FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST Opinion & Analysis : Staff Columnists BENT: UFC 102 Previews and Predictions - Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva

Aug 28, 2009 - 1:29:45 PM
By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist
This is the next to last bout on the card and in the eyes of many is a fight that few are really excited over. Both men are coming off of losses to the best in the division, and neither of these men are in position for a title shot any time soon. That said, they are going to stand toe to toe to try to knock each other's heads off for three rounds and this should indeed make for an exciting fight. I don't know of a soul who would pay for a PPV to see either Jardine or Silva, but this fight between the two should be more than enough to persuade anyone who is on the fence that they should go ahead and order the show. Yes, this card is truly just about the main event for most, but this slugfest could very well be one of the more remarkably fun bouts to watch when all is said and done.

Keith Jardine will be 34 in just a few months and is currently a gatekeeper in the UFC light heavyweight division. He is but one of the many who have learned how to tweak nipples and kick ass under the watchful eye of Greg Jackson at Jackson's Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He burst onto the scene as a member of 'The Ultimate Fighter 2' cast where he lost to the eventual winner Rashad Evans, who he became fast friends with. Evans also trains out of Jackson's camp and has since dropped to light heavyweight and most recently was the Champion before falling to Machida. Rashad is of particular importance because both he and Jardine have stated they will never fight each other, and this was very close to having an impact on the title picture. Jardine of course, lost his bout against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 96 so there has since been no need for the two to ever face off.

Jardine made his professional debut in August of 2001 when he submitted Amir Rahnavardi at GC 5-Rumble in the Rockies. He would lose the third fight of his career to Travis Wiuff and then went on a tear as he posted a 6-0-1 record before getting the chance to be a part of 'The Ultimate Fighter'. He wasn't an especially remarkable presence on the program, and only fought once in losing to Rashad Evans, but the power of the program did much to help establish his name and put him on a faster track to potential stardom. He has never become quite a star, but it cannot be denied that he is indeed one of the world's best light heavyweight fighters when he is on. Jardine can topple the best and look good doing so, but has also been stopped in devastating fashion.

Keith Jardine's career record stands at 14 wins against 5 losses with 6 wins coming by way of KO and 2 by submission. Notable wins for Jardine have come against such fighters as Mike Whitehead, Wilson Gouveia, Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell and Brandon Vera. His losses have come at the hands of the aforementioned Wiuff along with Stephan Bonnar, Houston Alexander, Wanderlei Silva and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Jardine can either show up and beat the best or walk into a fight seemingly unprepared and get smashed into the mat.

Jardine is the epitome of "hot and cold" to say the very least. His wrestling skills are very underrated and this is due to the fact that he is more willing to trade leather than to fight a smarter fight. There are no doubts about his toughness or the fact that he can give the fans a show, but if he wants to be taken seriously he is going to need to just get the win on Saturday and look good another time.

Thiago Silva is a 27 yr. old top contender in the UFC light heavyweight division who was but one fight away from a title shot before he was knocked out by eventual champion Lyoto Machida. Silva was once a member of the vaunted Chute Boxe Academy and now fights out of Coconut Creek, Florida as a member of American Top Team. Silva racked up a perfect 9-0 record before getting the call to try his hand in the UFC at UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson in May of 2007. Since then he has not looked back, although he has most recently looked up at the lights.

Silva is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and currently sports a record of 13 wins against only 1 defeat. 10 of his wins have come by way of KO and 2 by submission. In short, he finishes fights. Notable wins for Silva include his victories over James Irvin, Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes. His one career loss came at the hands of Lyoto Machida at UFC 94 when he was knocked out with just one second left in the very first round. His bout with Machida was highly anticipated and many imagined he could be just the fighter to finally solve Machida's puzzle. This was not to be as Lyoto Machida unleashed hell on Silva and provided the only truly thrilling moment of the night.

Thiago Silva had now been defeated, and even those who had been hailing him as the real deal were beginning to change their tune. One loss and to arguably one of the best fighters in the world seemed to be enough to relegate Silva to the list of also-rans in the division. Thiago Silva is one win away from putting himself back into the picture, but at the same time, a loss to Jardine would push him further down the list. The good thing for Thiago is that he is no longer undefeated and in some respects this allows him to enter this bout with Jardine and fly under the radar just a tad. This is not to say he feels no pressure, as a loss to Jardine would do great harm to a fighter trying to make his way in the crowded light heavyweight division of the UFC.

Bent's Prediction: Thiago Silva by 1st Round TKO

Thiago Silva needs to make a statement, and Keith Jardine often fights with his chin first. This combination spells a crushing Silva victory in the first round. In order for Jardine it will take him utilizing his wrestling, leg kicks to the body and mixing in the right amount of strikes to keep Silva guessing the entire time. It can be done, but Jardine usually throws caution to the wind when faced with a banger and opts to trade.

Thiago Silva is the wrong guy for him to stand on a dime and trade with, and I do believe we are going to get about two to three minutes of a furious slugfest before Jardine's gumshield goes flying towards the mat. Keith Jardine will still be the ultimate gatekeeper in the light heavyweight division, but Silva is way too technical, and is primed for a big win at UFC 102.

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