Evan Dunham Vs Melvin Guillard: The UFC Saturday Showdown
By Kevin Nelson
On Saturday, the UFC and Strikeforce will go head to head, but this time, the fans win as the UFC card will be on Spike and not Pay Per View.
It’s an impressive list of matchups for the “Fight for the Troops” UFC card. The main event will see Evan Dunham facing Melvin Guillard in a lightweight battle. In a heavyweight battle TUF competitor Matt Mitrione will be looking for his third straight win as he faces Tim Hague in a heavyweight battle. Mark Hominick will face George Roop to determine the number one contender to Jose Aldos featherweight title. As well Pat Barry will faced Joey Beltran in a heavyweight battle.
We preview these matches and make our picks as to who will win and why.
Patt Barry, 5-2 vs. Joey Beltran, 12-4
Heavyweight
Barry is coming off a loss to Mirko Crocop by submission and Beltran is coming off a victory over Tim Hague. Pat Barry is easily the most devastating striker in the heavyweight division but has shown little to no ground game.
His teammate Matt Mitrione holds a victory over Beltran but unlike Barry continuous to improve all aspects of his game. I still see Barry winning this fight by a stoppage as Beltran has only one submission victory in his career.
Besides, this is a make or break fight for Barry and my prediction is pain (for Beltran).
Tim Hague, 12-4 vs. Matt Mitrione, 3-0
Heavyweight
Hague has lost three straight in the UFC and holds the dubious record of being knocked out in 8 seconds by Todd Duffee. But since his last loss to Beltran, which he took on three day’s notice, Hague has won two straight and has rededicated himself to MMA, and, according to reports coming out of Canada, has a new outlook to go with an improved ground game.
Mitrione is looking for his fourth straight win in the octagon against Hague. Mitrione has ever improving ground game and his striking is continuing to progress under the tutelage of Duke Roufus. Despite all of that, Hague simply does not have a gas tank and tires quickly and despite the fact he says he will be coming in at 255, I still think that’s too much weight.
I see Mitrione by stoppage.
Mark Hominick, 19-8 vs. George Roop, 11-6
Featherweight
Mark Hominick seemingly has been around forever. It’s hard to believe he is just 28, and with a title shot looming in his home province of Ontario. It really is the final countdown for one of Canada’s favorite fighters.
Hominick has been on a roll and his KO defeat of Yves Jabouin was one of the best featherweight fights I have ever seen. His Achilles heel has always been the ground game but within the last two years, Hominick no longer has glaring weaknesses. George Roop is coming off a head kick win over the Korean Zombie. Originally on the Ultimate Fighter, Roop has a Muay Thai background.
I expect this fight to be a standup war with Hominick using his footwork to decision George Roop and be declared the number one contender to Jose Aldo.
Evan Dunham, 11-1 vs. Melvin Guillard, 26-8-2
Lightweight
This is a fantastic matchup featuring two of the top contenders in the lightweight division. Dunham is coming off a loss to Shawn Sherk in which he was robbed of a decision win, but before that, rattled off wins over Marcos Aurellio, Efrain Escudero, and Tyson Griffin.
Dunham has very good wrestling and Jiu-jitsu as well as decent standup. When comparing the two, Dunham was thought of as a future champion as was Guillard when he first entered the UFC, but after suffering through some defeats, Guillard decided a switch in training was needed and joined Greg Jackson’s camp and has since progressed.
In terms of sheer athleticism, Guillard is amazing but in terms of technique, Evan Dunham has that. This is a pick’em type fight but I see Dunham walking away the victor in an intense wrestling matchup with Dunham controlling the pace.
Analysis
There are a host of other fights but my focus and most importantly interest was in these fights. How the Hominick fight turns out could be huge for the UFC 129 fight if he wins he could be fighting for a title in front of 40,000 fans in his hometown.
If Dunham or Guillard wins they still will need a couple of fights before they get a shot as Edgar/Maynard 3 is coming and Pettis being the number one contender. But the matchup will sort out the lightweight division and we will see if Dunham is the next champion or if Guillard’s best days are behind him, or are his best days yet to come?