UFC 154: St. Pierre vs. Condit Predictions

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit: Such a fun fight! I am a huge GSP fan and I am so happy he has recovered from that horrific injury. I am very nervous he will not be the same fighter he was before but he did everything a human can possibly do to recover from a knee injury. Carlos Condit has finally put it altogether and has reached his peak. He is a smart, calculated and intense fighter who is very well rounded. But here is the big issue for me. Condit’s takedown defense has always been his weakest point in his game. GSP arguably has the best double leg takedown in MMA. I think Condit has the best chance to beat GSP in over 5 years but I think the safest bet is GSP smothering Condit and staying out of Condit’s deadly submission game. I like both of these guys but I would hate to see GSP comeback just to lose and I have a fear he might retire if he does. I’ll be watching this one while covering my eyes with my hands. = GSP by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Martin Kampmann vs. Johny Hendricks: This fight is the hardest for me to pick. I have picked against Kampmann in his last two fights and in both of those fights Kampmann was getting destroyed and then won with barely anytime on the clock. Those were two crazy fights. I feel like picking against Kampmann again but with the obvious fear the same will happen. I have no idea what to do. Hendricks should be able to destroy Kampmann in the wrestling department but sometimes can be stubborn because he wants the KO so badly. I just see this fight being a grinding win for Hendricks by out wrestling the dangerous Kampmann. But my warning to you all is do not stop watching this fight because Kampmann is the king of comebacks. = Hendricks by unanimous decision.

Francis Carmont vs. Tom Lawlor: I have been very impressed with Carmont. He looked great in his last fight against Vemola. Lawlor looked good in his last fight as well. However, Lawlor has always relied on his size and strength advantage but I think that will not be a factor in this fight. Carmont is a huge dude and I think he will be able to out grapple Lawlor for the win. = Carmont by unanimous decision.

Mark Hominick vs. Pablo Garza: I love Mark Hominick. Watching him put up that valiant effort against Jose Aldo live and in person at UFC 129 earned my respect for life. On paper Hominick is a better fighter. His technique is much better and can handle himself on the ground. But Hominick’s chin is gone. It is completely gone and Garza has enough power to KO Hominick and I think he will. = Garza by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Mark Bocek: I have said this before and I will say it again RDA is the most underrated fighter in the UFC. He is amazing in every aspect of MMA and continues to get better. Bocek’s ground game is superb but his overall game is not good enough to handle RDA. RDA has striking many levels above Bocek’s and his wrestling is better too. I see RDA fighting a very smart fight and totally dominating this. I’m big on Bocek too but he won’t be able to take this one. = RDA by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Patrick Cote vs. Alessio Sakara: This fight should be a blast to watch. Both of these guys always keep it standing and look for the finish. This is an absolute repeat of the Hominick vs. Garza fight. Sakara is a better fighter. Sakara’s standup is world class but the same issue is that his chin is done and Cote definitely has to power to turn his lights off. = Cote by TKO in round 2.

Cyrille Diabate vs. Chad Griggs: This is such a weird fight to me. But Cyrille’s standup is so much fun to watch and Griggs can put on a good show as well. Griggs has an ugly style of fighting and Cyrille has a slick and quick style. We will see who can keep their style going. Can Cyrille keep Griggs at a distance and execute his precision fighting? Or will Griggs make it ugly and land that lucky punch? I see Griggs rocking Cyrille and finishing it on the ground = Griggs by TKO in round 3.

Sam Stout vs. John Makdessi: This should be an awesome fight to watch. Sam Stout definitely should take this with his superior technique and overall game. Makdessi has good standup but in the end Stout should be able to take the decision. I think Stout should take it to the ground because Makdessi’s ground game is not good and Stout’s is good enough to dominant there. = Stout by unanimous decision.

Antonio Carvalho vs. Rodrigo Damm = Carvalho by TKO in round 2. (Interview with Carvalho here)

John Maguire vs. Matt Riddle = Maguire by unanimous decision.

Azamat Gashimov vs. Ivan Menjivar = Menjivar by 3^rd round submission.

Darren Elkins vs. Steven Siler = Siler by 2^nd round submission. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit: Finally, the return of the most dominant champion in the UFC’s welterweight division’s history. I honestly don’t know how I feel about this fight, and I honestly don’t know how it might go. After being gone since April of 2010, GSP will undoubtedly have a bad case of ring rust, especially considering that he is coming off of a horrible knee injury. Even though Condit hasn’t fought in a while either, February of 2012, he will certainly be very loose and ready for war. Of course, the question at the center of this fight is how will GSP’s leg be during the fight after taking leg kicks and going in for takedowns? Condit is certainly the man to test the former as he landed the most leg kicks in UFC history in his last fight with Nick Diaz. When GSP goes in for takedowns, my guess is that he will be much slower than he typically is. He won’t have the same explosive power as he did before, at least for now. Condit also has the agility and elusiveness to avoid the takedowns. Even if GSP can get the takedown, Condit will constantly be attempting submissions from the bottom. Also on the feet, Condit will be the more powerful and technical fighter. You know, as I keep talking about this fight, the more I’m starting to feel as though Condit will win. Sure he’ll most likely lose a round or two but he certainly has a lot more going for him than GSP does going for  him = Condit via unanimous decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Martin Kampmann vs. Johny Hendricks: This is the fight that I am most excited for. I feel as though this could very well possibly be one of the best fights of the year. Johny Hendricks shocked the world with his 12 second KTFO of Jon Fitch, a fight in which he was a hefty, hefty underdog in. Kampmann on the other hand has been looking both good and bad. He keeps on losing fights, but coming back and finishing his opponents. And I mean like really losing fights. Thiago Alves was easily on his way to a unanimous decision victory when Kampmann pulled out a guillotine with 30 seconds left. Jake Ellenberger had rocked Kampmann just a few seconds into their fight. And I was shocked it wasn’t stopped during Ellenberger’s barrage of ground and pound. I can’t tell if Kampmann has been looking bad or good. Hendricks certainly looked questionable in his bout with Koscheck, a fight in which could have been scored either way. I feel as though this fight will go the same as the last two Kampmann fights: rocked and losing, end up winning = Kampmann via 2^nd round guillotine choke. My pick for SOTN! My 1^st pick for FOTN!

Francis Carmont vs. Tom Lawlor: I am very intrigued by this middleweight scrap. Carmont has a lot of hype surrounding him and has a lot of potential to back it up. But that’s only potential. He has yet to really show me that he is ready for the big test that everyone wants him to fight. I will admit, I do think he will win this fight, but is he truly as good as his nickname, “Limitless”, states. It is very possible. He will definitely make it far in this sport and challenge for the title in the coming years. But how will he do against a guy like Tom Lawlor, who brings in a strong wrestling background? That is why I am so excited to see this fight. I can’t wait to see what Carmont can do against a vet. He needs to keep it standing and utilize his superior size and reach to eventually finish Lawlor = Carmont via 3^rd round submission (choke).

Mark Hominick vs. Pablo Garza: Oh how far Hominick has fallen, but so has Garza. People, including myself, started to feel as though Garza was the next big thing at featherweight. I still personally feel as though he has a lot of potential. Hominick is showing an increasingly weaker chin after each fight and Garza has the ability to capitalize on that. He has great reach, power, and technique; a deadly combination for a guy with a questionable chin. The other problem is that if Hominick is hurt and goes for a takedown, he could fall straight into a triangle and be submitted. I want to go with Hominick, but I just can’t, Garza has too much in his favor = Garza via 3^rd round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Mark Bocek: This is easily the hardest fight to predict. These are two of the most underrated fighters in the UFC today. They constantly prove their doubters wrong and the doubters don’t stop. I have always felt as though Dos Anjos could be a future champion: power, world class grappling, brawling fight style, and lots of heart. Look at the fights he’s lost in the UFC, he was beating Stephens until a great comeback for Jeremy, he was beating Clay Guida until Guida started to crush his already broken jaw and a razor thin split decision loss to Gleison Tibau. His only loss where he didn’t look all that great was his second UFC fight with Tyson Griffin where he lost a unanimous decision. Bocek has been in a similar boat. The Canadian has only lost to some of the top lightweights in the world: Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, and Ben Henderson. There is nothing to be ashamed of in those losses, except Mac Danzig. But in this fight, they are both primarily grapplers, fantastic BJJ. Dos Anjos has the more aggressive submission style while Bocek is very methodical in his movements. But I have a feeling they will cancel out each other’s ground game. And that leaves the standup. Dos Anjos has a drastic advantage in that category and that’s where he will take this fight = Dos Anjos via unanimous decision.

Prelims

Patrick Cote vs. Alessio Sakara: This fight has all the makings for a Fight of the Night. They always love to slug it out and go for the knockout. I really like both these guys which is what makes me hate making this pick. Sakara has been a fan favorite for years, but his chin is quite obviously deteriorating at a rapid pace. Cote has a granite chin. Two guys who swing for the fences plus a guy with a granite chin plus a guy with a weak chin = Cote via 1^st round KO. My 2^nd pick for FOTN!

Cyrille Diabate vs. Chad Griggs: I think this move to 205 pounds was brilliant for Chad Griggs. He was a fun heavyweight but was always very small. Now with this cut down, he will look lean and finally fight someone closer to his size. Diabate has amazing kickboxing but Griggs has capability to turn this fight into an all-out brawl. I envision a takedown for Griggs and lots of ground and pound = Griggs via 3nd round TKO.

Sam Stout vs. John Makdessi: I really don’t like this fight and here is why: I see a lot of promise in Makdessi and want him to be moved at the right pace and Sam Stout has been a stable mate at 155 in the UFC for years now. Makdessi is on a two fight losing streak and Stout is coming off of a win. Stout will easily win this and Makdessi will be released soon after = Stout via unanimous decision. 

Antonio Carvalho vs. Rodrigo Damm = Carvalho via 1^st round KO. (Interview with Carvalho here)

John Maguire vs. Matt Riddle = Maguire via unanimous decision.

Azamat Gashimov vs. Ivan Menjivar = Menjivar via 3^rd round submission.

Darren Elkins vs. Steven Siler = Siler via split decision.

CR Exclusive Interview with Antonio Carvalho

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

Antonio Carvalho could very well be the most underrated fighter in the UFC’s featherweight division, if not all of the UFC, or even MMA. He came in against the young Felipe Arantes as a small favorite at UFC 142. He ended up losing a decision in a very underwhelming performance. Some people still saw some potential to do damage at 145 and others lost interest and didn’t expect much.

The former was right, and oh how right they were.

Antonio Carvalho went into his fight with Daniel Pineda at UFC 149 as a hefty underdog. Almost everyone thought that Pineda would easily run through Carvalho, including us here at CR. “Pato” quickly turned the tide in only 71 seconds as he knocked him out with a beautiful kick followed by a barrage of ground-and-pound. Carvalho became a very interesting contender at 145, and certainly a dark horse at 145.

His next fight is at UFC 154 in Montreal against TUF: Brazil standout in Rodrigo Damm. He sat down with us for an interview talking about his UFC career, his upcoming fight, and his personal heroes.

Check it out:

Championship Rounds: So your next fight is against Rodrigo Damm at UFC 154 in Montreal. Talk about this fight. How has training camp been going?

Antonio Carvalho: I haven't officially started my camp. At the moment, I am fixing up my techniques and trying to add some new ones that I hope to have ready come November 17th. Also, I’m still having fun training in a Gi and sparring with my students as well. It's important to have some fun prior to starting a camp. It's easy to burn out in this sport. As far as the fight, Rodrigo is a very tough veteran of this sport. Like me, he has travelled all over the globe and fought some of the best out there. Not to mention, he looked really impressive in his last fight as a featherweight. This division seems to be a good fit for him.

CR: Where do you believe your strengths matchup the best with Damm's weaknesses?

AC: I think we match up quite well in general. He is very strong on the mat and has good wrestling. He has also been working on his striking a lot recently and constantly improving. Truth is, though, I don't know where I will be stronger. That's why I like this fight. It intrigues me because I really don't know what he will try and do. I can only prepare for everything and hope for the best result.

CR: How will the home field advantage play into this next fight?

AC: I think for me, it will be the fact that I won't be changing time zones. He will. He will need to get to Montreal early enough to acclimatize himself. That said, like me, he is a veteran and used to fighting abroad. So that may or may not play a factor. One way or another, right off the bat, things will be more difficult for him. I certainly respect anyone who comes into someone else's backyard to fight.

CR: You were a sizable underdog going into your last fight with Daniel Pineda, how does the underdog status affect you?

AC: I'm kind of used to the underdog status. I am pretty inconsistent with my performances so I can see why I am often counted out. If anything, being the underdog motivates me. Then again, I always see myself as an underdog anyways. So that never bugs me.

CR: Was the plan to KO Pineda or try and get it to the ground?

AC: I went in there expecting everything from him. So I prepared everywhere. It just so happened that my striking was sharper then his that night and I caught him. I was very fortunate to get the win that night.

CR: So how come your UFC debut was so much more lackluster than the one that followed, which wasn't anything short of spectacular?

AC: Sometimes, things simply don't fall into place. I did the best I could that night and it wasn't good enough. I took that loss as a learning experience and came back stronger. I hope to keep that momentum going and stay on a winning path.

CR: What inspired you to become a mixed martial artist?

AC: Actually, I just wanted to be a martial artist and do martial arts. I really didn't get into martial arts thinking I was going to fight professionally. It just kind of came up one day and my old coach figured I should try it out. Once I tried it though, I knew I wanted to do it again. So now I have been at it for almost a decade now!

CR: On UFC.com, Darren Uyenoyama has you listed as one of his heroes. I'm curious, is there any story behind that?

AC: Really?! Darren is my hero too! Actually, myself, Darren and Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen come from the Japanese circuits and that is where we all met. We all learned from each other and influenced each other in some way shape or form.

I am quite humbled that he feels that way about me. I feel the same way about him. He is a great friend and I am happy he is both successful in and out of the cage.

CR: Thanks again Antonio! We will be cheering for you!

AC: Thanks! Cheers!

Thanks again to Antonio and we wish him the best of luck in his upcoming fight! Make sure you guys go follow him on Twitter @AntonioPatoMMA and support him at UFC 154.

Don't Look Past These Guys: UFC Dark Horses

As the UFC continues to add to their already dense roster, there are a lot of mid-tier fighters that are being overlooked and not being given the respect they deserve. Every division has several dark horse title contenders and several constant underdogs.

These guys are starting to prove to us that they aren’t who we really think they are, but actually a force to be reckoned with. I have personally chosen my dark horse title contenders in who I believe will be challenging for the title as everyone else overlooks them.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

Heavyweight: Stefan Struve -  “Skyscraper” is really starting to find his grove in the MMA world. After his KO loss to Travis Browne at UFC 130, people started to write him off as a wasted talent.  People knew he had an immense amount of potential, but we never saw it come into fruition, until now. 

After his loss to Browne, he decided he is now going to fight smart. Fight IQ has been his biggest opponent since his UFC debut against Junior dos Santos. With extremely slick BJJ and technical striking, Struve has what it takes to be a future champion, but his chin has been saying otherwise.

Now riding a 3 fight win streak against Pat Barry, Dave Herman, and Lavar Johnson, he’s looking for a rematch with the champ but he’ll have to get through top heavyweight prospect in Stipe Miocic.

Photo via MMAWeekly.com

Light Heavyweight: James Te Huna – This New Zealand born knockout artist has been making statement after statement in the UFC. With a record of 4-1 under the UFC banner, with his only loss to title contender Alexander Gustafsson, he is riding a 3 fight win streak with wins over Ricardo Romero, Aaron Rosa, and a fight of the year candidate against Joey Beltran, including a TKO win over Igor Pokrajac in his UFC debut.

Not a lot of people are talking about Te Huna and the title picture, but that time is certainly coming sooner, rather than later.

With immense KO power in his hands that also hold technical prowess, Te Huna may be the next guy to beat at 205, and I see a top-10 opponent in his next fight.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

Middleweight: Francis Carmont – Training out of a place like Tristar gym can get you immediate attention, especially when you’re an up and comer, but there is one man that is starting to hog the spotlight from the other up and comers. His name is Francis “Limitless” Carmont and this 30-year-old Frenchman is really starting to turn some heads, and showing that his nickname is rather apt.

Although his standup is not technically sound, but rather powerful, his ground game is his bread and butter. With 19 professional wins with 10 by submission, he is the type of fighter where you want to avoid his ground game.

After coming off a spectacular submission win over Karlos Vemola, who is a Czech national wrestling champion, Carmont is looking to take a step up in competition against the charismatic, Tom Lawlor. If he passes, he could be looking at a top-15 or even top-10 opponent.

Photo via MMA Sun

 Welterweight: John Hathaway – At only 25 years old, Hathaway has a ton of time to improve his all around game, which is quite scary considering he has already beaten Diego Sanchez (who was coming off of a title shot), Rick Story, and Paul Taylor. His only loss is to Mike Pyle, who absolutely dominated the fight, but that is simply a learning experience for the young Hathaway.

Following his two lackluster bouts with Pyle and Kris McCray, Hathaway made a strong comeback against submission specialist, Pascal Krauss as UFC on Fox 3.

This young man has an insane amount of potential and it has yet to be tapped into, perhaps we will see it against John Maguire on September 29^th.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

Lightweight: Tim Means – This one might come as a surprise to many. Tim Means has only had two fights in the UFC and against relative unknowns in Justin Salas and Bernardo Magalhaes. But, don’t be mistaken, Tim Means is immensely talented. His standup is insanely accurate and his takedown defense is great. His finishing ability is also fantastic as he has 13 (T)KO, 3 submission, and only 2 decision wins. His crazy reach and height can’t hurt either and Tim Means is continuing to make a name.

Although his next fight is against UFC debutant, and relative unknown, Abel Trujillo, Tim Means deserves recognition and with a win over Trujillo, he may finally receive some.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

Featherweight: Antonio Carvalho – Going into UFC 149, Carvalho was expected to be rather easily disposed of by Daniel Pineda. It didn’t exactly go that way. Carvalho blitzed Pineda and knocked him out with a beautiful head kick followed by a barrage of punches in only 71 seconds. Although this only makes him 1-1 in the UFC, this win showed that he clearly had a bad case of the UFC jitters heading into his fight with Felipe Arantes.For a guy who is known for his ground game, Carvalho’s standup looked pretty fantastic against Pineda. 

Believe it or not, Carvalho actually has a win over Hatsu Hioki back in 2007. Even though it was only a split decision, a win is a win and that win is huge. If Antonio Carvalho can continue to look as good as he did against Pineda, we are looking at a potential champion at 145.

Photo via MMAWeekly.com

Bantamweight: Alex Caceres – Alex Caceres, or otherwise known as Bruce Leeroy, has looked great since his drop down to 135. After losing his first two bouts to Mackens Semerzier and Jimy Hettes in the UFC, he decided it was time for another drop. And it’s done wonders.

He won his bantamweight debut against former WEC featherweight champion in Cole Escovedo, and he won dominantly. He ended up losing his next fight to Edwin Figueroa, but it was highly controversial and it was a bizarre fight overall. He ended up easily submitting former WEC star, Damacio Page, in the second round with a triangle choke. With his extremely well rounded MMA game, Alex Caceres is one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC today.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

Flyweight: Chris Cariaso – Cariaso is another one of those fighters that simply hasn’t received enough praise. The guy is a very good fighter. His ground game is strong and his standup is underrated. With wins over Takeya Mizugaki, Vaughan Lee, Will Campuzano, Josh Ferguson, and a very close fight with a top-5 bantamweight in Michael McDonald, Cariaso is for real.

I think his fight with McDonald truly speaks to his skill. That fight was extremely close throughout the fight and Cariaso had a huge disadvantage in the size category, giving up 5 inches in height. He stayed in there with McDonald and actually won some of the standup.

After his successful 125 pound debut against Josh Ferguson, Cariaso is just one win away from a title shot. He has what it takes to really give any 125er a run for their money.

UFC 149: Barao vs. Faber Prelim Recap

Ryan Jimmo celebrating his win over Anthony Perosh
Photo by Fighters.com

This event started off with some of the best prelims we have had in some time and it was capped off by one of the worst PPV main cards that the UFC has ever had. Not only this, but Dave and I had our worst prediction night since starting CR. Weird night but let’s head into the recap.

Anton Kuivanen vs. Mitch Clarke: This surprisingly turned out to be an awesome fight, mainly on the ground. Kuivanen and Clarke battled back and forth for the better part of 3 rounds in a closely contested fight. I ended up scoring the bout for Kuivanen, 29-28, but the second round truly could have gone either way, leading to the split decision. With Clarke now going 0-2, my guess is that he will be released.

Possible matchups for Kuivanen: This win didn’t do much in adding to his stock but it was an entertaining fight and he showed that he can hang with a talented grappler. It’s hard looking for a fight with a guy like Kuivanen but the one that makes the most sense is one with Rafaello Oliviera. “The Tractor” just won a close decision win over Yoislandy Izquierdo, putting him in a similar spot as Kuivanen.

Antonio Carvalho vs. Daniel Pineda: Carvalho came out in this fight looking to put his first UFC loss behind him with a win over the tenacious Daniel Pineda. He did so in just 71 seconds with a beautifully set up combo that put Pineda out.

Possible matchups for Carvalho: This guy looked amazing out there. He came out very calm, which was something that he lacked in his fight with Arantes. He was very robotic and clunky in his striking with Felipe and this time around, he was smooth and relaxed. With a win over a guy like Pineda, who a lot of people were considering to be one of the next big things at 145 pounds, Carvalho has shown he deserves a step up. The former WEC featherweight champion looked very good in his win over Pineda himself. A win over Mike Brown would be a huge feather in the cap of Carvalho.

Possible matchups for Pineda: Losing two in row in the UFC is never good, but Pineda still has potential. He deserves a rebound fight and Cody McKenzie is coming off a quick TKO loss himself at the hands of Chad Mendes. Pineda should rather easily dispatch of him.

Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon: This fight was FOTN for a reason, Gagnon came out hard and quick and nearly finished Caraway in the first two rounds with some brutal knees. Caraway showed that he is a solid vet as he came back to submit Gagnon in the closing frame after Mitch had visibly slowed down dramatically.

Possible matchups for Caraway: Caraway clearly needs to work on his standup, he’s tough but is capable of being finished. His ground game is fantastic and he is a very experienced guy. Matt Grice just came off a very impressive win over Leonard Garcia, a fight in which he really showed off his wrestling ability. They are in similar spots in their career and a win would catapult either fighter into the mid-tier range of 145 pounds.

Possible matchups for Gagnon: Gagnon had a bad case of the UFC jitters as he gassed out hard after the first round. But before that, he was looking good. With his first UFC fight under his belt, his gas tank will most likely be much better in his sophomore UFC fight. Fellow 149 loser Roland Delorme is coming off a devastating first round KO loss at the hands of Francisco Rivera. A bout between them would definitely be an exciting fight wherever it goes, and a competitive one at that.

Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh: One punch can end your night and sometimes, the first one will do just that. Jimmo threw one punch and ended Perosh’s 3-fight win streak in just 7 seconds.

Possible matchups for Jimmo: You can’t do much better in a UFC debut than what Jimmo did on Saturday. After being unfairly criticized for being too boring, he put his naysayers to bed with one big overhand right. Jimmo has the ability to be solid fighter at 205. Chad Griggs has yet to make his 205 debut and a fight between them would be fun and the winner would deserve a big step up in competition.

Possible matchups for Perosh: At 40 years old, “The Hippo” has to be considering retirement by now, but if he isn’t, he could fight the loser of Jorden Kruth and Fabio Maldonado and would make sense; considering they are all in similar spots in their careers as Perosh.

Francisco Rivera vs. Roland Delorme: Rivera looked like a title contender out there. He had pinpoint accuracy, powerful knees and punches, and a lot of speed to top it off. Rivera looked like he had some of the best standup at 135 pounds. Delorme is not an easy guy to finish and Rivera seemed to have done it with ease.

Possible matchups for Rivera: Rivera looked absolutely outstanding in his win over Delorme. The question still remains about Rivera, how has his ground game come along since his submission loss to Reuban Duran? He looked like he is very ready for a step up in competition and a man who can test his ground game and be a step up is Ivan Menjivar. He just came off a loss to Mike Easton and they would put up an awesome fight.

Nick Ring vs. Court McGee: A lot of people following this fight are saying that McGee definitely won this fight but I actually scored it for Ring 29-28. It was really close, don’t get me wrong, I just thought that Nick Ring won that fight.

Possible matchups for Ring and McGee: With this fight technically being their 1^st (they fought during their time on The Ultimate Fighter) and the fact that it was very entertaining and super close, I wouldn’t mind seeing them duke it out again.

For the main card recap, click here.