WEC 43 Preview

Rich Crunkilton vs. Dave Jansen

The Breakdown: Once the lightweight division’s prospect du jour, Crunkilton’s career has been marred by injuries and his limited fight IQ. Now starring as the WEC’s resident gatekeeper, Crunkilton gets to face off with Jansen, who finds himself in the same role his opponent did once upon a time. An undefeated and relatively untested prospect, Jansen’s success depends on his ability to take the top position while Crunkilton’s success depends on not doing something worthy of a Darwin Award. As much as Crunkilton’s experience and strong Greco-Roman wrestling make him the theoretical favorite, Jansen’s non-stop motor and no-nonsense approach makes him perfectly suited to exploit a guy whose past “strategery” has made him the jester of crunk.

The X Factor: For all of Crunkilton’s past in-cage mistakes, he’s still got an impressive record and the wrestling to smother most anyone like a lonely grandmother. If Jansen doesn’t respond well to the challenge of facing a strong wrestler, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time a darling prospect falls to pieces at the first sign of adversity. Forcing Jansen into a difficult fight that doesn’t play to his strengths needs to be Crunkilton’s goal.

The Bottom Line: Like someone who keeps sending his money to e-mail-based Nigerian kings, there comes a time when you can’t keep banking on Crunkilton putting it all together. Jansen is just the kind of fighter who can force Crunkilton to rely on his guard and will not allow him to get away with any mistakes. It won’t be the most scintillating three rounds of the evening, but Jansen will take home a well-earned unanimous nod from the judges.