UFC 122 Preview: The Prelims

Light Heavyweights
Seth Petruzelli vs. Karlos Vemola

Say this for Vemola: the guy is a physically impressive specimen. The Czech has good takedowns and should be fairly strong at 205, as he lost a decision to heavyweight Jon Madsen in his UFC debut in July. Petruzelli, in addition to being forever known as the EliteXC killer, thanks to his win over Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, is one of those middle-of-the-pack soldiers who provide a nice test for those wanting to prove they can dance with the big boys.

Petruzelli has a lot more stateside and big-fight experience. His stepping in to replace Ken Shamrock at the last minute and beating Slice in 14 seconds remains one of the more stunning moments in MMA history, particularly with Petruzelli’s awesome pink dye job. Vemola is super aggressive, and though he could not really do much against the stronger Madsen, he should be able to take down Petruzelli.

How much Vemola can work inside Petruzelli’s guard remains anyone’s guess. I’m thinking Petruzelli may find some openings standing, as well as submission attempts and sweeps on the ground, that can be enough to make it a close decision, in which case I like “The Silverback.”