http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles...2051&my_page=3
Another close decision will play out in Villasenor's favor, and the fans will continue their own trend of showering the New Mexico native with less than flattering remarks. Fighters have feelings too! After a series of cancellations, controversies and calamities, Strikeforce and EliteXC have finally settled on a bout between Drew Fickett (Pictures) and "The Korean Icepick" Jae Suk Lim (Pictures). The winner is slated to face Jake Shields (Pictures) for the vacant EliteXC welterweight championship June 14 in Honolulu.
With the stakes as high as they are, three days' notice is hardly ideal. Yet the opportunity to vie for gold on a big stage is rare in this sport, and it is an opportunity neither man can afford to pass on.
That reality is doubly true for Fickett (32-5), who may be looking at his last chance to become something more than a fan-favorite gatekeeper. While he certainly filled the role admirably during his long tenure with the UFC, Fickett was also stuck playing the Peter Gibbons role in "Office Space," forever doomed to a never-ending cycle of knocking off the occasional prospect, losing to the established veterans and filing mind numbing TPS reports.
Never again will Fickett have to worry about those damn cover sheets, but he will have to contend with the man making a play for best nickname in the game today.
Lim (9-3) already gets to walk around calling himself "The Korean Icepick," but he could end up calling himself a title contender as well if his stateside tour continues the way it began.
A product of the burgeoning South Korean MMA scene, Lim cut his teeth on local Neo Fight and Spirit MC events before signing up under the EliteXC umbrella. The move has proven sage thus far, as Lim scored an impressive first round submission over Daniel Pinedo (Pictures) in his first foray outside the kimchi capital of the world. Another win here and Lim could be on the verge of becoming one of the few Korean fighters to find success stateside.
Luckily, Lim won't have to worry about the pressures of carrying his country's flag in a foreign land. Fickett is simply too skilled and too experienced for him. Originally scheduled to be a rebound win for Nick Diaz (Pictures), Lim stumbled into the contender's spotlight, and it will show come fight time.
Given that most of Fickett's struggles come against opponents who force him to work from the guard and Lim lacks an arsenal of takedowns, bank on Fickett gaining the top position early and methodically advancing position before cinching the deal via rear-naked choke in the first round.
I will say this, though: If quality of nickname were a determining factor for success in MMA, "The Korean Icepick" would be running the show. In fact, he'd be the show.
