Not to be overlooked: UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops”

So whether Affliction and Elite XC survive or not, I am content they shifted the UFC into a higher gear.

Not to get lost in the shuffle, situated between UFC 92 and 93 is Ultimate Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops.” Spike TV has confirmed the upcoming event, a live three-hour televised event on Wednesday, December 10 starting at 9:00 PM, ET.

It would be nice to see John McCain there to support the troops but somehow I think he will be preoccupied.

On the main card we have three exciting fights, and since they will be free, it’s hard not to be pleased with the lineup. Just to note, according to MMA Mania, the Main event is TBA. I can only imagine what Dana White and Joe Silva will roll out for the troops.

Let’s take a look at two fights that will not only be entertaining but will have consequences to their respective divisions.

Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

While most people are familiar with Kos, after his “learning experience” decision loss to GSP, they may not be as familiar with his opponent. Yoshida was set to face Karo Parisyan at UFC 88. That is until Karo mysteriously withdrew from the fight due to injury only two hours before the weigh-ins.

Yoshida is a Japanese mixed martial artist and an excellent Judo fighter. Yoshida defeated Dan Hardy by disqualification after being struck by a kick to the groin, becoming the first Cage Force welterweight tournament winner. He is currently riding a nine win fight streak. He made quick work in his UFC debut by defeating the now defunct “War Machine” via an Anaconda choke.

So a fight fan might ask themselves: What benefit is there for Koscheck taking on this relatively unknown yet dangerous fighter? Depending on which website you visit, Kos is ranked anywhere from #2 to #5 in the welterweight division. More experience is what Josh will have to chalk his next few fights up to.

Despite being outclassed by GSP he held his own and certainly took mush less damage then John Fitch sustained. In his last two fights he has looked good. He had an impressive 2 nd round TKO against the up-and-coming BJJ black belt Dustin Hazelett. This was followed by a blood bath battle against the veteran Chris Lytle. Despite all his blood loss “Lights out” Lytle was able to drag it out to a decision.

Josh is currently playing the waiting game until he gets his first title shot in the UFC. It is likely that the winner of Thiago Alves vs. Diego Sanchez will get first crack at a title shot. Realistically this fight would happen in May or June of 2009. This rationale is based on the GSP/Penn fighting happening Jan. 31 st. St. Pierre should be ready a few months after that, assuming he is injury free.

So, best case scenario for Kos will be his first title shot sometime in fall of 2009. Josh will have to keep winning and improving and somehow I think he is just fine with that. Koscheck seems to have a long term mentality for the sport and he has a sense that his time will come.

He has all the tools necessary to be a future champion.

If he can get by Yoshida he will likely have two more fights before his title shot. That’s assuming he wants to stay busy. While he may wish to avoid his training partner John Fitch a fight between the two may be inevitable. Another possible fight might be Mike Swick, who is also fighting at UFN 16, and is considered to be a Top 10 welterweight.

While Yoshida is a dangerous opponent my money is on Josh. Yoshiyuki is certainly capable of getting a TKO and he is adept with his submissions. I just see Koscheck’s superior wrestling skills, along with his vastly improved striking as being the difference. This will be a very physical fight and I think Kos will grind out another decision win.

Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Wiman

The next fight we have to look forward to is in the lightweight division. Frankie Edgar will face off against Matt Wiman.

When I first saw Wiman on season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter” I would have never dreamt he could be a top 10 prospect, but after his KO of Thiago Tavares at UFC 85, he is within striking distance. Most people may not realize that Wiman had a back and forth battle with Roger Huerta early in his career. Huerta won a controversial decision.

While Wiman is looking to crack into the Top 10 Frankie Edgar is sitting just outside the title picture looking in. A loss to Gray Maynard certainly set him back while his most recent win against Hermes Franca got him back on track.

This fight is huge for both fighters. A loss for Edgar might drop him out of title contention for good and may facilitate a move to WEC where he would drop down a weight class. A loss for Wiman would erase all of his momentum and render him a tier three fighter in the division.

Frankie holds a great decision win over Tyson Griffin as well as Spencer Fisher. Matt Wiman also fought Spencer Fisher. He got KOed via a flying knee.

Frankie will definitely push the pace and his excellent wrestling skills will pose problems for Matt. While Wiman looks to be a dangerous striker Edgar can certainly hold his own standing up and will look to take the fight to the ground and establish control.

I will take Edgar in a decision win although I wouldn’t be stunned if Wiman could pull a TKO out of his back pocket. Frankie Edgar might be stunned though.