UFC 108 Preview: The Main Card

Paul Daley vs. Dustin Hazelett

The Breakdown: After more than a year on the sidelines thanks to a torn ACL, Hazelett finally makes his return to the UFC after his original return bout with Karo Parisyan at UFC 106 was canceled. Awaiting Hazelett is the decidedly more dangerous Paul Daley, who quickly made a name for himself stateside with a blistering TKO over Martin Kampmann in his UFC debut.

The challenge is a distinctly different one this time around for “Semtex,” who must contend with arguably the best submission artist in the welterweight division. While Hazelett is far from being the next Aleksander Karelin, Daley’s preference for throwing flurries from up close and his notoriously mediocre takedown defense make him an easy target for someone like Hazelett who knows how to pull guard effectively.

On the mat Daley would be walking the green mile against Hazelett, but the opposite is just as true if Hazelett tries his luck on the feet. We’ve seen Hazelett make the youthful mistake of getting into ill-advised exchanges before, and it got him knocked out in his fight with Josh Koscheck at UFC 82, a fight that he could have won. Having the heart of a brawler with the mind of a grappler is an unusual mix, and for his own sake, Hazelett better use his head.

The X-Factor: Closing the pocket on Hazelett is fraught with danger for Daley. The Brit is at both a reach and a height disadvantage, which makes the possibility of getting caught on the way in a very real possibility. Complicating matters further is the fact that Daley will have to constantly move in and out since Hazelett’s chin is solid and he will get a takedown if Daley tries to stand in front of him. Unless Daley can either put down Hazelett early or get him into a brawl, he’s going to be walking a very fine line between getting killed and making a killing.

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The Bottom Line: Reductive logic is a dangerous thing in MMA, but sometimes it’s the most apt tool available. Simply put, someone is getting knocked out or tapped out, and it will be much easier for Hazelett to take Daley down and knot him up than it will be for Daley to work his striking without ending up horizontal. Don’t expect smooth sailing for Hazelett. A year’s worth of cage rust will get him in trouble early on, but he’ll recover in time to work out some ridiculously esoteric submission at Daley’s expense.