(Jacob Volkmann vs. Travis McCullough, 7/19/08)

Paulo Thiago may have lost his opponent in the Battle of the Thiagos at UFC 106, but at least he didn’t lose the chance to fight in November altogether.  With Thiago Alves pulling out to rematch Jon Fitch, Thiago will instead face UFC newcomer Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann at UFC 106 on November 21.  Aside from being the owner of an inscrutable nickname, Volkmann also has a perfect 9-0 record against a bunch of guys you’ve probably never heard of.  He fights out of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, so odds are that he has no problem riding a stationary bike while wearing a blacked-out gasmask.

But Thiago, who’s 1-1 in the UFC, must be feeling like his life just got a little easier.  Instead of facing a bigger, more powerful striker in Alves, he gets a newbie in Volkmann.  That is, until someone informs him that “Christmas” was a three-time All-American wrestler in college.  Then he’s going to start to wonder if there is anyone in the UFC’s welterweight division who doesn’t have a bunch of wrestling trophies at home.  And there is one guy who comes to mind.  His name is Thiago Alves.  Maybe you’ve heard of him.

A couple more Volkmann fights are after the jump, just to help you get acquainted with the guy.