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 102 Results

Missed the event on Saturday - I was busy getting wine spilled on me at a wedding...

Looks like I missed an entertaining one. Let's see how my predictions went:

Randy Couture Vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (heavyweight) - Sounds like this one lived up to the hype and then some. It appears Couture avoided a gauntlet of submissions to make it to the decision, but the judging wasn't really in doubt. Nog knocked The Natural down a couple of times, which was probably all the difference he needed. I'm a bit surprised that Nogueira got the better of the stand up. I hope they show this fight on UFC Unleashed soon. (0-1)

Keith Jardine Vs. Thiago Silva (light heavyweight) - Got this one right on, pretty much. Silva knocked out Jardine pretty quickly - a story we've seen from Jardine before. Let's hope this is the end of the Jardine title shot talk for a while. He really needs to develop a better arsenal. Being "unorthodox" only gets you so far. (1-1)

Chris Leben Vs. Jake Rosholt (middleweight) - What happened here? I hear Leben was winning the fight but got choked out in the third. Oops. (1-2)

Nate Marquardt Vs. Demian Maia (middleweight) - Wow. This was short-lived. I thought this could be fight of the night, but it was over before it started. Highlight reel finish puts a mark on Maia's record and puts Marquardt back in the title hunt. (2-2)

Brandon Vera Vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (light heavyweight) - I anticipated a better fight. I hear this one drew boos and was one of the few fights to go the distance. Apparently Soszynski did alright in his first fight against "top" competition. Let's hope he can learn from it and put something together for his next fight. Vera isn't making lots of friends these days with boring fights and lacklustre performances. I didn't see this one, but if you're drawing boos, you're drawing the ire of Dana White. (2-3)

Ed Herman Vs. Aaron Simpson (middleweight) - This one almost doesn't count because the fight ended on an injury to Herman. That's too bad 'cause it was a homecoming of sorts and no one likes to see a fight end like this. (2-4)

Gabriel Gonzaga Vs. Chris Tuchscherer (heavyweight) - I picked the newcomer in this one, but he didn't get the job done. (2-5)

Justin McCully Vs. Mike Russow (heavyweight) – The newcomer delivered in this one. I still don't know what Russow can do, though. (3-5)

Tim Hague Vs. Todd Duffee (heavyweight) – Yikes. 8 seconds? Yikes. Dunno if Hague will be invited back. Too bad. (3-6)

Nick Catone Vs. Mark Munoz (middleweight) – Sounds like this was a close decision, but Munoz pulled off the victory in the lighter weight class. (4-6)

Marcus Aurelio Vs. Evan Dunham (lightweight) – Fluked this one, too. No idea what this Dunham kid is like. (5-6)

Another event with a losing record. Ugh. But, like I said, the Herman fight ought not to count, really, and If I were picking with my head instead of my heart I'd have probably gone 8-3.

UFC 102 Predictions

OK, a little busy, but have to get my predictions in before the event on Saturday (which I’m going to miss – darn it!).

Randy Couture Vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (heavyweight)

Both are aging warriors, but Nogueira seems to be showing his age more than Captain America. Neither has looked spectacular in recent showings, though Couture lost to Lesnar (no shame there) while Nogeira hasn’t looked sharp in the octagon at all. Both are known for pulling off victories despite the odds. On paper Nogueira seems to have the edge in size and skill, but I can never count Randy out. He seems to always come in with a good game plan and I think he’ll find a way to squeeze this one out.

My money’s on: Couture.

Keith Jardine Vs. Thiago Silva (light heavyweight)

Frankly, I can’t believe people still talk about Jardine being “in the title mix”. He’s beaten some good fighters but he’s lost more than his fair share of fights and to guys one would expect an elite fighter to beat. He seems like a nice guy and I used to be a fan, but I’m getting a little tired of the unwarranted hype. I’m almost hoping Silva sends him packing to clear up the light heavy division. I can see Silva knocking Jardine out.

My money’s on: Silva.

Chris Leben Vs. Jake Rosholt (middleweight)

Leben is a psycho but a tough son of a gun. He’s always willing to bang, but can easily be outsmarted by a good game plan. Rosholt doesn’t seem like much, so if Leben wants to stick around, he had better find a way to knock this guy out.

My money’s on: Leben.

Nate Marquardt Vs. Demian Maia (middleweight)

Could be fight of the night. Probably the two most skilled guys on the card. I like Marquardt but for whatever reason he seems to come up a bit short in big fights. This is a doozy as it will probably be a #1 contenders fight. Maia is talented but has some holes – had Jason MacDonald fought a smarter fight against him, Maia probably would have lost. I don’t see Marquardt getting submitted.

My money’s on: Marquardt.

Brandon Vera Vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (light heavyweight)

I’m peeved I’m gonna miss this one. This could be great. I’m a fan of “The Polish Experiment” and like his style and humour. Vera got a big push when he first came to the UFC but has suffered some massive setbacks since. Is he once again ready for prime time? If he loses, he may very well be shown the door. I’m hoping Krzysztof pulls it off and keeps his streak alive.

My money’s on: Soszynski.

Ed Herman Vs. Aaron Simpson (middleweight)

Herman is talented but needs to learn greater discipline. He’s got the tools but needs to get his head straight and in the game. Don’t know much about this Simpson guy, but apparently he has some killer knockout power, winning all of his fights by KO/TKO. Look for Herman to shoot and test Simpson’s ground game.

My money’s on: Herman (if he’s smart).

Gabriel Gonzaga Vs. Chris Tuchscherer (heavyweight)

Gonzaga is another guy who got a big push early thanks to a big win over Cro Cop but has not been stellar since. His opponent has a terrific record (17-1) and will probably get an equally large push if he defeats Napao. I think this fight may come down to where it takes place. I’d give Gonzaga the edge on the ground, Tuchscherer the edge standing up.

My money’s on: Tuchscherer in a tough one – if he can overcome first UFC fight nerves.

Justin McCully Vs. Mike Russow (heavyweight) – Could be interesting. Both of these guys seem to have a good amount of submission wins, which is rare for heavyweights. I’ll pick Russow to pull it off in his UFC debut.

Tim Hague Vs. Todd Duffee (heavyweight) – No way I’m banking against the Canadian who had an impressive victory last time out. Duffee is undefeated in only 4 fights, but his last victory was over Assuerio Silva who is no slouch. I’m still picking Hague.

Nick Catone Vs. Mark Munoz (middleweight) – Looks like Munoz is looking to drop a weight class. Catone has lost to Tim Credeur while Munoz got bulldozed by Matt Hamill. What effect will the weight cut have on Munoz? The answer to that will probably determine the winner. I’ll bet on Munoz.

Marcus Aurelio Vs. Evan Dunham (lightweight) – Aurelio has gotten lots of praise coming into the UFC, but he’s lost against all the top guys he’s faced (Guida, Franca, Tyson Griffin). Once again, I’m picking the new guy, Dunham, to pull off the upset.