One of the most anticipated fights of this weekend’s UFC 110 card in Sydney, Australia, is the light heavyweight match-up between undefeated Ryan “Darth” Bader (10-0) and Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine (15-6-1).
Jardine says he has not faced a wrestler since he fought Mike Whitehead back at UFC 57 in 2006. While Bader does have a wrestling base, he has become much more than just a wrestler. He has a ton of power, and is dangerous on the ground and standing, and is coming off a unanimous decision win over Eric Schafer at UFC 104 this past October.
Basically, it’s do-or-die time for Keith Jardine. “The Dean of Mean” has been a staple of the UFC since his debut at The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale in 2005, when he defeated Kerry Schall via second round TKO (leg kicks). Jardine, now 6-5 in his UFC career, has lost his last two fights.
His biggest problem seems to be his inconsistency inside the Octagon. He has significant wins over such big names as Forrest Griffin, Brandon Vera, and Chuck Liddell, but he hasn’t won more than two fights in a row since 2006. Every opponent Jardine faces is upper echelon, and Bader is no exception.