UFC Predictions

UFC 79 is going to be one amazing night. With the long awaited Liddell vs Silva matchup and GSP vs Hughes 3 on the card, but wait...there's more. Sokoudjou makes his debut, against Machida no less! How about the return of Manny Gamburyan, a very promising lightweight fighter. Don't forget to return here for our UFC 79 Results Here's the UFC 79 fight card:

Main Card:

• Matt Hughes vs Georges St Pierre
  
• Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva
  

Undercard:

• Luis Cane vs James Irvin
  
• Manny Gamburyan vs Nate Mohr
  
• Dean Lister vs Jordan Radev
  
• Roan Carneiro vs Tony DeSouza
  
• Doug Evans vs Mark Bocek
  
• Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs Lyoto Machida
  
• Rich Clementi vs Melvin Guillard
  
• Eddie Sanchez vs Soa Palalei
  

Now for my UFC 79 Predictions. I've been holding off on these quite simply because I am having trouble picking winners in a couple of the fights, but here are my UFC 79 predictions, for better or worse.

Matt Hughes vs Georges St Pierre
There isn't a tougher fight on the card to pick than Georges St Pierre vs Matt Hughes. In their last fight, Georges dominated the standup, stuffed takedowns and eventually knocked Matt Hughes to the mat with a big kick and followed up with good ground and pound to finish.

In their first matchup, Hughes won by armbar submission after what I thougth was a very even round.

I always try to get into the head of a fighter before a fight, will Hughes try to play off GSP's TKO loss to Serra and try to stand with Georges? I think that would be a big mistake. Will GSP try to play off his recent wrestling domination of Josh Koshcheck and try to put Matt Hughes on his back? That too would be a mistake in my opinion. So if both of these guys work to their strengths instead of the others' weakness, who wins? Can Hughes take GSP to his back and ground and pound a victory? Can GSP catch Hughes standing again? A tough fight to call and GSP has only had a month of training for this fight. In the end I have to go with GSP, I think he's the more well rounded fighter with more tools to win. GSP might survive a Hughes attack on the ground, but I don't think that Hughes can stand and trade with GSP and as they say every round starts standing...and there are 5 rounds. Look for a flying knee this time on a Hughes takedown attempt.

UFC 79 Prediction : Georges St Pierre

Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva
If picking a winner between Hughes and St Pierre was tough, then how hard is this fight to predict? I am glued to the screen any time either of these two guys fight, they are two of my favourites. If this fight was being held under Pride rules, in a ring (i.e. foot stomps, knees to a downed opponent, etc) then I would take Wanderlei Silva to win this fight. The UFC rules definitely favour Chuck Liddell's style, but Liddell still must find a way to win. Straight hard punches and a good sprawl are in Chuck's favour here, but he must...absolutely must land the first couple of big shots or he will get mauled just like Rampage did.

For Wanderlei, he just needs to do what he does best, punch hard, punch often, clinch, knee, win. I think that Chuck's best days may be behind him. He will be motivated for this fight like no other fight before, but there is only one Randy Couture, everyone ages and Chuck's time at the top may be over. Silva will look to follow Jardine's footprint (to some extent) and use leg kicks from the outside and if he can avoid the one big right hand from Chuck he should come out on top.

UFC 79 Prediction : Wanderlei Silva

Manny Gamburyan vs Nate Mohr
I'll take Manny in this fight based on level of competition in the past.

UFC 79 Prediction : Manny Gamburyan

Dean Lister vs Jordan Radev
I believe that Dean Lister has the better ground game and he will take it there and dominate.

UFC 79 Prediction : Dean Lister

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs Lyoto Machida
Initially I was going to give this one to Sokoudjou, then I remembered Houston Alexander. This fight reminds me a lot of Alexander's last fight (a loss) and for that I am giving it to Lyoto Machida. Expect me to change this prediction before fight time....

UFC 79 Prediction : Lyoto Machida

Rich Clementi vs Melvin Guillard
I hope that Melvin Guillard has put his troubles behind him. If he has, then he should have no trouble defeating Clementi.

UFC 79 Prediction : Melvin Guillard

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UFC Results will have complete UFC 79 Results on fight night.

Here are my predictions for the Ultimate Fighter Finale being held on December 8th.

Clay Guida vs Roger Huerta
This is the main event bout and it has all the makings of a classic. Both of these guys are expected to go full out for the entire 15 minutes. Huerta has the better record, but I believe that Guida has fought the tougher competition. I'm going to go against the grain and give this bout to Guida.

Mac Danzig vs Tommy Speer
Mac Danzig is more well rounded than Tommy Speer, but Tommy has superior wrestling. I think that Mac's experience will beat out Tommy's strength and Mac will end up submitting Tommy.

Jon Koppenhaver vs Jared Rollins
While War Machine (Jon) holds the better record in non TUF events I have to believe that Jared has the advantage in this fight. I think that Jared Rollins wins this fight

Billy Miles vs George Sotiropoulous
You've gotta take George in this fight.

Matt Arroyo vs John Kolosci
This is interesting in that Matt Arroyo's only loss is via TKO while most of John Kolosci's losses are via submission. Similarly, John's wins are all due to stikes while Matt's are all due to submission. So, if the fight keeps standing it is John's to win, if it goes to the ground then the advantage goes to Matt. I'm going to take Matt Arroyo by submission. Matt was one fight away from the finals when he was sidelined with an injury.

Dan Barrera vs Ben Saunders
In their first fight I thought that Dan was dominant early, but refused to engage when he got Ben hurt. Ben came back strong though and won a fight which Dana thought was a draw. It's good that the UFC is giving us the chance to see this fight a second time. I hope for his own sake that Dan is more agressive this time out, but I think the same thing will happen again and possibly even end in a TKO for Ben Saunders.

Richie Hightower vs Troy Mandaloniz
These two are going to slug it out and Troy has the better standup. I give this fight to Troy.

Roman Mitichyan vs Dorian Price
We didn't get to see Roman's game on the show, but what I can find on the net says that he's a pretty good fighter. I'll take Roman based on his Judo background and attitude.

Paul Georgieff vs Jonathan Goulet
Georgieff thinks that he can submit Goulet, but concedes that Jonathan's stand up is superior. Goulet on the other hand doesn't think much of Paul Georgieff's ground game. I give this fight to Paul Georgieff, mostly because I don't like Goulet's hair cut, but also because Goulet has been inconsistent and I think he'll under estimate Paul.

If you're looking to drop some coin on the fights, try the link below, but remember that I make my predictions for fun only...

Here are my official UFC 78 Predictions for the November 17th UFC 78 card. Don't forget to come back here on November 17th for our official UFC 78 Results

Rashad Evans vs Michael Bisping
On paper, this fight is a classic wrestler vs striker matchup. Rashad Evans definitely has the superior wrestling and Michael Bisping is the crisper striker. However, we know that Bisping has good BJJ and we all saw Rashad Evans KO Sean Salmon with that big high kick. I'm hoping this fight goes three exciting rounds, but in the end I need to side with Evans as the superior wrestler. I feel that Evans has faced superior competition (he's fought Tito Ortiz, Stephan Bonner those bouts going to a draw and win).

UFC 78 Prediction : Rashad Evans

Houston Alexander vs Thiago Silva
This could be a crazy matchup. Thiago Silva is an excellent striker, but Houston Alexander is extremely strong. I will not pick against Alexander until I see someone at least give him trouble.

UFC 78 Prediction : Houston Alexander

Karo Parisyan vs Ryo Chonan
Ryo Chonan is a good fighter and usually fights above 170lbs, however Karo Parisyan has a proven track record at 170lbs in the UFC. Karo most recently defeated Josh Burkman and has fought just about everyone at welterweight in the UFC. With the exception of losses to Diego Sanches (close loss) and to Georges St Pierre, Karo has defeated everyone, including current 170lb champ Matt Serra. Karo deserves another title shot and lets hope if Karo pulls this fight out that he will be in line for the winner of GSP vs Matt Serra or Matt Hughes.

UFC 78 Prediction : Karo Parisyan

Continue reading "UFC 78 Predictions" »

UFC 77 is being held in Columbus Ohio on October 20, 2007 and here are the official UFC Results predictions for UFC 77.

Anderson Silva vs Rich Franklin (rematch for the middlweight title)
When Anderson Silva and Rich Franklin first met at UFC 64 Anderson Silva was barely known to UFC fans. Sure, he'd defeated Chris Leben, but how would he match up with the UFC middleweight champion. Anderson Silva answered that question in just under 3 minutes, completely dominating Rich Franklin and putting on a Muay Thai clinch clinic.

Franklin has looked good against Jason MacDonald since, but also did not look himself against Yusin Okami. Still, Franklin has victories over two tough competitors and deserves a shot at regaining his title.

Since their first bout, Anderson Silva has continued to show why he's the current UFC middleweight champion. He took on Travis Lutter and while Lutter was not himself due to trying to make weight, Silva submitted the BJJ expert in the 2nd round. After some knee surgery, Silva came back and finished his next fight, against Nate Marquart, in typical Anderson Silva dominant fashion.

I personally want to see an all out war between these two. Rich Franklin will likely try to stay away from that Thai clinch at all costs while Anderson will do what he does best and throw punches and kicks from all angles. If Rich can take this to the ground he will likely be able to capitalize, but Anderson Silva's BJJ is also pretty good. You're only as good as your last fight and Anderson Silva's last outing was more convincing to me than Rich Franklin's.

UFC 77 Prediction : Anderson Silva

Tim Sylvia vs Brandon Vera (return of the ex champ, return of "The Truth")
Tim Sylvia has something to prove since being humiliated by Randy Couture. Randy is an all time great, but with Tim's size and strength advantage he should have been able to find a way to at least be competative with Couture.

Brandon Vera has not fought in the UFC since his one sided victory over former champion Frank Mir. Vera has only 8 fights and his last one was almost a year ago against a Frank Mir who was just a shadow of the fighter who broke Tim Sylvia's arm. Still, you can't discount the fact that Vera easily defeated a fighter who easily defeated Sylvia. Still, a year is a long time off and Sylvia is awefully big and strong. Add to that the fact that Vera only has 8 fights under his belt, none of them against a top 10 heavyweight.

UFC 77 Prediction : Tim Sylvia

Jason MacDonald vs Yushin Okami
I guess this is the fight to decide who's next in line for a 185lb title shot. Both of these guys have had a shot at Rich Franklin and both have lost. Okami fought an uninspired 3 rounds and came out on the loosing end of a decision. MacDonald fought hard, but was outclassed by Franklin. I believe that MacDonald will push the pace with Okami, but in the end Okami should come out on top.

UFC 77 Prediction : Yushin Okami

Kalib Starnes vs Alan Belcher
Kalib Starnes fought a decent fight against Chris Leben, but was not dominant in that fight. Alan Belcher has lost to both Kendall Grove and Yushin Okami, but has wins over Sean Salmon and Jorge Santiago. This is a tough one to pick, so I'm going to choose Starnes to pick up his game and finish Belcher.

UFC 77 Prediction : Kalib Starnes

Josh Burkman vs Forrest Petz
Josh Burkman has lost to Karo Parisyan, Jon Fitch and Jeremy Horn. That's enough about the level of competition that Burkman has faced. Josh Burkman is not a top 5 ranked welterweight, but he is right on the cusp of the top 10.

Forrest Petz has not faced the competition that Burkman has, so it's difficult to say how he's going to fare. Petz has defeated Luigi Fioravanti, but I still think that Burkman is a step up for him.

UFC 77 Prediction : Josh Burkman

Stephan Bonnar vs Eric Schafer
Stephan Bonnar has fought and looked good against Keith Jardine, Forrest Griffin and James Irvin. Given the events at UFC 76 I think we need to give Bonnar a little more respect. He hung in with two fighters who are very close if not in the top 5 in the light heavyweight division. Eric Shafer isn't at that level yet and will have a tough time with Bonnar.

UFC 77 Prediction : Stephan Bonnar

Jorge Gurgel vs Alvin Robinson
I'll be honest, I don't know much about Jorge Gurgel, or Alvin Robinson. I've looked at their respective records and really, the most notable name is Kenny Florian, who Robinson lost to in the first round. I'm not going to predict on this fight.

Jason Black vs Matt Grice
Jason Black has fought some tough competition like Thaigo Tavares and Shonie Carter, unfortunately he lost both of those fights. He does hold wins over Gideon Ray and Shinya Aoki though. Matt Grice hasn't faced the same level of competition.

UFC 77 Prediction : Jason Black

Don't forget to return to UFC Results for our UFC 77 Results and UFC 78 Predictions

UFC 76 is being held on September 22nd and will be available on Pay Per View. There are a couple of good fights on the card, but the highlight fight must be the UFC debut of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua who takes on Forrest Griffin. The other notable fight is Chuck Liddell vs Keith Jardine.

I'm going to start doing the UFC 76 Predictions today and will follow up with one or two more fights added each day this week.

Chuck Liddell vs Keith Jardine
It's hard to find a fighter in the light heavyweight division with better credentials than Chuck Liddell. Think about this, he's defeated the UFC heavyweight champion (Randy Couture) twice. He's defeated the long time UFC light heavyweight champion (Tito Ortiz) twice. He's defeated Ranalto Babalu Sobral twice.

Yes, Chuck has lost to Quinton Jackson twice, but hear me out. Look down the chain a bit and look at some of the fighters that Chuck has defeated and look at their accomplishments in MMA.

Tito defeated Wanderlei Silva
Babalu defeated Shogun
Randy defeated Gabrial Gonzaga, Vitor Belfor and Tito Ortiz

When you add that up, you can't help but put Chuck near the top of the 205lb food chain.

Keith Jardine is no slouch, but he doesn't have the resume that Chuck Liddell has. He defeated Forrest Griffen quite easily, but then got beaten by Houston Alexander in the same way.

UFC 76 Prediction : Chuck Liddell by KO.

Forrest Griffin vs Mauricio Rua
Forrest Griffin is the winner of season 1 of the Ultimate Fighter reality series. Big names Forrest has fought include Tito Ortiz, Keith Jardine and of course his career defining battles with Stephan Bonnar.

Forrest has a good all around game and faired well against Tito and Stephan. He was beaten decisively by Keith Jardine, however.

Mauricio Rua has been a dominant force in the Pride ring over the last few years. He has notched wins over little Nog, Kevin Randleman, Ricardo Arona, Alistair Overeem and of course current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson.

The one thing that is sure about this fight is that it will be high intensity with neither fighter backing down. Both guys leave it all in the ring and both have cardio for miles. I think Shogun has the edge in previous competition and his dominance against other great fighters (like Rampage) gives him the edge here.

UFC 76 Prediction : Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Diego Sanchez vs. Jon Fitch
This is one fight that I believe could go either way. Diego Sanchez has won all but one of his fights, but his performance against Josh Koscheck was very lacklustre. On the other hand Jon Fitch has won 13 in a row. Seriously, this one could go either way, but I think Fitch may win this one.

UFC 76 Prediction : Jon Fitch

Matt Wiman vs. Michihiro Omigawa
I've seen Wiman fight some toughter opponents and fair pretty well. Looking at Michihiro's record he has some wins, but mostly in smaller organizations. I'll take Wiman in this one.

UFC 76 Prediction : Matt Wiman

Kazuhiro Nakamura vs Lyoto Machida
This is a really good match up. You hae two guys who most UFC fans have no idea about, but combined they've defeated the likes of Rich Franklin, BJ Penn, Vernon White, Randleman, Leko and Bustamante. I'll give the edge in competition faced to Nakamura and the edge in success to Machida. I have to take Machida in this fight.

UFC 76 Prediction : Lyoto Machida

Tyson Griffin vs Thiago Tavares
I like both of these guys and they are both rising stars in the UFC, however I have to take Tyson Griffin in this fight. I think Griffin has faced the tougher competition in the past and even his one loss was a very close fight.

UFC 76 Prediction : Tyson Griffin

Scott Junk vs Christian Wellisch
I'm not going to pick in this fight...sorry

UFC 76 Prediction : no prediction

Diego Saraiva vs Jeremy Stephens
Diego Sraiva is coming off two losses in a row while Jeremy Stephens is coming off a win and an enthusiastic loss to Din Thomas. Stephens impressed me in that fight and I'm picking him to win.

UFC 76 Prediction : Jeremy Stephens

That's it for my UFC 76 Predictions, feel free to comment with your own predictions and of course come back for our UFC 76 Results.

The next UFC Fight Night is coming up on September 19th and for a UFC Fight Night card, it's pretty jam packed with talent. Here are my UFC Fight Night predictions.

Kenny Florian vs Din Thomas
Din Thomas is an excellent striker and is good on the ground. Kenny Florian is working his way back up to a title shot. It's a tough pick between these two and I'd put them right next to each other on my UFC lightweight fighter rankings. They've both fought tought guys, but Thomas has the advantage in that department having faced both BJ Penn and Matt Serra. That said, I have to give this one to Kenny Florian.

UFC Fight Night Prediction : Kenny Florian

Chris Leben vs Terry Martin
What can you say about Chris Leben that hasn't been said before. He's tough, he has a hard head and bricks in his hands. Unfortunately his ground game hasn't kept up with his stand up. I was impressed with Leben's last fight against Kalib Starnes. The judges had him losing that fight, but I thought he won.

Terry Martin is big and strong. He's getting better with every fight and his fight against the very well respected Ivan Salaverry showed that he can avoid takedowns and he has great hands. I think Martin is too big and strong for Leben.
UFC Fight Night Prediction : Terry Martin

Leonard Garcia vs Cole Miller
We've seen Cole Miller do very well in the Ultimate Fighter TV series and his only loss came to Nate Diaz after he got hit on the back of the head and was dazed. Garcia is tough as nails and good on the ground. This should be an excellent fight and I expect it to go all three rounds.

UFC Fight Night Prediction : Leonard Garica

Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs Thiago Alves
Hironaka has a win over Nick Diaz and a loss to Jon Fitch. Thiago Alves has also lost to Jon Fitch, but has recent impressive wins over John Alessio and Tony DeSouza. I have to take Alves in this one.

UFC 76 Prediction : Thiago Alves

Let's take a crack at UFC 75 Predictions. It's hard to believe that the event is almost here. After the dry season of July and August, September will be a UFC fan's dream.

Quinton Jackson vs Dan Henderson
I think a lot of people will take Quinton Jackson in this one because of his dominant victories over former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell; and who would blame them? I on the other hand will take an olympic wrestler over junior college any day. If you are having trouble with this concept, watch the fight between Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz again. See how easily Randy out wrestled Tito? If Dan Henderson wants to, he can do the same thing to Quinton Jackson.

Of course, this isn't a wrestling match, it's an MMA event and nothing takes a wrestler out of his element like being put on his back or being punched in the face. Unfortunately for "Rampge" Dan Henderson doesn't seem to mind being punched. Dan Henderson has never been KO'd. He's only lost fights by submission and decision. I doubt that Quinton Jackson is going to submit Hendo, so that leaves the KO. Quinton has the firepower, but to get there he's going to get his chin tested by Dan Henderson's heavy hands.
UFC 75 Prediction : Dan Henderson

Matt Hamill vs Michael Bisping
When the dust settled from the Ultimate Fighter season 3, it was Michael Bisping who's hand was raised. However, there was an undefeated fighter who wasn't in the final. UFC 75 is going to answer the question of who really won season 3. It's a question which only one person was asking...Matt Hamill.

Matt Hamill needed to exit season 3 early due to an injury, however at the time he was undefeated. He still hasn't lost a single fight. So, 2 undefeated Ultimate Fighter and UFC records are on the line.

While Michael Bisping has been busy dismantling opponents with his precision striking and submission defense, Matt Hamill has looked a little sloppy. He punches like a drunk guy in a bar brawl, but you can't discount his strength and wrestling. He can probably outwrestle most opponents with one arm, but as I'm fond of saying "this isn't a wrestling match". I think Michael Bisping will end this fight quickly.
UFC 75 Prediction : Michael Bisping

Mirko Cro Cop vs Cheick Kongo
Cheik Kongo is coming off a big win and Mirko Cro Cop is coming off a big loss. These are two of the best strikers in the UFC heavyweight division, so don't expect a ground battle. Until I saw Cheik's last fight I would have suggested that Mirko could take Cheick down and finish the fight there, but Kongo has good submission defence, in fact I might even give him the edge on the ground. Mirko is coming off that loss and I expect him to be a bit tentative (see his first two fights post Kevin Randleman as a point of reference). Still, I have to give Mirko the nod in this fight. Juist because he has more MMA experience.
UFC 75 Prediction : Mirko Cro Cop

Houston Alexander vs Alessio Sakara
Sakara has a win over Elvis Sinosic by decision, a loss to Dean Lister by submission and a loss to Drew McFedries by TKO. In contrast, Houston Alexander has a big win over Keith Jardine. While I have respect for Elvis Sinisic's abilities, he's not as tough as Keith Jardine. I think that Houston Alexander will probably win this one. Of course, take into consideration that I've only seen one of Houston Alexander's fights and that ended in 48 seconds.
UFC 75 Prediction : Houston Alexander.

Tomasz Drwal vs Thiago Silva
This should be a quick fight. Both are KO specialists with a history of first round knock outs. With only one loss between them it is difficult to pick the winner. I guess I need to side with Silva given that he has some (although brief) UFC experience. He has a victory over James Irvin, but due to a knee injury and it was in the first round.
UFC 75 Prediction : Thiago Silva

Marcus Davis vs Paul Taylor
I'll be completely honest, I know almost nothing about Paul Taylor. He has an 8-1 record, but I have no idea what shows he's been in or against who. Marcus Davis on the other hand is 11-3 and this will be his 6th UFC experience. Taylor has wins over Pete Spratt, Shonie Carter, Jason Tan and a loss to Melvin Guillard. Given the level of opposition that Davis has had (and survived against) I'll give the nod to him.
UFC 75 Prediction: Marcus Davis

Gleison Tibau vs Terry Etim
As I move through this card I become less and less familiar with the fighters invovled. Gleison Tibau has a 14 - 4 - 0 MMA record including a 2nd round TKO loss to Nick Diaz and a 1st round submission victory over Jeff Cox. Gleison has gone 3 in a row since Diaz. Terry Etim won his fight at UFC 70 in Manchester by Choke. This is a tough decision for me, but I'm going to take Etim, from what I saw at UFC 70 he overcame some serious pressure before pulling out the victory.

more UFC 75 Predictions to come...

UFC 74 is being held on August 25th and features two big matches. Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga and
Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck. Before I give my UFC 74 Predictions, here is the UFC 74 Fight Card

Main Event:

UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga

Undercard:

170 lbs.: Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
205 lbs.: Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. David Heath
155 lbs.: Marcus Aurelio vs. Clay Guida
155 lbs.: Roger Huerta vs. Alberto Crane
185 lbs.: Thales Leites vs. Ryan Jensen
185 lbs.: Kendall Grove vs. Patrick Cote
Heavy.: Frank Mir vs. Antoni Hardonk

I am going to move backward through this fight card, probably because I need more time to consider Gonzaga vs Couture

UFC 74 Predictions

Frank Mir vs. Antoni Hardonk
This appears to be the classic grappler (BJJ specialist) vs striker matchup. 4 years ago I would have given this one to Mir hands down. Nothing has changed. I believe Mir will take this to the ground and finish Hardonk.
Prediction : Frank Mir by submission.

Kendall Grove vs. Patrick Cote
Cote lookeds strong in his last outing (in the TKO organization), but Grove is coming off a big win of his own. I'll take Grove based on his all around game and recent performances. He's just more consistent.
Prediction : Kendall Grove

Thales Leites vs. Ryan Jensen
Some people have expressed concern over me giving predictions without justifying them. This is one of those cases. I think Thales Leites will win this fight. No justification...take it for what it's worth.
Prediction : Thales Leites

Roger Huerta vs. Alberto Crane
Huerta is too strong, too good.
Prediction : Roger Huerta

Marcus Aurelio vs. Clay Guida
Aurelio is a master of submissions, but Guida has proven that he can handle himself on the ground. I'm going to take Clay Guida in this fight. It could be fight of the night.
Prediction : Clay Guida

Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. David Heath
Babalu has suffered some setbacks recently, but I still believe he is one of the top 10-15 205 pounders in the world. He has his chance here to prove it, or move on.
Prediction : Renato “Babalu” Sobral

Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
I think there are only two fighters at 155 who can beat Joe Stevenson when he's on his game. BJ Penn and Sean Sherk. This is unfortunate news for Kurt Pellegrino.
Prediction : Joe Stevenson

Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
Josh Koscheck has the best takedowns of any welterweight (Matt Hughes included). He is also probably the best wrestler at 170. Kos also has shown that his standup fighting is much better than it was 2 years ago. With all that said, Georges St Pierre is the best welterweight in the world (sorry to the two Matt's, it's just my opinion). Kos won't be able to stand with Georges, taking him down is extrememly difficult and if he does he might get subbed. Looking for a TKO or guillotine finish here.
Prediction : Georges St Pierre

Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Youth vs experience, strength vs strategy, look at this fight any way you want; this is a tough fight to pick. On one hand, Gonzaga appears to be the future of heavyweight MMA, but I've declared that based mostly on one victory. A victory against one of the best strikers in MMA, but not against one of the most rounded fighters we've seen (Mirko Cro Cop).

To recap that fight, Gonzaga caught one of Mirko's leg kicks early, took him down and beat on him for about 3 1/2 minutes. The ref stood the fight up and Gonzaga shocked the world by KO'ing Mirko with a high kick to the head. Now, Randy isn't going to throw a leg kick at Mirko's mid section and won't be taken down so easily...as for that high kick, it's one of those things, could have happened to anybody, but it's a high risk move against a fighter like Randy Couture who'll put you on your back and make you pay for it.

As for Randy Couture, he's 44 years old, too small to be a heavyweight...but Never Ever count Randy Couture out. He's great at applying strategy. He's one of the best wrestlers in MMA and at 44 years old he's still learning. If there is a way for a 44 year old guy who walks around at 220 pounds to defeat Gabriel Gonzaga, Randy will find it.

I picked Tim Sylvia to defeat Randy Couture, big mistake on my part. Gabriel Gonzaga is closer in style to Ricco Rodriguez than Tim Sylvia though and Randy had big trouble with Ricco. Still, I have to go with the sentimental favourite, but I woudn't put any money on this fight

Prediction : Randy Couture

That's it for my UFC 74 Predictions. Don't forget to come back for UFC 74 Results

Am I the only one bouncing back and forth between picking Gabriel Gonzaga and Randy Couture in their upcoming match on August 25th. For ever big match, the UFC media machine seems to promote the lesser known fighter to make a match seem more even...it's just good business sense. You see the video over and over again of the elbows to Cro Cop, then that big head kick and Mirko going limp. The question as usual is this; "is Gabriel Gonzaga really that good?".

I'm still leaving my official prediction as Randy Couture, but it's hard to ignore Gonzaga's strength with stories like Dana White is telling about him slamming an everlast bag and the bag bursting.

So, anyone want to volunteer their predictions for UFC 74?

Jardine vs Liddell has been scheduled for UFC 76 in Anaheim California. Liddell and Jardine are both coming off of devastating first round TKO losses.

Chuck Liddell was the victim of a perfectly placed punch by Quinton Jackson, followed up by some aggressive ground and pound to finish off the former light heavyweight champion.

The "Dean of Mean", Keith Jardine was basically mugged by UFC newcoming Houston Alexander in the first round of their matchup. Before the beatdown, Jardine was getting close to a title shot, now he finds himself back in the mix of one of MMA's strongest divisions.

Also on the UFC 76 card will be Pride standout and UFC newcoming Mauricio "Shogun" Rua who will face Forrest Griffin.

I guess this is where the reality show rubber hits the road with 205's best reality show prospects going up with two fighters who are definitely top 5 material. This should be an outstanding card.

My early prediction is wins by both Liddell and Shogun, but this is MMA and anything can happen. One thing I can predict with near certainty is that one of these four fighters will be the next in line for a title shot against the winner of Rampage Jackson and Dan Henderson. If both Liddell and Shogun are victorious (as I expect them to be), I wonder who Dana White will grant the title shot to?

For more UFC 76 predictions and more UFC predictions in general, check back here as the fights draw closer.

Background : Tito Ortiz faces undefeated Rashad Evans at UFC 73 on Saturday July 9th.

This weekend I did a bit of camping and as things sometimes do, the talk turned to fighting. A lot of people were asking me what I thought about Tito vs Rashad next weekend. The people I was camping with are mostly fairly new MMA fans and although a couple of them have started training with some BJJ and kickboxing most of them weren't watching MMA when Tito Ortiz was fighting Frank Shamrock instead of Ken Shamrock.

The general consensus among these relatively new MMA fans is that Rashad is an "animal" who will easily defeat Tito. With the memory of Rashad Evans KO'ing Sean Salmon fresh in their memories and Tito loosing to Chuck Liddell there as well, who can blame them?

I decided to throw my viewpoint into the ring and see what they had to say about it. My viewpoint is that Tito has only lost to the very best in the sport (if you exclude his early career loss to Guy M). Tito has lost to Frank Shamrock (a fight he was dominating until he ran out of gas), to Randy Couture and twice to Chuck Liddell.

Considering that Shamrock retired as champion (he's now fighting again in EliteXC), Liddell held the title for 3 years and Randy is a legend with titles in two weight classes; I don't think Tito has done too badly.

Tito is a good wrestler, but more importantly, if Tito puts you on your back you are in danger. I've seen a bunch of postings on UFCJunkie.com (in the comments sections) of how Tito won't be able to lay and pray on Rashad. I can't remember the last fight where Tito layed and prayed. Tito has one of the most active ground games out there. From top position Tito can land hard punches and elbows from full guard, something a lot of fighters have trouble doing). For those who accuse Tito of laying and praying, dig up some old tapes and watch Tito against Forrest (round 1), Tito against Elvis, Tanner or Ken Shamrock...

Now, let's get Rashad his due, he has done very well and is undefeated, but look at who he's faced. The only big name on his list is Stephan Bonner. Bonner is tough, no doubt, but he hasn't exactly risen to the top of the division.

We'll see who's right on Saturday night. I personally think that Tito Ortizwill defeat Rashad Evans...but as they say, anything can happen...that's why they hold the fight.

UFC 73 Prediction : Tito Ortiz

BJ Penn vs Jens Pulver
BJ Penn. If you need to know more, see my Ultimate Fighter Finale fight card post.
Predicition : BJ Penn

Roger Huerta vs Doug Evans
Huerta looked so good in his fight with Garcia that I just need to pick him to win this fight
Prediction : Roger Huerta

Floyd Sword vs Thales Leites
Prediction : Thales Leites

Brandon Melendez vs Joe Lauzon
I liked both of these guys from season 5, however Melendez had a lot of trouble making wieght and Joe looked pretty good throughout the season (as well as holding a win over Jens Pulver).

Andy Wang vs Cole Miller
If I were just looking at talent, I might just pick Andy Wang in this fight. However during season 5, Andy just refused to take his fight to the ground (where he is best). If he keeps it standing, he will lose. If it goes to the ground, it's anyones fight.
Prediction : Cole Miller

Rob Emerson vs Gray Maynard
Rob Emerson had two tough fights and I can see why the UFC has brought him back for the finale. Gray Maynard was just an animal though. If Emerson lets his hands go, I think he can KO Maynard, but overall I think that Maynard is the better fighter.
Prediction : Gray Maynard

Allen Berube vs Leonard Garcia
I like seeing Leonard Garcia getting another chance in the UFC. His fight with Roger Huerta was an instant classic. I'm guessing that the fight will end with Berube gassing out and Garcia submitting him.
Prediction : Leonard Garcia

Brian Geraghty vs Matt Wiman
Another decent fight, but in the end Matt Wiman is too strong for Geraghty.
Prediction : Matt Wiman

UFC 72 is two days away (June 16, 2007)

Let's start off with the UFC 72 Fight Card as it sits right now (from the official UFC 72 web site).

Rich Franklin vs Yushin Okami
Hector Ramirez vs Forrest Griffin
Rory Singer vs Jason MacDonald
Clay Guida vs Tyson Griffin
Jason Tan vs Marcus Davis
Tom Murphy vs Jake O'Brien
Eddie Sanchez vs Colin Robinson
Scott Smith vs Ed Herman
Dustin Hazelett vs Stevie Lynch

Now, I believe that Jake O'Brien is out of this card, but I might be wrong.

There are two things worth noting about the UFC 72 fight card. First, there are no title fights on the card. This is a bit of a disappointment, but still there are some worthy fights on this card.

Let's start off with my prediction for Rich Franklin vs Yusin Okami:

Most of the fans who read this page are familiar with Rich Franklin. For those of you who aren't, Rich has an excellent stand up game and heavy hands (try to forget his loss to Anderson Silva). Rich is also comfortable on the ground, but mostly in the top position.

Yushin Okami has an impressive resume, but has yet to face a fighter like Rich Franklin (you can also forget about Okami's victory over current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. That was a DQ victory, very early in the fight. Most of Okami's victories are by strikes, which makes this an excellent match up with Franklin.

I'm going to give the edge in this fight to Franklin, just based on the experience factory (not total fights, but who he's fought). In either case, I don't think this will be a quick or easy fight.

Prediction: Rich Franklin

Hector Ramirez vs Forrest Griffin
What can I say. I will not pick Forrest against anybody but a top 5 fighter at light heavyweight. I don't think Ramirez is a top 5, so my pick goes to Forrest Griffin.

Rory Singer vs Jason MacDonald
I like both of these fighters as well, but again it's a matter of who they've fought. I'm going to take Jason MacDonald in this fight.

Clay Guida vs Tyson Griffin
As I said in a previous post, it's going to be a great fight, but I'm leaning toward Tyson Griffin.
Prediction : Tyson Griffin

Jason Tan vs Marcus Davis
Prediction : Marcus Davis

Eddie Sanchez vs Colin Robinson
Prediction : Eddie Sanchez

Scott Smith vs Ed Herman
Prediction : Ed Herman

UFC 72 from Belfast Ireland is this Saturday (June 16). One of the fights that I'm looking forward to most on this card is Tyson Griffin vs Clay Guida. These are two guys who leave it all in the cage. They both come in to fights in great shape and go 100% to the final bell. Both fighters are coming off losses and will be hungry for a big win to put them back in the mix at 155.

Griffin is the stronger of the two, and I believe he has the better stand up. Guida seems to have slightly better cardio and that might be to his advantage in a long grueling fight. This is a tough one to pick a winner for and on any given day I might change my mind. If I have to pick one, I'll pick Tyson Griffin by TKO.

UFC 72 Prediction : Tyson Griffin by TKO over Clay Guida

Remember, I'll post my complete UFC 72 Predictions later tonight

Yep, you read the title right. Forrest Griffin is looking forward to testing his chin this Saturday. That is a little surprising considering that Forrest got beaten badly in his last outing by Keith Jardine. Of course, that's what makes Forrest a great fighter and exciting to watch.

The following quote is from UFC.com and outlines exactly what Forrest is made of:

“We’ll see how this fight goes and I would really like to take some solid shots from Hector and be fine,” he says matter of factly. “I’ve had a lot of people hitting me as hard as s**t, and I would like for that to happen in this fight.”

Cool, we can all look forward to Forrest Griffin vs Hector Ramirez being a classic Griffin battle! The two wage war at UFC 72 this Saturday (June 16th).

I for one am predicting a Forrest Griffin Victory.

Check out my UFC 72 Predictions for other predictions on the event. I plan on posting the predictions later tonight.