Just three days after its biggest pay-per-view show of the year so far, the UFC is back with its biggest Spike TV show of the year so far, with UFC Fight Night 21 taking place Wednesday night just before the first episode of Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter. We've got the full preview and predictions below. What: UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi
When: The undercard will start around 5 PM ET Wednesday, and the Spike TV card will start at 8.
Where: Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
How: Watch live on Spike TV or just follow along with our live coverage here at MMAFighting.com.
Predictions on the four televised fights:
Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi
This is the most significant fight the UFC has put live on Spike TV since middleweight champion Anderson Silva moved up to light heavyweight to beat James Irvin in July of 2008. Florian is the promotion's No. 2 lightweight, while Gomi is the former Pride lightweight champion who's finally getting ready to step into the Octagon for the first time. I'm sure the UFC would love to see the Gomi of the Pride days show up on Wednesday night, put on a sensational display against Florian and move to the front of the line to take on UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn, assumping Penn beats Frankie Edgar at UFC 112. But we haven't seen that Gomi in a long time, and I just don't think he's good enough either on his feet or on the ground to hang with Florian.
Pick: Florian
Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve
This is an excellent heavyweight match-up that will give whoever wins the biggest victory of his MMA career. Nelson, last season's Ultimate Fighter winner, is listed as a heavy favorite, but I believe the 6-foot-11 Struve is going to frustrate Nelson with his superior reach, give Nelson trouble on the ground with his long limbs, and ultimately outlast Nelson to win what should be a hard-fought decision that will mark Struve, at age 22, as one of the sport's most promising young heavyweights.
Pick: Struve
Nate Quarry vs. Jorge Rivera
The UFC likes to have at least one fight on all its cable TV shows that matches up two guys who just like to stand up and trade strikes, and on this card, that's the Quarry-Rivera bout. Both guys are 38 years old and past the point where they're ever going to get into title contention, but they've both still got a few entertaining fights left in them. I like Quarry to land the more effective strikes and win what should be an exciting decision.
Pick: Quarry
Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver
Pearson won Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter and then won his first UFC fight after that in front of a home crowd in Manchester, England, at UFC 105. He's favored to beat Siver, but I don't think he should be: Siver's dynamic striking could give Pearson fits, and I like him to score a knockout.
Pick: Siver
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