Baroni didn't anticipate someone withstanding his onslaught, but Hose did prove that his striking needs a lot of work. Both Baroni and Hose didn't have anything technical to offer, and Hose was very hesitant even when Baroni looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion.

I was going to preview the entire card, but DREAM has put me in a lazy and sleepy mode this morning since it aired overseas at 5 AM. But... a reader wanted to know if we would be putting together a preview, so I'll try to give you my small preview and predictions on this card. Here's a look at the main event.

Main Event
Phil Baroni vs. Kala Kolohe Hose

To be perfectly honest, I don't have much for the readers on this fight. Phil Baroni isn't a terrific striker and his wrestling ability isn't miles above anyone in MMA. At 10-8, MMA fans would believe that Baroni just doesn't have the skill to even beat lower echelon talent in the sport, but Baroni's losses have been to decent competition. Tanner and Lindland both defeated him twice and he lost more recent matchups to Frank Shamrock and Kazuo Misaki. His losses to Minowa and Pete Sell were rather lackluster, but for his actual record, he's faced tough competition that he couldn't defeat.

Kala Kolohse Hose hasn't impressed me much. His striking isn't technical, but he swings for the fence when he has his opponents against the cage. In fact, he really matches up well with Baroni if you want to see two guys slug it out. Those types of battles will at least attract some casual interest. Who will actually come out on top?

Baroni SHOULD win this fight, but ultimately... Hose is at least worth a bet. I'll go with Baroni based on his experience in fighting tougher competition over the years and obviously being a much stronger fighter than Hose. Hose has a fairly good chance at defeating Baroni though, and if you are planning on putting some money down, Hose is a great bet at +200 to +300 on multiple sites.

Leland's Prediction: Phil Baroni via TKO/KO, Round 1

I won't comment on the other fights for this ICON Sport event. Most of them are guys who are extending their undefeated streaks or one loss records with matchups against newcomers. It should be a fairly straightforward event for people picking the fights. Check it out free on ProElite.com this evening.

Another installment of EliteXC's proving ground will take place on Friday night with a ShoXC event from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The card features BodogFIGHT veteran Eddie Alvarez vs. Ross "The Boss" Ebanez, and the debut of British knockout artist Paul Daley vs. TUF contestant Sammy Morgan. Tonya Evinger, Julie Kedzie, Kala Kolohe Hose, and a number of newcomers will also throw down in the cage. Ten matchups will be featured, and the event will be aired on Showtime at 11 PM EST. Let's break this card down.

Eddie Alvarez vs. Ross Ebanez

Alvarez (11-1) is amazingly unknown to many fans throughout the MMA fanbase. His skills have only recently seen the light of day as he was one of the featured fighters in the BodogFIGHT promotion. He gained considerable recognition as the BodogFIGHT Welterweight champion producing some solid wins over Scott Henze and Aaron Riley. His lone loss was in April to Nick "The Goat" Thompson in a very heated battle that saw him lose his title. After a solid win over Matt Lee, Alvarez has moved his impressive record to greener pastures.

Alvarez doesn't have an easy task ahead of him. Ross Ebanez (16-5) is a solid veteran fighter who trains out of Hilo, Hawaii with BJ Penn. Although he doesn't sport the same skills that you would think are synonymous with Penn's skillset, Ebanez isn't a pushover. The only real problem in Ebanez's game is that he's went the distance in 6 out of his last 8 fights. It's obvious that he lacks the ability to finish opponents of higher competition. Alvarez will be no different.

Expect Alvarez to push the pace and throw a lot of leather. Eight out of his eleven wins are via TKO or KO, so it should be a straight forward win for Alvarez. Don't be too surprised if Ebanez can outlast the onslaught and take it the distance though.

Leland's Prediction: Alvarez via TKO/KO, Round 1
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Paul Daley vs. Sammy Morgan

Daley (16-6-2) is a British striker with some impressive knockout power. He hasn't strayed away from the stereotypical style that many Brits have been labeled with, but it hasn't hurt him in his matchups as of yet. In his last 4 fights, he's won 3 of them by TKO/KO, and revenged a loss to Paul Jenkins by causing him to quit by a punch to the body at Cage Rage 21. With key wins over Duane Ludwig and Mark Weir recently, he's looking to make a splash in the American MMA scene.

Sammy Morgan (19-9) was on the reality series The Ultimate Fighter. He was unsuccessful in his UFC stint, but had picked up a good string of wins prior to the show. His primary skills revolve around the submission game, but he's recently taken to throwing ridiculously inaccurate haymakers.

In his battle with Cung Le, Morgan looked terrible in his standup game. It could prove to be his Achilles Heel against Daley. Daley's standup will be far superior, but Morgan will most likely look for the takedown and submission. Don't count Morgan out completely, but if he decides to stand, there's no reason Daley shouldn't put him away fantastically. Morgan also stated in the pre-fight interviews that he was going to knock out Daley, implying that he will play into Daley's strengths. Sounds like he didn't learn from Alessio Sakara vs. Houston Alexander.

Leland's Prediction: Paul Daley, TKO/KO, Round 2
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