UFC 124 Results

Thank goodness GSP won. I can breathe now. Had he lost to Koscheck I would have been in a funk for weeks. Like I said, I don't think Kos even deserved this title fight, let alone the belt. But GSP proved he is the MUCH better fighter.

After that, it was a bit downhill as far as my picks went. Let's survey the damage, shall we? (I didn't see most fights - just part of the main event)

Georges St-Pierre def. Josh Koscheck (unanimous)
GSP won all five rounds. Shut Koscheck's eye with jabs early on and made him look bad the rest of the way. Wish he had taken him down more and looked for the sub, but the gameplan was working, I guess. (1-0)

Stefan Struve def. Matt McCorkle (TKO 1)
Man, sometimes a no name is just a no name. McCorkle was useless by the looks of it. Struve demolished him. (1-1)

Jim Miller def. Charles Oliveira (sub 1)
This was a bit of a surprise. Not that Miller won, mind you, but that he submitted the submission machine. Miller showed why he's a real contender in the lightweight division and why experience matters. This was a HUGE step up for Oliveira and he didn't live up to it. (1-2)

Mac Danzig def. Joe Stevenson (KO 1)
Wow. I can't believe Danzig knocked him out. The UFC will be hesitant to cut Joe Daddy, but he clearly is not the fighter we expected him to be coming out of TUF. Danzig, on the other hand, has earned a reprieve for at least one more fight with that highlight finish. (1-3)

Thiago Alves def. John Howard (unanimous)
Didn't see it, but the highlights made Alves look dominant. Surprised it went the distance. (2-3)

Mark Bocek def. Dustin Hazelett (sub 1)
Shocker. Hazelett got submitted in the first round?! Yikes. Wonder if the weight cut hurt him. Didn't see the fight but this is an impressive win for Bocek. Good for him. (2-4)

Jesse Bongfeldt drew Rafael Natal (majority draw)
WTF? Bongfeldt took one judge's scorecard 29-28 but two others had it 28-28? Was there a point deduction somewhere? (2-4-1)

Sean Pierson def. Matthew Riddle (unanimous)
Finally got a break on a guess. (3-4-1)

Dan Miller def. Joe Doerksen (split)
This won't help Doerksen stick around. (3-5-1)

Ricardo Almeida def. TJ Grant (unanimous)
Almeida needed this bounce back fight. Not sure he impressed, though. (4-5-1)

John Makdessi def. Pat Audinwood (unanimous)
Nope, another pick-em loss. I hear Makdessi looked pretty good, but he'll have to look great to make a name and stick around for long. (4-6-1)

4-6-1? Ugh.

UFC 124 Picks

Ok, time for some quick picks for tomorrow's event in Montreal.

Georges St-Pierre vs Josh Koscheck (welterweight)
Kos isn't in GSP's league and doesn't deserve this hot at the belt. Let's get that clear. He lost to Thiago Alves (who then lost to GSP) and Paulo Thiago (who hasn't gotten a title shot and who has since lost to Jon Fitch, Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez) but Kos did reel off three consecutive wins. ...Against overhyped and useless Frank Trigg, inexperienced Anthony Johnson and topping it off with a lay and pray win over overhyped Paul Daley. THAT gets you a title shot?! Still, Kos has a puncher's chance a la Matt Serra. Should he win? No. Will he win? Who knows. I'm picking GSP.

Stefan Struve vs Matt McCorkle (heavyweight)
The fact that this fight is the co-main event might highlight how weak a card it is. I like Struve, but he has weaknesses. He has also lost his two toughest fights, against knockout artists. McCorkle has no impressive wins, but he finishes fights fast and has a perfect record. I'll pick McCorkle.

Jim Miller vs Charles Oliveira (lightweight)
Now THIS is a co-main event. Could be a great fight. Oliveira is insanely dangerous IF he can get a hold of you. Miller is a great fighter, having only lost to the two guys fighting for the belt (Edgar and Maynard). He has great jiu-jitsu and wrestling skills, but something ells me he's gonna wanna keep this one standing up. Oliveira has won submission of the night in both of his UFC fights and has a perfect record. I like Miller's chances of squeaking out a decision, but I'll be cheering for Oliveira. I'll pick Oliveira.

Joe Stevenson vs Mac Danzig (lightweight)
A fight between two fighters who showed great promise but have so far failed to deliver or excite. Danzig has lost 4 of 5 and 6 of 9. How is he still in the UFC? Stevenson is also coming off a loss and has lost 3 of 5 and 4 of 7. But 3 of those fights were Fight of the Night. That might earn you a reprieve. If Danzig loses, I bet he gets cut, especially with the influx of WEC fighters. If Stevenson loses, he MIGHT survive to fight again...maybe. This is a good match-up and could be a close fight. Danzig is smarter, but Stevenson has heart. I'm picking Stevenson by decision.

Thiago Alves vs John Howard (welterweight)
Let's see if Alves makes weight first. Both are brutal punchers. Alves has only lost to top flight guys and went to a decision with GSP and Fitch. Howard is slowly moving up the ranks and facing tougher guys, but Alves is another step up yet. I'm not sure. If he uses his wrestling, he might get a decision. I think Alves will finally step up, use his experience and regain his status as a contender. I'm picking Alves.

Mark Bocek vs Dustin Hazelett (lightweight)
After a couple of losses at welterweight, Hazelett returns to lightweight. He has loked good at times, overmatched at others. Bocek is a good fighter but Hazelett will have a a decent height advantage and I sense he's the better jiu-jitsu fighter. I hate to go against the Canadian, but I'll pick Hazelett.

Jesse Bongfeldt vs Rafael Natal (middleweight)
Man this division is thin. Who are these guys? Bongfeldt has a decent record, though it depends who you ask - UFC has him at 15-4 and Sherdog has him at 21-7. He doesn't have a Wikipedia page and I only recognize a couple of names on his fight list, both losses. You lose to Jonathan Goulet and you won't get much respect from me. Natal has an only slightly better pedigree. He was originally supposed to fight Jason McDonald, but McDonald had to withdraw. This is a toss-up. I hope the Canadian wins, but I like Natal's chances. I'll pick Natal.

Matthew Riddle vs Sean Pierson (welterweight)
Another fight, another Canadian getting a shot against a guy he probably hasn't earned. I don't know why the UFC insists on putting guys on a card simply because of where they were born. You don't need Canadians on a card to sell MMA to Canadian fans. We'd prefer to see the best. Pierson is no slouch, but his record isn't all that. Riddle is a TUF grad and has done well since the show. He's pretty inexperienced, though, and that's where Pierson has the advantage. Pierson has power, too. Ok, I'll pick Pierson for fun.

Joe Doerksen vs Dan Miller (middleweight)
Ah, yes, the "other" Miller. Not a huge success so far. Lacks training, it seems. He was given a huge push by the UFC but lost all three of the "big" fights he had against top guys. Doerksen is also a little inconsistent (and looked AWFUL in his last fight against CB Dollaway). Still, he's Canadian, so I'll pick him: Doersksen.

TJ Grant vs Ricardo Almeida (welterweight)
Grant is Canadian, but Almeida will have something to prove after stunning his piss poor showing against Matt Hughes. Almeida ought to have the advantage on the feet and he's a wrestler, so he'll get to choose where the fight takes place. I'll pick Almeida.

Pat Audinwood vs John Makdessi (lightweight)
Makdessi is undefeated as was Audinwood before his last fight - his UFC debut. Makdessi has some power, but Audinwood is a wrestler who seems to know his stuff. Smart wrestlers are dangerous. I sense either Makdessi will win spectacularly or Audinwood will win by boring decision or, maybe, submission. My money's on Audinwood.

UFC 123 Rsults

How'd I do?

Rampage Jackson def. Lyoto Machida (split)
This was hardly an impressive fight for either fighter. The first round was a toss-up, with Rampage taking the second by a nose and Lyoto dominating the third. So it all came down to how you viewed the first round. Rampage got the nod, but he wasn't the only one surprised. Rampage didn't win this fight so much as Lyoto lost it due to inactivity. This doesn't move either fighter up my rankings. (0-1)

BJ Penn def. Matt Hughes (KO 1)
Wow. Even though I picked Penn, I didn't have him winning this quick, this easily. Penn caught Hughes with a nice shot to the side of the head and Hughes was done. Crazy. Penn looked smaller than his opponent, but he showed he was sharper. That's what you get when all of your recent fights are big ones and your opponent is fighting stiffs. If Hughes wants to have any kind of career going forward he has to sharpen his skills and face tougher dudes. Otherwise, he should move to the "Legends" division. (1-1)

Maiquel Falcao def Gerald Harris (unanimous)
Harris looked pathetic. All he had was a jab and a big swing. Falcao had opportunities to win this fight outright, but instead coasted his way to a decision. Is Falcoa dogging it or is he not as talented as it would seem? Remind me not to bet on Harris again. And I came THIS close to picking the dog... (1-2)

Phil Davis def. Tim Boetsch (sub 2)
Davis continues to impress. Boetsch was a spectator in this one. Davis finished him with a one-handed kimura! Wow. (2-2)

George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Lauzon (sub 2)
This was my Fight of the Night pick and I was right. I'm shocked George won this easily, though. Both guys have great jiu jitsu but George is SO dominant when he gets on top - something not all jiu jitsu guys handle well. George is definitely in line for a title shot, I'd say. Maybe one more fight against a Kenny Florian or something. (3-2)

Brian Foster def. Matt Brown (sub 2)
Brown was doing well, but Foster pulled off the choke when Brown stuck his neck out. Too bad for Brown. (4-2)

Mark Munoz def. Aaron Simpson (unanimous)
Close fight, but Munoz had the slight edge and got the nod. (4-3)

Dennis Hallman def. Karo Parisyan (TKO 1)
What has Karo been up to all this time? 'Cause it certainly hasn't been training. He looked AWFUL. He looked small, sick and lacklustre. Hallman made him his bitch in no time. Karo may not get another shot in the UFC. Brutal. A shadow of his former self. (5-3)

Edson Barboza def. Mike Lullo (TKO 3)
Didn't see it, but kinda wish I'd stuck around. TKO by leg kicks? Hm. (6-3)

Paul Kelly def. TJ O'Brien (TKO 2)
Paul Kelly won, but didn't exactly impress. Even when he had O'Brien pinned in a crucifix and had him at his mercy, it took a very obliging ref to stop the fight and give him the win. O'Brien was clearly not hurt. I wish they'd let it go and see if O'Brien could make it to the end of the round. Not that O'Brien looked good, either. (6-4)

Nik Lentz def. Tyson Griffin (split)
Didn't see it. (7-4)

7-4. Not bad.

UFC 123 Picks

Alright, some quick picks on the Rampage-Machida card:

Rampage Jackson vs Lyoto Machida (light heavyweight)
This is finesse versus the rabid dog; and it could get embarrassing. I could see Machida easily dodging Rampage's attacks and countering effectively, frustrating Jackson and eventually putting him away or winning a lopsided decision. But, make no mistake, Jackson has a puncher's chance. He may possess Shogun Rua's power, but unless he can move like Rua, it's hard to imagine him getting the KO. I'm picking Machida.

Matt Hughes vs BJ Penn (welterweight)
Penn moves back up to welterweight to settle the score in this rubber match. Is Hughes too old to catch Penn and take him down like he did last time? Is Penn going to use his skills to submit Hughes like he did the first time or will he stand and jab his way to a decision? Hughes hasn't been relevant since he lost his belt, mostly due to a long layoff and a couple of less-than-stellar since his return. (don't get me started on that Almeida fiasco) Hughes isn't the fighter he was, in my eyes, while Penn has been battling top-notch lightweights as champ. Both fighters are on the decline, but Hughes has the head start. I'm picking Penn.

Gerald Harris vs Maiquel Falcao (middleweight)
This has Knock Out of the Night written all over it. These two guys like to bang hard. Falcao is a nobody with an insane record and a mile-long list of first round KOs. I was gonna pick Harris, but this Falcao's record has me second guessing myself. Still, I'll go with the guy who has been under the big lights before - Harris.

Phil Davis vs Tim Boetsch (light heavyweight)
I wish Tim well, but there's NO WAY I'm going against Davis. Forget it. The guy is a machine. I'm picking...Davis.

George Sotiropoulos vs Joe Lauzon (lightweight)
This has Fight of the Night written all over it and I would suggest the winner will be knocking on the Title Shot door. Bot are favourites of mine and possess crazy jiu jitsu skills. But will they respect each other's strengths and choose to box instead? I hope not. I like Joe, but he had his shot at the #1 contendership with his disappointing fight against Florian - I'm cheering for Sotiropoulos.

Matt Brown vs Brian Foster (welterweight)
If Brown loses, I think this might be the last we see of him for a while. Foster has had some tough fights and beaten some decent opponents. I might cheer for Brown, but I'll bet on Foster.

Aaron Simpson vs Mark Munoz (middleweight)
Munoz is a very decent fighter who is much more suited to the middleweight division than his previous status as a light heavyweight. Simpson is a strong wrestler with KO power, which may give him the edge in this fight. I'm picking Simpson.

Karo Parisyan vs Dennis Hallman (welterweight)
Karo (hopefully) makes his return to the octagon against the man who has beaten Matt Hughes twice and never lost (which gives him a leg up over 2-1 GSP). Hallman has VERY good jiu itsu skills with a number of quick submission wins. Can he get Karo to the ground and submit him? Karo has an impressive record himself, but seems to lose big fights just when he's on the cusp of a title shot. He has way too many decision wins for my taste. This is only his second fight in almost two years. I like Karo, but I'll bet on Hallman.

Edson Barboza vs Mike Lullo (lightweight)
Ok, time to make some guesses. Lullo has no profile on Wikipedia and no big fights. Submission skills, though. Barboza is undefeated and knocks guys out. He does have one submission win, so he must have some skills. I'll pick Barboza.

Paul Kelly vs TJ O'Brien (lightweight)
Paul Kelly is a very decent fighter who dropped down to lightweight after a so-so welterweight career. So far he's...so-so. TJ O'Brien is a nobody but has a crazy submission victory record. It's his UFC debut, so Kelly will have a huge experience advantage, but I'll pick the tall, lanky kid to surprise everybody: O'Brien.

Tyson Griffin vs Nik Lentz (lightweight)
The undercard for this event is insane. Is this a dark match? Huh. Lentz is a wrestler who tends to win by decision - a lot of wins, mind you. Griffin is a former contender who is coming off two very disappointing loses. I'll pick the taller Lentz.

UFC 122 Results

This card turned out to be ok, or at least not as bad as it looked on paper. Strange judging, though, perhaps due to the German location. It seemed little credit was given for takedowns, which are gold elsewhere.

Let's see how I did.

Yushin Okami def. Nate Marquardt (unanimous)

Prime example of takedowns meaning little. One judge had it 30-27 Okami. Okami was doing well on his feet, but never really had Marquardt in any serious danger. Not the most exciting fight, and Dana White pulled no punches afterwards. White claimed Marquardt "choked" and it was probably his corner's fault. Take that, Greg Jackson. I don't see Okami giving the Spider much trouble. Waste of a title fight, probably. (0-1)

Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara (middleweight)

This fight didn't happen as Sakara came down with flu-like symptoms the day of the fight. Apparently, they both got paid. WTF? And Rivera gets Bisping in his next fight. Great for Rivera, not so much for Bisping. Gives you an idea of where his star is at.

Dennis Siver def. Andre Winner (sub 1)

It says submission, but this was really a TKO. Siver knocked Winner out, who flashed back when he was hit again. But he was still in dream land when Siver locked on an awkward rear naked choke. Siver was puny next to Winner; if he can drop weight classes, he probably should. (1-1)

Amir Sadollah def. Peter Sobotta (unanimous)

Sadollah eeked out another decision. Give the guy credit for having great cardio. Sobotta looked lost, backing up throughout the fight. (1-2)

Krzysztof Soszynski def. Goran Reljic (unanimous)

I was surprised KSos got the decision so easily. He was taken down a couple of times, which, again, appears to have been given no credit. He looked decent, but not great. He might need a better gym. (2-2)

Kyle Noke def. Rob Kimmons (sub 2)

Didn't see it. (2-3)

Vladimir Matyushenko def. Alexandre Ferreira (KO 1)

Guess the Janitor isn't dead yet. Interesting. (2-4)

Pascal Krauss def. Mark Scanlon (unanimous)

Fight of the Night. Too bad I missed it. Let's hope it shows up on Unleashed. (2-5)

Duane Ludwig def. Nick Osipczak (split)

Only saw the third round when Nick was gassed. It sounded like he was winning the fight, though, so a bit surprised by the decision, especially the 30-28 score for Nick. How the eff does that happen? There's NO WAY he won the third round, so how did he get a 30? I'm assuming that was misrepresented. (3-5)

Karlos Vemola def. Seth Petruzelli (TKO 1)

Vemola is a MONSTER. This guy is huge and threw Petruzelli around. Watch out for this guy's power. (4-5)

Carlos Rocha def. Kris McCray (sub 1)

McCray was lost in this one. Outclassed. Rocha did well. (5-5)

So it was a wash. Great. Next!!

UFC 122 Picks

Ok, I’ll admit it, I’ve been slacking off recently. Well, no, not really – I’ve been really busy right around event time (in fact I’ve missed a couple) and, frankly, the cards have been a little on the weaker side. So sometimes I’m not all that inspired to get my picks in on time. But even though this weekend card is one of the weakest in memory (that’s what you get for going to Europe and having to air the event free on Spike), I’m determined to make some quick picks. By the way, why is this an official UFC numbered event instead of simply a Fight Night or some sort? Anyways, here are my picks:

Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami (middleweight)

Marquardt is that really solid fighter who seems to have a hard time getting to the top of the mountain. But he’s a tough hombre for others to get through on their way there, too. Okami has been a pretty solid fighter who has not impressed beyond mid-card status. I’m really hoping to see Marquardt get another shot at Anderson Silva, so I’m picking Marquardt.

Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara (middleweight)

Talk about inconsistent mid-carders. The fact that these two are the co-main event is really indicative of the weakness of the card. Rivera seems like a nice guy but he was not that impressive on TUF and has been schooled in the past. He does have a couple of flashy knockout wins under his belt and voila – co-main event. Sakara will always be remembered by me as one of the guys who got destroyed by Houston Alexander. Alexander is out of the UFC now, but Sakara remains. I’m not sure how he stuck around after getting beaten by Chris Leben to make it 2 for 6 with no impressive wins, but then he reeled off three straight including a TKO over a returning James Irvin, so voila – co-main event. Sad. Both like to stand and bang but Rivera TKO’d Nate Quarry so I’m gonna give Rivera the edge.

Dennis Siver vs Andre Winner (lightweight)

Winner hasn’t beaten anybody of note with the exception of perhaps his decision win over Rafaello Oliveira. Siver is a mid-carder, really, but has been in with some of the best including Gray Maynard, Paul Kelly and Spencer Fisher. Neither one of these fighters turns my crank but I’ll give Siver the edge.

Amir Sadollah vs Peter Sobotta (welterweight)

Sadollah is still a kid in this sport, but he’s a workhorse who can grind out a decision. Sobotta has lost his two UFC fights after building up a decent record, both by decision. This does not bode well for Sobotta. Sobotta should win, but I’m not going to count Sadollah out. Sadollah could find a way to secure the victory by boring decision. …But I’m gonna pick Sobotta by TKO.

Krzysztof Soszynski vs Goran Reljic (middleweight)

I think this fight is at middleweight, though Soszynski has fought at light heavyweight and even heavyweight. The Polish Experiement has had an up and down career but is easy to cheer for due to his good nature. Reljic is also dropping down, so this ought to be an interesting match-up. Reljic has a good style for beating Soszynski, but the Winnipegger has heart – but he needs a good coach. The fighter that comes in with the best game plan will win. Here’s hoping that’s Soszynski.

Kyle Noke vs Rob Kimmons (middleweight)

Kimmons has a ton of experience and finishes guys off fast. No big wins, though. Good thing for him, he isn’t fighting a big name. Noke is decent, but not overwhelming. He has a split decision win over George Sotiropoulos (in the latter’s fourth fight) but a loss to him as well. A respectable record, but no big wins. I’m picking Kimmons.

Vladimir Matyushenko vs Alexandre Ferreira (light heavyweight)

Matyushenko is still alive? Huh. This guys has been around forever. He’s a wrestler who tends to win by decision. Ferreira is making his Octagon debut and has reeled off a string of quick submissions. This guy is slick but does not appear to have much of a gas tank. I’m picking Ferreira to put on a show.

Pascal Krauss vs Mark Scanlon (welterweight)

Two guys who don’t have a picture on the UFC website. Great. One guy doesn’t even have a record showing. WTF…? Both are undefeated though and Scalon won his last fight by head kick in ten seconds. Both guys seem to have an arsenal of submissions and power. After a 17-month layoff this is Scanlon’s FOURTH fight this year. OK, I’m picking Scanlon.

Duane Ludwig vs Nick Osipczak (welterweight)

Whoever loses this fight is getting cut for sure. Both are coming off a pair of losses. Neither has looked particularly good or has any big wins. Ludwig has a ton more experience, but Nick will have a height and reach advantage. I like Nick, but not his chances. I bet Ludwig knocks him out.

Seth Petruzelli vs Karlos Vemola (light heavyweight)

Vemola wins fights fast. He’s dropping down in weight after a decision loss to Jon Madsen. Petruzelli, the Kmbo Slice and EliteXC killer, also tends to avoid decisions. He has the greater pedigree, but I’m gonna go with Vemola in the upset anyways.

Kris McCray vs Carlos Rocha (middleweight)

McCray did not impress me at all on TUF, but he does have a decent record. Rocha appears to be a very dangerous submission artist. I’m gonan pick the new guy – Rocha.

UFC 121 Thoughts

Was pretty busy, so didn't have time to post my picks. Oops. I know you're all terribly disappointed.

I can give you my quick two cents, though.

Cain Velasquez def. Brock Lesnar (TKO 1)
This fight really exposed Lesnar's chin. He can throw a mean right hand, but he also cowers and covers up at the first sign of strong resistance. Not good. Lesnar need sot get punched in the face a few times by training partners to get over this impulse. His weaknesses seem to be psychological. you need to keep your wits about you when your opponent is standing over you dropping bombs. This is a tough task and requires significant mental discipline. So Velasquez is the new champ. Will it last? I dunno. He's good, but considering how much trouble he had against Cheick Kongo, you'll forgive me if I don't bestow godhood upon him. I could see him getting taken out by a wise veteran like Randy Couture or Frank Mir. Even Shane Carwin has to be foaming at the mouth. What's next for Lesnar? Well, some rest for one. But who else can this guy fight? I mean he's already beaten Couture, Carwin, Mir and Herring, so you can't really put him up against also-rans like Cro Cop or Barry or Kongo... So does Lesnar just keep getting title fights? He'll get a tune-up and, if he wins that, surely he'll get a rematch. But frankly he needs experience. Seven fights ain't much.

Jake Shields def. Martin Kampmann (split)
I wasn't surprised by the decision (unlike others) but I was not impressed by Shields. Does this fight earn him a title fight? Hell no. At least, not in my opinion. Dana White seems to think otherwise. Shields hasn't beaten anyone of significance in the UFC (Kampmann is tough, but not THAT tough) and his Strikeforce/EliteXC days can kiss my ass. How do these welterweights keep getting title fights without having to fight other top contenders? Shields should have to beat Fitch or Koscheck or Hardy or Alves or Hughes or SOMEONE who has fought for the title in the last five years before getting GSP. This is goofy.

Diego Sanchez def. Paulo Thiago (unanimous)
Would the real Diego Sanchez PLEASE stand up? Seriously. Diego has been LOST his last few fights, even if he got a title shot against Penn, but he shows up like a mofo against the very tough Thiago. Where has this guy been? Let's hope he keeps it up. He should still drop to lightweight in my opinion, though.

Matt Hamill def. Tito Ortiz (unanimous)
How long before the UFC cuts Ortiz? Who knows. He is a shadow of his former self, that's for sure. He needs a good camp. He needs someone to show him what he's doing wrong. His style is antiquated and isn't going to get him anywhere. He hasn't won a fight in four years and his two wins prior to that were over the geriatric Ken Shamrock. The UFC keeps Ortiz but cuts the very game Patrick Cote who is coming off an injury layoff and lost to a lay and prayer? Doesn't seem to make much sense... Hamill didn't look THAT good.

Brendan Schaub def. Gabriel Gonzaga (unanimous)
Pretty dull fight. Not a lot of leather thrown and Gonzaga didn't try hard enough to get this to the ground. not sure what his gameplan was.

Court McGee def. Ryan Jensen (sub 2)
McGee looked alright. Needs a lot more seasoning before he moves up the ladder.

Tom Lawlor def. Patrick Cote (unanimous)
Boring as hell. Cote couldn't get past Lawlor's ground game and the ref didn't stand them up enough to save him. Cote gets cut afterwards despite being two fights removed from a title fight (in which he was doing alright against Anderson Silva) and getting pile driven by Alan Belcher. Lawlor lays and prays his way to victory. Let's hope Cote can get his act together and come back.

Daniel Roberts def. Mike Guymon (sub 1)
Roberts looked good. Guymon looked lost.

Sam Stout def. Paul Taylor (split)
Didn't see it. I imagine it was a decent boxing match.

Chris Camozzi def. Dongi Yang (split)
Didn't see it.

Jon Madsen def. Gilbert Yvel (KO 1)
Yvel is in the UFC...why? He sucks. Seriously.

UFC 120 Results

Ok, UFC 120 was last weekend and 121 is this weekend, so I'd better get these results up fast so I can move on to my predictions!

Michael Bisping def. Yoshihiro Akiyama (unanimous)
Yup, picked this one right on - Bisping by decision in a so-so fight. It was pretty lacklustre. neither of these guys are true contenders in a division that has Anderson Silva at its head. Both of these guys would get killed by the champ. Akiyama has heavier hands and a solid chin, but he pretty much just stood there and took what Bisping had to dish. That will get you on the short end of a decision pretty much every time. I'm not looking forward to seeing either of these guys again. (1-0)

Carlos Condit def. Dan Hardy (KO 1)
Wow. Fireworks is this one. If you had told people that this would be a first round KO, most would probably have picked Hardy to be the man standing. Not so. Condit caught Hardy clean on a highlight reel double swing and it was Hardy who fell. We'll be seeing this one for a while. Hardy was gracious in defeat. (2-0)

Mike Pyle def. John Hathaway (unanimous)
Not a very interesting fight. Lots of dull ground game. Hathaway couldn't get anything going and seldom scored. Pyle fought smart if not spectacularly. (2-1)

Cheick Kongo vs Travis Browne - draw (unanimous)
Wow. Kongo really really really sucks. Browne was gassed, otherwise he may have earned the victory. As it was, this was only a draw because Kongo had been docked a point for grabbing a hold of Browne's shorts once too often. Boring. (2-1-1)

Claude Patrick def. James Wilks (unanimous)
Another fight that lacked spark. They pretty much just jockeyed for position the whole time. Unimpressive. (3-1-1)

Alexander Gustafson def. Cyrille Diabate (sub 2)
Another awful fight. Did either guy want this? The fact that Gustafson didn't finish the fight sooner speaks volumes as to his lack of skill in jiu-jitsu. Dibate gave him his neck repeatedly and Gustafson tried choking his chin. WTF? (3-2-1)

Rob Broughton def. Vinicius Queiroz (sub 3)
Looks like Queiroz was doing well in the first round and then gassed. Broughton eventually wakes up and gets the rear naked choke for the win. Not sure these guys impressed. (4-2-1)

Steve Cantwell vs Stanislav Nedkov
Cantwell apparently injured himself on Thursday and had to withdraw. So the fight didn't happen - but since I picked Nedkov, it's kind of like I got it right...

Paul Sass def. Mark Holst (sub 1)
Yup - should have stuck with my head. Holst might have won this had he fought smarter. he just kept leaping into Sass's guard. Sass was wicked on the ground. (4-3-1)

Spencer Fisher def. Curt Warburton (unanimous)
Sounds like it was a close fight and Fisher was fortunate not to drop a decision to this nobody. (5-3-1)

Fabio Maldonado def. James McSweeney (TKO 3)
Now we know why McSweeney has a losing record. Let's hope we don't see him again. He gassed out in this one and was useless after the first round. Maldonado toyed with him by the sounds of it. (6-3-1)

A winning record. Not bad.

UFC 120 Predictions

Ok, some quick picks for UFC 120 being held in London, England this weekend.

Michael Bisping vs Yoshihiro Akiyama (middleweight)
When Bisping is your main event draw you know it's a pretty weak card, UK locale or not. Neither of these fighters has been impressive of late. Akiyama came in to the UFC with much fanfare and delivered sub-par performances, earning a contentious decision over Alan Belcher and being submitted by Chris Leben (who is not exactly known for his ground game). Since losing to Dan Henderson, Bisping has been on a rollercoaster ride - beating Denis Kang, losing to Wanderlei Silva, beating Dan Miller. Both of these guys like to stand and box. Bisping is four inches taller, but they have the same reach. Maybe Bisping will use his kicks to his advantage. I'll pick Bisping by decision in an ok fight at most.

Dan Hardy vs Carlos Condit (welterweight)
If Condit is smart he would do well to avoid trading with the heavy handed Hardy and take this fight to the ground. If he does, he will submit Hardy. Hardy showed against GSP that he doesn't have much of a ground game. He survived only because GSP attempted very few submissions. Condit won't give Hardy that chance. I'm picking Condit.

John Hathaway vs Mike Pyle (welterweight)
This is the real fighter Britons ought to get behind. This guy has potential. Hathaway is young, but he has beaten Rick Story, Paul Taylor and Diego Sanchez. No small feat. Other than wins over journeyman Shonie Carter and a very young Jon Fitch, Pyle hasn't won any big fights against big names. But he does have experience. Still, I'm going to pick the hometown boy - Hathaway.

Cheick Kongo vs Travis Browne (heavyweight)
Kongo might be in for a quick night. Unknown Browne has a perfect record and knocks guys out quick. He KO'd TUF fighter James McSweeney last time out, and has taken a major step up in competition. If he can make a highlight reel out of Congo, look for him to catapult up the rankings in the thin heavyweight division. Neither of these guys likes to hit the mat by the looks of it so it might just be a matter of who connects best. Kongo has a slight reach advantage, but he's been unimpressive recently. I'll pick the dog - Browne.

James Wilks vs Claude Patrick (welterweight)
Gotta go with the Canadian, right? TUF champ Wilks will be the favourite, but Commonwealth cousin Patrick has a very impressive record. If it goes to the ground, it ought to be interesting. I'll pick Patrick.

Cyrille Diabate vs Alexander Gustafson (light heavyweight)
This ought to be over quick. Both of these guys end fights fast and in devastating fashion. Diabate bulldozed Luiz Cane last time out, a guy who was the talk of the town at one point. Gustafson has a very impressive record, but Diabate has more experience. I'll pick Diabate.

Rob Broughton vs Vinicius Queiroz (heavyweight)
Wow. How sad is this card? This fight features two guys who do not have a profile on UFC.com. WTF? Broughton is "Britain's top heavyweight" while Queiroz doesn't even exist on Wikipedia or any other significant website. I'll pick Broughton.

Steve Cantwell vs Stanislav Nedkov (light heavyweight)
Cantwell made some noise that has largely disappeared while Nedkov is another "nobody". Nedkov does have an impressive record with wins over a couple of names. Cantwell, meanwhile, has fought the same guy 3 times! Out of 10 fights! I'll pick Nedkov for fun.

Paul Sass vs Mark Holst (lightweight)
Our first lightweight match - in a card filled with "lightweights". Sass is another mystery man with an impressive record. Holst is a Canadian with good jits as well. My mind says to pick Sass, but my heart is with the Canadian. I'll pick Holst against my better judgement.

Spencer Fisher vs Curt Warburton (lightweight)
Wait...why is this fight so far down the card? Fisher is a legit tough dude with a good record and big wins. Who the eff is Warburton? I'm picking Fisher.

James McSweeney vs Fabio Maldonado (heavyweight)
A guy with a losing record fighting in the UFC... Honestly, WTF? I don't care where he's from, it looks bad on the company. Maldonado has a very good record, but is another nobody. I'll pick Maldonado, despite the fact he is giving a great deal of weight up.

Tune in free to Spike TV on Saturday.

UFC 119 Results

Oops. Didn't put in my picks for this one. Got busy. Sorry. Let's check out the results of what appeared, on paper, to be an underwhelming card.

Frank Mir def. Mirko Cro Cop (KO3)
This fight was boring as hell. Mirko is NOT a heavyweight. He should cut weitgh to 205 so he can face guys more his size. he runs around the ring looking scared and then does his patented two-handed shove off when opponents get too close. It's ridiculous. Neither fighter was engaging, which led to one of the dullest fights in recent memory. Cro Cop should cut weight or be cut, period. His time is LONG gone.

Ryan Bader def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (unanimous)
This was hardly a barn burner, either. Bader deserved the nod, though, based on his aggression and takedowns.

Chris Lytle def. Matt Serra (unanimous)
Serra was game, but engaging Lylte in stand-up is pretty silly as far as game plans go. Lytle dominated.

Sean Sherk def. Evan Dunham (split)
Dunham was robbed. This fight represents all that is wrong with judging. Sherk got takedowns, but he laid and prayed. Dunham had more heart.

Melvin Guillard def. Jeremy Stephens (split)
Bad decision.

CB Dollaway def. Joe Doerksen (sub 1)
Joe's never going to live this down in my mind. There's no excuse for losing to this meathead. Embarrassing.

Matt Mitrione def. Joey Beltran (unanimous)
Mitrione got through this by the skin of his teeth. Could have gone either way, I think. He needs to pick up his game.

Thiago Tavares def. Pat Audinwood (sub 1)
Didn't see it.

Waylon Lowe def. Steve Lopez (split)
Didn't see it.

TJ Grant def. Julio Paulino (unanimous)
Didn't see it.

Sean McCorkle def. Mark Hunt (sub 1)
Didn't see it.

Overall, it was a pretty shite event. Let's hope the next one's better - though the card doesn't look so hot.

Fight Night Results: Marquardt vs Palhares

I was kinda looking forward to reporting how I did with my Fight Night predictions based on what I saw - then I read what happened on the undercard. WTF...

Nate Marquardt def. Rousimar Palhares (TKO 1)
Sportsnet messed up its feed so I missed the original showing of this fight, but they made up for it somewhat by re-airing the main event immediately afterwards. This was an odd fight. Marquardt looked petrified of Palhares, throwing weak jabs from a safe distance. When the action did pick up, Palhares managed to scramble into a good position for a heel hook and he sank it in. Marquardt slipped free and that's when the confusion started. Palhares paused to look at a corner and indicated that something was up, pointing at Marquardt's leg. That's when Marquardt punched him in the face and essentially ended the fight. Not the classiest way to win, but Palhares should have known better. In the end, this victory adds little to Marquardt's status, I think, since the fight was a mess. If anything, Palhares demonstrated how dangerous and intimidating he can be. Not sure where these fighters go from here. (1-0)

Charles Oliveira def. Efrain Escudero (Sub 3)
Oliveira definitely dictated the pace of this fight. Escudero kept his distance and seemed too cautious - he should have let his hands fly. Oliveira's jits is fantastic and he deserved the victory. Keep an eye on this guy. (2-0)

Jim Miller def. Gleison Tibau (unanimous)
I was a bit surprised by the decision. I thought it'd be closer, but you never can tell how judges will see a fight. Miller dictated the pace and deserved the nod, but Tibau is still dangerous. Miller should have kept the fight on its feet, though; he nearly blew it by going for takedowns and tiring himself out. (3-0)

Cole Miller def. Ross Pearson (sub 2)
Pearson looked great. He was definitely getting the better of the stand up game and it looked like Miller might lose a decision. But he caught Pearson with a great shot and followed it up with a few good strikes to buckle Pearson's legs. Instead of grounding and pounding a TKO, like he probably should have, Miller sunk in a rear naked choke and Pearson had to tap. Big win for Miller. He still looks vulnerable, though, and has to improve his boxing. (4-0)

Yves Edwards def. John Gunderson (unanimous)
And this is where we go off the rails. (4-1)

Kyle Kingsbury def. Jared Hamman (unanimous)
(4-2) I hear this was a slugfest and the fans loved it.

Dave Branch def. Tomasz Drwal (unanimous)
(4-3) Apparently this fight sucked eggs.

Rich Attonito def. Rafael Natal (unanimous)
(4-4) Sounds like Attonito was lucky to get by Natal.

TJ Waldburger def. David Mitchell (unanimous)
(4-5) Good ground fight, apparently.

Brian Foster def. Forrest Petz (TKO 1)
(5-5) Foster's power was the difference.

Perfect on the main card and total crap on the undercard. This is why I hate predicting Fight Nights.

Fight Night: Marquardt vs Palhares

You know, I kinda hate picking these Fight Night fights 'cause most fights involve at least one guy I've never heard of or know little about. Last time out, I think I got killed in my predictions. Oh well, let's take another shot at this:

Nate Marquardt vs Rousimar Palhares (middleweight)
This is a big step up for Palhares. Sure, he's beaten Ivan Salaverry and Jeremy Horn, but they weren't title contenders at the time (Marquardt has beaten both as well). And he did lose to Dan Henderson who was on his way to title contention. Nate Marquardt is too smart to get submitted and is likely too big for Palhares to handle. I'm picking Marquardt.

Efrain Escudero vs Charles Oliveira (lightweight)
Good match up featuring two up and comers with great records. Folks know Escudero from TUF, but who's the other guy, right? Oliveira has an unblemished record and finishes fights. Although I could see Efrain laying and praying a victory, I'm gonna pick the upset and take Oliveira.

Jim Miller vs Gleison Tibau (lightweight)
Tibau is good and has lost to some decent fighters, but Miller is a beast and has lost to Gray Maynard and Frank Edgar - the top two dogs in the division. I bet Miller finds a way to win. I'm picking Miller.

Ross Pearson vs Cole Miller (lightweight)
Another good match up. Miller is the tall finesse guy whereas Pearson likes to stand and bang. Pearson is no joke on the ground, but I don't think he can hang with Miller. If it goes to the ground, I've got Miller. I think it will, so, yup: I'm picking Miller.

Yves Edwards vs John Gunderson (lightweight)
Edwards is a journeyman whose best days are likely behind him. Gunderson is hardly a stud, so this is a bit of a crappy match up. It's a toss up, really. No way I'm picking a guy who claims his discipline is "thugitsu". Eff that. I'm picking Gunderson.

Jared Hamman vs Kyle Kingsbury (light heavyweight)
Kingsbury, who had a stint on TUF, hasn't exactly been impressive, but the UFC has kept him around. Hamman is no big whoop (and he certainly doesn't look like much), but has won Fight of the Night, which means he's got some stones. I don't like either guy particularly, but Hamman has the better record, and I'll assume there's a reason. I'll pick Hamman.

Tomasz Drwal vs Dave Branch (middleweight)
Dave who? Oh right, this is the guy who got slammed by Gerald Harris. Ok. Drwal on the other hand has fought some decent opponents and has come out with a decent record. He's susceptible to submissions, but I still think he'll take it. I'll take Drwal.

Rich Attonito vs Rafael Natal (middleweight)
Attonito didn't exactly turn my crank during TUF, but he was a sympathetic character so here he is. Natal doens't have a profile pic on the UFC website - not a good sign. He does have some impressive wins, though, including one over Travis Lutter by TKO. I'm gonna pick another dark horse and go with Natal.

TJ Waldburger vs David Mitchell (welterweight?)
...Who? For better or for worse, Waldburger's fights don't last long. Mitchell is another guy with no profile pic - and no Wikipedia entry! - but he has an unblemished record and finishes fights fast - usually by submission. Sure, let's pick another dark horse and take Mitchell. Let's hope they steal the show.

Brian Foster vs Forrest Petz (welterweight)
Petz has a good record but has lost every fight against a significant opponent. Brian Foster likes to keep his nights short and has won most of those fights. I'll pick Foster.

UFC 118 Results

Ok, let's see how I did on the predictions:

Frankie Edgar def. BJ Penn (unanimous)

Like I said, I was shocked when Edgar got the nod the first time, but this one was a no-doubter. I'd be interested to hear whether or not Penn had any illness or injuries coming into this fight because the minute I saw him he didn't seem right. Was he nervous? Sick? Was he wearing coloured contact lenses? He looked like a different man. It showed in the fight, too, as he had no answer for The Answer and looked completely out of it. So now there's talk of him moving back up to welterweight? What for? So he can killed again by GSP? Why run away from the lightweight division where only one man seems capable of beating him, only to take on bigger guys and yet another man he can't beat? Stay at lightweight, BJ. (0-1)

Randy Couture def James Toney (Sub 1)

This was over as soon as Couture got Toney down,just as everyone predicted. The only drama was in the first 13 seconds. The rest was academic. Why in the world would the UFC want more boxers to come over to MMA? Unless they train for years and become multi-disciplined, it's just another waste of everyone's time. This fight was a joke. (1-1)

Demian Maia def. Mario Miranda (unanimous)

Maia clearly outclassed Miranda who was an overhyped substitute. In this battle fo jiu-jitsu practitioners, Maia looked incredible. (2-1)

Gray Maynard def. Kenny Florian (unanimous)

This was the real main event as it had the most drama. These two have been on a collision course for a while and Maynard finally got to prove that he deserves the title shot. His fights might be boring as hell, but you can't argue with results. Edgar vs Maynard ought to be interesting as it pits two wrestlers against each other. Edgar is by far the better boxer so Maynard will have to try to challenge Edgar's wrestling skills if he is to have a snowball's chance of winning. (3-1)

Nate Diaz def. Marcus Davis (Sub 3)

This was a bit sad to watch as Davis was getting pummeled by Diaz. The problem, though, is that Davis was clearly cut by an accidental clash of heads. That put Davis at a disadvantage in the striking game and Diaz took advantage. When Davis was forced to the ground, it was over. Davis is entertaining, but this likely spells the end of any title shot hopes he might have had. Diaz, on the other hand, will be groomed for a title run. (4-1)

Joe Lauzon def. Gabe Ruediger (Sub 1)

Wow. Lauzon looked awesome. Ruediger was beyond outclassed. He was supposed to have turned his career around and be on the comeback trail, but this ended that in a hurry. Lauzon was at his jiu-jitsu best. Unbelievably good. (5-1)

Nik Lentz def. Andre Winner (unanimous)

Hardly a barn-burner, but Lentz clearly earned the win. Winner looked lost. (6-1)

Dan Miller vs John Salter (middleweight)

Miller looked solid as always. (7-1)

Nick Osipczak vs Greg Soto (welterweight)

Didn't see it. (8-1)

Mike Pierce vs Amilcar Alves (welterweight)

Pierce submitted Alves. Wow. Guess my upset special didn't pan out. (8-2)

8-2! Not bad...

UFC 118 Picks

UFC 118 promises to be interesting if not comical. It features the return match between BJ Penn and the man who (shockingly) took his title, Frankie Edgar – but it also features a ridiculous match-up between hall of famer Randy Couture and boxing legend James Toney.

Whatever.

Let’s get to the picks:

Frankie Edgar vs BJ Penn (lightweight)

I was shocked when Edgar got the nod the first time. Sure, he got a takedown or two, but overall I thought Penn won the boxing match-up, despite Edgar being more active. Add in the fact that Penn was the champ and I thought for sure he’d get the decision. Now we’ll see the real contest. Penn won’t take Edgar lightly and he’ll be hungrier than in their first meeting. I’m not sure what Penn can do differently other than use his jab more effectively to keep Edgar at a distance and maybe score a knockdown or two. Edgar has the tools to beat Penn, but I just don’t see it happening this time. I’m picking Penn.

Randy Couture vs James Toney (heavyweight)

How does this fight get sanctioned? I thought the gaming commission would have to agree that the fighters are evenly matched and of similar experience. Experience in a boxing ring is not experience in a cage. Couture ought to win this fight in under a minute and by submission. Of course there’s always the possibility that Toney will crack Couture in the jaw before the Natural can take him down. There’s no way Toney makes it beyond the second round before completely gassing out, so, barring that first punch knockout, I’m picking Couture.

Demian Maia vs Mario Miranda (middleweight)

Mario who? How did this guy earn a fight against a top contender? Well, he has a nice record, for one, but is 1-1 in the UFC, losing to Gerald Harris by TKO but then turning the tables on David Loiseau. I like Loiseau but he’s not exactly a top guy. So is this meant to be a rebound fight for Maia so he can get back on track toward a title shot? Who knows what Joe Silva is thinking (see Toney fight). Miranda has power, but Maia is a ground god. I’m still gonna pick Maia.

Kenny Florian vs Gray Maynard (lightweight)

This is the fight I want to see. This will likely determine who gets the next title shot. I like both of these guys, but it’s Maynard’s time. KenFlo has had his chances and Maynard already has a win over champ Frankie Edgar (which is why he should have had first crack and Penn should have had to win one before getting a rematch – like most deposed champs do). A win by Florian makes the division messy; does he get a THIRD shot? I’m gonna be pulling for Maynard.

Nate Diaz vs Marcus Davis (welterweight)

Still not sure what Diaz is doing at welterweight. He ought to drop back down and take his chances against the lightweights. I can’t see him going very far at welterweight where the fighters are bigger and smarter. That said, Marcus Davis is almost tailor-made for Diaz. Davis is a boxer who has decent but not spectacular ground skills. If the fight goes to the ground, Diaz ought to be able to submit the Irish Hand Grenade. On the feet, Diaz will have a reach advantage and might be able to keep Davis from landing anything too devastating. As we’ve seen with Ben Saunders and Mike Swick, Davis does not do well against taller opponents. I don’t like his chances here. I like Davis and Diaz is a bit of a douche, but my brain tells me to go with Diaz.

Joe Lauzon vs Gabe Ruediger (lightweight)

WTF? What is Ruediger doing back in the UFC? The guy drops out of the Ultimate Fighter for not making weight, gets schooled in the octagon when he does get the chance and somehow he gets a fight against the talented Joe Lauzon? I guess winning 6 fights in a row (and a title) against nobodies will do that for you. Still, Lauzon ought to walk through this guy unless he has re-invented himself. I’m picking Lauzon.

Andre Winner vs Nik Lentz (lightweight)

Night of the lightweights, I guess. Both of these guys tend to go to decision. Lentz has faced and beaten tougher competition, though. Winner is decent, but I think he might lack some seasoning. I’m picking Lentz.

Dan Miller vs John Salter (middleweight)

Dan Miller on the undercard? Not getting a lot of respect. Sure, he’s lost three in a row, but two were against guys who then fought for the title and one was against UFC darling Michael Bisping who is certainly being groomed for an eventual title shot. (and all three were decisions) He’s a talented guy. Salter has a nice record, but one win was over Jason MacDonald due to injury, which ought to not count in my books. I’m betting Miller’s experience proves the difference. I’m picking Miller.

Nick Osipczak vs Greg Soto (welterweight)

Both of these guys have decent records for newbies, and both have fought Matt Riddle. Osipczak won by TKO while Soto was DQ’d for an illegal upkick. I don’t know Soto very well, and I like Nick so I’ll pick Osipczak.

Mike Pierce vs Amilcar Alves (welterweight)

Alves doesn’t have a pic up on the UFC page, which is never a good sign. He has a great record though and finishes guys off fast, usually by submission. Pierce is a wrestler and tends to win by decision; he’s also had some tough opponents in the UFC. He has the experience edge, for sure. Can the wrestler smother the jiu-jitsu practitioner or can the Brazilian get the submission? I’m gonna go with the upset and pick Alves.

Let's hope I actually get to SEE this one...

UFC 117 Results

Yup. It lived up to the hype. Damn, 'cause I missed it. Caught some fights on the interwebs after, but it's not the same. My social life is killing me!

Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen (middleweight)
I cannot BELIEVE Sonnen blew this. He was kicking Silva's ass for 23 minutes and then gets caught with a punch to the face and a triangle choke? Are you kidding me? Dude. The f**k? I don't care if Silva had rib issues. That doesn't explain getting punched and knocked down. It doesn't explain getting taken down with double legs repeatedly. Styles make fights and I've long said the style to beat Silva is wrestling. Sonnen had all the tools but had a brain fart and kissed it away. (1-0)

Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alves II (welterweight)
Fitch proved once again that he's a level above Alves. After the long lay off, Alves wasn't ready or qualified to take a #1 contender's fight. (2-0)

Clay Guida vs Rafael Dos Anjos (lightweight)
Too bad Dos Anjos broke his jaw. Still, it looked like Guida was in control. (3-0)

Matt Hughes vs Ricardo Almeida (welterweight)
Hughes caught Almeida with a nice punch and Almeida couldn't recover. Otherwise, no way he gets submitted by Hughes. Too bad it didn't last longer. It didn't really answer any of the questions going in. (3-1)

Roy Nelson vs Junior Dos Santos (heavyweight)
I said Dos Santos would need to box his way to a decision and he did. Nelson took some serious shots and held his own against a recognized contender. I picked the upset, but it didn't quite pan out. (3-2)

Dustin Hazelett vs Rick Story (welterweight)
Story has been looking good. Too bad for Hazelett. (4-2)

Phil Davis vs Rodney Wallace (light heavyweight)
Davis is awesome. Too bad I missed it. (5-2)

Tim Boetsch vs Todd Brown (heavyweight)
Picking the Canadian paid off for once - besides GSP, of course. (6-2)

Johny Hendricks vs Charlie Brenneman (welterweight)
Missed it. Hendricks needs some tougher opponents. (7-2)

Stefan Struve vs Christian Morecraft (heavyweight)
Struve was in trouble until Morecraft decided to get into a jab fest with a guy with crazy long arms. Bad idea. (8-2)

Wow: 8-2. Not bad at all. Had I gone with the favourites in those two matches I would have had the perfect night. Bring on the next PPV! (and let's hope I get to see it!!)

UFC 117 Silva v Sonnen Picks

Gonna be busy the next couple of days. Better get my picks in quick:

Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen (middleweight)
Much as I would love to see Sonnen win (or, rather, Silva lose), I just don't see it happening. Can Sonnen really lay and pray for FIVE rounds against Silva? I don't see it. I'm picking Silva.

Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alves II (welterweight)
Again? Has Alves earned it? I dunno. Seems to me Fitch is the real #1 contender in the division but considering he got hammered by GSP, it's tough to match him up with anyone. I think the obvious match is Fitch vs Jake Shields for the #1 spot, but it seems the UFC doesn't wanna run the risk of missing out on the anticipated GSP-Shields fight down the road. I'm picking Fitch again.

Clay Guida vs Rafael Dos Anjos (lightweight)
Could be exciting. Guida is a cardio machine. If this guy is high on life alone, he should be studied by scientists. I can see Guida smothering this guy and not getting submitted. I'm picking Guida.

Matt Hughes vs Ricardo Almeida (welterweight)
This is the fight I want to see. Is Hughes done? Having him fight Gracie wasn't gonna answer that question. But if he beats a real fighter like Alemeida then you have to put him back in the title mix. I'm gonna go against the grain and pick Almeida by decision.

Roy Nelson vs Junior Dos Santos (heavyweight)
Another great fight. Dos Santos is awesome, but Nelson is the Blob. Can Dos Santos avoid getting smothered and can he KO the Burger King? I think this is a tough one for Dos Santos. Nelson will be hungrier than usual 'cause a win here puts him in the title hunt for sure. Dos Santos will have to box and hope for a decision. Strange as it seems, I'm picking Nelson.

Dustin Hazelett vs Rick Story (welterweight)
I like both of these fighters. Story is more well-rounded, though and might be able to take down Hazelett while avoiding submissions. I'm picking Story.

Phil Davis vs Rodney Wallace (light heavyweight)
I can't believe I might miss this event... This could be another good one. Fireworks. Davis is incredible. I can't go against him. I'm picking Davis.

Tim Boetsch vs Todd Brown (heavyweight)
I don't know anything about Brown and don't have tie to look him up. I'm picking the Canadian - Boetsch.

Johny Hendricks vs Charlie Brenneman (welterweight)
Crazy card. Hendricks in a dark match? The guy is great. Don't know much about Brenneman. I'm picking Hendricks.

Stefan Struve vs Christian Morecraft (heavyweight)
Struve is a giant, but Morecraft is a big guy, too. Morecraft has a good record with quick finishes. Struve has a history of either winning, or losing by KO early. Just what Morecraft wants. I don't live Struve's chances, but maybe the UFC lights will intimidate Morecraft. I'll pick Struve by submission.

Wicked card. Let's hope it lives up to the hype.

UFC Fight Night Results

I thought this event might suck and it did, for the most part - at least the telecast version.

Jon Jones vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Jones dominated, looking a lot like Anderson Silva in his awkward, gangly approach. He got top position and started dropping some elbows to Vlad's head and it took Herb Dean about 3 seconds to jump in and stop the fight. While Vlad was in deep trouble, he wasn't hurt. This was a premature stoppage in my books. Still, Jones was clearly the better fighter. If Silva ever goes back up to 205, I'd love to see him fight Jones because their styles are so similar. (1-0)

Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami
Boring as hell. Munoz had a terrible gameplan, attempting lazy single-leg takedowns from five feet away. Okami just had to stuff the takedowns, lie on top of Munoz (who wouldn't let go) and hit him with hammer fists to get the win. Ridiculous. (1-1)

John Howard vs Jake Ellenberger
Howard looked goods until he got smacked in the eye and it swelled shut in an ugly way. He clearly had an injury there and the doctor wisely stopped the fight. Too bad for Howard. (1-2)

Tyson Griffin vs Takanori Gomi
Another pretty dull fight for all that it lasted. Give Gomi credit for turning the lights out on Griffin. (1-3)

Paul Kelly vs Jacob Volkmann
This wasn't aired. I wouldn't mind seeing it to see how the two performed. Once again Volkmann screwed me over. :P (1-4)

DaMarques Johnson vs Matthew Riddle
Should have stuck with my boy Riddle. Johnson is overrated. (1-5)

James Irvin vs Igor Pokrajac
I think the Sandman may be done. Another poor performance. Seems he's a one trick pony. (1-6)

Brian Stann vs Mike Massenzio
Finally! Another win! Massenzio loses to CB Dolloway and then gets submitted by Stann? Dunno if he'll escape getting cut. (2-6)

Darren Elkins vs Charles Oliveira
I didn't know these guys before, but I know Oliveira now. That was quick and impressive. Dunno if he'd catch many UFC vets in such a straightforward triangle that easily, but he has probably earned another couple of fights in the UFC. (2-7)

Rob Kimmons vs Steve Steinbeiss
Steinbeiss has probably earned his walking papers with this one. As I said before, his record is less than impressive. (3-7)

Wow. 3-7. That sucks. Thank goodness I fare better at PPV's when it really counts, right? :P

UFC Fight Night predictions

Can't say I'm terribly excited about this event. Still, let's pick some winners, ok?

Jon Jones vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Vlad is the old dog, facing off against the new blood. Don't know too much about him, which is odd considering this is the main event. His record is impressive, but he is getting up there (39) and most of his fights go to decision. Can he hang with the energetic Jones? I'm gonna say no. I'm picking Jones.

Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami
Two guys who have good records but who have stumbled when it matters most. Munoz is on Matt Hamill's highlight reel and Okami fell to Rich Frankin, climbed the ladder again, then fell to Chael Sonnen. This could be a close fight, but I'm gonna go with Munoz in a bit of an upset.

John Howard vs Jake Ellenberger
I've missed most of Howard's fights, but he has been impressive, I hear. He has power and submission skills, while Ellenberger is a wrestler. If it goes to decision, I'd pick Ellenberger, but if it stops before the distance, then I'd bet on Howard. This could be an exciting finish or dull as hell. I'm gonna hope for exciting and pick Howard.

Tyson Griffin vs Takanori Gomi
Gomi has been less than impressive since coming over to the UFC from Japan where he was revered. He has lost three of five and four of eight. Not good. Sounds like he's living off his reputation. Griffin is a mystery and is coming off a loss. He seems to be a skilled fighter but never seems to have a good game plan. He has 10 UFC fights, though, and has won fight of the night in five of those fights. That's impressive. I'm not sold on Gomi, so I'm gonna pick Griffin.

Paul Kelly vs Jacob Volkmann
I picked Volkmann once and he let me down. Bet against him the next time and he won a fight he shouldn't have. What to do? Kelly's a tough boy. I'm picking Kelly.

DaMarques Johnson vs Matthew Riddle
I like Riddle, but he's a bit green. Johnson has more experience and I bet that's gonna serve him well. I'm picking Johnson.

James Irvin vs Igor Pokrajac
The Sandman returns. I hope he is all healed up and this won't be another disappointing and brief outing. He was brutalized by Anderson Silva then had to quit when Alessio Sakara punched him in the eye. I don't know much about Pokrajac other than his record is ok and he has beaten no one of consequence. It seems both of these guys can bang. I don't like Irvin's chances on the ground, but I'll pick him anyway.

Brian Stann vs Mike Massenzio
Stann is a pretty tough guy but has a mediocre UFC record. I know squat about Massenzio other than he tends to finish fights early and has lost to CB effing Dollaway for Pete's sake. If Dollaway can TKO this guy, so can Stann. I'm picking Stann.

Darren Elkins vs Charles Oliveira
Who...? Both of these guys have terrific records and finish fights early. maybe they haven't faced tough enough competition? Well, we'll see who responds to the pressure. Elkins or Oliveira? Elkins has fought once in the UFC so I'm gonna bet that helps. I'll pick Elkins.

Rob Kimmons vs Steve Steinbeiss
What is Steinbeiss doing in the UFC? He has lost his last two (one in WEC, one in UFC) and has lost to BILL EFFING MAHOOD for Pete's sake!! WTF? Kimmons has four UFC fights (2-2) with losses to Dan Miller and Jorge Rivera. Something tells me the loser is going home. I'm picking Kimmons for giggles.

This event might totally suck. We'll see.

UFC 116 Results

Sucks that I missed this one. Apparently there are no UFC fans in Haliburton. Heard it was great. Saw some replays online.

Brock Lesnar def. Shane Carwin (sub2)

Lesnar by submission? Who had THAT bet? As I kind of predicted, though, Carwin caught Lesnar but Lesnar survived and when it reached the second round, Carwin had no gas left. Good for Lesnar for learning a submission. If he can learn one or two more that he can use in tandem with his wrestling, he may be REALLY dangerous. (1-0)

Chris Leben def. Yoshihiro Akiyama (sub3)

Leben with a submission now? WTF? The world is upside down. Once again, Leben snags victory from the jaws of defeat as he sinks in a very late triangle to upset the very tired Akiyama. Akiyama ought to drop to welterweight, but apparently the Japanese are loathe to cut weight. (1-1)

Chris Lytle def. Matt Brown (sub2)

Another slugger gets a submission. This one isn't that strange, though, as Lytle won in a similar fashion last time out. I kinda called this one - this was just a poor match-up for Brown. (2-1)

Stephan Bonnar def. Krzysztof Soszynski (TKO2)

Saw only highlights. Bonnar was a mess afterwards. This is a bad result for the Polish Experiment as his career is now spinning its wheels after a good start. If you can't fight smart enough to beat Bonnar, you probably don't deserve to be in the UFC. I have no idea where either fighter goes from here. (2-2)

George Sotiropoulos def. Kurt Pellegrino (unanimous)

Sotiropoulos keeps climbing the ladder. Look for a very tough opponent next time out. The UFC will want to really test the up-and-comer. (3-2)

Brendan Schaub vs Chris Tuchscherer (heavyweight)

Schaub has dynamite in his hands. Let's see where it leads him. (4-2)

Ricardo Romero def. Seth Petruzelli (sub2)

Romero busted up Petruzelli's arm. Seth was looking alright up until that point. Romero was gassed, but Petruzelli couldn't finish and he paid the price. (5-2)

Kendall Grove vs Goran Reljic (split)

Didn't watch this so much as listen to it, 'cause I knew it went to decision and I'm not that big a fan of Grove's. Looks like it might have been a bit of a controversial decision. One judge scored it 30-27 Grove and another 29-28 Reljic? Strange. (5-3)

Gerald Harris def. Dave Branch (KO3)

Looks like Harris was winning this one, though Branch had the third one locked up, from what I could tell. Branch had Harris in a triangle, but Harris picked up Branch a la Rampage and slammed him. I didn't see the other angle, but looking at the live angle it looked like Harris may have knocked Branch out using his head, and not the mat. That reminds me of Ortiz's win over Evan Tanner. That's unfortunate. (6-3)

Daniel Roberts def. Forrest Petz (split)

Didn't see it. (7-3)

Jon Madsen def. Karlos Vemola (unanimous)

Didn't see it. (7-4)

7-4, eh? Not bad.

UFC 116 Picks

I can’t believe I might actually miss this one… Biggest heavyweight fight ever.

Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin (heavyweight)

This is a very tough call. See, these guys are both monsters and it may depend on two things: can Lesnar get Carwin down, and can Carwin catch Lesnar with a solid punch. We haven’t seen Lesnar get caught with a solid shot yet so we have no idea what his chin is like. Carwin, on the other hand, hasn’t had his gas tank tested – so if Lesnar can smother him into the second round… Both of these guys are relatively untested, which makes predicting the outcome that much more difficult. In the end, though, I think Carwin will clock Lesnar but I’m pulling for Lesnar anyway.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Chris Leben (middleweight)

Chris Leben as the co-main event? And this isn’t a TUF season finale or an Ultimate Fight Night Live? What gives? Well, that’s what happens when Leben subs in for Wanderlei Silva. I don’t know if this fight will still be second to last, but it certainly has lost a good amount of hype. Yoshihiro Akiyama has beaten Denis Kang and Alan Belcher, no slouches in the division. He’s 13-1, and that lone loss came in his second pro fight against a guy who was almost twice his size. Akiyama has good stand up, but his best bet here is to get Leben to the ground and use his mat skills to submit the man with the granite chin. I’ll pick Akiyama.

Chris Lytle vs Matt Brown (welterweight)

I quite like Matt Brown and this is sure to be an entertaining fight as long as it’s on the feet, but this is a poor match-up for Brown. Lytle is also a stand-up fighter, but has a very good ground game. I don’t see Brown knocking out Lytle, and I can see Lytle fighting smart and getting the decision or submission. I’ll pick Lytle.

Krzysztof Soszynski vs Stephan Bonnar (light heavyweight)

The rematch. Maybe it was a head butt last time out, so this fight was required before the Polish Experiment could claim the next rung up the ladder. I’m pulling for the adopted Canadian, but Bonnar may have more to fight for. As we’ve seen recently with Keith Jardine, no one is immune from getting cut by the UFC, and although Dana White has called both Bonnar and Forrest Griffin his children, Bonnar has lost his last three fights and five of his last seven (granted, three against former or future champs). Bonnar simply isn’t improving his game the way his contemporaries (like Griffin) have. He’s firmly established as a gatekeeper: if you can’t beat him, you probably don’t deserve to stick around. Krzysztof, on the other hand, has looked great since coming onto the set of the the Ultimate Fighter, but needs to fight smarter if he wants to move up. I’m picking Soszynski.

George Sotiropoulos vs Kurt Pellegrino (lightweight)

Could be fight of the night. Both are talented, with Sotiropoulos as the up-and-comer and Pellegrino as the established vet looking to climb the ladder before it’s all over. This is a big fight for George, as a win would move him into the upper echelons of the weight division. I’m pulling for Sotiropoulos.

Brendan Schaub vs Chris Tuchscherer (heavyweight)

Expect a slugfest. The UFC seems to want big things out of Schaub and this may be a bit of a stepping stone for him, especially if Tuchscherer lays an egg like he did against Tim Hague. But it won’t be easy. Schaub has great power and none of his fights have gone beyond the first round. I’ll pick Schaub.

Seth Petruzelli vs Ricardo Romero (light heavyweight)

Is it a coincidence that as Kimbo leaves the UFC, the Kimboslayer returns? The man who single-handedly brought down Elite XC returns to the UFC where he pretty much bombed three years ago, in the hopes of making the best of a second chance. The UFC has arguably spoon fed him a win by matching him up against a guy who has only fought in the Ring of Combat organization and has no big name wins – and no photo on the UFC website. He does have an impressive record, though (10-1) with his lone loss a DQ for an illegal soccer kick. Ouch! You know what? I’ll pick the new guy – Romero.

Kendall Grove vs Goran Reljic (middleweight)

Grove is another fighter with nine lives. He has looked impressive at times, but he has a bit of a glass jaw, which has been exposed a number of times in spectacular fashion. He has lost four of his last seven, but I don’t expect him to get cut, even if he loses. Goran Reljic has a good record and a win over Wilson Gouveia, but he has alos lost to CB effing Dollaway, for Pete’s sake. Both have ground skills, but Reljic does have KO power. I’ll pick Reljic.

Gerald Harris vs Dave Branch (middleweight)

Who? Harris was apparently on TUF, but I don’t remember him at all. And I guess I missed his two previous UFC fights. Branch is 6-0, so one assumes he’s no pushover. I’ll take the guy with UFC experience and KO power, though. I’m picking Harris.

Daniel Roberts vs Forrest Petz (welterweight)

Roberts has a good record with a load of submission wins, including two by strikes. Petz has a load of experience including five UFC fights a while back (2-3). Roberts is a submission king and Petz has a habit of losing by submission. I’ll pick Roberts.

Jon Madsen vs Karlos Vemola (heavyweight)

Madsen, a former TUF competitor, is significantly heavier than the somewhat unknown Vemola. Vemola looks like a beast on paper, though, amassing a perfect 7-0 record, all ending in the first round by TKO or rear naked choke (meaning the opponent essentially turtled at some point). Granted, all of those fights took place in the UK, away from the bright UFC lights. Will the big stage scare the big man? I’m picking Vemola.