Jeff Curran vs. Dustin Neace
After flunking out of World Extreme Cagefighting, Curran gets a chance to rebound against Neace -- and rebound he will. A journeyman who never quite escaped that casting, Neace finds himself in the unenviable position of being a solid grappler taking on an opponent who has proven himself vastly superior in that regard. An entertaining bit of back-and-forth on the mats ends with Curran tying Neace into a not-so-pretty package.
Mark Miller vs. Deray Davis
After some time on the shelf, Miller makes his return to the game against Davis. In keeping with the generally uncompetitive tone of the undercard, Miller has been lined up for a reasonably easy win. Davis has not been fond of working off his back and Miller will plant him there time and time again. On the ground, the disparity in offensive ability will become even more obvious. A thorough thrashing against Davis will reignite Miller’s career.
Christian Uflacker vs. Jonatas Novaes
The jiu-jitsu special of the night matches the inexperienced but well-hyped Uflacker against fellow Brazilian submission specialist Novaes. Expect Uflacker to ace Novaes on the mats. As the flat-out better grappler of the two, Uflacker will find an all-too-willing partner in Novaes, and he will be all-too willing to make him a quality addition to the old highlight reel.
John Kolosci vs. Shamar Bailey
A castoff from “The Ultimate Fighter,” Kolosci was slotted against Bailey in a bout for a spot in Strikeforce’s surging middleweight division. While many fans love Kolosci’s All-American work ethic, Bailey has proven the more talented of the two and only gives up experience to his counterpart. Watch for Bailey to swarm Kolosci from the opening bell and eventually overwhelm him late with a torrent of ground-and-pound.
Louis Taylor vs. Nate Moore
Take Taylor, an unbeaten Adrenaline MMA veteran with a pair of first-round finishes to his credit, in a meeting between two anonymous prospects. Taylor was a former Eastern Illinois University wrestling standout; Moore wrestled alongside Jon Fitch at Purdue University and now trains with him at the American Kickboxing Academy.