UFC on FX 3 – Mike Pyle vs. Josh Neer preview
As ‘UFC on FX 3: McCall vs. Johnson 2′ draws closer, MMABay continues to dissect the main card action scheduled for Friday, June 8th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This time, we take a closer look at the welterweight scrap pitting Xtreme Couture veteran, Mike Pyle, and his imposing bouffant against battle-tested Iowan Josh Neer. Will ‘Quicksand’s crafty ground game be too much for Neer, or will ‘The Dentist’ live up to his moniker? Find out after the jump…
Mike Pyle (22-8-1, 5-3 UFC)
Xtreme Couture welterweight, Mike Pyle, returns to the main card this weekend after being dumped on the prelims for UFC 142 in January. Nonetheless, ‘Quicksand’ became the only non-Brazilian to win that night in Rio de Janeiro, mowing down Ricardo Funch with knees and punches early in the first round.
The crafty veteran had previously been left with egg on his face after his loud-mouthed hyping of a fight against young prodigy, Rory MacDonald, drastically backfired at UFC 133. The young Canadian put Pyle to the sword, finishing him with elbows on the ground in round one.
But Pyle’s recent form has been impressive overall, and the BJJ brown-belt was riding a three-fight streak into the MacDonald fight, having beaten such notables as Ricardo Almeida and John Hathaway.
Josh Neer (33-10-1, 6-6 UFC)
It’s rare for ‘Quicksand’ to face a welterweight even more experienced than he, but Josh ‘The Dentist’ Neer is one of those welterweights and the Des Moines, Iowa veteran is currently 2-0 since re-siging with the UFC for a third stint.
In fact, Neer is 8-1 since being cut in 2009, with his only loss coming to Eddie Alvarez in a Bellator ‘superfight’. The well-rounded Neer returned to the big stage in October, taking out fellow journeyman, Keith Wisniewski, with short elbows that opened up several fight-ending cuts.
In January, ‘The Dentist’ faced another old-timer, Duane Ludwig, in the co-main event on FX and despite being wobbled several times by the kickboxer, Neer snagged a guillotine choke midway through round one, sending Ludwig to sleep. Neer once again faces one of the welterweight division’s old guard in Fort Lauderdale, with the winner probably getting a bump to face an in-form prospect.
The Verdict: Pyle’s mouth is often guilty of writing checks his chin can’t cash, but Neer is no knockout artist and prefers to wear down opponents with clinchwork and elbows, particularly against the cage. Pyle will welcome this sort of close-quarters battle, being a taller welterweight with some nifty muay thai of his own and on the mat, it’s anyone’s fight. Both are adept submission fighters but both have been caught out themselves on the ground too. Neer can become increasingly flat-footed during fights though and we should expect Pyle to keep moving and circling away from the cage while picking away at ‘The Dentist’. A nip-tuck decision should go Pyle’s way. Pyle, decision.
By Steve Davies.
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