Fantasy UFC Tournament: Welterweight Division, Semifinals

The first round of the welterweight saw the best eight fighters at 170 pounds in the UFC battle it out. The results are in and this is what happened.

By a dominant 14-1 vote, Jon Fitch eliminated Martin Kampmann.

Paulo Thiago dominated the early votes, but Dan Hardy came back in the end to steal the win by a razor-close 8-7 vote.

Mike Swick was no match for Thiago Alves, who won by a 12-3 vote.

Josh Koscheck overcame the KO power of Paul Daley to advance with a 9-6 vote.

Four fighters have now advanced to fight it out in the semi-finals, so let's get it on.

Semifinal Fight 1: Jon Fitch vs. Dan Hardy

Jon Fitch has always been a solid top-five welterweight fighter. His stand-up skills aren't the best, but he always brings heart and determination into each fight. His submission skills are pretty good, he has three submission wins in the UFC, and has only been submitted once in his career.

Dan Hardy has made quite the run so far in the UFC. He has displayed great skills in all aspects, but where he shines the most is when he trades punches. Dan Hardy has been training his hands with Freddie Roach, and it has paid dividends as shown in his last three UFC fights.

Dan Hardy vs. Jon Fitch would be very interesting simply because we would really find out what Dan Hardy is made of. We already know Fitch is one of the best welterweights in the world, but can Dan Hardy say the same?

Hardy would have the advantage in the striking department against Jon Fitch, but Fitch is like the Terminator. He was seriously hurt several times against GSP and always came back for more. Sure, Hardy hits harder then Georges, but would it be enough to counter the great wrestling skills and control of Jon Fitch?

Which warrior makes it to the finals?

Semifinal Fight 2: Thiago Alves vs. Josh Koscheck

Thiago Alves and Josh Koscheck had a very entertaining fight at UFC 90 that saw Alves pretty much dominate the fight on his way to winning by unanimous decision.

A lot has happened since then.

Thiago Alves went on to get dominated by Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100, while Josh Koscheck is currently shining brighter than ever with back-to-back wins over Frank Trigg and Anthony Johnson.

Koscheck has a new motivation right now and a new faith in himself, and that could possibly be the deciding factor in a rematch with Alves. With that said, Alves is a big welterweight with KO power and awesome takedown defense. In their first fight, Koscheck wasn't able to take Alves down and was dominated on the feet.

But Josh is still improving his striking skills after every fight. A rematch between these two modern-day gladiators would surely be more competitive than the first encounter, but the question remains.

Who would win the rematch?

The two semifinal fights are set, and whatever happens, the final should be very interesting. Do not forget to vote and keep your eyes open for the finale next week.