With numerous injuries already causing chaos on the card, former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk is the latest combatant to withdraw from the seemingly cursed UFC 108 event. He will be replaced by multi-promotion veteran Duane “Bang” Ludwig, who squares off against Jim Miller.
Sherk suffered a cut on his forehead in training which required multiple stitches to close. The cut, above Sherk’s right eye, is serious enough that he will not be cleared to compete on the shell-shocked card.
Ludwig (19-9-0) last competed inside the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 3 in January 2006. On that night, he flash KOed Jonathan “The Road Warrior” Goulet in just four seconds with the first punch of the fight. However, due to confusion amongst the timekeeping staff, the official clock continued to tick until the 11-second mark, which arguably robbed Ludwig of the fastest knockout in UFC history.
Despite maintaining a perfect record in the UFC, Ludwig competed in smaller events after the bout with Goulet and has since split most of his time between Strikeforce and the Ring of Fire promotion. He has won three of his last four fights and most recently stopped struggling UFC veteran Ryan Roberts in the first round at Ring of Fire 36.
Having competed against many of the best lightweights in the sport, including current UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn and long-time PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi, Ludwig is one of the most experienced lightweights in MMA today and will look to keep his perfect UFC record intact when he returns at UFC 108.
Miller (15-2-0), a well-rounded submission specialist who has lost just one time in his last 11 bouts, has thus far enjoyed great success in the UFC. With four wins in five tries, and the lone defeat coming against top contender Gray “The Bully” Maynard, Miller appears to be one big victory away from title contention himself.
Skilled at working from the top and also off of his back, Miller is a very dangerous opponent for anyone who chooses to take the fight to the ground. Maynard employed an excellent strategy and used his wrestling to keep the fight with Miller on the feet, which allowed him to avoid Miller’s submissions while outworking him en route to a lopsided decision.
The game plans for both Ludwig and Miller will be crystal clear, as Ludwig will be gunning for another textbook knockout while Miller will look to exploit Ludwig’s sub-par ground game. The fight could potentially be one of the best of the night and may serve as a glimmer of hope for the card, which has undergone countless changes in recent weeks.