UFC 91 Preview of Hendricks vs. Gonzaga

Originally posted on BleacherReport.com

This will be Hendricks' UFC debut and there must be something that matchmaker Joe Silva saw in him as it'll be his first fight in a year, with the last being a first round KO of James Powell in November 2007.

He's been a pro since the fall of 2002 and is unbeaten in his last 10 fights with one no contest. His wins have been a combination of submission victories via choke or TKO, all on smaller-level shows.

The 32-year-old Ohio native stands 6'2" and weighs 246 pounds, listing wrestling and jiu-jitsu as his strengths, having earned All-American honors twice as a wrestler at Ashland (OH) University. I wish we had more details, but there's not a lot out there on the guy. The official site for UFC 91 doesn't even have a picture of him!

Breakdown: On paper, this looks like a fairly even match-up with nearly identical styles.

Gonzaga can win via the ground, but his past would seem to favor him wanting to keep it standing. If Gonzaga can win in notable fashion, he's back in the mix again. The UFC seems to be adding some depth to this division and Gonzaga can stake his claim to being a major factor with a big win.

Hendricks is a bit of a mystery; but that he's fighting a televised bout in his UFC debut after being out for a year and that the fight happens to be on the undercard of Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar has to say something for his talent. I doubt he's a tomato can and there's a reason he's on this show, but the mystery is too much for us to overlook. Who are you, Josh Hendricks? Who...are...you?

RRC Prediction: Hendricks via 1st round TKO (strikes).

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