Irvin making his middleweight debut against McFedries

Props: MMAJunkie

Hard-hitting UFC brawlers James Irvin (14-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) and Drew McFedries (7-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC) have signed on to face each other in a middleweight contest at UFC 98.  The bout was first reported by AroundTheOctagon.com, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today was able to confirm with sources close to the event that bout agreements have been finalized.

Some people might not care too much about this fight.  I mean, neither Irvin or McFedries are anywhere near a title shot, both have shown a lot of inconsistancy, and both guys could easily be sent packing over to Strikeforce given they lose this fight.  It’s a very important bout for both guys, and I think it is really appealing to the fans who appreciate a good old fashioned slug-fest.  For me, I’m excited as hell, and I’ll tell you why:

• James Irvin is known for knocking the shit out of people
• Drew McFedries is also known for knocking the shit out of people
• Neither fighters are well accomplished grapplers or are known for submitting people.  Thus, we’re more than likely going to see both guys trading on their feet, which is awesome for the fans.

Now, in terms of who I think will come out on top and leave the victor, I think it all depends on how well Irvin’s cut to 185 will go.  This will be his middleweight debut, the guy’s used to fighting at 205lbs, and has even competed as a heavyweight.  He’s jacked at light heavyweight, I really don’t see how he will be able to cut 20 more pounds and come into the fight with Drew feeling 100%, which obviously favors the hard-hitting McFedries, who will definitely be able to capitalize if Irvin gasses.

However, if Irvin has a good cut and comes in shape, I think that he can definitely win the fight.  Overall, I think he’s a more versatile striker, he incorporates a lot of knees and kicks, whereas McFedries pretty much relies solely on his punches and completely disregards the other tools he has at his disposal.

In the end, I’m taking Drew.  He’s fought at middleweight numerous times, he’s going to be more comfortable there than Irvin will, and I think he’s more durable when it comes to taking punishment.  I think it’ll be a pretty fast and devastating stoppage, a victory Drew definitely needs considering he’s dropped his last two fights and might very well be out of the organization given he loses this fight.  Irvin, on the other hand…regardless if he loses, will probably still get another shot in the UFC considering he acted as the sacrificial lamb for Anderson Silva when he made his light heavyweight debut, something Dana White I’m sure hasn’t forgotten.  Not to mention the fact that James is extremely exciting and has some serious knock-outs on his resume.

After the jump you can see the current fight card for UFC 98…

UFC 98 Fight Card:

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena
Broadcast: Pay per view

• Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra
• James Irvin vs. Drew McFedries
• David Kaplan vs. George Roop