UFC 94 Breakdown

Post and Photo courtesy of Sherdog.com

Jake O'Brien vs. Christian Wellisch

Jake “Irish” O’Brien Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’3/205 lbs.
Age: 24
Hometown: Indianapolis
Fighting out of: Indianapolis
Record: 10-2

The stakes: After disappearing from the UFC following back-to-back losses to Andrei Arlovski and Cain Velasquez, O’Brien will attempt a return against another returning UFC exile. Given the undercard status of this bout and the unsure footing both men are on in the UFC, O’Brien needs this win desperately.

The breakdown: This is the kind of vintage wrestler-versus-striker clash that every card needs, and if O’Brien plans to pick up a much-needed win, he would do well sticking to his wrestling roots against Wellisch. While Wellisch does have surprising submission savvy for a fighter who prefers to stay on his feet, O’Brien has the strong base and positioning needed to keep “The Hungarian Nightmare” in place. O’Brien needs to improve upon his impotent ground-and-pound, which often leads to referee restarts, in order to secure victory. The last thing O’Brien needs is extra time on the feet with Wellisch.

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The bottom line: Thinking Wellisch will pull it all together and figure out his talents is as compelling as it is unlikely. O’Brien, unlike many young wrestlers, has no illusions about his skill set and immediately goes about his usual business of grinding out a top control special. Count on Wellisch making it interesting, but do not count on him leaving the cage victorious.

Click here to read the entire article at Sherdog.com