Mike Swick (13-2) vs. Ben Saunders (7-0-2) could easily be considered one of the best matchups at UFC 99. The welterweight tilt will pit two Ultimate Fighter alums in what could be deemed a situation in which Swick has much to lose while Saunders could gain considerable momentum in the divisional picture. Saunders will see a substantial step up in competition against Swick after defeating Dan Barrera, Ryan Thomas, and Brandon Wolff while Swick rides a three-fight win streak with wins Josh Burkman, Marcus Davis, and Jonathan Goulet.
One of the most talked about aspects to the outcome of this matchup is Swick's potential to become a contender within the division. Swick stated to MMAMania.com's Derek Bolender that an impressive win in this matchup should put him on the fast track to a "big fight" or title shot:
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Do you think an impressive performance over Saunders gets you a title shot? Do you feel like you would deserve one at that point?
Mike Swick: I really do hope if I have an impressive performance I get a big fight. I definitely hope that. I’ve worked really hard. Like I said I’ve had a couple bad fights. I feel like I’ve made up for it and shown people there’s a reason for that. You can look at my record and see, both amateur and pro, have all been exciting.
A win over Saunders would put me at 9 - 1 in the UFC, which I think is a good record. I think I would definitely be entitled to a big fight. If they give me a title fight I would love it. Obviously that would be the best outcome, but if not, just a big fight would be great. Something where I have a lot to gain out of the fight versus a lot to lose.
Many fans ripped on Swick after he made some comments regarding contention after his win over Jonathan Goulet. While those comments were rather "confident" in his performance, Swick seems to have taken a turn to a more realistic point of view. I think most fans would agree that Swick deserves a substantial step up in competition with an impressive victory over Ben Saunders on Saturday night, but is title contention a good idea?
It's interesting that contention talk continues to revolve around Swick's name. His record in the welterweight division doesn't hold any huge wins over top 5 competition within the division. His win over Marcus Davis is probably his most recognizable victory within the division, but it's unlikely that the UFC was impressed by the UFC 85 performance. Swick has stated, however, that the UFC could match him up against teammates Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch at any moment, and they do realize that those fights will need to happen down the road with three camp members battling it out for the top spot.
The big problem, however, is that Fitch has already lost to Georges St. Pierre as has Josh Koscheck. If Thiago Alves loses to GSP at UFC 100, an impressive performance could vault Swick toward the top simply to mix up the competition that GSP is defending his title against.
For now, Swick will need to focus on a very game opponent in Ben Saunders. The American Top Team member has a significant height and reach advantage coupled with brutalizing Muay Thai and solid ground skills. He's also become increasingly bigger in size from how he looked on the reality series, proving that ATT knows how to bring these athletes to the next level.
Saunders has stated that he doesn't believe Swick's speed will be a factor due to his reach advantage, but Swick has been quick to point out that past opponents have said the exact same thing in interviews. Reach will definitely be Saunders' friend in this one, but Swick's speed could be the deciding factor. If Saunders can manage to use his reach to pepper Swick without being countered, he may be able to take advantage of potentially hurting Swick or trying to bulldoze him into a clinch along the fence. If that happens, Swick could be in for a rough night. It's one of those intriguing matchups due to Saunders' potential vs. Swick's speed and abilities at the lower weight class. I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am.
