UFC 145 Preview: The Main Card

---

Featherweights
Mark Hominick (20-10, 3-2 UFC) vs. Eddie Yagin (15-5-1, 0-1 UFC)

The Matchup: According to many oddsmakers, Hominick was the biggest favorite on the entire UFC 140 card, a safer betting choice than even light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. His opponent that night, Chan Sung Jung, was known for brawling wildly and was deemed to have little chance against the highly technical Hominick.

It was “The Machine” who was careless, however, winging a left hook in the direction of “The Korean Zombie” at the outset of the bout. The punch missed and Hominick paid dearly, as Jung connected with a straight right to score a shocking 7-second knockout. Now Hominick, not that far removed from a valiant effort against featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 129, has a long road ahead of him to get back into title contention.

At UFC 145, Hominick once again shares a card with Jones, and once again he is the biggest favorite on the bill. Don’t expect another careless mistake from the Ontario native this time, however. Yagin struggled in his UFC debut against Junior Assuncao, as he was taken down and controlled for the better part of three rounds.

Normally Yagin is aggressive on the feet and likes to throw combinations, but he often appeared tentative in his bout with Assuncao. Hominick’s striking is crisp and precise, and he will make the Alliance MMA representative pay if he is indecisive. Hominick attacks equally well with his hands, feet and elbows, and it is highly unlikely that Yagin can go blow for blow with him for three rounds.

The Hawaiian’s best chance at an upset lies in closing the distance and getting his foe to the ground, where he is far less dangerous. Yagin was persistent in attempting submissions at UFC 135, so Hominick must be cautious when pursuing a finish.

The Pick: Hominick will be motivated to erase the memory of the Jung loss, so he won’t take Yagin lightly. “The Machine” wins by lopsided decision.

Next Fight » Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio