Is it my imagination or is there a UFC event every weekend these days?
Dominick Cruz vs Demetrious Johnson (bantamweight)
I know sweet FA about Johnson, other than he is tiny - even for a bantamweight. He's a wrestler, while Cruz is very well rounded. Both of these guys tend to go to decision recently. I'm gonna pick Cruz.
Pat Barry vs Stefan Struve (heavyweight)
I like both of these guys. On paper, Struve has a crazy advantage thanks to his reach. Both have KO power, but Bary has SERIOUS KO power. Struve's chin is questionable, though while Barry has yet to be KO'd (other than by fluke vs Kongo). I could see this as being a replay of Struve's loss to Travis Browne or Roy Nelson where the smaller guy finally gets inside and lands the big shot to the glass jaw. I also see Barry chopping down the giant with leg kicks. I'm picking Barry.
Anthony Johnson vs Charlie Brenneman (welterweight)
I like Brenneman, but I do not like his chances in this fight. Johnson is an up and comer who has shown great talent and would be contending for the title had it not been for an iffy loss to Josh Koshcheck and the phantom knee strike. Brenneman has the better record, but Johnson has tougher fights under his belt. Both tend to go to decision. Both are wrestlers, but Johnson has some striking pedigree as well. I'm picking Johnson.
Matt Wiman vs Mac Danzig (lightweight)
Could be an interesting fight. Both of these guys are far form having secure places with the company. Mid-carders, essentially, who show little threat for the lightweight belt. Wiman is popular, but has not won any of the big fights he's been in. Danzig is a TUF champ who showed lots of promise but then fell on hard times, losing 3 straight to tough competitors. He is 2-1 since then, including a loss to the same Matt Wiman. It was a controversial stoppage, though, with the ref stepping in to break up a submission despite the fact Danzig had not tapped or been rendered unconscious. Danzig will be looking for revenge, which should give him an edge. Still, I'm gonna pick the more well-rounded Wiman.
Yves Edwards vs Rafaello Oliveira (lightweight)
Edwards has been fighting forever. He's a journeyman who has never really impressed in the UFC. Oliveira has a fine record but loses all of his significant fights. Is this a battle of losers? Tough pick. I think I'll pick Edwards.
Michael Johnson vs Paul Sass (lightweight)
Johnson was a TUF competitor from whom great things were expected. So far, though, he has shown that he is a diamond in the rough at best. He has also shown he can be submitted. Sass has a perfect record, though he has only one UFC fight. He is a submissions ninja, with a penchant for triangle chokes. I'm picking Sass.
Mike Easton vs Byron Bloodworth (bantamweight)
Who? Don't know these guys. Mystery bantamweights. I can't wait for this season of TUF to be over so that we'll have some more recognizable faces in the division. Easton has a good record, including a win over the supposedly well-known Chase Beebe. Easton is a champion (UWC) while Bloodworth doesn't have a Wikipedia page and is an injury replacement. I'm picking Easton.
Shane Roller vs TJ Grant (lightweight)
Could be a good fight. Roller is a well-rounded wrestler who contended for a belt not so long ago, but seems to drop the ball in the really big fights. Grant is a Canadian with very well rounded skills, but has dropped some decisions lately at 170. He's dropping down in weight here, so who knows what kind of effect it'll have. If he cuts right, he ought to have a slight size advantage over Roller and ought to be able to nullify any wrestling. I'd give Grant the edge on the feet, so I'm picking Grant.
Josh Neer vs Keith Wisniewski (welterweight)
After two years away, Neer is back in the UFC, this time at welterweight. He has had success at that weight away from the UFC. Wisniewski is a nobody but has a TON of fights over a 13-year career. The guy has fought in just about every organization and even has a loss to Shonie Carter via spinning back fist! I don't lie his chances here, though, so I'm picking Neer.
Walel Watson vs Joseph Sandoval (bantamweight)
No idea. Watson is a submissions machine, it seems. Very tall for a bantamweight (5'11"). Sandoval is undefeated and has some power, it seems. I hate decisions, though, so let's hope Watson submits him. I'm picking Watson.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
UFC 135 Results
Didn't get to see this event - just a couple of fights on the web or in the prelim show. Let's see how ugly it got.
Jon Jones def. Rampage Jackson (sub 4)
Rampage is ridiculously one-dimensional, and despite his claims of being better prepared and in great shape, he demonstrated once again that he is a one-trick pony. Stay away from the big punches and you can pretty much guarantee yourself a win over Jackson. Jones used his reach to score and finally ended the fight with a rear naked choke. No surprise. (1-0)
Josh Koshcheck def. Matt Hughes (KO 1)
Honestly, is anyone still interested in seeing Hughes fight? Once again HUghes got knocked out early by a decent opponent. If Hughes isn't facing a has been or never was, that's pretty much the tune these days. Time to retire, Matt. Seriously. (2-0)
Travis Browne def. Rob Broughton (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (3-0)
Nate Diaz def. Takanori Gomi (sub 1)
Gomi had 4 punches land. FOUR. GTFO of the UFC, man. Why is Gomi around? (4-0)
Mark Hunt def. Ben Rothwell (unanimous)
Looks like this one might have been surprisingly one-sided. Rothwell is really stalling in the UFC. Hunt wins again? (4-1)
Tony Ferguson def. Aaron Riley (TKO 1)
Ferguson looked good. Broke Riley's jaw, forcing a stoppage after round one. Too bad. (5-1)
Tim Boetsch def. Nick Ring (unanimous)
Not sure what Ring's game plan was here. He backed away from Boetsch all night long. Was he trying to tire him out? Boetsch seemed better in all categories and Ring had nothing. (5-2)
Junior Assuncao def. Eddie Yagin (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (6-2)
Takeya Mizugaki def. Cole Escovedo (KO 2)
Didn't see it. (6-3)
James Te Huna def. Ricardo Romero (KO 1)
Romero...WTF? He looked AWFUL. Poor takedown attempts lead to him getting hammer fisted into unconsciousness. Brutal. I imagine he'll get cut. (6-4)
So 6-4. Not bad. 7-3 really, if you count the fact I actually called Boetsch's win but chose not to go against the Canadian. :P Doesn't that count for something?
Jon Jones def. Rampage Jackson (sub 4)
Rampage is ridiculously one-dimensional, and despite his claims of being better prepared and in great shape, he demonstrated once again that he is a one-trick pony. Stay away from the big punches and you can pretty much guarantee yourself a win over Jackson. Jones used his reach to score and finally ended the fight with a rear naked choke. No surprise. (1-0)
Josh Koshcheck def. Matt Hughes (KO 1)
Honestly, is anyone still interested in seeing Hughes fight? Once again HUghes got knocked out early by a decent opponent. If Hughes isn't facing a has been or never was, that's pretty much the tune these days. Time to retire, Matt. Seriously. (2-0)
Travis Browne def. Rob Broughton (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (3-0)
Nate Diaz def. Takanori Gomi (sub 1)
Gomi had 4 punches land. FOUR. GTFO of the UFC, man. Why is Gomi around? (4-0)
Mark Hunt def. Ben Rothwell (unanimous)
Looks like this one might have been surprisingly one-sided. Rothwell is really stalling in the UFC. Hunt wins again? (4-1)
Tony Ferguson def. Aaron Riley (TKO 1)
Ferguson looked good. Broke Riley's jaw, forcing a stoppage after round one. Too bad. (5-1)
Tim Boetsch def. Nick Ring (unanimous)
Not sure what Ring's game plan was here. He backed away from Boetsch all night long. Was he trying to tire him out? Boetsch seemed better in all categories and Ring had nothing. (5-2)
Junior Assuncao def. Eddie Yagin (unanimous)
Didn't see it. (6-2)
Takeya Mizugaki def. Cole Escovedo (KO 2)
Didn't see it. (6-3)
James Te Huna def. Ricardo Romero (KO 1)
Romero...WTF? He looked AWFUL. Poor takedown attempts lead to him getting hammer fisted into unconsciousness. Brutal. I imagine he'll get cut. (6-4)
So 6-4. Not bad. 7-3 really, if you count the fact I actually called Boetsch's win but chose not to go against the Canadian. :P Doesn't that count for something?
Thursday, September 22, 2011
UFC 135 Picks
This looks like an ok card. Not great.
Rampage Jackson vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight)
Rampage seems like an interesting, decent guy, but he is WAY beyond his prime and has never impressed me in a UFC fight. He is terribly one-dimensional and not even that good at the one thing he does best: stand-up. Sure, he has great knock out power, but he has to connect first. Jones won't give him that chance. Expect a lot of kicks and takedowns and Rampage to lose a very lopsided decision. I'm taking Jones.
Matt Hughes vs Josh Koshcheck (welterweight)
Hughes is another one who is way past his best-before date. he might have a couple of ok fights left in him, but he is getting outclassed badly by anyone of any talent (Penn, GSP, Alves) and getting wins against has-beens and never-weres (Serra, Gracie, Almeida). He hasn't had an impressive win in 4 years. That's a long time, folks. Hughes is a better fighter than Koscheck who is generally overrated, but Koscheck ought to be much faster. I think that'll make the difference. I expect this one to stay on the feet and Koscheck to clip Hughes sometime within 15 minutes. Expect Hughes to reconsider his career after this one. I'm taking Koscheck.
Travis Browne vs Rob Broughton (heavyweight)
This is the third ranked fight? Yikes. Broughton is a Brit with some submission skills, but Browne is a BJJ guy with power. Browne has also faced MUCH tougher competition. I'm taking Browne.
Nate Diaz vs Takanori Gomi (lightweight)
A battle of underachievers. Diaz has talent but lacks brains and a game plan. Gomi came into the UFC with much fanfare but has not impressed me. He is 1-2 in the UFC and prone to submissions. You know who is great at submissions? Diaz. But he has to get him down first. If Diaz stays on his feet he might be in trouble and if it goes to a decision expect it to go Gomi's way. Diaz is 3-5 in his last eight, all losses by decision, all wins by submission. By all accounts Diaz is a douche; but he's a talented douche. Gomi appears to be neither. I'll take Diaz.
Ben Rothwell vs Mark Hunt (heavyweight)
More big boys. Rothwell is a former IFL champ who hasn't done much in the UFC, though his 2009 loss was to future champ Cain Velasquez (which may or may not have been stopped early). He's 31-7 but only 29 and has some big names on his resume. Hunt had an impressive win his last time out after I had written him off. Still, the guys has LOSING RECORD in MMA. How is he in the UFC? Sure, he has a better kickboxing record, but even that is only hit and miss. He has split decision wins over Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva but those guys are tiny in comparison and that was 7 years ago. I can't pick this guy. I'm picking Rothwell.
Tony Ferguson vs Aaron Riley (lightweight)
I like Ferguson, a TUF champ, but he may be in over his head here. Riley has an impressive record, but can't seem to get the big wins. This is a test for Ferguson. Riley usually goes to decision, while Ferguson has only gone the distance twice in this 13-fight career. I'm picking Ferguson.
Nick Ring vs Tim Boetsch (middleweight)
Ring has a perfect record (though that includes a bizarre win over Riki Fukuda) but Boetsch has way more experience and much bigger names on his resume. At 13-4, Boetsch is no pushover. I think Boetsch is gonna take this one, but I don't wanna bet against the Canadian, so I'll take Ring.
Junior Assuncao vs Eddie Yagin (featherweight)
Assuncao is dropping down for this one. This marks his return to the UFC after a four year and eight fight absence. Both of these guys have decent records and like submissions. Assuncao is much taller, though and should have the advantage on the feet. I'll take Assuncao.
Takeya Mizugaki vs Cole Escovedo (bantamweight)
I can't remember the last time I weighed 135... High school? Escovedo is a former WEC featherweight champ but has fallen on harder times since and has lost three of his last four. Mizugaki did well in Japan, but had a harder time in the WEC. He has won against so-so guys, lost to all the top guys. Is Escovedo a top guy? Not anymore, but I like his chances better. I'm picking Escovedo.
James Te Huna vs Ricardo Romero (light heavyweight)
Te Huna is a submissoins guy who seems to prefer striking these days. Romero is a talented up and comer who lost quickly and badly his last time out. This is a tough one to pick as both guys show potential and are well matched. Te Huna is the wrestler, though, and that would normally give the edge. I'm gonna buck that trend, though, and pick Romero.
Rampage Jackson vs Jon Jones (light heavyweight)
Rampage seems like an interesting, decent guy, but he is WAY beyond his prime and has never impressed me in a UFC fight. He is terribly one-dimensional and not even that good at the one thing he does best: stand-up. Sure, he has great knock out power, but he has to connect first. Jones won't give him that chance. Expect a lot of kicks and takedowns and Rampage to lose a very lopsided decision. I'm taking Jones.
Matt Hughes vs Josh Koshcheck (welterweight)
Hughes is another one who is way past his best-before date. he might have a couple of ok fights left in him, but he is getting outclassed badly by anyone of any talent (Penn, GSP, Alves) and getting wins against has-beens and never-weres (Serra, Gracie, Almeida). He hasn't had an impressive win in 4 years. That's a long time, folks. Hughes is a better fighter than Koscheck who is generally overrated, but Koscheck ought to be much faster. I think that'll make the difference. I expect this one to stay on the feet and Koscheck to clip Hughes sometime within 15 minutes. Expect Hughes to reconsider his career after this one. I'm taking Koscheck.
Travis Browne vs Rob Broughton (heavyweight)
This is the third ranked fight? Yikes. Broughton is a Brit with some submission skills, but Browne is a BJJ guy with power. Browne has also faced MUCH tougher competition. I'm taking Browne.
Nate Diaz vs Takanori Gomi (lightweight)
A battle of underachievers. Diaz has talent but lacks brains and a game plan. Gomi came into the UFC with much fanfare but has not impressed me. He is 1-2 in the UFC and prone to submissions. You know who is great at submissions? Diaz. But he has to get him down first. If Diaz stays on his feet he might be in trouble and if it goes to a decision expect it to go Gomi's way. Diaz is 3-5 in his last eight, all losses by decision, all wins by submission. By all accounts Diaz is a douche; but he's a talented douche. Gomi appears to be neither. I'll take Diaz.
Ben Rothwell vs Mark Hunt (heavyweight)
More big boys. Rothwell is a former IFL champ who hasn't done much in the UFC, though his 2009 loss was to future champ Cain Velasquez (which may or may not have been stopped early). He's 31-7 but only 29 and has some big names on his resume. Hunt had an impressive win his last time out after I had written him off. Still, the guys has LOSING RECORD in MMA. How is he in the UFC? Sure, he has a better kickboxing record, but even that is only hit and miss. He has split decision wins over Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva but those guys are tiny in comparison and that was 7 years ago. I can't pick this guy. I'm picking Rothwell.
Tony Ferguson vs Aaron Riley (lightweight)
I like Ferguson, a TUF champ, but he may be in over his head here. Riley has an impressive record, but can't seem to get the big wins. This is a test for Ferguson. Riley usually goes to decision, while Ferguson has only gone the distance twice in this 13-fight career. I'm picking Ferguson.
Nick Ring vs Tim Boetsch (middleweight)
Ring has a perfect record (though that includes a bizarre win over Riki Fukuda) but Boetsch has way more experience and much bigger names on his resume. At 13-4, Boetsch is no pushover. I think Boetsch is gonna take this one, but I don't wanna bet against the Canadian, so I'll take Ring.
Junior Assuncao vs Eddie Yagin (featherweight)
Assuncao is dropping down for this one. This marks his return to the UFC after a four year and eight fight absence. Both of these guys have decent records and like submissions. Assuncao is much taller, though and should have the advantage on the feet. I'll take Assuncao.
Takeya Mizugaki vs Cole Escovedo (bantamweight)
I can't remember the last time I weighed 135... High school? Escovedo is a former WEC featherweight champ but has fallen on harder times since and has lost three of his last four. Mizugaki did well in Japan, but had a harder time in the WEC. He has won against so-so guys, lost to all the top guys. Is Escovedo a top guy? Not anymore, but I like his chances better. I'm picking Escovedo.
James Te Huna vs Ricardo Romero (light heavyweight)
Te Huna is a submissoins guy who seems to prefer striking these days. Romero is a talented up and comer who lost quickly and badly his last time out. This is a tough one to pick as both guys show potential and are well matched. Te Huna is the wrestler, though, and that would normally give the edge. I'm gonna buck that trend, though, and pick Romero.
Monday, September 19, 2011
UFC Fight Night Results - the Two Jakes
Some surprising results in this one! Let's see how I did. (not well, I wager)
Jake Ellenberger def. Jake Shields (KO 1)
Wow. This one will have repercussions. Shields came over to the UFC from Strikeforce and it was assumed he would get a title shot. Then he narrowly defeats Martin Kampmann (who proved to be not-quite-ready-for-primetime himself) before getting smoked by GSP. Now he loses to Ellenberger? Not exactly the splash he was hoping to make, I'm sure. This is a huge win for Ellenberger and puts him on the title contender route. I imagine he'll get one more significant test before that happens, though. Despite what Shields says, this was NOT an early stoppage. His hands went limp. (0-1)
Court McGee def. Dongi Yang (unanimous)
Meh. Not a great fight. McGee outpointed him, I guess. (1-1)
Erik Koch def. Jonathan Brookins (unanimous)
Awful fight. Boring as hell. Lots of non-committal stand-up followed by half-assed takedown attempts. Not good for either guy. Brookins is wasting his post-TUF momentum. (2-1)
Alan Belcher def. Jason MacDonald (sub 1)
A verbal tap-out due to strikes? Never a good thing. Haven't heard if MacDonald is injured, but quitting is never a good sign. Unfortunately, this was another poor showing by MacDonald and demonstrated bad strategy once again. Someone needs to show him some wrestling pointers. His single leg takedown attempts are pathetic, frankly. When MacDonald fell backwards trying to take Belcher down, he sealed his fate. It was so early in the fight that Belcher was able to swing away and caught MacDonald with some solid shots, causing the big Canadian to turtle. It was just sad to watch from then on as MacDonald made no use of his legs to push his opponent away. Awful. (2-2)
Vogner Rocha def. Cody McKenzie (sub 2)
McKenzie got submitted again? Ugh. (2-3)
Evan Dunham def. Shamar Bailey (unanimous)
Dunham dominated, it seems. (3-3)
Lance Benoist def. Matthew Riddle (unanimous)
Closer fight than it seems, with it being scored 29-28 across the board. (4-3)
Ken Stone def. Donny Walker (sub 1)
Didn't see it. (4-4)
Seth Baczynski def. Clay Harvison (sub 2)
Nope. (5-4)
TJ Waldburger def. Mike Stumpf (sub 1)
Getting submitted in the first round always sucks. (6-4)
Robert Peralta def. Mike Lullo (unanimous)
Is Peralta for real? (7-4)
Justin Edwards vs Jorge Lopez (unanimous)
Fluke for me. (8-4)
Boy: 8-4 would normally have me grinning, but I didn't see half these fights or know most of these guys. Still, I'll pat myself on the back for my research skills!
Jake Ellenberger def. Jake Shields (KO 1)
Wow. This one will have repercussions. Shields came over to the UFC from Strikeforce and it was assumed he would get a title shot. Then he narrowly defeats Martin Kampmann (who proved to be not-quite-ready-for-primetime himself) before getting smoked by GSP. Now he loses to Ellenberger? Not exactly the splash he was hoping to make, I'm sure. This is a huge win for Ellenberger and puts him on the title contender route. I imagine he'll get one more significant test before that happens, though. Despite what Shields says, this was NOT an early stoppage. His hands went limp. (0-1)
Court McGee def. Dongi Yang (unanimous)
Meh. Not a great fight. McGee outpointed him, I guess. (1-1)
Erik Koch def. Jonathan Brookins (unanimous)
Awful fight. Boring as hell. Lots of non-committal stand-up followed by half-assed takedown attempts. Not good for either guy. Brookins is wasting his post-TUF momentum. (2-1)
Alan Belcher def. Jason MacDonald (sub 1)
A verbal tap-out due to strikes? Never a good thing. Haven't heard if MacDonald is injured, but quitting is never a good sign. Unfortunately, this was another poor showing by MacDonald and demonstrated bad strategy once again. Someone needs to show him some wrestling pointers. His single leg takedown attempts are pathetic, frankly. When MacDonald fell backwards trying to take Belcher down, he sealed his fate. It was so early in the fight that Belcher was able to swing away and caught MacDonald with some solid shots, causing the big Canadian to turtle. It was just sad to watch from then on as MacDonald made no use of his legs to push his opponent away. Awful. (2-2)
Vogner Rocha def. Cody McKenzie (sub 2)
McKenzie got submitted again? Ugh. (2-3)
Evan Dunham def. Shamar Bailey (unanimous)
Dunham dominated, it seems. (3-3)
Lance Benoist def. Matthew Riddle (unanimous)
Closer fight than it seems, with it being scored 29-28 across the board. (4-3)
Ken Stone def. Donny Walker (sub 1)
Didn't see it. (4-4)
Seth Baczynski def. Clay Harvison (sub 2)
Nope. (5-4)
TJ Waldburger def. Mike Stumpf (sub 1)
Getting submitted in the first round always sucks. (6-4)
Robert Peralta def. Mike Lullo (unanimous)
Is Peralta for real? (7-4)
Justin Edwards vs Jorge Lopez (unanimous)
Fluke for me. (8-4)
Boy: 8-4 would normally have me grinning, but I didn't see half these fights or know most of these guys. Still, I'll pat myself on the back for my research skills!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
UFC Fight Night Shields vs Ellenberger
Alright, let's whip off some predictions while we have a minute, shall we?
Jake Shields vs Jake Ellenberger (welterweight)
Would love to see Ellenberger win this, but Shields has better cred in all categories. Gotta take the favourite, I guess. Shields for the win.
Court McGee vs Dongi Yang (middleweight)
I like McGee, but Yang is no pushover and looked pretty good last time out. This should be a good fight. I'll pick McGee.
Jonathan Brookins vs Erik Koch (featherweight)
Brookins is coming off his TUF win, but it's been a while. Koch has thunder in his fists and has looked great. I'm gonna pick Koch.
Alan Belcher vs Jason MacDonald (middelweight)
This is the fight I want to see. Belcher has had mixed success against decent competition and is on the upswing. An impressive win would put him in contender status. Like MacDonald, he has BJJ experience but he also has some decent power and muay thai knowledge. On the other side, this is a big opportunity for MacDonald. Back in the UFC and coming off a win after a broken leg, this is his chance to stick around for a while. A win would be huge for him and put him back on the map. He has had mixed success against tougher opponents than Belcher's, so he's no slouch though he will come in as the underdog. If he fights smart, he can take it. But he HAS to fight smart - something he hasn't always done. If he stays on his feet, he has to use his reach - but he'd be much better off taking this to the ground. I don't like his chances, but I'm picking MacDonald anyway.
Cody McKenzie vs Vogner Rocha (lightweight)
McKenzie is a guillotine machine. He's also VERY good on the ground, though he got a bit overconfident in his last fight and ended up getting submitted. He's a purple belt while Vogner is a black belt. These guys might end up keeping this standing. Still, I'll pick McKenzie.
Evan Dunham vs Shamar Bailey (lightweight)
Dunham has looked great in the past and was on his way to a title shot when he got seriously derailed by Melvin Guillard after a tough decision loss to Sean Sherk. Both of these guys have wrestling pedigrees, but Dunham is the more complete package. I'm picking Dunham.
Matthew Riddle vs Lance Benoist (welterweight)
Riddle has improved significantly since his stint on TUF. He still doesn't have a lot of experience, but Benoist has ZERO UFC experience despite a perfect record. He is submission artist and finishes guys fast, whereas Riddle tends to go to decision. I could see Riddle getting submitted here. I'll pick Benoist.
Ken Stone vs Donny Walker (bantamweight)
After starting 8-0, Stone has gone 1-for-4 since. Walker started off slowly, but has had more success recently, though he lost his UFC debut. Both are BJJ guys, but Walker has some muay thai and Stone has been KO'd a couple of times recently. I'll pick Walker.
Clay Harvison vs Seth Baczynski (welterweights)
Both of these guys finish fights fast. This could be a bonus money fight, for sure. Seth has more experience, but more mixed results. Bit of a toss up, this one. I'm gonna pick Baczynski.
TJ Waldburger vs Mike Stumpf (welterweight)
Where are the big boys on this card? Stumpf is a no name who used to fight at 185 it seems. Good record, but against nobodies and there are more decisions recently. Waldburger is more experienced and has faced tougher opponents. I'll pick Waldburger.
Mike Lullo vs Robert Peralta (featherweight)
Lullo is largely a submissions guy, while Peralta is largely unknown but has a very decent record. He scored an upset over the current DREAM champ at a Strikeforce event. That's no joke. I'll pick Peralta.
Justin Edwards vs Jorge Lopez (welterweight)
Clearly the UFC is looking to boost the lighter divisions, including welterweight where no one can seem to beat GSP. Edwards is big on submissions while Lopez is big on decisions. I don't like taking the boring guy, so I'll pic Edwards.
12 fights. That's a lot. I wonder how many we'll actually get to see....?
Jake Shields vs Jake Ellenberger (welterweight)
Would love to see Ellenberger win this, but Shields has better cred in all categories. Gotta take the favourite, I guess. Shields for the win.
Court McGee vs Dongi Yang (middleweight)
I like McGee, but Yang is no pushover and looked pretty good last time out. This should be a good fight. I'll pick McGee.
Jonathan Brookins vs Erik Koch (featherweight)
Brookins is coming off his TUF win, but it's been a while. Koch has thunder in his fists and has looked great. I'm gonna pick Koch.
Alan Belcher vs Jason MacDonald (middelweight)
This is the fight I want to see. Belcher has had mixed success against decent competition and is on the upswing. An impressive win would put him in contender status. Like MacDonald, he has BJJ experience but he also has some decent power and muay thai knowledge. On the other side, this is a big opportunity for MacDonald. Back in the UFC and coming off a win after a broken leg, this is his chance to stick around for a while. A win would be huge for him and put him back on the map. He has had mixed success against tougher opponents than Belcher's, so he's no slouch though he will come in as the underdog. If he fights smart, he can take it. But he HAS to fight smart - something he hasn't always done. If he stays on his feet, he has to use his reach - but he'd be much better off taking this to the ground. I don't like his chances, but I'm picking MacDonald anyway.
Cody McKenzie vs Vogner Rocha (lightweight)
McKenzie is a guillotine machine. He's also VERY good on the ground, though he got a bit overconfident in his last fight and ended up getting submitted. He's a purple belt while Vogner is a black belt. These guys might end up keeping this standing. Still, I'll pick McKenzie.
Evan Dunham vs Shamar Bailey (lightweight)
Dunham has looked great in the past and was on his way to a title shot when he got seriously derailed by Melvin Guillard after a tough decision loss to Sean Sherk. Both of these guys have wrestling pedigrees, but Dunham is the more complete package. I'm picking Dunham.
Matthew Riddle vs Lance Benoist (welterweight)
Riddle has improved significantly since his stint on TUF. He still doesn't have a lot of experience, but Benoist has ZERO UFC experience despite a perfect record. He is submission artist and finishes guys fast, whereas Riddle tends to go to decision. I could see Riddle getting submitted here. I'll pick Benoist.
Ken Stone vs Donny Walker (bantamweight)
After starting 8-0, Stone has gone 1-for-4 since. Walker started off slowly, but has had more success recently, though he lost his UFC debut. Both are BJJ guys, but Walker has some muay thai and Stone has been KO'd a couple of times recently. I'll pick Walker.
Clay Harvison vs Seth Baczynski (welterweights)
Both of these guys finish fights fast. This could be a bonus money fight, for sure. Seth has more experience, but more mixed results. Bit of a toss up, this one. I'm gonna pick Baczynski.
TJ Waldburger vs Mike Stumpf (welterweight)
Where are the big boys on this card? Stumpf is a no name who used to fight at 185 it seems. Good record, but against nobodies and there are more decisions recently. Waldburger is more experienced and has faced tougher opponents. I'll pick Waldburger.
Mike Lullo vs Robert Peralta (featherweight)
Lullo is largely a submissions guy, while Peralta is largely unknown but has a very decent record. He scored an upset over the current DREAM champ at a Strikeforce event. That's no joke. I'll pick Peralta.
Justin Edwards vs Jorge Lopez (welterweight)
Clearly the UFC is looking to boost the lighter divisions, including welterweight where no one can seem to beat GSP. Edwards is big on submissions while Lopez is big on decisions. I don't like taking the boring guy, so I'll pic Edwards.
12 fights. That's a lot. I wonder how many we'll actually get to see....?
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