Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet
In the semi main event, Fight Night mainstay Mike “Quick” Swick is scheduled to square off with Canada’s second-best fighter, TKO and UFC star Jonathan Goulet. Both men are game opponents, so this one should be an evenly fought, close fight.
Jonathan Goulet, the perpetual second fiddle to Canadian megastar Georges St. Pierre, is an imposing figure in his own right. A tenacious, well-rounded striker who is also proficient at submissions, Goulet is a threat to any opponent in any position. With wins over the likes of Shonie Carter, Luke Cummo, and Kuniyoshi Hironaka, Goulet has proven that he can adapt to, and overcome, top fighters with a wide range of styles and game plans.
It’s difficult to predict what Goulet’s game plan will be, as he is the type of fighter who goes with the flow of a fight rather than attempting to impose his will on his opponent. One thing you can be sure of is that, no matter what happens, Goulet will come ready to fight, and any mistake Swick makes could very well prove fatal.
Since being triangle choked by Stephan Bonnar on the original season of The Ultimate Fighter, Mike Swick has more than proven that he belongs in the UFC. Capturing stellar wins over the likes of Joe Riggs, David Loiseau, Josh Burkman, and Marcus Davis, Swick has continually excelled beyond expectations.
He has only tasted defeat once in his official UFC career, falling short in a close decision to top Middleweight contender Yushin Okami. While his submission game is not world class, he is also not completely lost in a grappling exchange, and more than makes up for it with sound technical kickboxing, power punching, and wrestling. In many ways, Swick and Goulet are very similar fighters.
The difference between them that will end up deciding this contest is quality of opposition. While Goulet is the more experienced of the two fighters, Swick has been tested against better opponents by far, and has for the most part passed with flying colors.
I predict this fight will be very close, until midway through the third round when Swick capitalizes on Goulet’s fatigue and puts him away with a flurry of punches. TKO, round 3.
