UFC on FX 1: Duane Ludwig vs Josh Neer prediction and preview

The co-main event of tonight's (Jan. 20, 2012) UFC on FX 1 event, which is the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) debut on the cable network channel, will feature two streaking welterweights in Josh Neer and Duane Ludwig.

Both are currently enjoying win streaks with Ludwig having won his last two under the UFC banner and Neer having reeled off five straight victories, with four coming in smaller promotions outside the Octagon.

After making a successful return after receiving an invite back to the world's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion at UFC on Versus 4, "The Dentist" hopes to become a mainstay in the wide open welterweight division.

Ludwig on the other hand, has earned back-to-back victories against Nick Osipczak and Amir Sadollah after previously losing two consecutive in the UFC.

After finally receiving his long awaited recognition as the true owner of the fastest knockout in UFC history, "Bang" can't sit back and enjoy his new-found placement in the record books and must instead focus on keeping his momentum going against a very tough Neer.

Make the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC on FX 1 co-main event between Duane Ludwig and Josh Neer.

THE BREAKDOWN

Josh Neer has proven he can be a very competitive MMA fighter, winning seven out of his last eight bouts since his last release from the promotion. His only loss during that stint came to former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.

Neer is one of those fighters who is not great at one particular discipline, but can definitely mix together just enough to catch you with a submission or knock you out if need be.

Having recently spent time training with the Cesar Gracie crew which includes Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Gilbert Melendez and Jake Shields, it’s safe to assume that his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) skills and boxing could have improved.

If nothing else, his overall toughness surely rose a bit, if that's even possible.

Duane Ludwig is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner Amir Sadollah at UFC on Versus 5 this past August, which upped his win streak to two in a row.

Ludwig, much like his opponent, prefers to keep the fight on the feet. If he has an advantage over Neer, it may be his striking, even though "The Dentist" isn’t necessarily opposed to getting in a stand up brawl.

If the fight goes to the ground, this is where things get a bit more interesting.

Neer isn’t a jiu-jitsu black belt by any stretch of the imagination, but he can pull off a submission victory if the chance presents itself. This will be Neer’s best chance to pull off a finish as "Bang" has proven that his submission defense isn’t the greatest by losing his last three bouts via submission.

Furthermore, Ludwig’s last submission victory came over four years ago.

PREDICTION

This fight will come down to who is the most aggressive.

Both are proven hard-nosed veterans who aren’t afraid to test the waters on the feet or the ground. This fight won’t be pretty, but a relentless Neer will out work Ludwig in all areas of the game.

Ludwig’s best chance at victory is to try and keep his distance and pick apart Neer on the feet. I just don’t see it happening as Neer isn’t opposed to eating a couple of shots in order to get a hold of you or deliver a few strikes of his own.

As proven strikers, oddly enough, I don’t anticipate this fight to stay on the feet very long with Neer going for an early takedown and keeping Ludwig on the mat for the majority of the fight, doing enough to earn a unanimous decision victory.

Prediction: Josh Neer defeats Duane Ludwig via unanimous decision