Following a great card a couple weeks ago on Spike, the UFC is back to the regular pay-per-view schedule and this weekend’s fights feature plenty of combatants to get excited about.
Here’s a look at the main card.
Roy Nelson vs. Junior Dos Santos
This fight is tougher to call than I’d like it to be simply because Nelson and Two Santas are such polar opposites. Dos Santos is tall and lean while Nelson, how can I put this…Isn’t. Nelson also works best when he’s lying on top of someone, trying to cut off their air supply with his amazing girth. Santos, on the other hand, is a top-notch striker. Nelson looks to have some pretty hard hands, but I don’t think those are going to do him much good standing against Dos Santos. You know what, no more pussy-footing around on this one. I see Dos Santos overwhelming Nelson quickly, dropping him, them beating him into submission. Da’end.
I missed out on calling the last proper UFC card, so even though things are still busy as all hell, I figured I better do something for this week’s free fights on Spike.
Yet another season of The Ultimate Fighter is draw-ing to a close and, from what I watched of the season, 11 featured some of the best athletes yet.
Let’s take a look at the main card.
Unfortunately, time is something I don't have a lot of right now. There's a fantastic card coming up this weekend, and I'll be watching, but I don't have the time to give the bouts a proper once over to pick them apart with my usual thorough, meticulous, and often brilliant analysis.
So, like any good blogger, I'm going to half-ass it.
Diego Sanchez vs. John Hathaway
Sanchez ruins Hathaway's perfect record. Next!
Antonio Nogueira vs. Jason Brilz
Brilz and Hathaway share a nickname and will therefore share a loss. Nog ftw. Bring it!
Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow
I think Duffee took up the sport to compensate for his wussy last name. Oh, and he's going to lose. I'm done with this one.
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller
Bisping needs to win this one, so he's gonna. You can Count on it...Moving on.
Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans
I desperately want Rampage to shut Rashad up. My understanding is that his will is a weak point. If I was Rampage, I'd start there.
UFC 113 is here and, I’ve got to be honest, this card kind of snuck up on me.
The five fights set as the main event should all be entertaining bouts between some tough competitors.
Given the rather disappointing MMA events over the past couple months, I’m looking forward to this weekend’s fights reigniting my excitement for the sport.
Patrick Cote vs. Alan Belcher
The evening kicks off with a fight between two well-rounded dudes sporting identical records. Cote was on the warpath until he ran into the buzzsaw known as Anderson Silva and I fully expect him to pick back up where he left off in this fight with Belcher. I like Belcher and all, but Cote is like version 2.0 of the same fighter. Everything Belcher can do, Cote can do better.
Strikeforce and CBS continue to bring MMA to the masses this Saturday and once again prove that just because it’s free doesn’t mean it has to be mediocre. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the main card is made up of three fights any fan of the sport should be able to get behind.
Dan Henderson vs. Jake “Swords and” Shields
Oooh man. This should be a fun one to watch. Henderson is a true legend of the sport and his knockout power is no joke. The dude packs a mean, mean punch. Shields, though, is on a roll, and something has to be said for a young, confident fighter performing well and riding a wave of victories. The trick here is going to be “can Shields avoid Henderson’s hands?” So long as he doesn’t circle left, offering a Bisping-like target for three rounds, I see this one falling in Shields’ favor…Maybe.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed Lawal
Lawal is an impressive enough athlete, but I kind of feel like he’s being thrown to the wolves with this one. Mousasi is a top-tier athlete with a skill set a mile long and I don’t really see Lawal stacking up too well. I expect a pretty quick end to this one.
Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki
Woot! I’m looking forward to Aoki’s debut here in the States, but Melendez isn’t exactly going to be a walk in the park. New fighters often get a tomato can thrown at them to help introduce them to a new audience but I don’t see that being the case here. Melendez should be a solid challenge for Aoki and I hope that equates to a great performance from both athletes. In the end, though, I think Aoki is going to earn the win.
This month's PPV card might have one of my favorite posters of all time. Not a huge feat, considering how terrible most of the posters are, but I really dig this old school look.
But we're not here to talk about promotional material, are we? No. We're here to talk about the actual fights...FIRST, though, I will also mention this is the first subtitle to a card I've been okay with in a long time. Silva and Penn are both defending their belts and, chances are, they will both live up to that catchphrase.
And with that, NOW we'll talk about the fights.
Is it just me or does Hardy look less like he wants to punch someone and more like he wants you to try to pluck a pebble from his hand? I'm no big-time photographer, but I'm pretty sure a reshoot was in order on this one.
This card is interesting because we've got three fights in a row pitting less experienced up-and-comers against some fairly seasoned veterans. I'm fond of these match-ups because the more experienced fighter never wants to get beaten by the young buck and said whipper-snapper knows toppling a big dog is a great way to garner attention. Did I use enough silly nicknames there? Good. On to the predictions...
Wow. Talk about a night of heavy hitters. UFC 110 features some of the sport's (physically) biggest combatants ready to tee off on each other for three straight hours. If you like to watch fights for the knockouts, this is likely your night.
You can't call this a "super card" with no belts on the line but, in my mind, this is the most excited I've been for a series of five fights in a while. Looks like a little healthy competition from other promotions is paying off in a big way for the fans.
I expected to have a harder time calling these but, when I sat down and took a good look at the card, my gut started speaking to me on every fight. It's usually not a good idea to ignore your gut. That's a good way to go hungry.
...Moving on then.
Mirco Cro Cop vs. Anthony Perosh
Cro Cop was set to take on Ben Rothwell, which could have been an awesome fight, but Rothwell unfortunately pulled out at the last minute due to illness. The result? Cro Cop is now facing Perosh. I know exactly one thing about Perosh, who I've personally never seen fight before. What I know about him is that Crop Cop will likely be the last thing he sees before waking up from a severe kick-to-the-head-induced coma.
Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader
This will be an interesting fight to watch. Bader is a pretty solid competitor on the ground and on his feet and he has good knockout power. He's also undefeated. The thing is, everything but that last bit can be said about the more experienced, dare I say more "mean," Jardine. Jardine has to get his head back on straight and I think he'll achieve this by going to work on that very region of Bader's body. This one, though, is based entirely off of the ole gut. These too feel pretty perfectly matched to me.
Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos
Sadly, I know nothing about Sotiropoulos. I'm excited to see him compete for the first time but, when you're going up against a guy like Stevenson, my expectations are that you will most likely be on the losing end of a fight. When you put two submission specialists in the octagon, though, it really could go either way. (Bet officially hedged.)
Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping
I usually hate people with Bisping's attitude, but I can't help it, I really like the guy. Unfortunately for him, he's once again fighting an older, more experience fighter with a mean streak a mile long. Bisping's a tough competitor, but no way in hell am I calling this one against Silva.
Minotauro Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
Velasquez has little experience, but he makes up for that with execution. He moves well, finds his shots and takes them. Add in some serious hurting power and you can see why such a fresh competitor is being thrown to the legendary Minotauro Nogueira. These guys are both brutes and I'm really hoping to see an all-out slugfest to end this night. Still, impressive as Velasquez is, I just can't call this one against Nogueira.
No offense to the folks stepping into the octagon this weekend, but I can’t remember the last time I was so unexcited to catch a UFC event. There are a couple standout athletes about to continue their individual quests for a shot at their respective belts, but I’m not expecting much fireworks out of this week’s card.
Junior Dos Santos vs. Gilber Yvel
Yvel has a ridiculous amount of experience but I don’t think he’s going to be able to keep up with Dos Santos (which, if I’m not mistaken, is Spanish for Two Santas.). Yvel will make a good stepping stone for Dos Santos, but that’s about it.
Jim Miller vs. Duane Ludwig
I find myself being a fan of Miller. Nothing about the guy really stands out in my mind but he’s a strong competitor and easy to root for. Duane Ludwig, however, bears the simple yet effective nickname of “Bang.” That’s all I really have to say about that. In all seriousness, this is going to be a pretty evenly matched competition, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Miller walk away with the decision.
Joe Lauzon vs. Sam Stout
Talk about another well-matched competition. Still, Stout can’t match the killer instinct Lauzon possesses and that will be the deciding factor here as Stout finds himself being overwhelmed, brought to the mat and quickly tapped out.
Dustin Hazelett vs. Paul Daley
This one’s a toss-up depending entirely on where the fight ends up. Standing, Hazelett won’t be able to withstand the crushing blows of Daley. If Hazelett can get “Semtex” to the mat, though, we’re looking at a completely different fight. I imagine Daley has been working his takedown defense like a mad man and, if that’s the case, I don’t see him having too much trouble finding his opening and wishing Hazelett a pleasant slumber.
Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva
As much as he gets on my nerves, I can’t deny the caliber of athlete Rashad Evans has become, so I’m not exactly expecting Silva to walk right through him. I would have preferred to see Rampage shut Evans’ mouth with his fist, but I’ll settle for a big win on Silva’s part instead.
Is it just me or does it feel like we're watching a new UFC card just about every week now? Don't get me wrong, I like to watch a bunch of dudes kick each other's faces just as much as the next guy. There's no second part to that comment, I just don't want you to get me wrong.
Most folks who tuned into this season of The Ultimate Fighter had just one thing on their minds- Kimbo Slice. Whether you considered him the laughing stock of MMA and wanted to see him get his face kicked in, or considered his Youtube to Pro story an inspiration and hoped he could prove his worth, something like a gazillion of you watched TUF each week to see the guy get dangled in our faces like a carrot following his early-season defeat by finals contender Roy Nelson.
Slice said he would fight again for the UFC and, though it never happened during the regular season, the man’s promise is coming true at the finale show.
But let’s not forget about the rest of the card. This free series of bouts will be on Spike (check your local listings and all that jazz) this Saturday night and, honestly, viewers could be in for a pretty good show.
Marcus “The Darkness” Jones vs. Matt Mitrione
Maybe I’m not giving Mitrione enough credit, but I have a pretty good feeling Jones is going to absolutely dominate this fight. The guy is huge, strong, and has a decent stand-up and ground game. Jones’ biggest weakness is his conditioning. If he can overwhelm Mitrione quickly, the fight is his for the taking. My concern is that, out of fear of making a mistake and thus blowing his shot at a future career in the UFC, Jones might throttle back and take too much time with this one, pushing him into deeper waters where he’s likely to drown. Even if we see this fight get out of the first round, though, I see the big man putting a decent sized hurt on Mitrione.
Frank “The Answer” Edgar vs. Matt Veach
First off, Edgar, I don’t like anyone who has “the answer” before I’ve even asked “the question.” I can’t trust a guy like that. As for the fight, we have before us two strong wrestlers with decent striking power, similar builds and practically identical records. Edgar has seen some tougher competition, though, and I think that’s what will make the difference in this fight.
Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander
I don’t think I could be more pleased with Slice’s first opponent. Alexander is no joke and, rather than throw a creampuff Slice’s way to earn favor with the fans, White has set up what could be a truly dynamite bout. Slice’s ground game, though improved, is still very weak. Thankfully, Alexander is a striker, and a strong one at that. I have a feeling Alexander is going to press in fast and try to overwhelm Slice, who will most likely be trying to keep his cool and approach this fight a bit too methodically. Slice doesn’t want to make a mistake and, if he’s thinking too much, that could very well be his undoing. My ideal outcome here is that both men walk into the center of the octagon, spend a few second feeling out their reach, and then go absolutely ballistic on each other. I’m a huge fan of Slice, but my head is telling me Alexander’s experience will help him find Slice’s narcolepsy button. My heart, though, says Slice will finally impress.
Matt “The Hammer” Hamill vs. Jon “Bones” Jones
Matt Hamill is a decent fighter but Jon Jones is going to absolutely blow through him. This kid is young, fast and off the wall. I don’t see how this fight can’t go to the ground considering both guys’ wrestling backgrounds but, grappling or otherwise, Jones will likely make short work of The Hammer. Keep your eyes on Jones. He’s going to be impressing us for quite a while.
Roy "Big Country" Nelson vs. Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub
I said this when season 10 of TUF kicked off and I’ll say it again, Roy Nelson has absolutely no business being on the show. Though he failed to impress me during the season, he’s too experienced a fighter to be in the octagon with these guys. He should have gone straight to UFC undercards rather than square off against inexperienced athletes with big dreams. I almost feel like everyone else on the show has been cheated with this one but, what can you do? That being said, Schaub isn’t exactly a slouch and, hopefully, he can snatch victory away from Nelson. The kid’s young but he’s got a surprising set of skills that could make him into a real challenge for Nelson. Unfortunately, I don’t see things going that way. Nelson will try to stand and, the moment he gets caught with a decent shot and starts to panic, he’s going to ride Schaub to the ground and try to smother him, per usual.
Sorry about missing 105. Work has gotten really busy thanks to the upcoming holiday and that's meant three weeks in a row now I won't be able to watch the fights live. *wipe a manly tear*
The time has finally come, folks. Strikeforce and M-1 global will be airing their latest event on CBS this Saturday night, Nov. 7, and, if they keep putting cards together like this one, the Ultimate Fighting Championship might have some actual competition on its hands. Shy of UCF 100, this is probably the most exciting MMA card from any promotion this year.
Be sure to check your local listings for start times or drop by strikeforce.com. It’s free, for crying out loud, and it features some top-tier fighters. What more can you ask for?
Fabriciao “Vai Cavalo” Werdum vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva:
Antonio “No visible needle holes” Silva has a lot to prove following his alleged steroids use last year. The dude needs to reignite his impressive career, but I don’t think Werdum is going to let that happen too easily. When you have two guys rolling around on the mat, as these two are very likely to do, there’s no telling what can happen. If I were pressed for a guess, though, I’d put Fabricio pulling off the submission.
Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi vs. Rameau Sokoudjou:
I really like Sokoudjou. It’s a shame that, going 1-2 with UFC, this potentially dynamic up-and-coming fighter didn’t get a little more time to find his rhythm in the octagon. Mousasi is dangerous on the ground while Sokoudjou is more comfortable on his feet. Sokoudjou has a questionable submission defense and, unfortunately, I think that will make the difference. This one is a toss-up, really. My head says Mousasi will bring it to the ground and finish it while my heart says Sokoudjou is ready to start shining.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Jake “Too good for a nickname” Shields:
Miller is one of the best personalities in the sport, but you need more than a winning charm to take out someone like Shields. Both of these guys have had long careers full of impressive showings. You couldn’t really hope for a more equally matched competition. I’d like to see Mayhem knock Shields’ block off, but I have a feeling this one’s going to decision with Mayhem proving the victor.
Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko vs. Brett “The Grimm” Rogers:
Holy hot hell this is going to be an explosive fight. You have two (arguably) undefeated powerhouses, both huge guys, and both like to punch people in the face. It’s going to be like two trains colliding and I can’t wait to see it happen. While Rogers is younger and, clearly, hungry to prove Fedor can be beaten, I don’t think he’s going to be the man to do it. I like to envision a slug-fest reminiscent of Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva back in December of 2007, but I think this one’s going to be more akin to the recent Fedor/Arlovski pairing (wipe a tear). Someone with a lot of fight in him is going to be put down hard, and that someone is not going to be Fedor.
UFC 101 is here and that means it’s time to throwdown. Some of you will recall a certain Pesky Pepper calling me out last month, challenging staticEchoes to a sort of “he said, she said” battle, the idea for which was lovingly stolen from Cagepotato's Ben vs. Ben.
I've spent the past month training and feel confident in my ability to out-“call” Mrs. Pepper. Many-a blogger have fallen victim to my patented triple finger key tap and I can backspace like a bastard, so I hope she's bringing her "A" game.
Here’s the main fight card:
--Josh “The Dentist” Neer vs. Kurt “Batman” Pellegrino
--Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove vs. Richard “Big Dog” Almeida
--Amir “Powda Keg” Sadollah vs. Johny “Ham Sammich” Hendricks
--Anderson “The Spider” Silva vs. Forrest “Open car doors” Griffin
--BJ “The Prodigy” Penn vs. Kenny “KenFlo” Florian
Let’s get it on!
Josh Neer/Kurt Pellegrino
Pepper: Josh “no one’s tougher than the Orphans” Neer vs. Kurt “Mineral Water Only” Pellegrino. Neer’s a little bit thick. Saying Nick and Nate Diaz are the same fighter? That’s like saying Hans Gruber is the same kind of villain as the Joker. I didn’t like that about him. Doesn’t matter which Diaz though, bro, you got knocked the eff on your a** by both. Neer is slightly more experienced than Mr. Fancy Italian Water, and though Kurt seems like he really wants it, I have to see myself swaying for Neer.
Echo: I’m surprised to see we disagree right from the start. First of all, am I the only one that finds it humorous a guy nicknamed “The Dentist” is going to be fighting a guy who is best known for winning a fight after having a tooth knocked out of his skull? Anyway, Neer has been in the game quite a while and has some knockout power, but Pellegrino can take a punch and is quite comfy on the ground. Depending on whether or not this fight stays standing will be a huge deciding factor and, personally, I see Pellegrino bringing it to the mat where he will quickly break between one and three of Neer’s limbs.
Kendall Grove/Ricardo Almeida
Echo: Into fight two and we have Kendall Grove battling Ricardo Almeida. After winning The Ultimate Fighter 3, Grove has been learning from the best and built a good ground game. His chin, though, is suspect. Unfortunately for Almeida, the guy’s got no strength behind those mits, so Grove’s weakness is moot. Both enjoy submitting their opponent, but Grove desperately wants to keep a forward momentum following a sloppy start to his UFC career. I hate his nickname, but I see Grove winning this one.
Pepper: I am trying very hard to not make Dentist, waiting room, “sit back and breath the gas” jokes here, and you're not helping by bringing it up once again! Almeida seems to have the heart. It’s tough to say just by watching the pre-fight video who wants it more, because they’re both so relaxed, but it seems like Almeida has done his homework. Unfortunately it still seems his only objective is to get Grove to the ground, but he knows that the six inch height advantage for Grove will make it tough. He had enough foresight to train with super tall guys, and he recognizes that he has to work hard because Grove isn’t someone who will just rollover. But I am hoping in the rough and tumble Almeida will be victorious. Extremely bloody, but victorious.
Amir Sadollah/Johny Hendricks
Pepper: Amir “The Surgeon” Sadollah vs. Johny “Teach Me Something I Don't Know” Hendricks. LMAO. That’s what I have to say to both of them. Sadollah called his favorite techniques “deliciously painful,” while Hendricks replied that his favorite technique was an eloquently succinct “punch in the face.” Seems like this might actually be a great match-up with two equal opponents. Sadollah seems like he has been waiting for a good challenge like this. Being Hendircks’ first UFC fight, he has a lot to prove, but he is up for it. I think that Amir might have a little bit of an advantage though.
Echo: I agree with you on the equality of the fighters here. Sadollah and Hendricks are about as green as they come and, both wanting to keep their early undefeated records going as long as possible, hopefully this fight will be all heart. I would give Hendricks the advantage, actually, but I know too little about these young fighters to give an honest call. For the sake of argument, I’m going with Sadollah.
Anderson Silva/Forrest Griffin
Echo: I think you would have to be crazy to call this fight in Griffin’s favor, and I doubt Mrs. Pepper is ready for a straightjacket, but I suppose we’ll find out in just a minute here. In the meantime, let me say that I would be totally fine with Griffin pulling off the upset. I love this guy. You can’t not love this guy. His heart is bigger than his body and, though he doesn’t like to show it, he’s a big thinker and knows the science of a fight. Silva, though, is as close to unbeatable as you can get. If anyone’s going to give him a run for his money it’s Griffin, and I’m hoping for a fantastic fight before Silva finds a way to embed a knee in Griffin’s skull. No matter what happens, I seriously doubt Silva will get the opportunity to dance around again. Griffin will push the fight, and Silva will push right back…But I really would like to see Griffin pull it off…But he won’t.
Pepper: Forrest “F**kin’” Griffin. Just scroll down and look at his fighter pic on UFC.com. He’s so goofy he has finally won me over. That doesn’t mean I'm going to rally against the original Spider, though. None of that missspelt “Da Spyder” crap Kendall Grove is pushing. However, I am going to firmly plant myself on the fence for this one. Maybe they can both knock each other out, or both decide the fight is silly and go play bumper cars and get milkshakes. I don’t want either of them to lose.
BJ Penn/Kenny Florian
Pepper: Lastly, we have BJ “Fox and the Grapes” Penn vs. Kenny “I Believe You Have My BEEEEEEEEELT!” Florian. That yell Florian does in the pre-fight videos cracks me up. I am rooting for KenFlo, that’s all there is to this one. I don't know if it's all the whine he made with his sour grapes, but BJ Penn just rubs me the wrong way. I hope KenFlo hamburgerizes him, shuts him up, whatever. I’d rather see someone who feels they have to work extremely hard to attain a goal have that belt.
Echo: Oh snap! As for me, hopefully we’re looking at another dynamite bout. (Assuming Silva/Griffin is dynamite, of course.) Both Penn and Florian are top-notch combatants and both have a good reason to win this one. Penn, so he can prove he’s not ready to retire. Florian, to prove he’s a champion-caliber fighter. I have a bad feeling Penn might be out of this one mentally, but if he comes in confident, his experience is going to guide him straight through Florian. The man executes brilliantly and, if he can get the upper hand, he’s not going to lose it.
(Thanks for reading and please remember to check out Pepperedthought.com for Pepper’s post on UFC 101. Feel free to hang around and give her full blog a look-see as well. Or else.)
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has finally reached its 100th card. Don’t worry, Granpa Echo isn’t going to get all nostalgic on you. Well, not much.
Though it is kind of crazy thinking back to the day, I was probably in Jr. High or so, when my professional wrestling fanatic of an older brother brought home the first UFC on video cassette. (Those are like a DVD, kids, but less shiny.)
He told me, “It’s like wrestling, but the guys actually hit each other and stuff. There’s blood and everything.”
Back then, there were very few rules governing the sport and fights were basically a collection of half-hazard brawls. The idea was simple: Who would win in a fight? The age old question of whether Bruce Lee could take out Tyson could finally be answered, in a matter of speaking, and I was hooked. Boxers fighting karate experts and sumo wrestlers taking on bar brawlers. It was insane.
Since then, the sport has evolved into a legitimate athletic competition wherein contenders (usually) train their bodies for years in various styles of combat in order to best their opponents; hence “mixed martial arts.” The differences between the first UFC tournament and where the sport stands now are as vast as night and day. Now we’re ready for UFC 100 and the sport is one of the fastest growing in the world, culminating with this weekend’s super-card featuring two title fights and a whole slew of what will, hopefully, be memorable bouts.
Here’s a look at the main card. I think I need to dedicate a separate post to the fact, after paying $50 for a pay-per-view, I don’t get to watch the full damn card. Especially since those undercard boys are usually the ones fighting to keep the dream alive, often showing more heart than anyone appearing in the main fights. But, again, that’s a rant for another day. Today we celebrate UFC 100.
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher: The night begins with two moderately fresh faces to the professional scene, both standout fighters. Akiyama’s mastery of judo and evolving standup should prove a formidable obstacle for the well-rounded Belcher. Partially because his name bothers me and partially because I feel Akiyama has a more experienced set of notches on his belt, I see this one going Akiyama’s way.
Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping: I cannot wait for this fight. Henderson and Bisping remind me a lot of each other, so this will likely be a wisdom vs. youth affair. Both have tremendous strength and lasting power, but Henderson has had some trouble finishing a fight in his last few bouts. Bisping, on the other hand, is cocky and hungry and quite good for such a young competitor. I fully expect this one to be a brawl and Michael “The Count” Bisping to have his arm raised high once all is said and done.
Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago: Here we have another contest between two similar athletes. Fitch has a great ground game, can go the distance and has only gotten better with each fight. Thiago, though, is a master of submission and, as his debut in the UFC earlier this year showed, has some knockout power. If the fight stays standing, I’m giving it to Fitch. If it drops to the ground, I have a feeling Thiago will have minimal trouble turning the table in his favor, possibly removing one of Fitch’s limbs in the process.
Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves: I’ll give Alves a nod for the fact he’s shown improvement over the years. And I suppose St. Pierre had to fight somebody, so it might as well be him. Alves, though, is not ready for a mentally and physically prepared St. Pierre and that’s exactly who he’s about to step into the octagon with. I expect to see a title fight between St. Pierre and the winner of the Fitch/Thiago bout by year’s end.
Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir: I don’t really like Brock Lesnar or Frank Mir, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see these two guys tee off on each other for five rounds of viciousness. Mir made a plaything out of Lesnar’s ankle in their first outing following a series of blows from Lesnar that left me wondering how long Mir could survive. That was Lesnar’s first experience in the UFC and one of his first professional bouts in MMA. But the dude has learned a lot since then and can still hit like a jackhammer.
Once again, I’m calling this fight based on where it goes. From the ground, I think Mir will use his experience to keep the match in his favor. If it stays standing, though, I’m not sure if anyone can suffer too many blows from Lesnar’s ginormous mitts.
In short, I don’t see either of the belts changing hands at UFC 100, but I do think every fight on the card will be worthy of its lofty placement within the biggest event in the promotion’s history.
Undercard
Mark Coleman vs. Stephan Bonnar
Mac Danzig vs. Jim Miller
Jon Jones vs. Jake O'Brien
Dong Hyun Kim vs. TJ Grant
CB Dollaway vs. Tom Lawlor
Matt Grice vs. Shannon Gugerty
(As an aside, the gloves are officially coming off between staticechoes and one pepperedthought. Look for more on this feud come UFC 101)
We’re almost to the century mark for UFC and boy howdy has the sport come a long way. (I now say “boy howdy,” fyi.) I’ll reminisce more about the evolution of UFC and the sport of MMA in general next month when the 100th event occurs, but for now, we’re talking UFC 99: The Comeback.
Mirko Cro Cop’s trouncing of relative newcomer Mostapha Al Turk is set to kick things off. Likely to be one of the least exciting fights of the night, I predict Cro Cop will steamroll Al Turk in short order. I’m fairly certain the point of this bout is to help the Croatian build up a little confidence and help ease him back into the UFC. Then again, if he’s fighting like he was a year or so ago, he could get his head caved in again.
Spencer Fisher is fun to watch, but I don’t know enough about Caol Uno to make any real predictions. Should be a fun fight to watch.
Marcus Davis and Dan Hardy, however, are two equally matched fighters with nearly identical records. I’m hoping for some real fireworks here. Davis can toss some hurting bombs. And if anybody is in need of a face wrecking, it’s a mohawked guy nicknamed “The Outlaw”. Just sayin.
Once again, I know too little about Ben Saunders to know if he’s going to stand a chance against Mike Swick, but his undefeated record is likely to be tarnished after Saturday night. Swick don’t mess around.
Then we get to the fight that has me scratching my head the most. Cain Velasquez is young and strong, but he’s unproven. Cheick Kongo, on the other hand, is a freaking powerhouse. Velasquez is an accomplished wrestler, but I feel comfortable saying it’s extremely hard to bring out the grapple game once Kongo has ripped off both your arms and begun beating you about the head with the bloody ends.
The big fight of the night has me a bit anxious. I love both Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva, so I want to see both of them win. Likewise, I don’t like seeing either of them lose. Silva has a brutal standup game and can deliver devastating strikes, but Franklin is scrappy and has no problem shoving his knee through the back of your head. As long as it’s a battle, I’ll be comfortable with this fight going either way. Franklin wants to prove he’s still one of the best and Silva could use a win right now. My heart says Franklin is going to wow, but my head says Silva is going to catch the former high school teacher with a vicious slew of blows and send him to beddy-bye land. (And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you hedge your bets.)
To see how it all turns out, be sure to tune in this Saturday as the broadcast will be live at noon (Fighting out of Germany) and repeat at the normal time of 7 p.m. For more info, drop by ufc.com.
