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 110 Results

It's really too bad that I had to miss most of this event. I knew it'd be a pretty good card, with some interesting match-ups. I hope to see most of these fights on UFC Unleashed soon.

Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Minotauro Nogueira (KO 1) - I knew I was asking for it when I said I didn't see Cain knocking Nogueira out. Sure enough, he did. It wasn't pretty, but it shows how much power Cain is able to summon. Cain will be fast-tracked to a title shot now, though I'd prefer to see him fight someone the likes of Mir or Carwin or Couture to get one more feather before his big shot. Cain vs Lesnar would be a clash of similar titans. (0-1)

Wanderlei Silva def. Michael Bisping (unanimous) - I wish I had seen more of this. Caught the last round and a bit. I could tell as soon as I saw the screen that it was close, and likely not going in Wanderlei's favour. Bisping was still dancing and didn't appear to have a mark on him. It appeared Wanderlei was hesitant to let his hands go in that berserker style he has trademarked. Sure enough, when he let his hands go, he knocked Bisping down and that helped him secure the third round and the victory (29-28 across the board). Had he not done that, I'm not sure he would have won that round, or the fight. This really hurts Bisping and may prompt the UFC to fast-track Wanderlei into a #1 contender's fight so they can get the bad blood Wanderlei vs Silva match-up. If Silva is due to fight Maia then Sonnen, look for Wanderlei to get Vitor Belfort or Nate Marquardt in the interim (around the Sonnen fight), with the winner getting the shot after that. (1-1)

George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Stevenson (unanimous) - Another one I really want to see. This was an interesting match-up and apparently saw George dominate Joe Daddy. I thought it'd be a tough test for George, but apparently he came through with flying colours. This is a huge win for him and will see him propelled into the upper echelons of the lightweight division, one that is starving for challengers for BJ Penn. Look for George to get one more big test before a title shot. (2-1)

Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine (KO 3) - Yet another fight that saw an up-and-comer get a huge win over the favourite. Bader beat Jardine on his feet, where some might have thought Jardine had the edge. Jardine gets KO'd yet again and this definitely opens the door for his departure. Not sure he'll get cut, but he's headed in that direction. Losing 5 of 7 including 3 in a row will do that. (3-1)

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic def. Anthony Perosh (TKO 1) - Perosh didn't have much of a chance, did he? Taking the fight against Cro Cop on two days' notice would have been suicide three years ago, and despite the Croatian's recent troubles, it was still a recipe for disaster this weekend. I didn't see it, but Perosh was a bloody mess by the end of the first and the fight was stopped due to cuts. Did this do anything for Cro Cop's career? Maybe it gave him a small boost of confidence... He still has a ways to go before he's relevant in the heavyweight division again. (4-1)

Krzysztof Soszynski def. Stephan Bonner (TKO 3) - I'd be shocked if this wasn't changed to a no contest. The cut that stopped the fight was clearly the result of a clash of heads. Bonner was actually doing surprisingly well (or perhaps Soszynski was unimpressive) before the stoppage. I expected more out of the Polish Experiment. He needs a better game plan, for sure. He should have taken Bonner down and submitted him, but instead he chose to box against the former golden gloves champ. Soszynski needs to smarten up. If he can't beat one-dimensional meatheads like Bonner... Bonner is also 2 for 7 and loser of 3 in a row. Still, it'd be a surprise if he or Jardine were cut. That's the break you get for being a face from the TUF show - no normal fighter would still be around. (5-1)

Chris Lytle def. Brian Foster (submission 1) - Wow. Lytle by submission? Wow. Another bonus for Lytle (Submission of the Night). Nice. (6-1)

CB Dollaway def. Goran Reljic (unanimous) - Ugh. Dollaway earns another reprieve. Lovely. Now let's see him beat anybody of significance. (6-2)

James Te-Huna def. Igor Pokrajac (TKO 3) - Didn't see it. It was the pick-'em special and I guess I gambled wrong. (6-3)

6-3 - not bad at all. 6-1 in the meaningful fights. Damn.

UFC 110 Predictions

The UFC is headed down under for UFC 110. It'll be intersting to see if any fighters bitch about the start time (around noon local time) in the post-fight commentary. It can't be easy to have a matinee fight when you're used to evening fights.

Let's get to the predictions, shall we?

Antonio Minotauro Nogueira vs Cain Velasquez (heavyweight) - People keep talking about how old Nogueira is, but he's still one of the top dogs. Sure he had a rough night against Frank Mir, but he was coming off an illness and clearly wasn't himself. Cain, meanwhile, is super-hyped by the UFC and so they'd probably like to see him get the nod. I'd take Nogueira in a heartbeat, but the only reason I hesitate is because this is a 3 round fight, not 5 rounds. In a 3 round fight, Cain might be able to secure some takedowns and lay and pray. I don't see him knocking Nogueira out. Still...I'll take Nogueira.

Wanderlei Silva vs Michael Bisping (middleweight) - This is the Axe Murderer's first forray into the middleweight division and it'll be interesting to see if the weight cut hurts him. I don't think it will, since he has always appeared to be a small light heavyweight. Bisping's chin has been exposed thanks to Dan Henderson, and Wanderlei will be looking to smash it in. If he catches Bisping, it's over. Bisping is known for back-pedalling against aggressive opponents and squeaking out wins with jabs. His speed is his best weapon in this fight. Still...I'll pick Wanderlei for once. I can't see Bisping withstanding a wild puncher like Wanderlei. (and I used to be such a fan of Bisping...)

Joe Stevenson vs George Sotiropoulos (lightweight) - I'm a fan of George's but this is a bad match up for him. Stevenson will probably take him down with ease and will be able to avoid submissions. As the wrestler, Stevenson can also choose to stand and bang, where I might also give him the edge. This is a big step up in competition for George and a win would propel him to the upper echelons of the lightweight division. My head says Joe, my heart says George...which way am I supposed to go again? I forget. I'll pick George for fun. It'd be a shocker, though.

Keith Jardine vs Ryan Bader (light heavyweight) - Yet another fight featuring an up-and-comer against an established veteran in need of a win. Jardine should have the advantage here and it'll all come down to how he handles Bader's wrestling. Will Bader choose to stand and bang or take Jardine down? Jardine's a nice guy but overrated. He's lost 4 of 6 including his last 2 in a row, but I don't think the UFC would cut him with another loss. Still... His biggest win came against Griffin in a fight he hadn't earned, with honourable mention to his win over Chuck which was debtable and from which he looked much worse the wear. He's had trouble with bangers (Wanderlei and Houston Alexander) and Bader has shown some power in the past. I'll take the upset - Bader.

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic vs Anthony Perosh (heavyweight) - Perosh is taking this fight on two days notice. That's nuts. Ben Rothwell backed out due to illness, which sucks 'cause the result would have had a greater impact within the UFC. If Cro Cop wins, oh well, no big deal, this guy was a sacrifical lamb anyways. If Perosh wins, Cro Cop retires/gets cut but it doesn't really say much for him since most people think Cro Cop is washed up anyways. Perosh tends to win by submission and lose by KO/TKO. That's not great when you're fighting a pure stand-up guy like Cro Cop who refuses to be taken down. I'll take Cro Cop.

Stephan Bonner vs Krzysztof Soszynski (light heavyweight) - This is the fight I want to see. Soszynski has talent and needs to string together some wins, get some experience and then hopefully start moving up the ladder. Losing to Vera was a setback but not unexpected. Vera went on to fight Couture, for Pete's sake. Bonner has been sputtering since his big fight against Forrest Griffin (the first one, not the mismatch second one). Like Jardine, Bonnar has lost 4 of 6 including his last 2, but against weaker opponents than Jardine (he lost to MARK COLEMAN). He's a UFC darling, but he's in more danger of being cut than Jardine, I figure, especially with his steroid past. Here's hoping Soszynski's the one who puts him out to pasture. I'll pick Krzysztof.

Chris Lytle vs Brian Foster (welterweight) - Our first welterweight fight. I didn't know Lytle was on the card until just now. Nice. He's always good for an entertaining fight. In fact, he's won Fight of the Night honours in his last three fights. That's insane. This could be #4 in a row 'cause Foster is known to stand and bang, too. I'll pick Lytle.

CB Dollaway vs Goran Reljic (middleweight) - Dollaway needs to Goaway. Seriously. He needs to go to a smaller circuit, get some experience, earn his stripes anad come back with a new attitude. So far he's been hand-fed by the UFC and still he's only 3-2 in the octagon. Reljic had a huge win over Wilson Gouveia in his last outing, so maybe he's not the stepping stone Dollaway is usually given. I'm hoping Reljic wins.

James Te-Huna vs Igor Pokrajac (light heavyweight) - Don't know jack about these guys. Te-Huna has won 5 in a row, including one over Cro Cop's opponent. Pokrajac has a decent record (21-6) and had won 8 in a row before losing in his UFC debut against Vladimir Matyushenko. Both appear to be bangers with some submission thrown in. It's a toss up. I'll take Igor 'cause at least he's been there before.

The Elvis Sinosic vs Chris Haseman fight has been canceled 'cause of a shoulder injury to Elvis. He would have lost anyways, 'cause he sucks.

UFC 107 Results - Penn survives the Nightmare

Alright, kiddies, let's see how it all went down:

BJ Penn def Diego Sanchez (TKO 5) - If you had told me that BJ would TKO Sanchez in round 5 I would have told you you were nuts. This seemed to be the least likely scenario based on BJ's gas tank and Diego's determination. But since it was a DOCTOR's stoppage, I understand. That was a crazy gash on Diego's forehead. I'm glad BJ was winning handily at the time or it might have been tragic. I didn't see the event, so I can't comment on how Diego was doing, but I understand BJ had things well in hand at that point. In the end, perhaps the fact that it was Diego's first fve rounder caught up to him a little, but a three rounder would have had the same result - BJ is still the champ. It appears that BJ was most impressive on Saturday. I'm somewhat surprised he was as effective as he was, even in rounds four and five. Good for him. As for Diego, this is his first loss in a while and he still has an incredible record and great potential, so we may see him back in the title mix soon. (0-1)

Frank Mir def Cheick Kongo (sub 1) - This appears to have been a non-fight. Was MIr that impressive or did Kongo suck that badly? I've never been all that impressed by Kongo, and have long felt he was overrated by the UFC, but what are you going to do with a depleted heavyweight division? Mir looked huge and is clearly hoping for Mir-Lesnar 3. He may never get it, based on health reports from the Lesnar camp, but he may get his shot at an interim title in the coming months. Look for him to take on the winner of Carwin-Velasquez. (1-1)

Jon Fitch def Mike Pierce (unanimous) - No big surprise, other than perhaps the fact that it went the distance. This is the problem with many of Fitch's recent fights. He needs to finish more. This doesn't appear to be the kind of fight that puts him back in title contention. (2-1)

Kenny Florian def Clay Guida - Wish I had seen this. Looks like the gash that Florian opened up on the side of Guida's head really made the difference. Guida was bleeding like a stuck pig. I'm shocked that Guida was stopped so easily. (2-2)

Stefan Struve def Paul Buentello (majority) - Looks like this was a close fight - perhaps closer than it ought to have been given that Struve apparently put it in cruise control late in the fight. I think the surprising thing was that Struve stood and banged it out with Buentello. I'm glad Struve won (a rare majority decision thanks to one 28-28 score). He seems to be a good kid. I doubt he'll go too far with his lankiness, but he makes for a fun fight to watch. (3-2)

Alan Belcher def Wilson Gouveia (TKO 1) - A bit of a surprising result (the quickness of it). Not sure where this leaves Gouveia. (4-2)

Matt Wiman def Shane Nelson (unanimous) - I hope both fighters impressed, but considering it went to decision... (5-2)

Johny Hendricks def Ricardo Funch (unanimous) - Another decision. Hendricks is still undefeated, so I wonder if he'll go up in competition. Watch out for this guy. (6-2)

Rousimar Palhares def Lucio Linhares (sub 2) - Palhares is a freak. If he can get by against bigger opponents watch out. He's dangerous. I'd like to see this one, just to see how he pulled off the heel hook. (7-2)

DeMarques Johnson def Edgar Garcia (sub 1) - Johnson pulled it off. Garcia dropped his second straight UFC fight, the only two blemishes on his record. Losing in the first round by submission never looks good. Wonder if we'll see this kid again. (7-3)

TJ Grant def Kevin Burns (TKO 1) - Nice to see the Canadian win. First round TKO makes it pretty impressive. Knockout of the Night? Doubly impressive. This ought to get him on another UFC card soon. (8-3)

Whoa: 8-3! That's pretty impressive, too! And had I picked the favourites in KenFLo and BJ I would have been almost perfect. Now we have a bit of a layoff (3 weeks is a layoff?!) before UFC 108 pits Rashad Evans against Thiago Silva on an otherwise less than impressive card.

Happy holidays.

UFC 104 Results

Turns out I pretty much completely missed the event, what with all the hob-knobbing I had to do that night, so I couldn't telepathically tell the fighters what to do. And so, many of my picks lost.

Let's inspect the dammage:

Lyoto Machida def. Mauricio Rua (unanimous) - It seems the three judges at ringside were the only ones who could unanimously agree Machida won this fight. There was an immediate uproar and booing of the champ when he retained the title. I only saw the last two rounds but when I walked in the door, the other guys were already calling it for Rua. One guy even paid his losing bet before the fight was over. We were stunned - STUNNED - when Machida's arm was raised. Judging by the champ's reaction, he was, too. Now there's talk of a rematch. Seriously? Ok, I get it that the UFC thinks Rua might have been robbed, but there are a bunch of guys waiting to fight the champ. Guys who HAVEN'T lost to him. Former champs who didn't get a rematch. When do THEY get their shot? Well, at least I picked the "winner" right. (1-0)

Cain Velasquez def. Ben Rothwell (TKO 2) - More controversy. Apparently this one was stopped early. From what I saw of replays, it looks like Rothwell was getting hammered, but was in no real danger. Oh, the ref was Mazzagatti, by the way. Go figure. From what I hear, Velasquez wasn't exactly impressive in terms of punching power. We'll see how far his wrestling takes him. (1-1)

Gleison Tibau def. Josh Neer (unanimous) - Yup. Should have gone with my heart. (1-2)

Joe Stevenson def. Spencer Fisher (sub 2) - This was a shocker for me. Looks like Stevenson threw Fisher around and then lay the smack down. I'm still in disbelief. Wanna see the replay. (1-3)

Anthony Johnson def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (TKO 1) - I'll be shocked if this isn't the end of Yoshida in the UFC after two massive knockouts. Johnson is gonna get a bigger push now. I'd pay to see him and Koscheck. (2-3)

Ryan Bader Vs. Eric Schafer (unanimous) - Bader dominated most of the fight. He lost some gas in the second but regained enough composure to take the third. Hopefully he learns not to tucker himself out in the first round. Schafer impressed with his chin (is that a compliment?). (3-3)

Pat Barry def. Antoni Hardonk (TKO 2) - Wow. Did Barry ever impress! Look for him to get more face time in the UFC. Fight of the Night for sure. (4-3)

Chael Sonnen def. Yushin Okami (unanimous) - No idea what happened here. I think Okami is likely on his way out of the UFC. (4-4)

Jorge Rivera def. Rob Kimmons (TKO 3) - Apparently Kimmons lost yet another big fight. Didn't see it. (4-5)

Kyle Kingsbury def. Razak Al-Hassan (split) - No idea. (4-6)

Stefan Struve def. Chase Gormley (sub 1) - Seems I did well on the fights I saw. Struve used his height to his advantage, wrapping his legs around Gormley for the choke. Not surprisingly, it won Submission of the Night - it was the only one! (5-6)

So 4-0 on the fights I saw (yay telepathy!) and 1-6 otherwise. I should have been one of those goat staring guys.

UFC 104 Predictions

Time for predictions once again. I can't say this card fascinates me, but I still wouldn't wanna miss it.

Lyoto Machida Vs. Mauricio Rua - I'm blown away that this fight is even happening for the light heavyweight belt. Machida got his shot without fighting any real top flight competition (Ortiz before he left? untested Silva?) in his weight class (he has wins over Rich Franklin and BJ Penn) and Rua has received an even easier road to the title. Rua lost to Griffin, was crap against geriatric Mark Coleman, and beat Chuck Liddell at a time in his career where he was SO dangerous that Dana White promptly retired him after the fight. Honestly: what the f*ck? The light heavy division is stacked with talent and yet these guys get byes to the top. I call bullshit. Anyhow, I pick Machida to beat Rua.

Cain Velasquez Vs. Ben Rothwell - This fight could be boring as hell if it turns into a wrestling match. It could also end in dramatic fashion if Rothwell can catch Velasquez and tag the chin that Cheick Kongo exposed. Neither is deserving of a title shot, of course, though Velasquez is the latest UFC poster boy. Rothwell has a lot of experience and could pull off the "upset". He's certainly the biggest test of Velasquez's short career. I'll pick Rothwell to shatter Dana White's dreams.

Gleison Tibau Vs. Josh Neer - Both of these fighters have good reputations, but haven't been able to break into the top ranks of MMA, due to disappointing losses to upper-middle guys. Both have submission skills but Neer has more KO power. That could be the difference. My gut says Tibau, but my head says Neer. I usually go wrong when I don't go with my heart... I'll go with my head again. I'll pick Neer.

Joe Stevenson Vs. Spencer Fisher - I used to quite like Joe "Daddy" Stevenson but he just hasn't evolved and has never lived up to the potential he showed in TUF. Fisher is a warrior. I'll pick Fisher.

Anthony Johnson Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida - Yoshida has only beaten some so-so guys and got blasted by Josh Koscheck. Johnson is one scary dude. I'll pick Johnson.

Ryan Bader Vs. Eric Schafer - This could be another boring one. Bader is badass but is a pretty straight forward wrestler. Eric "The Red" is riding a four fight win streak but has always been one of those guys who just hasn't lived up to the hype. He might have the experience to outsmart Bader, though. Tough call. I like Bader, so I'll take him.

Antoni Hardonk Vs. Pat Barry - Hardonk is another underachiever. He has lost to McCully, Kongo and Mir, while beating no one of significance. Like Hardonk, Barry has a kickboxing background and has finished opponents with kicks. He isn't very experienced, but he seems like a scary guy. I'll pick Barry in another "upset". I just can't pick Hardonk.

Yushin Okami Vs. Chael Sonnen - both guys came in with big buzz but haven't quite lived up to the hype. Okami has at least pulled out some ugly victories, but Sonnen has been the poster boy for those who dismissed the WEC as a farm team organization. The guy just doesn't do it for me. I'll pick Okami in another boring decision.

Jorge Rivera Vs. Rob Kimmons - Why Rivera keeps getting face time in the UFC is a bit of a mystery. He really isn't all that good; inconsistent to say the least. He seems to alternate wins and losses, sometimes beating middle of the road guys, but often losing to anyone decent. Kimmons has an impressive record, but seems to lose all of his biggest matches. He has a crazy number of submissions on his resume, though, and so I'll give him the edge against the average Rivera. I'll pick Kimmons.

Kyle Kingsbury Vs. Razak Al-Hassan - Two guys trying to make names for themselves in the UFC and in danger of getting cut if they don't. Kingsbury was a TUF 8 cast member, but didn't impress. Al-Hassan is also making his second appearance in the UFC, after a spectacular loss almost a year ago to Steve Cantwell in which Al-Hassan had his arm broken...and still didn't tap. It was nasty. This one is a toss-up to me, but I'll pick Al-Hassan just 'cause of his guts.

Stefan Struve Vs. Chase Gormley - I can't wait to see this giant fight again to see just what he has to offer. He's 6'11"!! That's nuts. Gormley is making his UFC debut and that usually does not bode well, perfect record or not. Struve is a submission machine while Gormley seems more well-rounded. Another pick-'em, so I'll go with Struve for fun.

This doesn't appear to be an exciting card. I hope that I'll be pleasantly surprised.

UFC 102 - Couture vs Nogeira

It's being reported that UFC 102 will feature Randy "The Natural" Couture vs. Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira.

This fight has been in the works more or less since Nogueira's arrival from Pride, but delayed by Randy's holdout and the heavyweight title unification "tournament" that now has Frank Mir facing Brock Lesnar after both "champions" lost their semi-final matches. So I guess this is a "consolation final" of sorts.

Who knows how many fights Randy has left, but this is one of the few opponents for which he seems to think it's worth staying active. The dream of seeing Randy take on Fedor Emelianenko seems to be just that, and with news that Mirko Cro Cop has flown the coop and signed with Japan's Dream organization, there are few big name match-ups left. If Randy beats Nogueira, look for a Mir-Couture match-up in the future, regardless of the Lesnar fight's outcome. Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez are not quite ready for prime time - at least not in booking terms.

UFC 99 Results

UFC 99 was a so-so event, with the card being one of the least exciting in recent memory. Even with the return of Cro Cop, this was a somewhat sub-par card, exacerbated by the 3pm ET start time.

Ok, let's see how I did on predictions.

Rich Franklin def Wanderlei Silva (Unanimous decision)

"My money’s on: Franklin. Wanderlei has crazy power, but not much reach. Franklin is younger, faster and smarter and will figure out a way to neutralize the disco-loving freak."

Sounds like I was pretty much right on. Franklin found a way to avoid Wanderlei's power and get the decision.

Cain Velasquez def. Cheick Kongo (Unanimous decision)

"My money’s on: Kongo. Boooooooring."

Thank goodness Kongo lost. I'm pretty sick of his dull fights and even in defeat he bored me. Velasquez overcame some pretty heavy shots by Kongo and took the big man down at will. Sure, it wasn't exciting, but if Velasquez can improve his game, he ought to be more exciting than the Frenchman.

Mike Swick def. Ben Saunders (TKO - Rd 2)

"My money’s on: Swick. I see an entertaining fight ending with Swick knocking Saunders on his ass."

Yup - got this one right on, too. This would have been a pretty big win for Saunders and a pretty devastating loss for Swick. With this win behind him, Swick can now look forward to bigger opponents.

Dan Hardy def. Marcus Davis (Split decision)

"My money’s on: Davis. Hardy will give him a run for his money, but Davis will win if he can get inside or take Hardy down. If he wins, hopefully the UFC will give the ageing Davis a real name opponent before he retires!"

I should have had this right on, too. Davis had this fight won, but lost it when he inexplicably gave up top position to attempt an ankle lock. At that point Hardy took top position, punished Davis and won the round. Without question, that was the turning point. This loss really hurts Davis who had an otherwise stellar UFC record. A loss against a mid-level guy like Hardy pretty much spoils any chance Davis had of fighting top flight opposition before he retires.

Spencer Fisher def. Caol Uno (Unanimous decision)

"My money’s on: Fisher. Look for him to start moving up to the top of the ladder after this one. The UFC has denied this guy’s talent for too long."

Right on again. The most boring fight of the night, probably, but Fisher deservedly got the nod.

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic def. Mostapha Al Turk (TKO - Rd 1)

"My money’s on: Cro Cop. Barely. This could be another boring fight if the larger Al Turk takes Cro Cop down, but if it stays standing, Cro Cop could deliver a highlight finish or at least win on points via strikes. This is definitely the iffy fight of the night."

Cro Cop did provide a brutal victory, but not without controversy. How the ref missed the fact Al Turk had been poked is beyond me. Even if he didn't see it, Al Turk was clearly wounded by something other than a strike. Cro Cop is under no obligation to give his opponent any quarter, but the sportsmanlike thing to do would have been to back off.

So 4-2 on the main card. Not bad.

Other matches:

Terry Etim def. Justin Buchholz (Sub - Rd 2) – Go that.

Dennis Siver def. Dale Hartt (Sub - Rd 1) – Got that.

Paul Taylor def. Peter Sobotta (Unanimous decision) – Got that.

Paul Kelly def. Rolando Delgado (Unanimous decision) – Got that.

Denis Stojnic def. Stefan Struve (Sub - Rd 2) – Got that. I wanna see this Struve kid.

John Hathaway def. Rick Story (Unanimous decision) – Got that.

So 6-0 on the undercard - sweet! 10-2 for the night. Wow. I must be psychic.

A lot of the undercard fights went the distance which suggests they weren't very exciting. Like I said - not a fantastic card nor event.

Next up is UFC 100 - without a doubt the biggest card in recent memory if not UFC history. Stay tuned for my predictions!

UFC 99 - Preview

This weekend, the UFC travels to Cologne, Germany for what ought to be a very entertaining card.

Rich Franklin vs Wanderlei Silva (195lbs)

This catch weight fight features two guys who need to win. There’s a reason this card is dubbed “The Comeback”. The winner will see their stock rise and perhaps even earn a title shot, whereas the loser will be facing retirement questions.

Silva is on his way down to middleweight (185 lbs) while Franklin has already started his transition to the light heavyweight division (205 lbs). If Silva can pull off the upset, he may very well get a title shot against bitter rival Anderson Silva, thanks in no small part to the fact that every other middleweight seems to be powerless against Silva. (Silva is like the Tiger Woods of that division - everyone is waiting for a serious challenger to appear from the wilderness.) If Franklin wins, he has de-throned a legend and puts himself in the light heavyweight title mix (if he wasn’t there already). The light heavyweight division is stacked, but title shots seem to be thrown around like tic tacs (Mauricio Rua…I’m looking in your direction…) so Franklin could easily see himself in a main event in three months or so.

My money’s on: Franklin. Wanderlei has crazy power, but not much reach. Franklin is younger, faster and smarter and will figure out a way to neutralize the disco-loving freak.

Cheick Kongo Vs. Cain Velasquez (205 lbs)

This fight could be the worst of the night if Kongo stays true to form. Despite wins, he probably hasn’t had a title shot because, quite frankly, he’s boring as hell. If he sits on Velasquez for three rounds, he may very well get the win, but a title shot? I dunno. I sense the UFC doesn’t like his style, either.

My money’s on: Kongo. Boooooooring.

Mike Swick Vs. Ben Saunders (170 lbs)

A battle of tall lanky guys that could end quick. Both of these guys seem to enjoy throwing. I wasn’t impressed with Saunders on the reality show, but he’s been looking pretty good since. I’m a fan of Swick’s though, and he needs this win.

My money’s on: Swick. I see an entertaining fight ending with Swick knocking Saunders on his ass.

Marcus Davis Vs. Dan Hardy (170 lbs)

This could be fight of the night. I like Davis’ style, but I like Hardy’s reach. Hardy has proven he has power, too, but Davis has heart. We’ve seen Davis get knocked on his butt and come back for the W; I don’t know if Hardy can do the same.

My money’s on: Davis. Hardy will give him a run for his money, but Davis will win if he can get inside or take Hardy down. If he wins, hopefully the UFC will give the ageing Davis a real name opponent before he retires!

Spencer Fisher Vs. Caol Uno (155 lbs)

Where the heck has Uno been? He ain’t the fighter he used to be, but maybe he’s still got some juice left in him. Spencer is proven winner, though, and can withstand the best opponents can dish out.

My money’s on: Fisher. Look for him to start moving up to the top of the ladder after this one. The UFC has denied this guy’s talent for too long.

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic Vs. Mostapha Al Turk (205 lbs)

Talk about a must win. Cro Cop’s rep has taken a beating in the past coupe of years after losses to Gabriel Gonzaga (in spectacular fashion) and Cheick Kongo (boooooring). If the UFC is ever to see the dream card of Cro Cop fighting for a belt, he has to start wining fast. Al Turk is clearly a sacrificial lamb, but so was Gonzaga once upon a time.

My money’s on: Cro Cop. Barely. This could be another boring fight if the larger Al Turk takes Cro Cop down, but if it stays standing, Cro Cop could deliver a highlight finish or at least win on points via strikes. This is definitely the iffy fight of the night.

Other matches:

Terry Etim Vs. Justin Buchholz (155 lbs) – don’t know much about Buchholz, but Etim has impressed. I’m picking Etim.

Dennis Siver Vs. Dale Hartt (155 lbs) – Going with experience. That means Siver over Hartt.

Paul Taylor Vs. Peter Sobotta (170 lbs) – Sobotta doesn’t even have a photo on the UFC website. That doesn’t bode well. Taylor losing would be upset of the night material. Taking Taylor to smoke the new guy.

Paul Kelly Vs. Rolando Delgado (155 lbs) – I like Rolando, but the shy kid is gonna get slaughtered by the tough Kelly.

Denis Stojnic Vs. Stefan Struve (205 lbs) – Who versus who? Holy crap; Stojnic is 5’11” & 235 lbs while “Skyscraper" Struve is 238 lbs and – get this – 6’11”!! Wow. Both have impressive records which means I’m taking the giant who knows how to win.

John Hathaway Vs. Rick Story (170 lbs) – Two more strangers with good records, but I’ll take the undefeated guy who at least has a photo. That means Hathaway over Story.