WEC 42 Preview

Leonard Garcia (12-4) vs. Jameel Massouh (21-5)

The Bottom Line: After dropping his WEC debut to Raphael Assuncao, there will be no rest for Massouh, as he has to take on a top contender in Garcia. While Massouh’s versatile style earned him a spot in the WEC, he does not have one skill he can use to overwhelm opponents.

Meanwhile, Garcia has transformed into the kind of pure power puncher that Massouh cannot handle. The ground game remains an option, but Garcia is more than game on the mat, and odds are Massouh will not have much luck getting this fight on the ground anyway. Expect a return to form for Garcia, who rebounds from his loss to featherweight king Mike Thomas Brown.

Fredson Paixao (8-3) vs. Cole Province (5-1)

The Bottom Line: Wrestler meets grappler, as the bulldog ground-and-pound game Province plays runs headfirst into Paixao’s world-class jiu-jitsu skills. While Paixao certainly will not mind getting hit with a few double legs, Province may find fending off Paixao’s arsenal of mat machinations beyond his means. Usually, wrestlers have the option of keeping the fight upright, but Province’s mediocre striking makes him less than the ideal candidate to crumple Paixao.

Do not be surprised if Province tries that route anyway and ends up with Paixao pulling guard before a string of submission attempts eventually leaves Province looking for the nearest exit.

Marcus Hicks (8-2) vs. Shane Roller (5-2)

The Bottom Line: Roller, a collegiate wrestling convert, was supposed to be a star in the making, but after a disappointing bout with Benson Henderson, he will have to carve out a spot for himself against Hicks’ wrecking ball style. Despite the advertisements, Roller’s wrestling game has yet to translate fully to MMA, while Hicks’ combination of bullying strikes and rabid grappling makes him the kind of offensive force with which a developing prospect like Roller tends to struggle.

Unless Roller has managed to find a way to make his wrestling game work, he will find himself severely outgunned against a foe known for pressuring opponents into mistakes. Given Roller’s lack of experience, he will eventually make the mistake for which Hicks looks and end up trapped in a trachea-tightening guillotine choke.

Ed Ratcliff (6-1) vs. Phil Cardella (8-3)

The Bottom Line: The urban karateka meets the versatile quicksilver, as Ratcliff’s wildly unorthodox striking makes for an interesting matchup with Cardella’s slick grappling game. The real key here is whether or not Cardella has the wrestling to get Ratcliff horizontal before one of Ratcliff’s kicks beats him to it. Luckily for Cardella, his takedowns are serviceable, while Ratcliff’s submission defense makes surviving a mat battle as likely as a tasteful episode of “The Bachelorette.”

Some hairy early moments for Cardella will give way to a timely takedown and speedy submission win for the Illinois native. Unfortunate since it would be wonderful to see urban karate take its rightful place in MMA.

Rani Yahya (14-4) vs. John Hosman (13-4-1)

The Bottom Line: Consider this a style mismatch for Hosman, who relies on his wrestling to bully opponents, while Yahya’s jiu-jitsu waits for an opponent crazy enough to take him down. With his main weapon all but useless, Hosman needs to rely on his striking. It may not be fundamentally sound, but he makes up the difference with power.

That line of thought has been used by many of Yahya’s past opponents, and the results have been mixed. Do not bank on Hosman finding any luck, as Yahya storms him from the opening bell by pulling guard and firing off about 3,568 submission attempts in the opening minute. Hosman does not have the defensive skills to handle that sort of workload.

Diego Nunes (12-0) vs. Rafael Dias (12-5-1)

The Bottom Line: Brazilian striking ace Nunes will look to fuel his run up the featherweight ranks by turning the division’s gatekeeper, Dias, into a canvas for his breed of precision kickboxing. While Dias’ ground game serves as a threat for most, Nunes has the mat game to match him. In other words, Dias looks to be short on options and long on disadvantages.

That will become apparent from the opening bell, as Nunes dissects Dias on the feet before putting him away with a head kick late in the first round. Expect much shouting and yelling upon impact, more from the cage-side commentators than anyone else.

L.C. Davis (13-2) vs. Javier Vazquez (13-2)

The Bottom Line: Once upon a time, Vazquez was a premier prospect destined to graduate to full-fledged star status, but a series of knee injuries forced him to walk away from the sport. Now fully healed and set for a comeback, Vazquez will have to tangle with Davis, a man cut from the same submission wrestler cloth. While the submission aspect appears equal, the wrestling will prove key, as both men prefer top control to guard work.

Considering Vazquez’s history of injuries, it’s hard to image him getting the better of Davis in that regard. While Vazquez’s guard is more than serviceable, it will not be enough to keep Davis from taking a nip-and-tuck decision.