UFC on Versus 4 Results

What a crazy event this turned out to be. There were some really great fights with spectacular finishes, but the big news was Nate Marquardt not being medically cleared and being cut from the UFC. What the heck did he do? Other fighters have tested positive for drugs and not been banned, so what could possibly be the reasoning here? We'll find out Tuesday, supposedly.

Let's get to the results:

Rick Story vs. Nate Marquardt (no fight)
This fight didn't happen, as I've said. Instead we got Charlie Brenneman filling in for Marquardt at the last minute.

Charlie Brenneman def. Rick Story (unanimous)

Brenneman had seen his own fight disappear when TJ Grant got hurt. Wonder how Story felt about this? And remember - Story was himself a late replacement for Anthony Rumble Johnson. Story had nothing to gain from this fight and everything to lose. As is the custom in these UFC situations, the guy with everything to lose did in fact lose. This put Brenneman on the map but seriously derailed Story's title aspirations. Despite the victory, Brenneman did not look good. He took Story down a couple of times and laid and prayed his way to the decision. He benefited from a generous ref who did not stand them up despite a lack of action. This is one area where the game has to change. Oh, and since the event took place in Pennsylvania, there were newbie refs for some fights - and it showed. One ref was simply awful, allowing one fighter to take too much abuse and he is the same one who let Brenneman steal his fight.

Cheick Kongo def. Pat Barry (KO 1)
Wow. CRAZY ending. Barry had this fight sewn up, charged in for the kill and got caught by Kongo for the massive come from behind KO. It was shocking, really, that the fight had not been stopped sooner. Kongo was clearly not defending himself, with his hands at his sides and wide open for abuse, but Barry woke him up with punches instead of putting him away. The ref did in fact put his hands on Barry when he was pummeling Kongo as if to stop it, but quickly took them off. I dunno...as soon as a ref puts his hands on a fighter, that ought to be it. The fighter is actually SUPPOSED to relent at that point. But the ref was Dan Miragliotta - the same guy who let the Lesnar-Carwin fight go, allowing Lesnar to recover and win the fight. Barry should have won this fight - but he didn't. Like Sell-Smith, this will be on the highlight reels forever. (0-1)

Matt Brown def. John Howard (unanimous)
This fight was boring as hell. Not sure what the heck Howard was thinking - he tried to take Brown down and gassed out in the process. Stupid. Brown got the win that he desperately needed, but, like Brenneman, he did not impress. He'll probably keep his job, though. (0-2)

Matt Mitrione def. Christian Morecraft (KO 2)
Great fight, as anticipated. These guys threw bombs and Mitrione proved he is a force to be reckoned with. He put Morecraft on his ass a few times but the ref let it go (he really should have stopped the fight sooner). This was the same ref as the Brenneman-Story fight, though. Let's hope Mitrione sees better opponents in the future. Pat Barry, maybe? (1-2)

Tyson Griffin def. Manny Gamburyan (majority)
Did not see it, but after a slow start it seems Griffin dominated the fight. (2-2)

Javier Vazquez def. Joe Stevenson (unanimous)
SURELY Joe Daddy will be cut after this. I mean, come on! He has not evolved since TUF and has shown he cannot hang with the big boys. Apparently he was dominated in this one. This loss means he is 3-7 in his last ten. That's disgusting. (3-2)

Joe Lauzon def. Curt Warburton (sub 1)
Apparently Lauzon put on anopther sick clinic. Dunno how he looked so bad against Sotiropoulos, but let's hope this is the beginning of a comeback. (4-2)

Rich Attonito def. Daniel Roberts (unanimous)
Apparently Roberts gassed and could not recover. (4-3)

Charles Oliveira def. Nik Lentz (sub 2)
We might see a rematch or no contest out of this one as the end apparently came as a result of an illegal knee that the ref missed. That allowed Oliveira to get the rear naked choke to finish what was till then a very entertaining fight, I hear. (5-3)

Ricardo Lamas def. Matt Grice (TKO 1)
Maybe the weight cut hurt Grice. (5-4)

Michael Johnson def. Edward Faaloloto (KO 1)
I hear Johnson looked decent. (6-4)

Meh. A winning record, but not so great. I hope I get to see some of those undercard fights on Unleashed.

UFC Live on Versus Picks

Rick Story vs. Nate Marquardt (welterweight)
This ought to be interesting because it marks the debut of Marquardt at welterweight - the same division as his training partner, GSP. If Marquardt wins, he'll move up the ladder quickly and could be in line for a title shot soon. Would he fight GSP? It would probably be a good challenge for the champ. Story is good, but I'm gonna pick Marquardt.

Pat Barry vs Cheick Congo (heavyweight)
Congo kinda sucks. His stand up is decent, but his ground game is atrocious. Good thing for him that Barry has no ground game either. In fact, Congo might look to take Barry down. Congo will enjoy a massive size advantage and it remains to be seen if Barry can get inside and hit the big guy. If these guys were the same size I'd pick Barry in a heartbeat. But with this size differential? It's tough. I think Congo will squeeze out a boring decision, but I hate pulling for that, so I'll pick Barry by TKO.

John Howard vs Matt Brown (welterweight)
I like Brown, but he's not really an elite MMA guy. He's a scrapper who would put on a good show in smaller promotions. He's a bit outclassed in the UFC. But he has a size advantage in this fight, which might make the difference. ...But I don't think so - I'll pick Howard. If Brown loses, he'll get cut for sure.

Matt Mitrione vs Christian Morecraft (heavyweight)
This ought to be fun. Both have significant power. Surprisingly enough, I'd say Mitrione is in better shape, so if he can get this past the first round his odds of winning increase. Morecraft finishes fights quick but we have yet to see Mitrione get knocked done. I'll pick Mitrione.

Manny Gamburyan vs Tyson Griffin (featherweight)
I was a fan of Manny's until he pulled the ultimate douche move in the Cox fight (striking when the opponent went to touch gloves). He's talented but small and does not have the best chin. Tyson was looking great for a while with some big wins and having lost only to champions. But he has lost three in a row, including one to has-been (and overrated) Takanori Gomi. Tyson needs this one badly or he might get cut. This fight also marks his return to featherweight. It could be a really good fight with two evenly-matched fighters who usually put on a good show. If Griffin tries to wrestle, Gamburyan might use his judo to throw Griffin around. Tough call. I'll pick Griffin.

Joe Stevenson vs Javier Vazquez (featherweight)
Another fight that features a move in weight class. This time it's UFC darling Joe Stevenson dropping to featherweight. Surely this is Joe Daddy's last kick at the can, his last chance to remain at all relevant. The guy has lost 6 of his last 9 fights, including 3 in a row and 5 of 7. Nice guy, but not UFC material - not anymore. The UFC must be in his corner, throwing him a bone in the form of Vazquez who has lost 3 of 5. I can't say I like either fighter in terms of UFC potential, but for this fight I'll pick Vazquez by submission.

Joe Lauzon vs Curt Warburton (lightweight)
Not sure what's going on here. Maybe Warburton is on the way up and Lauzon need a rebound fight, but I don't really see how this fight was put together. Lauzon has far more experience and having him fight a British guy form the Wolfslair is a bit of a mismatch. Warburton has a puncher's chance, but otherwise I see Lauzon ending this in the first by submission.

Daniel Roberts vs Rich Attonito (welterweight)
Two guys whose specialties are BJJ and wrestling. If that means a stand up war, I'll pick Attonito. But I see Roberts getting the advantage and taking this to the ground where he has the edge. I'll pick Roberts.

Nik Lentz vs Charles Oliveira (lightweight)
Boy I hope this one is on TV. This could be another great one. Lentz has a crazy record, but Oliveira has insane BJJ (even though he is only a brown belt). If it goes to decision, it'll be Lentz for sure. If not, it's Oliveira by submission. I hate rooting for decisions, so I'll pick Oliveira.

Ricardo Lamas vs Matt Grice (featherweight)
Yet another featherweight debut - this time it's Grice. Lamas looks but so does Grice. Grice is a wrestler but has a number of submission wins, usually by guillotine. I'm gonna pick randomly and go with Grice.

Michael Johnson vs Edward Faaloloto (lightweight)
Johnson is a former TUF finalist, losing to Johnathan Brookins. Johnson looked ok, but not great. Faaloloto is a nobody who somehow managed to get a UFC fight. Maybe it's 'cause he trains with Chris Leben? Who knows. The UFC site has him listed at 5-1 while Sherdog (and every other site) has him at 2-1. So he's a bit of a mystery and quite unproven. He looks decent, but he's so raw that I can't pick him. I'll pick Johnson.

UFC Live: Sanchez vs Kampmann Results

Pretty darn good event last night. Let's see how I did.

Diego Sanchez def. Martin Kampmann (unanimous)
Crazy. Kampmann kinda gave this one away because he let doubt creep into the minds of the judges. he should have run away with this fight. He massacred Sanchez in the first round, but let up a bit in the second and third. Even though he probably won the stand-up in those rounds in terms of accuracy, Sanchez was more ferocious, coming forward, throwing flurries and getting the odd takedown after numerous stuffs. This planted the seed in the judges' minds that maybe Sanchez deserved rounds two and three - hende the decision. If you looked at the fighters' faces after the fight you would have thought the judges were crazy. Sanchez was beaten to a pulp, much like he was by BJ Penn. But somehow he got the decision. I was on the fence as to whether he won those rounds, but I think this lends credence to the idea that there must be a score instituted for who wins the fight overall. Kampmann lost the fight because of the ten point must system. He deserved the win, and he should have won. This is a massive setback for him because Sanchez really isn't going anywhere in this division. Sanchez looked small and pudgy. He should be at lightweight. (0-1)

Mark Munoz def. CB Dollaway (TKO 1)

Some people thought this might have been stopped early, but Dolloway was clearly on dream street. Quick but good stoppage. Once again, Dolloway loks less than stellar. (1-1)

Chris Weidman def. Alessio Sakara (unanimous)
Another fight more lost than won. Sakara should have won this easily, but he let Weidman get on top and just smother him. Sakara was clearly the better fighter on the feet, but he let this one slip away. But I picked it! (2-1)

Brian Bowles def. Damacio Page (KO 1)

Page was winning this fight on the feet until Bowles caught him, put him down and then grabbed his neck. (3-1)

Danny Castillo def. Joe Stevenson (unanimous)

Seriously... Joe Daddy has to go, daddy. (3-2)

Cyrille Diabate def. Steve Cantwell (unanimous)
This one was never much in doubt. Cantwell couldn't get inside and take the big guy down or get a decent shot in. Diabate coasted to victory. Both of these guys looked awful. (4-2)

Shane Roller def. Thiago Tavares (KO 2)

See if this sounds familiar: Tavares was winning this fight on the feet until Roller caught him. Story of the night. This one was spectacular, though, as Roller knocked Tavares falt off his feet a la Franklin-Quarry. (5-2)

Takeya Mizugaki def. Reuben Duran (split)

Picking the underdog almost paid off again...except it didn't. Oh well. Didn't see it. (5-3)

Dongi Yang def.Rob Kimmons (TKO 2)

This time it did pay off. Yang demonstrated his power. Didn't see it. (6-3)

Rousimar Palhares def. Dave Branch (sub 2)

A kneebar win? Wish I'd seen it. Palhares is SICK on the ground. (7-3)

Igor Pokrajac def. Todd Brown (TKO 1)

Brown couldn't come out for the second round after getting his bell rung good. Not sure Pokrajac is the real deal, but he looked decent. (8-3)

Huh. 8-3 and a controversial decision in the main event. 9-2 is pretty amazing, I'd say.

UFC Live: Sanchez vs Kampmann Picks

This is actually a pretty decent card for a free event. Some tough choices. Let's have a look...

Diego Sanchez vs Martin Kampmann (welterweight)

There's a lot on the line in the match-up. Two guys who have been highly touted in the past but who are not on the way up and can't seem to win the big fights to get into title contendership. Sure, Sanchez fought for the title, but that was at lightweight where he was a monster. He got beaten up badly by BJ Penn, and yet he has decided to return to welterweight - a bad decision if you ask me. Earlier, he had lost big welterweight fights to Josh Koshcheck (did he even show up?) and Jon Fitch (split decision), and lost his return to welterweight against John Hathaway (unanimous decision). If he were a lightweight, he'd be a top 5 guy. At welterweight, he probably isn't top ten. That could change if he can upset Kampmann who is another dangerous guy who is snake-bitten when it comes to big fights. He lost spectacularly to Paul Daley, a win that earned Daley a #1 contenders bought against Josh Koshcheck. Then, after rebounding with a pair of victories, he lost a controversial split decision to Jake Shields - a win that earned Shields a title shot. If Kampmann loses, it'll be another big step backwards when he seems to be on the cusp of a title fight. If Sanchez loses, I think he'd have to consider a return to lightweight, especially now that Penn is not the champ and seems to be on the verge of retirement. Sanchez's best hopes of a title are at lightweight. In this fight, I'm picking Kampmann.

CB Dollaway vs Mark Munoz (middleweight)

Munoz is kind of a small middleweight - at least in stature. He has size around his waist. He also has heavy hands. Dollaway, on the other hand, is a talented guy with a brain problem - he just does not have the right attitude and does not fight smart, it seems. He is good at submissions, though, and can finish guys off quick. Munoz is a BJJ guy, though, so Dollaway won't be able to take advantage of his opponent's ignorance in this department. Though their records are similar, Munoz has faced tougher opposition. I could see Munoz getting a TKO, or Dollaway getting a decision. Will it go the distance? Let's hope not. I'll pick Munoz.

Alessio Sakara vs Chris Weidman (middleweight)

Weidman comes in as an injury replacement. He is only 4-0 so this is a BIG step up. Sakara is ok, but not great. He seems to have problems with power punchers (with the exception of James Irvin) and Weidman seems to fit the bill. Sakara has fought some tough opposition, but no one in the top ten. What do you say we go for the massive upset in this one and pick Weidman?

Brian Bowles vs Damacio Page (bantamweight)

Don't know much about these WEC guys, other than Bowles was champion at one point. Strangely, this is a rematch of a fight Bowles won easily in the first round. So why fight again? Dunno. Doesn't seem as though Page has earned it. I'm picking Bowles.

Joe Stevenson vs Danny Castillo (lightweight)

How is it that Joe Daddy still has a job with the UFC? Only 3 wins in his last 8 fights and two straight losses. Surely this is yet another "last chance". It might work out for him, though, as he fights a former WEC guy who will no doubt be a bit intimidated by the big show (though this is only a Fight Night Live). Styles match up well, too, as both are wrestlers who like to stand and fight. Castillo seems to have better KO power, but Stevenson is hard to take out. I like Stevenson in this one.

Steve Cantwell vs Cyrille Diabate (light heavyweight)

This could be fun. Diabate is a tall guy who can finish guys off fast, but he seems to lack aggressiveness - he relies on his opponents making a mistake. He looked great in his debut, awful in his sophomore fight. I'm gonna pick Diabate in this one and hope he picks up his game.

Thiago Tavares vs Shane Roller (lightweight)

Another UFC versus WEC match-up. Roller has a rep, but this is still a step up. Tavares' three losses were all Fight of the Night and he has faced tougher competition. Roller has faced the best of the WEC with mixed success. Roller is very dangerous, though, and can finish guys fast. Both like submissions, but Roller is a wrestler while Tavares is a BJJ guy. That should mean Roller will decide where this fight takes place. On the feet, Roller seems more dangerous. Dunno if it's an upset, but I'll pick Roller.

Takeya Mizugaki vs Reuben Duran (bantamweight)

Who? Hm... Ok, Mizugaki has WEC experience, but with mixed results. Duran doesn't even have a Wikipedia page. When in doubt, go with the known guy. But... Mizugaki goes to decision way too often. Duran is a finisher. I'll pick Duran. Underdog again!

Rob Kimmons vs Dongi Yang (middleweight)

Well, I've heard of Kimmons... He has a decent record but zero significant wins. Yang has decent power, it seems, but lost to Chris Camozzi in his UFC debut. Not good. Still, in the night of upsets, I'll pick Yang.

Rousimar Palhares vs Dave Branch (middleweight)

Palhares gets no respect. This guy is INSANELY dangerous on the ground. Branch is a bigger guy and is also a BJJ black belt. But is he on the same level as Palhares? I doubt it. Look for Branch to keep it standing and hope for a decision. He should have a significant reach advantage. Still, I'll pick Palhares.

Igor Pokrajac vs Todd Brown (light heavyweight)

Pokrajac has one win in 4 UFC fights yet still has a job. Brown is 15-2 but no significant fights except a loss in his UFC debut. Who to pick....? Toss up. I'll go with the fitter looking Pokrajac.

Ok, maybe it isn't such a great card. Let's hope it surprises us!

UFC 124 Results

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4-6-1? Ugh.

UFC 124 Picks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UFC 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 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 101 Predictions

The UFC heads to Philadelphia on Friday for UFC 101.

Can it continue the heat and media buzz generated by UFC 100? I doubt it, but it's still shaping up to be a pretty good card.

The main event features BJ Penn vs Kenny Florian for the lightweight belt, but make no mistake: people are tuning in to see Forrest Griffin take on the seemingly unbeatable Anderson Silva in Griffin's light heavyweight class. I'm a big Griffin mark, but I do not like his chances in this one. At the end of the night, I'm either going to be elated or depressed. I guess we'll see.

Now for my predictions:

BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian (lightweight)

This could be a really good fight. BJ likes to stand and bang when he can, but is known primarily for his jiu jitsu. Florian has good stand up and should enjoy a reach advantage. he's also well versed in jiu jitsu and could be on top if the fight hits the mat. If so, he's known for his finishing skills. Penn is still hurting from his destruction at the hands of GSP and could wilt if the fight isn't going his way. Penn is "the master" but he's also a big effing baby. Which Penn will shine through?

My money's on: Florian in a big upset. He doesn't look like much, but with the exception of Sherk's "lay and pray" strategy, Florian seems to be able to take what his opponents dish out and return the punishment in spades. I see a stand up battle at first, with Florian gradually taking the cardio advantage and punishing Penn on the mat.

Forrest Griffin vs. Anderson Silva (light heavyweight)

Silva is a beast at either middleweight or light heavyweight and has hands of stone. Griffin has terrific cardio and is always game, but has shown he can be knocked silly. Is it just a matter of time before he gets caught by the very accurate Brazilian and becomes another victim? Or will he come up with a strategy that will defy the odds and give him the biggest win of his life? (sorry, Rampage) I don't like Griffin's chances, but if you think I'm betting against him, you're nuts.

My money's on: Griffin. Not really, but I can't bet against him and don't want to "push". This would be a way bigger upset than the Florian victory. I give him a 10% shot at best.

Amir Sadollah Vs. Johny Hendricks (welterweight)

I like Sadollah and he has pulled off some surprising wins, but, really, he isn't THAT talented. CB Dollaway is way overrated. Hendricks has been plying his trade in WEC where the talent level isn't quite as high, but at least he has experience - and anyone who has a win by D'Arce Choke deserves respect.

My money's on: Hendricks. I like the look of this guy and think that after this win, the UFC will look to move him up the ladder.

Kendall Grove Vs. Ricardo Almeida (middleweight)

Grove was a guy I really wanted to watch after his TUF win, but he's been disappointing in his last few fights. He really got exposed by Jorge Rivera and Patrick Cote. Sure he has a win over former champ Evan Tanner, but Tanner was never that well rounded. Almeida, on the other hand, seems to be a guy who just doesn't deliver like he should. He's a talented guy, no doubt - he has a submission victory over Nate Marquardt - but he's never been that impressive (he has lost to Patrick Cote and Andrei Semenov).

My money's on: Almeida. If he doesn't beat Grove, send him packing.

Josh Neer Vs. Kurt Pellegrino (lightweight)

People seem to think highly of both of these fighters, but I haven't been that impressed. Pellegrino has lost to Nate Diaz, Joe Stevenson and Drew Fickett and beaten....who?... Rob Emerson? Thiago Tavares?... Junior Assuncao? Clearly he's not top notch. "The Dentist" Josh Neer has beaten a bunch of meatheads (Joe Stevenson and Melvin Guillard the possible exceptions) and lost to Nick AND Nate Diaz, Josh Burkman, Mark Miller, Drew Fickett and Spencer Fisher. Why is this fight on the main card?

My money's on: Neer. It's a toss up. Neer is bigger and more experienced, so there you go.

UNDERCARD

Shane Nelson Vs. Aaron Riley (lightweight) - Neither one has an impressive pedigree. Riley is far more experienced, but has lost to every significant fighter he's faced. This is a rematch set thanks to a controversial stoppage at UFC 96. I didn't see it, but I heard it was bad. Still, I'll take Nelson in the rematch, too.

Tamdan McCrory Vs. John Howard (welterweight) - I like this McCrory kid. If he can avoid those bloody armbars, it would seem he'd have a very promising career. I'll pick McCrory to submit Howard.

Thales Leites Vs. Alessio Sakara (middleweight) - Who would have thought a few months ago that we'd be seeing this fight buried in the undercard? These are two "name" guys who have fallen by the wayside. Leites looked promising at first, but put in such a stinker in his title fight against Anderson Silva that the UFC will probably toss him out on his ass if he lays another egg on Saturday. "Legionarius" was given much fanfare by the UFC commentators when he showed up, but he's been way way way less than impressive. He beat perennial punching bag Elvis Sinosic, but then dropped four of his next six UFC fights, including a devastating knockout by upstart Houton Alexander. How is this guy still in the UFC?! He should be shown the door if he loses Saturday. Oh, I guess my money's on Leites.

Matthew Riddle Vs. Dan Cramer (welterweight) - This ought to be fun. I like Riddle, so I'll pick him.

George Sotiropoulos Vs. George Roop (lightweight) - Some more TUF guys. I like Sotiropoulos, so I guess I'll pick him. He does seem to have the more impressive pedigree.

Jesse Lennox Vs. Danillo Villefort (welterweight) - I don't know these guys at all, so this is blind. Villefort is slightly bigger with Lennox having the slightly better record. He also has a significant number of submissions, so I'll take Lennox.

TUF 9 Finale - Results

Let’s see:

Diego Sanchez def. Clay Guida (split decision)
James Wilks def. DaMarques Johnson (rear naked choke - 1)
Chris Lytle def. Kevin Burns (unanimous decision)
Ross Pearson def. Andre Winner (unanimous decision)
Joe Stevenson def. Nate Diaz (unanimous decision)
Melvin Guillard def. Gleison Tibau (split decision)
Brad Blackburn def. Edgar Garcia (split decision)
Tomasz Drwal def. Mike Ciesnolevicz (TKO – 1)
Nick Osipczak def. Frank Lester (rear naked choke - 1)
Jason Dent def. Cameron Dollar (anaconda choke – 1)

I thought Sanchez was going to get robbed in the decision based on previous judges’ scoring. While Sanchez was clearly delivering the majority of the punishment, Guida was on top for a good chunk of the decisive third round and usually top position is equated with winning. I assume, of course, that it was the third round that was decisive since Guida was on top for most of the second – but Sanchez delivered some brutal elbows in that round, so who knows which one swayed the third judge. Further clouding the issue is the fact that the UFC would benefit more from a Sanchez win as he is the more colourful character and would likely sell more tickets in a title fight than Guida. I’m not convinced judges aren’t influenced by this sort of thing. We can now look forward to a Sanchez vs Penn/Florian fight for the 155 belt in 4 months or so. It ought to be interesting either way, but, while I like Florian, I don’t think there’s much doubt a Sanchez-Penn match-up would be more desirable to the UFC and fans. After all, Sanchez humbled Florian once already (though in a different weight class) and it’s always more interesting to see an established champ defend the belt than first timers (see the light heavyweight division).

I also correctly predicted Wilks would beat Johnson. Wilks struck early, putting Johnson on the defensive and the American couldn’t get out of the round to gather himself. Despite a few decent exchanges, Wilks was clearly in control and got the much-deserved win. It’ll be interesting to see how he does going forward. I was impressed with Wilks’ skills.

I went 3-for-3 in the top portion of the card when Lytle got the nod over a game Kevin Burns. Lytle threw bombs from the opening seconds and didn’t let up until the horn sounded. I was really impressed with Lytle’s cardio, which allowed him to give it all for 15 minutes and was the difference in the fight; Burns was gassed and was in retreat mode for much of the third round. Lytle isn’t champ material, but he’s one of those guys who acts as a gatekeeper to the upper ranks – if you can beat him, you deserve top-flight fights. Burns just isn’t there yet.

I really wanted Ross Pearson to win, but I thought Andre Winner was going to squeeze out a decision. I thought these two would stand and trade shots, with Winner having the jab advantage. I didn’t expect that these guys would hug for 15 minutes with no intervention by the ref (have I mentioned how much most refs suck? Herb Dean is by far the worst with Mazzagatti second). For a TUF “title fight” this was a dud. The two competitors negated each other’s offence and the result was a fight too close to call; not enough happened to distinguish the two competitors. I thought it fair that the first two rounds would be split and the third would decide the outcome since no one seemed to deserve being up 2-0. That said, I thought Winner was getting the best of Pearson in the first two and might have gotten the nod as the result. But Pearson was a little more active in the third and, thanks to the split rounds, got the decision. I really wasn’t impressed, but am looking forward to seeing more of Pearson in the future to see what he really has to offer.

What was Nate Diaz thinking? His loss to Joe Stevenson was due to one thing – strategy. Diaz is the more talented fighter, but he allowed Stevenson to take him down and stay on top – which was enough to earn the victory. Stevenson really didn’t do much, but Diaz was happy to stay on his back and attempt submissions. What he should have done was stay on his feet as much as possible and pick Stevenson apart a la BJ Penn. Instead, he pulled guard, made no real attempt to get back up and tried…what? Kimoras? Come on… Diaz has pulled this kind of stupidity before and obviously needs new coaching ‘cause his current approach sucks. This is a serious speed bump for him. Both of these guys have careers going nowhere fast.

In the undercard, I went 1-4, but I blame part of that on bad info from the UFC website. Tomasz Drwal and Mike Ciesnolevicz were fighting at light heavyweight which explains the discrepancy in their stats. Ciesnolevicz failed to make weight, though, and the big cut he did make probably factored in his loss. I’d have to see the other fights to comment on them. I’d like to see the Guillard-Tibau fight, for one.

So 3-2 on the main card, 1-4 on the undercard, 4-4 with fighters I knew, 4-6 overall.

Let the hype and build-up to UFC 100 begin!

TUF 9 Finale - Predictions

The Ultimate Fighter 9 finale is Saturday night, so here are my picks:

MAIN CARD

Diego Sanchez vs Clay Guida (155)

I used to be a pretty big fan of Sanchez’s, but he’s gotten crazier and crazier it seems and his style is suffering. He used to be relentless and inventive in his attacks, but lately he seems to have become more one-dimensional, looking to knock people out with boxing. Diego’s strength is his wrestling/ground game and he should return to it going forward. That said, he could take advantage of his size to pick Guida apart.

My money’s on: Sanchez. I see this one going to decision with Sanchez squeaking out a victory on points based on his jab.

DaMarques Johnson Vs. James Wilks (170)

These guys are pretty evenly matched. Both are good strikers without having the best chins. This could end in a surprising knockout at any moment.

My money’s on: Wilks. I can see Wilks taking Johnson down and earning the win. It ought to be close, though.

Chris Lytle Vs. Kevin Burns (170)

I like both of these guys, but Lytle’s a warrior and ought to be able to use his experience to beat Burns.

My money’s on: Lytle.

Ross Pearson Vs. Andre Winner (155)

I quite like Pearson’s energy and style, but Winner’s got a size advantage. When in doubt, go with the taller guy.

My money’s on: Winner. Go figure. (If Pearson wins, am I still right?)

Joe Stevenson Vs. Nate Diaz (155)

Stevenson may be the most overrated fighter in the UFC. He’s pulled off some nice submissions against foolish opponents, but Diaz is no fool and definitely has the edge in the submission department. Look for Stevenson to try to take Diaz down (after Diaz outboxes him) and, if he does, for Diaz to find the submission.

My money’s on: Diaz – on the ground or on the feet. Diaz ought to fly to the upper echelon after this fight.

UNDERCARD

Melvin Guillard Vs. Gleison Tibau (155)

This one all depends on Guillard. If he’s smart, he could knock Tibau out. If he’s foolish, he’ll get submitted in a heartbeat. We’ve seen this before.

My money’s on: Tibau. I just think Guillard will find a way to screw this up and he’s been off for quite a while.

Brad Blackburn Vs. Edgar Garcia (170) – I’ll take undefeated Garcia.

Mike Ciesnolevicz Vs. Tomasz Drwal (heavyweight) – Why is 205lb Drwal fighting a heavyweight? I’ll take the bigger guy: Ciesnolevicz.

Nick Osipczak Vs. Frank Lester (170) – Back to the TUF guys. Osipczak has the size/reach advantage, but he doesn’t have the chin to handle Lester if he connects. I’ll pick Lester in this one, probably by TKO.

Jason Dent Vs. Cameron Dollar (155) – I haven’t been impressed with Dollar and Dent has determination. I’ll pick Dent.