Sometimes the Gods of MMA smile upon us puny mortals with matches that should inspire a wave of Wayne & Garth level "WE'RE NOT WORTHY!" chants. The assumed No. 1 contender clash between the human howitzer
Marcus Hicks and MMA's premier karateka is precisely that kind of match.
The thought of someone with a karate background busting heads in MMA once seemed laughable to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the sport. But apparently all you needed was a bit of "New Jack City" mixed into the equation to get the right balance.
Raised in the less than idyllic confines of inner-city Chicago, Ed "9mm" Ratcliff (6-0) found an escape in the karate lessons that his mother had given him since he could walk. Imbued with unnatural discipline and an excess of ability, he eventually settled in MMA hotbed San Diego, and the results have been hard to argue with.
The real coming-out party, however, came late last year when Ratcliff was paired against
Alex Karalexis (Pictures) in a pivotal lightweight tilt. Showing off his arsenal of flashy kicks and quick fists, Ratcliff overwhelmed his opponent and launched himself into contention.
Idling in contention and challenging for a title are worlds apart, though. Ratcliff's path must now go through Marcus "The Wrecking Ball" Hicks (7-0), who more than lives up to his pseudonym.
Compact, stout and capable of Godzilla-level destruction, Hicks is the WEC's "other" undefeated lightweight prospect and has been just as impressive as his counterpart in making the move from prospect to contender. In fact, Hicks has developed a special affinity for derailing undefeated fighters, having notched submission wins over the previously unbeaten
Sergio Gomez (Pictures) and
Scott McAfee.
If "Highlander" had any shred of truth in it, we can safely assume that Hicks has absorbed the life force of his vanquished opponents and will enter this bout ready to do the same to Ratcliff. All that extra life force will come in handy against Ratcliff, who will have a marked advantage on the feet thanks not only to a large reach advantage but superior skill as well.
Just how willing Hicks will be to keep it standing may decide the outcome. Ratcliff remains relatively untested on the ground, and Hicks' combination of submissions and ground strikes has proven too much for past opponents.
Don't count on Hicks botching his march to the title by playing the Chuck Norris to Ratcliff's Bruce Lee. Watch for "The Wrecking Ball" to score takedowns early and often before creating a scramble and snatching hold of a rear-naked choke in the second round.
All bets are off if Ratcliff comes out in crane stance. You don't mess with crane stance.
As the WEC's talent pool continues to expand, every main card opportunity is a must-win situation for whoever is involved. Two of the more recent additions to the WEC roster will learn that lesson one way or another when Nevada's favorite son,
Blas Avena (Pictures), takes on Japanese veteran
Hiromitsu Miura (Pictures).
Always a crowd pleaser, Avena (2-1) certainly benefits from fighting in front of his raucous hometown audience. The security guard turned professional pain machine hasn't lost a beat despite losing the ability to swing his mighty baton at those annoying skateboarder kids.
Initially, it looked as if he may not be suited for the realm of fisticuffs when Avena's MMA debut against
Logan Clark (Pictures) ended in defeat for the native Nevadan.
A move down to the welterweight division turned out to be the tonic for his troubles, as he looked dominant while dismantling both
Tiki Ghosn (Pictures) and
Joe Benoit. In Miura, however, Avena faces a far more experienced foil who won't be intimidated by the locals and their poorly timed chants.
What should worry Miura (8-4) is his WEC debut loss to Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Miura had entered the promotion as a sturdy veteran expected to make an impact from the word go. While he certainly held his own against MMA's Tyler Durden, flirting with gatekeeper status is hardly the goal for the Japanese import.
A rebound win over
Fernando Gonzalez (Pictures) certainly helped matters, but Miura is in desperate need of a high-profile win, lest he be left to play the role of St. Peter minus all the heavenly perks.
Taking on a fast-rising prospect is hardly the easiest way to make a living, and Miura will be hard-pressed trying to halt the onslaught of Avena. Although Miura has shown strong defensive grappling ability in the past, Avena is capable of firing off rapid ground strikes while setting up his arsenal of submissions.
Miura will fail to stop the bum rush, resulting in Avena pounding out a stoppage from mount late in the first round.
Printer Friendly
