Fighter Profile: Mike "Quick" Swick

By Bardia Mehrabian

On April 2nd, a shootout in the Middleweight division will pit two potential number one contender fighters against each other to see who will be next to fight the winner of Anderson Silva v. Rich Franklin rematch. Mike “Quick” Swick will put all cards on the table when he faces Japanese standout, Yushin Okami, who has been on a tear in the UFC. Swick wasn’t the most notable fighter to come out of season one of The Ultimate Fighter, but since the The Ultimate Fighter finale, Swick has gone undefeated in the UFC and has been vocal in his desires to challenge for the Middleweight title.

Mike Swick Fighting Style Analysis – Strengths
When I saw Swick on the first Ultimate Fight Night, I thought he was going to have a hard time when he faced Gideon Ray, but when Swick let go of his hands, I realized why he was nicknamed “Quick”. Mike Swick is fast. Really fast. Whether it is using his standup, or applying a submission, it is quick and decisive and very few escape. Swick’s seven of nine wins has been decided either by submission or KO. Therefore, he is knowledgeable in precision striking, ground technique, and he’s always improving with each and every fight. Mike Swick is a force to be reckoned with in the Middleweight division and Okami might be his next highlight reel.

Mike Swick Fighting Style Analysis – Weaknesses
Swick’s last outing with Loiseau showed a few holes in his fight game. Although he won, Swick was having a hard time with non-aggressive fighters in the cage. His ability to induce reactions with feints and shakes is lacking and therefore he makes mistakes in exposing his fundamental striking and grappling technique. Therefore, he needs to constantly be aware of where he keeps his hands and to mix up his striking game in order to keep his opponents guessing. If he can do that, Swick may be confident in ranking himself with the elite fighters like Rich Franklin and Anderson Silva.

UFC 69 Clash with Yushin Okami
This is an interesting match-up of two fighters who are renowned more for their counter-striking than their ability to dominate fighters. When Mike Swick applies his devastating KOs, it is usually the result of inducing his opponent into a false sense of domination where they ultimately meet their demise by opening up and eating a barrage of fists. Okami is slightly different, with drawing out fights to the third round before finishing his opponents.

Okami’s constant counter-striking and magnificent cardio help him in chopping down the guard of his opponent and finding the right moment to tee-off and put away his opponents. The winner of this fight will be the one who comes in with the best strategy in inducing his opponent to expose himself and taking advantage. There may not be that much action with both fighters shadowing each other, but when either fighter lets their hands fly it will have every fan on the edge of their seat. Swick’s best bet is to take advantage of Okami’s passivity on the feet and see if he can find the proper moment to hurt Okami in the body and let his hands fly to the face. If he can do that, Swick will be the next number one contender.

(Source)