fallen short when faced with those nearer to the elite level and this is where he differs from the man he will face on Saturday.

Both men are nearer to the middle of the pack than they are the top of the division and the winner will move closer to the top while the loser will be left to try and regain his position in a very competitive weightclass. Pellegrino is fantastic on the ground but suffers against opponents who can at least prove capable enough on the ground to keep the fight standing. Against fighters such as these, Pellegrino looks like a deer caught in headlights and is thrown completely off of his game plan.

Neer's ground game is not nearly on the level of Pellegrino's but he has the striking skills to end this night early and is strong enough and skilled enough on the ground to keep out of harm's way when it comes to submissions. Neer's wrestling is solid enough to keep Pellegrino from taking him down and this should mean the "Dentist" will be in control of this fight from the start. If in fact Neer can keep this one on the feet, it is certain that he will be smiling a very "Joker"-like grin with his hand raised in victory over "Batman".

Bent's Prediction-Josh Neer by 3rd Round TKO

This fight will be fireworks and where it goes depends on where Neer wants to take it, unless Pellegrino can do something to shake things up. Neer will want to keep it standing and it would be in his best interest to fight this kind of fight.

Pellegrino should look to avoid taking too much damage on the feet and to get Neer to the ground with as little energy expended, because he will need all of his strength and energy in order to try to submit his foe.

The winner will go on to try and find his place among the best in this division and the loser will go on to tread water for the most part in a super competitive division but we are in for a treat as these two are definitely going to start the main televised portion of the card with a bang and contend for fight of the night honors.

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