World Series of Fighting 4 Preview

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Welterweights

Jorge Santiago (25-11, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Gerald Harris (21-5, 0-1 WSOF): Santiago lost his fifth consecutive bout inside the Octagon in February, dropping a unanimous decision to Gunnar Nelson at UFC on Fuel TV 7. A former Sengoku champion, Santiago is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with aggressive kickboxing, but he could struggle to defend the takedowns of Harris, who lost a decision to Josh Burkman in his WSOF debut. Harris grounds Santiago repeatedly to win a decision.

Lightweights

Antonio McKee (28-5-2, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Lewis Gonzales (8-0, 0-0 WSOF): It has been a rough stretch for McKee. He was stripped of his Maximum Fighting Championship lightweight belt and later released from the promotion after missing weight for a title defense against Brian Cobb early in 2012. More recently, McKee submitted to punches from Shinya Aoki at Dream’s New Year’s Eve event. Despite those difficulties, the 43-year-old should be able to use his wrestling to take a relatively uneventful decision against Gonzales, whose reliance on top position and control in his latest triumph does not bode well for his chances here.

Light Heavyweights

Hans Stringer (21-5-2, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Lew Polley (12-4, 0-0 WSOF): A few years ago, Stringer was thought to be one of the top prospects in all of European MMA. While he has not progressed as far as the likes of Alexander Gustafsson or Gunnar Nelson, the 26-year-old Dutchman has solid skills in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and muay Thai -- and he has finished 17 of his 21 wins by knockout or submission. Polley, who has eight submission wins to his credit, might be best known for being kicked off the “The Ultimate Fighter 13” coaching staff by Junior dos Santos. Stringer takes this by decision or late submission.

Bantamweights

Jared Papazian (15-10, 0-0 WSOF) vs. John Robles (7-1, 0-0 WSOF): A late replacement for Joe Murphy, Papazian lost a spirited Octagon debut against Mike Easton but was released from the promotion after losses at the hands of Dustin Pague and Tim Elliott. The former King of the Cage bantamweight titlist has an aggressive standup style but was overwhelmed on the ground by Elliott in his final UFC appearance. Robles, who has earned six of his seven wins via knockout or technical knockout, could give Papazian problems with his ability to inflict damage on the ground. Robles wins by TKO in round two.

Catchweight

Isaac Gutierrez (5-3, 0-0 WSOF) vs. Victor Valenzuela (12-6-2, 0-0 WSOF): In a matchup designed to get the home folks’ attention early, a pair of Californians square off in the opening affair. On the basis of experience, give Valenzuela the nod via decision or submission.

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TRACKING TRISTEN 2013

Overall Record: 136-79
Last Event (UFC 163): 7-5
Best Event (Strikeforce “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine): 9-2
Worst Event (UFC 156/UFC on Fuel TV 8): 5-6