UFC on Fox 2 fight card: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow prediction, preview and breakdown

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will invade the house that Michael Jordan built -- the United Center in Chicago, Illinois -- this Saturday night (Jan. 28, 2012) when it presents UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis."

Before the top guns square off in the Octagon, there will be plenty of "Prelims" under card action that will air live on FUEL TV.

Chicago's own Mike Russow, who also serves as a full-time police officer in the "Windy City," will take on recently re-instated Jon Olav Einemo, who was one of many fighters from the Golden Glory camp who was released of their obligations with Zuffa following a dispute with the Holland-based camp.

Now that all is well between the famed camp and the UFC, Einemo gets a second chance in the world's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, but it won't be an easy task, as he will take on a streaking Russow who is on a 10-fight win streak (3-0 in the UFC).

Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC on FOX 2 heavyweight fight between Jon Olav Einemo and Mike Russow:

The Breakdown

After spending his entire career fighting overseas in Shooto and Pride FC, and after a five-year layoff from competing in MMA, Eienemo made his Octagon debut at UFC 131 when he and Dave Herman put on a "Fight of the Night" performance.

The slugfest, however, ended with "The Viking" on the wrong end of a technical knockout loss in the second round.

Standing at 6'6," the Golden Glory-trained fighter will enjoy an eight inch reach advantage heading into the bout, though it seems that the submission game seems to be his niche, as five of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt's six victories have come via tapout.

In a division filled with names such as Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Alistair Overeem, Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, among others, Mike Russow, safe to say, is a name that has flown under the radar.

Russow is perhaps best known to UFC fans for his come from behind knockout win over one-time hot prospect Todd Duffee at UFC 114 after losing for the majority of the fight up to the point of the knockout.

The American fighter, however, has put in his work, winning 14 of his 16 bouts, with his only loss coming to Sergei Kharitonov at Pride 33 and has one no contest. Russow is a scrapper and isn't afraid to slug it out or take it to the ground with nine submission victories to his credit.

The Pick

After coming out guns blazing against Dave Herman at UFC 131, Einemo will look to be a bit more composed now that the UFC jitters are out of the way. Look for him to be more patient, picking his shots from a distance, taking advantage of his reach.

Russow has shown that he can take some damage and still pull out a victory, but it would not benefit him to stand with the much bigger opponent.

On paper, Einemo definitely has an advantage on the ground, though Russow has proven he can submit and has All-American wrestling credentials, it won't bode well for him if the fight ends up hitting the mat.

Other than wrestling, I truly believe Einemo has an advantage everywhere. After picking his shots in the first round, I expect "The Viking" to pick up the intensity and ruin the hometown crowds mood by finishing its local fighter, Russow, via strikes in the second round.

Einemo via technical knockout (TKO) in the second round

That's a wrap for now. Be sure to share your thoughts on this fight and more in the comments section below.

Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC on FOX 2 results of all the "Evans vs. Davis" action on primetime. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the "Prelims" under card bouts, and of course, the network telecast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 5 p.m. ET and carry straight on through into early Saturday morning.

See you then!