Krzysztof Soszynski (20-11-1) vs. Goran Reljic (8-2-0)
This is another one of those fights that could deliver fireworks, as both guys need to score win to stave off a change of employers. Soszynski has dropped two-of-three, while Reljic has lost two-straight after an extended layoff after back surgery, leaving little margin of error for either fighter.
The Croatian was thoroughly impressive in his debut, stopping Wilson Gouveia before moving to middleweight following his layoff. Those two appearance were less than expected, resulting in dropped decisions to both C.B. Dollaway and Kendall Grove, prompting Reljic to climb back up the ladder.
Soszynski has become an extremely popular fighter following his time on The Ultimate Fighter, and parlayed that recognition into a swift climb up the ladder after the cameras stopped rolling.
Back-to-back wins set up a main card pairing with Brandon Vera, but the bump up in competition was too much, as Vera outclassed his Polish-Canadian counterpart. A doctor’s stoppage win and a TKO loss both opposite Stephan Bonnar followed, and now Soszynski stands in need of a strong performance to remain more than another middle-of-the-pack light heavyweight.
Amir Sadollah (3-2-0) vs. Peter Sobotta (8-3-0)
If there were ever a fight that fully embodied what these overseas cards are about on the weaker end, this is it. Sobotta is a German fighter who has underwhelmed in two UFC appearances, while Sadollah is a former TUF winner treading on that accomplishment alone it seems.
While he looked good in handling both Phil Baroni and Brad Blackburn, Sadollah was incapable of mounting any offense against Dong Hyun Kim last time out. While that isn’t necessarily a great shortcoming – Kim is unbeaten after all – Sadollah simply looks one-dimensional and that just doesn’t work at this level.
Fortunately for the affable TUF 7 winner, he excels more at that one dimension than Sobotta has to date inside the Octagon. Two appearances have resulted in two unanimous decision defeats, neither of which has yielded any “flash of potential” moments.
Expect the loser here to exit the organization.
Dennis Siver (16-7-0) vs. Andre Winner (12-4-1)
Can’t sugar-coat this one: Siver gets a showcase fight in front of the hometown faithful.
Fresh off a Fight of the Night performance in a win over Spencer Fisher, the German kickboxer steps in with Winner, a TUF 9 cast member who comes in off a painfully dull performance against Nik Lentz. While Winner does have a pair of wins inside the cage and quick hands, he appears so focused on utilizing only his boxing that it’s hard to see him coming away with a win.
Siver will never be a title contender, but that doesn’t mean he’s without positives. A multi-faceted striker, the 31-year-old is a tough out in the middle of the division and has won three-of-four. He could get caught if he remains too static in front of Winner, but his offensive game is predicated on spinning kicks and striking from numerous angles, so the local favourite should be safe in this one.
Jorge Rivera (18-7-0) vs. Alessio Sakara (19-7-0)
These two just love to bang and should end up delivering a quality contest in the process.
Both are experiencing a bit of a resurgence in their careers, riding three-fight winning streaks. Rivera’s comes after nearly a year away from the cage following the passing of his daughter. In his last outing, Rivera dominated TUF 1 alum and bona fide tough guy Nate Quarry, leaving “The Rock” a bloody mess in need of serious facial surgery.
Sakara has put together his trio of victories after shifting his camp to Coconut Creek, Florida and joining forces with American Top Team. After losing his middleweight debut, the Italian has stopped both Joe Vepedo and James Irvin, with a split decision victory over former title contender Thales Leites sandwiched in between.
If you’re looking for technical mastery or dynamic grappling, look elsewhere. This one will be bombs away from the beginning.
Nate Marquardt (33-9-2) vs. Yushin Okami (26-5-0)
In the chain reaction of events following Chael Sonnen’s positive test post-UFC 117, Okami’s original opponent Vitor Belfort was promoted to challenging Anderson Silva, while Marquardt was tabbed to replace “The Phenom” here to determine who is next in line in the middleweight division.
Marquardt has been in this position before and hopes to change to outcome. When he met Sonnen at UFC 109 with the #1 contenders spot on the line, the Team Quest staple dominated him for three rounds en route to earning a title shot. Fresh off a quick win over Rousimar Palhares, the Team Grudge / Greg Jackson trainee will need to be the one dictating the pace and placement of this fight if he hopes to reverse his fortunes this time around.
In addition to being the last man to earn a win over Anderson Silva – albeit by DQ – Okami is also a fighter long considered overlooked in the middleweight division. Whether it has been injuries causing a bump in the road or decision victories that felt fans wanting more, the Japanese fighter has been a force since losing to the frequently mentioned Sonnen back at UFC 104.
Both are elite competitors with more than one way to win this fight; Marquardt has a strong stand-up and submission game, while Okami has shown improved power in his boxing and can grind out a decision with the best of them. With both men eager to compete for championship gold, expect them to be cautious early, but come hard once they find their range.
