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 111 Results - Oh, and Boston Pizza Sucks

UFC 111 is in the books.

I tried to watch it with friends at the local Boston Pizza, but when fight time came, the signal was lost as if they’d never ordered it. The crowd was not happy. The manager assured us it would start momentarily and that other bars were in the same boat, but that was a bold faced lie. After 45 minutes we left (paying full price for our order, no less!) and booked it to my place to order it in. Turned out to be a better night that way anyways. F*ck you very much, Boston Pizza. You’ve lost my business for good, along with many fight fans in the Yonge & Eglinton neighbourhood, I imagine. Hope it was worth it to ya.

So, let’s review, shall we?

Georges St-Pierre def. Dan Hardy (unanimous) – This was a compete mismatch and highlighted why Hardy was not quite ready for prime time. The UFC clearly erred in giving the Brit a title shot before he was anywhere near ready. Sure, he may have punching power which was displayed in so-so wins, but he has no real ground game and he’s nowhere near GSP’s class. Hardy needs to measure himself against the likes of Fitch, Alves and Koscheck before he can lay claim to the #1 contender’s spot. GSP dominated from beginning to end. I can’t believe the judges did not score more 10-8 rounds. Give Hardy credit for not tapping out to a couple of sick submissions. In the end, he may have gained more fans as a result, but the night suffered for it. The result was never in doubt. (1-0)

Shane Carwin def. Frank Mir (KO 1) – Is Mir all talk? Sure, he beat a sick Nogueira and a lackluster Kongo, but despite all of his posturing he can’t seem to win when it matters most. I really thought he’d put in a better performance, but Carwin relied on the tried and true Lesnar playbook and beat Mir with some wrestling and ground and pound. I’m glad Carwin pulled it off so that we don’t have to see Lesnar-Mir III. Carwin came out unscathed, so we will likely see him face Lesnar in June. That leaves Cain Velasquez without a dance partner. Personally, I hope that means we’ll see Velasquez vs Dos Santos to see who gets the next title shot. (2-0)

Kurt Pellegrino def. Fabricio Camoes (sub 2) – I was a bit distracted during this fight, so I can’t recall too much of it. I don’t recall this fight turning my crank. There was one cool moment, though, when Pellegrino, fighting off a rear naked choke, did a front summersault and slammed Camoes’ head on the mat. I thought Camoes was going to go out right then and there, but he showed some heart and fought his way back into the match before finally getting submitted. (3-0)

Jon Fitch def. Been Saunders (unanimous) – This was one of the fights we missed thanks to Boston Pizza’s incompetence. Sounds like it wasn’t close, with Fitch keeping Saunders on the ground most of the fight. Predictable. (4-0)

Jim Miller def. Mark Bocek (lightweight) – We missed this fight too. I hear this one was close, with some thinking Bocek was robbed. (4-1)

Nate Diaz def. Rory Markham (TKO 1) – Not sure what happened with Markham but this was not an impressive performance. I’m shocked Diaz was able to overwhelm Markham so easily on the feet since he was coming up from lightweight and is still not a big guy. I’m still not convinced Diaz will find much success at 170, but he sure looked good on Saturday. (4-2)

Ricardo Almeida def. Matt Brown (sub 2) – Brown held his own for a while, but in the end, Almeida’s wrestling and jiu-jitsu were simply too good. Brown can turn in some exciting fights when it stays on the feet, but his ground game is clearly a weakness. (5-2)

Jared Hamman def. Rodney Wallace (unanimous) – Ths was a bit of a ugly slugfest. Entertaining, sure, but hardly top calibre stuff. Both fighters blew up early and were fist-swinging zombies by the end. Wallace seemed more tired, though, and likely lost the decision as a result. (6-2)

Matthew Riddle def. Greg Soto (DQ 3) – I’m glad Riddle got the win, though I pegged his opponent to get the decision. It seems there was an illegal upkick (?) in this one that halted the action in the third and prompted the DQ. It seems Riddle was leading the fight at the time, so it isn’t as controversial as it might have been. Still, a bad win to decide a fight. (6-3)

Oops…Looks like I missed a fight somehow(?).

Rousimar Palhares def. Tomasz Drwal (sub 1) – I’m fairly certain I would have picked Palhares in this one, but we won’t count that. Palhares looked awesome as he locked in a sick heel hook after knocking Drwal down. Not since Andrei Arlovski have I seen a guy go for that move as his first option. It was a bit bizarre, and very risky, but it worked – and I don’t think Drwal will be walking around for a while.

So 6-3 on the fights I picked. Not bad at all. Seems my luck is turning around.

The busy month continues as this Wednesday features another Fight Night Live and the debut of the new season of The Ultimate Fighter. Sweet.

Stay tuned for picks.

UFC 111 GSP vs Hardy Picks

UFC 111 takes place in Newark, NJ on Saturday. It features two title fights (kinda) and some sleeper fights in the undercard.

Let’s break it down:

Georges St-Pierre vs Dan Hardy (welterweight) – Hardy has a puncher’s chance. That’s it. GSP so ridiculously outclasses Hardy it isn’t funny. No way Hardy deserves this title shot, since he hasn’t fought anybody in the top five of the welterweight division. How do you get a title fight without fighting Fitch, Alves or even Koscheck? Hardy (barely) beat Marcus Davis (split decision) who, despite an 11-fight winning streak, appeared nowhere on the UFC’s title radar, and Mike Swick who hadn’t fought any tough guys himself. This is the sort of thing that makes you wonder about the UFC’s match making. Is Hardy getting the shot because of who he is (a colourful character) or what he is (a true contender – which he isn’t)? Still, Hardy has a chance of winning. Anybody can win on any given day. The point is, if he wins, has he earned it? I don’t think so. It’ll be Matt Serra all over again, with people salivating at the chance to un-seat Hardy who has shown no ground game. I think GSP ought to win, and I really, really hope he does since it would be a shame to repeat the Serra fiasco.

Frank Mir vs Shane Carwin (heavyweight) – Shane Carwin is a nice guy. He is also undefeated at 11-0. Good for him. But he is another guy who simply has not earned his shot. Who has he beaten? Gabriel Gonzaga? Great. Nice job. But Gonzaga was winning that fight and Gonzaga isn’t exactly setting the UFC on fire with losses to Randy Couture, Fabricio Werdum and Junior Dos Santos. Is Gonzaga really the guy that is the benchmark for heavyweight title contenders? I don’t think so. But that just goes to show how thin the heavyweight division has become. Get one big win and you’re in title contention. Why is the UFC bothering with this interim title crap if Lesnar is back? When his health was in doubt, ok, it made sense. But now? In the end, this fight is exactly what it should be – a contender’s fight. Whoever wins is probably deserving of a shot – at least, more deserving than they are now. Do we really wan to see Lesnar-Mir III, though? That would account for half of Lesnar’s matches… As for the fight at hand, I think Mir will win, but I’d like to see Carwin pull it off, so I’ll bet on Carwin.

Kurt Pellegrino vs Fabricio Camoes (lightweight) – Why is this fight on the main card? I’ve never been a big fan of Pellegrino and who the hell is Camoes? There are better fights on the card. Camoes makes his UFC debut, while Pellegrino is 6-3 in the UFC. Both of these guys tend to win by submission, with Pellegrino having more experience and tougher fights. I’ll pick Pellegrino.

Jon Fitch vs Been Saunders (welterweight) – Thiago Alves had to pull out of his rematch with Fitch (again) due to injury (again). So instead, we get Saunders who was supposed to fight Jake Ellenberger (I guess the UFC really wanted Fitch on the card) and is coming off a devastating win over Marcus Davis. Saunders is a nice guy and is obviously talented, but he’s out of his league with Fitch. Fitch is unstoppable and has a crazy record; his only loss in his last 20 fights was to GSP and while the champ pushed him around for five rounds, Fitch refused to quit. Although Fitch hasn’t prepared for Saunders (who has a completely different style than Alves) I’ll pick Fitch.

Jim Miller vs Mark Bocek (lightweight) – Both of these guys are impressive and both have lost to Frank Edgar (no shame there). Both seem to like submissions. Tough one to call. I’ll cheer for the Canadian, I guess: Bocek.

Nate Diaz vs Rory Markham (welterweight) – Diaz makes his debut at 170, which to me is an odd move (although, having lost 3 of 4, perhaps he was hoping the move would extend his life span in the UFC). It seems to me his style is much better suited to lightweight, where his reach was formidable. At 170 he’ll be facing even stronger guys who will be able to lay and pray. Diaz’s weak point is clearly his game plans. He either needs a new coach or he needs to smarten up. You can’t win if you stay on your back unless you submit your opponent. Markham is a KO specialist who will try to keep this one on its feet. Look for Diaz’s chin to be tested. I’ll pick Markham if he can keep this on its feet.

Ricardo Almeida vs Matt Brown (welterweight) – Almeida is making his debut at 170 as well. He’s a talented guy, but has gone to decision a few too many times for my liking. Not sure why he’s dropping down in weight when the middleweight division seems so thin. I like Brown but he is susceptible to submissions, which happens to be Almeida’s specialty. Anybody who can submit Nate Marquardt is impressive. I don’t like Brown’s chances. I’ll pick Almeida.

Rodney Wallace vs Jared Hamman (light heavyweight) – Who? Two former football players with similar records, both coming off losses in their UFC debuts. Wallace tends to go to decision while Hamman knocks guys out quick. I’ll pick Hamman.

Matthew Riddle vs Greg Soto (welterweight) – Another welterweight fight. Soto will be the hometown favourite in his UFC debut. He has a better record and more experience than Riddle who has shown some promise. I don’t like Riddle’s chances, though I’ll secretly be cheering for him. My head says Soto.

Man, I hope GSP is still champ come Monday…

UFC 109 Predictions

Ok, so UFC 109 is this weekend - better get my picks in so you can all mock me later, right?

Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman - Oh man, this is what it's come to, eh? Sure, it's a fight between legends, but it'll do nothing for two guys who are supposedly looking to make themselves relevant again. Who cares if an old guy beats an old guy? How does that move you up the rankings? Randy has more to lose than Coleman, that's for sure. I'll pick Randy to win. Look for the loser to contemplate retirement.

Nate Marquardt vs Chael Sonnen - I don't see how Sonnen has earned this, but if the UFC wants to give him a push, this is certainly one way to do it. Marquardt is super talented and can beat anybody if he puts things together. I'll pick Marquardt.

Mike Swick vs Paulo Thiago - This could be the fight of the night. Expect these two to go fast and furious. Thiago has been impressive, but I like Swick too much to bet against him. Here's hoping he rebounds from his poor showing against Dan Hardy.

Demien Maia vs Dan Miller - Both of these guys are solid and have submission skills, but Maia is super dangerous on the ground and has beaten better fighters. If it gets there, look for him to eventually sink in a submission. Miller has to play it smart if he hopes to get the W. If Maia wins, look for him to get a title shot soon, possibly right after Marquardt.

Matt Serra vs Frank Trigg - Another battle between fighters who are looking at their best days in the rear view mirror. I can't believe Trigg is back. How many chances can the UFC give this guy? He has zero drawing power these days. Sure, he might beat the smaller Serra, but what does that do for the UFC? Here's hoping Serra gets the submission and Trigg retires for good.

Mac Danzig vs Justin Buchholz - Danzig is a fine fighter but just hasn't lived up to his billing. He won TUF easily due to his superior experience (it wasn't fair, really) but that hasn't translated into much in the big show. He has lost his last 3 fights and 5 of his last 7. He hasn't beaten anyone of consequence (except maybe Mark Bocek). If he loses tomorrow, look for his name in the next round of UFC cuts. Fortunately for Danzig, I think he'll actually pull it off.

Melvin Guillard vs Ronnys Torres - Guillard had better knock Torres out in a hurry or he's in trouble. If this fight goes to the ground, it's over. I don't know much about Torres, but he has a sick record and can submit you in a variety of ways. Guillard has proven he knows jack about the ground game. I'm picking Torres in his UFC debut.

Phillipe Nover vs Rob Emerson - Normally, I'd pick Nover in a heartbeat, but he's been injured while Emerson has been amassing experience. Emerson was useless on TUF but has since shown some significant improvement and powerful hands. This is a hard one to pick. Nover is probably the favourite, but I'll pick Emerson.

Brian Stann vs Phil Davis - This fight features a couple of guys with heavy hands. It could end early, but Davis is also a proven wrestler and may choose to take it to the ground. If so, look for him to get the win. Stann has way more experience, though, and may be calmer than the newcomer Davis. Tough call, but I guess I'll take Stann.

Tim Hague vs Chris Tuchscherer - I don't like the Canadian's chances, especially coming off his 7 second KO loss last time out. I imagine Tuchscherer will win, but I won't bet against the Canadian guy. I'll pick Hague in an upset.

Rolles Gracie vs Joey Beltran - Beltran has more experience, but never EVER bet against a man named Gracie. I'll pick the inexperienced Rolles.

Ok, let's see how I do!

UFC 107 Predictions

Another week, another UFC event - this time on PPV - and yet again, I'm gonna miss it. This time, even TiVo won't save me. F*ck!

It's shaping up to be a good one, too. And with the health of most elite UFC fighters these days being fragile at best, it may be the best collection of fights we'll see for a while.

Ok, my picks:

BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez

Am I the only one who gives Sanchez even odds in this fight? Sanchez ought to be the bigger, stronger fighter and he has a wide range of skills, much like Penn. He's no rookie, either, and aside from a bad health stretch a while back, his record is pretty much spotless. He could have easily been undefeated at this point. Yet people seem to think he's a ridiculous underdog in this fight. Ridiculous? Maybe. Underdog? Not by much. If this fight goes into the third round and beyond, Sanchez's odds of winning increase exponentially. Sanchez doesn't seem to tire and Penn still has an anemic gas tank as we saw with GSP. I think Penn is the smarter fighter and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he gets a decision (I can't see him finishing Sanchez), but I'm gonna go balls out and pick Sanchez to pull off the "upset" and become the new lightweight champ.

Frank Mir vs Cheick Kongo

Kongo could lay and pray all night and try to blast Mir like Lesnar did, but I don't see it. I think Kongo will try to stand all night while Mir will be desperate to get this fight to the ground. If it does go to the mat, look for Mir to secure a submission. Otherwise, this could turn out to be yet another boring Kongo dance. I'm pulling for Mir.

Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce

Pierce seems ok, but I don't think too many fighters are in Fitch's class. I think this fight will get Fitch back into contention and possibly set up a Fitch-Koschceck #1 contender's fight to face the GSP-Hardy winner.

Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida

A potential fight of the night battle between two guys who like to go and try to finish fights. Guida is a freak of nature with his cardio, so Florian will have his hands full. It's almost impossible to knock Guida out, so Florian will likely try to work the submissions, likely from the bottom as Guida uses his wrestling skills. I don't like Florian's odds in this one. I could see Guida getting the decision. Sorry, KenFlo.

Paul Buentello vs Stefan Struve

Buentello returns to the UFC. Can't say I was a fan of his the first time around. He was famously knocked out by Andrei Arlovski. Struve will have his usual massive height and reach advantage, so it'll be interesting to see if Buentello can get inside and use his power - otherwise, he's screwed. I could see Struve wearing Buentello out, and securing a submission in the third round. I'll pick him.

Alan Belcher vs Wilson Gouveia - Two guys who tend not to impress but somehow manage to get wins when you least expect them. Not sure who to pick here. Belcher works hard, at least, whereas Gouveia seems to fluke out knockouts. I'll pick...Belcher?

Matt Wiman vs Shane Nelson - I'm a fan of Wiman's so I'd like to see him get back on the winning track. Three losses in a row could be the end of him. I'll pick Wiman.

Johny Hendricks vs Ricardo Funch - Hendricks is good and Funch is a nobody who has fought no one of consequence. I'll take the experienced guy.

Rousimar Palhares vs Lucio Linhares - Palhares is awesome but needs to drop a weight class. He's too small at middleweight. He'll be six inches shorter than his opponent. Still, I'll pick him for fun.

DeMarques Johnson vs Edgar Garcia - Johnson didn't exactly overwhelm me with his talent on TUF, so I'll go with the darkhorse Garcia who will have something to prove after dropping his UFC debut (his only MMA loss).

Kevin Burns vs TJ Grant - Can't go against the Canadian in a toss up fight. I'll pick Grant.

I look forward to reading the results... *sigh*

UFC 105 Results

Yeah, yeah, I know: that was SO two events ago - but I have been super busy and didn't get around to putting in my picks or discuss the event, so... But, you know, I did make some quick picks via email to a friend of mine, so let's discuss:

Randy Couture def. Brandon Vera (unanimous) - I had picked Couture. I thought it would go much as it did - since Vera was much taller and had a significant reach advantage, I expected Couture to take the same approach as he did against Gonzaga - just hug him up aganst the fence and squeak out the win. He did. Vera got in a few good shots in the second which won him the round, but Couture dictated the tempo in the first and third and the ref let him. Had the ref separated them more often, it might have been a different result, but... Vera was upset by the decision, but, geez, man - move your ass. You can't be pinned for 3/4 of the fight and expect to have made an impression. (1-0)

Hardy def. Swick (unanimous) - I had picked Swick. He got stunned early and didn't let his hands go as much as I thought he would. I expected a trade war at some point with Swick getting the big shot, but it just didn't happen. Swick seemed out of step for most of the fight and Hardy was able to counter punch effectively. He earned the decision, though I can't say the same for a title shot. Hardy hasn't faced anyone of established significant calibre (Swick is still new to 170) so why get the GSP fight? You'd think Hardy would have to dethrone Fitch or Silva or Koscheck first. Or even Parysian or Diaz for Pete's sake! Sure, Davis is a tough guy, but he wasn't exactly getting love from the UFC either in terms of marquee match-ups. (1-1)

Bisping def. Kang (TKO 2) - I had Kang, figuring he'd find a way to submit the Brit. It looked good early, with Kang dominating the first and even putting Bisping down with a solid punch, but that all disappeared in the second. Not sure if conditioning was a factor, but Kang was a different man in the second round and Bisping put him away with some pretty straight forward ground and pound. A disappointing loss for Kang. (1-2)

Brown def. Wilks (TKO 3) - I can't believe I picked Wilks. I quite like Brown, but I thought he'd be susceptible to submissions. Wilks never really got the chance. It was close at times, but Brown is a tough mutha and took it to Wilks. Good for Brown. (1-3)

Pearson def. Riley (TKO 2) - I picked Pearson and he didn't let me down. It was hard to decide what to make of him after the TUF competition where he looked so good to start and then kinda faded (though he won the show by the narrowest of margins). He looked good here, though. Big win over a game opponent. (2-3)

Hathaway def. Taylor (unanimous) - I picked Taylor. I'd have to see this to believe it. Taylor's a tough guy and it would take a tough guy to decision him. (2-4)

Etim def. Gugerty (sub 2) - I picked Etim. He's a very skilled guy and I didn't know much about Gugerty (didn't have time to research). Would like to see this one. (3-4)

Osipczak def. Riddle (TKO 3) - I picked Riddle. Would like to se this one, too. Both of these guys show flashes of brilliance but are inconsistent. Both likeable guys. (3-5)

Siver def. Kelly (TKO 2) - I picked Kelly who is a tough mammajamma, but Siver is impressive. Gonan keep my eye on this guy. (3-6)

Gustafsson def. Hamman (KO 1) - I picked Gustafsson who had an impressive record. Man, was this ever a knockout from hell. Look for this guy to be back in the UFC soon. (4-6)

Winner def. Delgado (KO 1) - I picked Winner, who has been impressive, while Delgado is talented but flawed. Winner nearly toook Delgado's head off with a monster shot that had Delgado in dreamland before his head hit the mat. Wow. (5-6)

So 5-6 on picks off the top of my head. Not sure I would have picked differently had I had time to think about it, so I'll have to take the heat.

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.