Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva

This is sensible matchmaking from the UFC. Both fighters don’t have a lot of fans, at least compared to the other superstars at 205. These two are also in need of a win. Keith Jardine has been “in the mix” for a long time. He always suffers a loss when he’s close to a title shot. As for Thiago Silva, he’s already been knocked out by the now-legendary Lyoto Machida.

So, it’s safe to say that a decision victory does little for either guy. Sure, it’ll be nice to get a win when you’re coming off of a loss. However the UFC doesn’t care too much about either man. Therefore, the winner is going to have to do a lot to get noticed.

Keith Jardine is known for his awkward “herky-jerky” style. It’s been effective for him at times. However against Rampage it didn’t get the job done. He didn’t pressure Quinton like Forrest Griffin did. As a result, Rampage’s confidence soared. That resulted in Keith’s near demise at several points in the fight. He’s lucky he only lost by decision. It’s nice that he tried to avoid Quinton’s power. Given what happened, he should have realized that a good offense can be the best defense. Here’s where we insert the obligatory “easier said then done” phrase.

As for Thiago Silva, that dude loves being aggressive. Against Lyoto Machida, it was a terrible strategy. Against the Dean of Mean, Silva’s style should pay off. Keith’s biggest losses in the UFC came when he got overwhelmed in the opening minutes of the fight. It’s no wonder he’s become more defensive.

Greg Jackson is great with coming up with game plans for his fighters. No doubt he’s formed a good one to defeat Silva. Thiago has to find a way to hurt Jardine early and force him to abandon any strategy he formed. If Thiago gets the win in the first round ala Wanderlei Silva, Jackson won’t have a chance to re-focus Jardine.

While they have different styles, both of them need to internalize the importance of finishing the fight in spectacular fashion. They should not dwell on the fact that they’ll both need 3 years to get a title shot, Kenny Florian-style.

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