Duane “Bang” Ludwig vs. Yves Edwards
The main event of the night promises fireworks and most assuredly a knockout, as late replacement Duane “Bang” Ludwig steps up to challenge long-time veteran Yves Edwards in the lightweight division. Both men are extremely powerful strikers, and this is the kind of fight where, if you blink, you very well might miss the finish.
Duane Ludwig, a one time disciple of MMA legend Bas Rutten, has arguably the most dangerous hands in the history of the sport. His punching is deadly accurate, blindingly fast, and packs enough power that he would be a threat two weight divisions above 155 pounds. In the immortal words of Poison, though, “every rose has its thorn”, and Duane Ludwig’s thorn is most assuredly his chin. It has been rumored that a stiff breeze or a harshly spoken word is enough to send Ludwig folding up to the canvas, totally unconscious. Ludwig is the proverbial glass cannon, capable of blowing up any opponent, or being blown up himself, from the second the bell rings.
Yves Edwards is also a dangerous striker, although technically nowhere near as proficient as Ludwig. The other side of this coin is that, unlike Ludwig, Edwards has shown a good degree of resiliency over his career, and is nowhere near as likely to suffer a fluke knockout. Basically, this fight is going to come down to which of the two can land a meaningful strike first. If Edwards lands a power shot, it will be naptime for Ludwig, guaranteed. Of course, if Ludwig finds an opening, he will no doubt blast it open with unanswered, laser-guided bombs which Edwards will not be able to withstand.
I think Edwards’ style is going to be his downfall in this fight. The best way to get at Ludwig is to show a varied attack to throw him off and open up his defense so you can exploit his weak chin.
Edwards, though, will be content to stand with Ludwig for at least a little while, and with a striker of his caliber, a little while is a lot too long.
Prediction: I see Ludwig’s decision to step in for Josh Thompson paying dividends in the form of a first round knockout.
