UFC 128 Fight Card: Is Mike Pyle the Next Welterweight Dark Horse?

In perhaps the most crowded division in the sport, UFC welterweight Mike Pyle will be attempting to break into the next level when he faces Ricardo Almeida this Saturday night at UFC 128.

The 35-year-old fighter has a short window of time remaining before his career comes to an end, and he needs this win to get himself in the conversation for another big fight.

Pyle is an 11-plus-year veteran of the sport who has fought all over the world against top competition and been very successful in doing so.

His career began in November 1999 when he fought fellow MMA newcomer and current UFC light heavyweight Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

During this time in the sport, it was not uncommon to see some serious weight differentials, and this fight was no different. At fight time, Jackson outweighed Pyle by over 30 pounds.

Despite being significantly outsized, Pyle fought hard and was able to fight to a decision.

Though he lost the fight, when you look back on it now, it’s very impressive that he was able to stay competitive with a guy who now walks around at around 250 pounds between fights.  

Mike Pyle earned his first professional win in just his second fight, as he defeated a fighter making his MMA debut. He won the fight by submission in the first round and looked good in doing so.

Beating a fighter making his MMA debut isn’t usually a big deal, but it was in hindsight, as that man would go on to win 23 of his next 25 fights. His name is Jon Fitch.

Fast-forward three years, and Mike Pyle was competing in his first fight in the WEC. It was also his chance at the promotion’s Welterweight Championship.

Pyle submitted Bret Bergmark and then defended his title against MMA veteran Shonie Carter before vacating the title to join the IFL.

After a three-year run bouncing between the IFL, EliteXC, Affliction, Strikeforce and a number of other promotions, Mike Pyle made his UFC debut in 2009.

At UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida, Pyle took a fight against Brock Larson on just one week’s notice, replacing the injured Chris Wilson.

Though he lost by submission to Larson, the UFC was happy to bring him back for another fight against the man he had just replaced in his first UFC fight, Chris Wilson.

Wilson put up a fight, but Pyle submitted him in the third round by way of guillotine choke.

Mike Pyle has since improved his UFC record to 3-2, with his most recent win coming against hot up-and-coming prospect John Hathaway.

Hathaway was 14-0 with a 4-0 UFC record and wins over Diego Sanchez and Rick Story at the time of the fight.

As we look at UFC 128, there may be bigger implications than just a win or a loss for Mike Pyle as he goes head-to-head with Ricardo Almeida.

A loss would drop him to just 3-3 in the UFC and put him barely ahead of where he started with the company in 2009.

But a win against Almeida could make Mike Pyle a real consideration for a fight against one of the division’s top fighters.

The welterweight division in the UFC may be the most skilled in the world, top to bottom, and Pyle simply can’t afford to lose this fight if he hopes to make a run at the title.

But with the UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St. Pierre, having essentially run through the company’s welterweight division, the company is certainly open to new challengers for the title.

If Pyle can come out with a win, look for him to get a shot at facing one of the division’s top fighters.

With Jon Fitch and BJ Penn tentatively scheduled for a rematch at UFC 132, the most likely possibilities for Pyle’s next fight could be Martin Kampmann, Diego Sanchez or Josh Koscheck, who will be returning from injury soon.

A win over Sanchez, Kampmann or Koscheck would make Mike Pyle a legitimate contender for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

He may need one more win after that, but judging by how quickly the UFC gave a title shot to Dan Hardy, he may very well get a title shot right afterward.

Very few fans are looking at Pyle as a legitimate contender right now, but he is on the verge of cracking the top 10 welterweights in the world with a win this weekend against Ricardo Almeida.

At 35, Mike Pyle doesn’t exactly fit the standard description of a “dark horse” in the MMA world, but he is certainly that and much more. We may be looking at the future UFC Welterweight No. 1 contender.

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