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Dream 18 Special NYE 2012 Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Shinya Aoki vs.  Antonio McKee = McKee via split decision.

Hiroyuki Takaya vs.  Georgi Karakhanyan = Karakhanyan via unanimous decision.

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs.  Michihiro Omigawa = Kawajiri via 2^nd round TKO.

Satoru Kitaoka vs.  Will Brooks = Kitaoka via 1^st round submission.

Phil Baroni vs.  Hayato Sakurai = Sakurai via split decision.

Bibiano Fernandes vs.  Yoshiro Maeda = Fernandes via unanimous decision.

Melvin Manhoef vs.  Denis Kang = Manhoef via 2^nd round KO.
Marloes Coenen vs. Fiona Muxlow = Coenen via 1st round submission.

Dave’s Picks

Shinya Aoki vs.  Antonio McKee = Aoki by submission in round 2.

Hiroyuki Takaya vs.  Georgi Karakhanyan = Karakhanyan via unanimous decision.

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs.  Michihiro Omigawa = Kawajiri by split decision.

Satoru Kitaoka vs.  Will Brooks = Kitaoka by submission in round 1.

Phil Baroni vs.  Hayato Sakurai = Sakurai by unanimous decision.

Bibiano Fernandes vs.  Yoshiro Maeda = Fernandes by unanimous decision.

Melvin Manhoef vs.  Denis Kang = Manhoef by KO in round 1.
Marloes Coenen vs. Fiona Muxlow = Coenen by submission in round 1.

Cage Warriors 51 Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Conor McGregor vs. Ivan Buchinger = McGregor via split decision.

Chris Fields vs. Jesse Taylor = Taylor via unanimous decision.

Aisling Daly vs. Katja Kankaanpaa = Kankaanpaa via unanimous decision.

John Michael Sheil vs. Jack Mason = Mason via split decision.

Liam James vs. Alan Philpott = Philpott via 2^nd round submission.

Paul Redmond vs. Ryan Roddy = Roddy via 1^st round submission.

James Brum vs. Moktar Benkaci = Brum via unanimous decision.

Philip Mulpeter vs. Tommy Quinn = Quinn via split decision.

Charlie Watts vs. Henry Fadipe = Watts via 1^st round submission.

Dave’s Picks

Conor McGregor vs. Ivan Buchinger = McGregor by split decision.

Chris Fields vs. Jesse Taylor = Taylor by unanimous decision.

Aisling Daly vs. Katja Kankaanpaa = Daly by unanimous decision.

John Michael Sheil vs. Jack Mason = Mason by split decision.

Liam James vs. Alan Philpott = Philpott by split submission.

Paul Redmond vs. Ryan Roddy = Roddy by unanimous decision.

James Brum vs. Moktar Benkaci = Brum by split decision.

Philip Mulpeter vs. Tommy Quinn = Mulpeter by split decision.

Charlie Watts vs. Henry Fadipe = Watts by 1^st round submission.

Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Carla Esparza vs. Bec Hyatt: This fight has just turned into an even easier pick than before. Bec Hyatt was originally supposed to fight up-and-comer in Joanne Calderwood, in a fight that I was rather certain that Calderwood would win. Now that Hyatt has been given a title shot, Esparza should have a pretty easy time in winning the belt. She's just the more well rounded fighter, and especially better on the ground = Esparza via 1st round TKO. 

Shayna Baszler vs. Alexis Davis = Baszler via split decision.

Leslie Smith vs. Raquel Pennington = Smith via 1^st round TKO.

Amanda Nunes vs. Sarah D'Alelio = D'Alelio via 2nd round submission (RNC).

Ediene Gomes vs. Hiroko Yamanaka = Gomes via 1^st round TKO.

Joanne Calderwood vs. Livia von Plettenburg = Calderwood via 2nd round KO.

Prelims

Stephanie Frausto vs. Cassie Rodish = Frausto via 3^rd round submission.

Tamikka Brents vs. Amanda Bell = Brents via 3^rd round KO.

Jodie Esquibel vs. Liz McCarthy = Esquibel via unanimous decision.

Emily Kagan vs. Rose Namajunas = Namajunas via 2nd round TKO.

Paige VanZant vs. Tecia Torres = Torres via unanimous decision.

Veronica Rothenhausler vs. Katalina Malungahu = Rothenhausler via 1^st round KO.

 Laura Marcusse vs. Cassie Robb = Marcusse via unanimous decision.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Carla Esparza vs. Bec Hyatt = Esparza via unanimous decision.

Shayna Baszler vs. Alexis Davis = Baszler by unanimous decision.

Leslie Smith vs. Raquel Pennington = Smith by KO in round 1.

Amanda Nunes vs. Sarah D'Alelio = Nunes by TKO in round 2.

Ediane Gomes vs. Hiroko Yamanaka = Gomes by submission in round 2.

Joanne Calderwood vs. Livia von Plettenburg = Calderwood by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Stephanie Frausto vs. Cassie Rodish = Frausto by split decision.

Tecia Torres vs. Paige VanZant = Torres via unanimous decision. 

UFC 155: Dos Santos vs. Velasquez Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez: Man is this card insanely stacked. I seriously cannot wait for every single fight on this card. But for the main event, I’m having a lot of trouble picking this one. Well, I know who I’m going with but I’m not all that confident. Following their first fight on the first card on Fox, I felt as though dos Santos would be the Anderson Silva of the heavyweight division, but after Cain’s last fight with Bigfoot Silva, I don’t know. We all know that Velasquez came into their first fight with a really bad knee injury, but he still didn’t ever go in for the takedown, except one measly attempt. Junior’s takedown defense is insanely good; he hasn’t been taken down his whole UFC career. Cain has been saying that he will be going for the takedowns, which is a good thing to know, but how much has JDS’ already amazing takedown defense improved since their first encounter? How will JDS’ submission game look if Cain does get him to the ground? There are so many unknown variables heading into this main event, but I’m sticking with the man I went with back in November of last year = JDS via 3rd round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon: If you’re looking for a matchup that is bound for Fight of the Year, this is your fight. Believe it or not, but Lauzon has the most post-fight bonuses in UFC history. He has even more than Anderson Silva. Miller is a similar fighter in the fact that he always puts on great fights and is one of the toughest fighters in the UFC. Lauzon, who is coming off of a Fight of the Year candidate win over Jamie Varner, will always be looking for the submission. Miller is very well rounded, but is almost impossible to submit. Miller will be the stronger fighter and have the better striking. Miller is the man to go with = Miller via unanimous decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Tim Boetsch vs. Costa Philippou: This fight is another difficult one to predict. Now, I’m going to be completely honest, Tim Boetsch is not an elite fighter. His skills are mediocre, there’s no two ways about it. Costa has elite boxing, though many would probably disagree. Boetsch, though, has been showing crazy luck in his last fights with Okami and Lombard, with catching Okami and having Lombard come in injured. For Costa, after his debut against Nick Catone (which he took on very short notice), he has been lighting up the middleweight’s mid-tier fighters. It’s now time for his step up and he is going to make the most of it with superior striking and takedown defense = Philippou via unanimous decision.

Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher: Speaking of Yushin Okami, he will be re-matching Alan Belcher, looking to make it 2-0. The problem with that is Belcher is a completely different fighter since their first encounter. Ever since his horrible almost-career-ending injury, Belcher has been absolutely red hot, running through both Jason MacDonald and Rousimar Palhares. Okami has been a tad cold lately though, losing to Anderson Silva and Boetsch and then looking very lackluster against Buddy Roberts. Not a lot of people have been saying it but Okami’s career could be reaching its end while Belcher is just piquing. Belcher is the guy to go with = Belcher via 2^nd round TKO.

Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson: I haven’t seen the betting lines for this one, but I know that it’s going to be almost comically in favor for Leben. Don’t be mistaken though, Brunson has the fighting style to beat Leben: strong wrestling and smothering attack. The problem is the fact that Brunson has a questionable chin, and that isn’t something you want in a fight with Leben. I want to go with Brunson, but Leben is obviously the safer pick = Leben via 1^st round KO.

Prelims

Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland: BARNBURNER ALERT - This is the type of fight that makes me love Joe Silva on a creepy level. Brad Pickett has never been in a boring fight and Wineland is very similar and is looking to make a resurgence in his career. I’m guessing that a majority of this fight will take place on the feet, which will make it a speed vs. power striking match. Wineland has some of the best power at bantamweight and Pickett is lightning fast. Wineland has shown that he has trouble with speed in his fights with Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez. Speed is what is going to make a difference in this fight = Pickett via split decision. My 1^st pick for FOTN!

Erik Perez vs. Byron Bloodworth: This is a gimme fight for Perez. The UFC sees a ton of potential in him and they are going to make him 3-0 in the Octagon = Perez via 1^st round submission.

Jamie Varner vs. Melvin Guillard: Oh dear lord am I looking forward to this fight. Ever since Varner’s return to the UFC, he has looked great despite his loss to Lauzon, where he even had a lot of good moments. Guillard is the type of fighter that has shown tons of greatness in his fights but his ground game has always been his downfall. Varner has a great ground game and after an incredible slugfest, Varner will submit him with Guillard’s arch nemesis = Varner via 2nd round RNC. My 2^nd pick for FOTN! My pick for SOTN!

Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury: I don’t like this fight for two reasons. First, I wanted a big step up for Johnson after his last knockout win over Danny Castillo. Second, Jury has a ton of potential and this is not a good fight for him. Johnson is too big and strong. They are both very well rounded fighters but Johnson is better in all facets of MMA = Johnson via unanimous decision.

Phil de Fries vs. Todd Duffee: Ah, the return of the Duffman. I was both very surprised and extremely happy to hear of his return, but he hasn’t exactly been given an easy task. De Fries is a good fighter and is well rounded, but he has a questionable chin. Duffee has insane power and I see him finishing this fight early = Duffee via 1^st round KO.

John Moraga vs. Chris Cariaso: The fact that this fight is on Facebook prelims makes me enraged. This is a potential number one contender match! What is the UFC doing making this so basically no one watches it? Moraga is coming off of a stunning upset first round KO over Ulysses Gomez and Cariaso is coming off of a very dominant decision win over Josh Ferguson. Moraga is mainly known for his wrestling as he is NCAA wrestling but looked devastating in the standup game against Gomez. Cariaso is hard to describe. I can’t tell if he is really well rounded or is just flat out mediocre in all facets of MMA. But I’m with the guy who I personally think has the best chance of defeating Demetrious Johnson = Moraga via unanimous decision.

Max Holloway vs. Leonard Garcia: Want to know the best way on how to beat Leonard Garcia? Footwork and striking down the pipe. Holloway has some of the most technical boxing in the UFC’s featherweight division while Leonard is the complete opposite. Saying that he throws fastballs is an understatement. Holloway will pick him apart and will show the world that is a future champion = Holloway via unanimous decision.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez: Who doesn’t want to see this fight? You would have to be dead not to get excited. This fight, just like the first one, could go two ways:  JDS KO’s Cain or Cain out-grapples JDS for a decision win. I think the first scenario is more likely because it already happened and JDS has never been taken down…EVER. I would not be shocked if Cain won because his wrestling is top notch but the safer pick here is JDS. = JDS by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon: Another amazing fight. Lauzon’s submission game is as deadly as they come but his cardio, striking, and wrestling are way beneath Miller’s level. Miller also has great submissions and submission defense along with everything else. I see Miller avoiding the takedowns and submissions and out striking Lauzon to a decision. Don’t blink for this one. = Miller by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Tim Boetsch vs. Constantinos Philippou: This is the hardest fight to pick for me. Boetsch has been on a tear defeating top notch fighters and Philippou has been beating mid-tier guys. However, Boetsch in reality is really a mid-tier guy. Philippou is good at getting people to fight his fight. Not sure who will win this won but it should be fun to watch. = Boetsch by split decision.

Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher: This fight should be very interesting. Okami has looked terrible as of late. He was doing well against Boetsch but got sloppy and was finished. Belcher’s striking is far above Boetsch’s and I believe will be the deciding factor. Belcher will be able to easily out-strike Okami. Okami will have the better wrestling but Belcher grappling defense should prove to be good enough to still defeat Okami handily. Watch for Belcher to dominate and then callout Anderson Silva in his post-fight interview. = Belcher by TKO in round 2.

Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson: Can’t believe this fight made it on the main card instead of Pickett vs. Wineland but whatever. Brunson’s chin is suspect (got KO’d by Jacare) and Leben is…well…Leben = Leben by TKO in round 1.

Prelims

Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland: Oh man this fight is just too good. I like both these guys a lot. I cannot wait for this one. This will be a standup battle that will prove to be a FOTN candidate. Pickett has the better technique and Wineland probably has more power but I think Pickett also has more speed and that beats Wineland 2-1. I think this fight will be close but Pickett just has a more diverse striking game. = Pickett by unanimous decision.

Erik Perez vs. Byron Bloodworth: Perez is one of the brightest prospects in the UFC and will destroy Bloodworth. Watch for this one to end quickly = Perez by submission in round 1.

Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner: Man, am I happy this fight is finally happening. I see this fight being exactly like Melvin’s fight against Jim Miller: Varner takes it to the ground and chokes him out early. Varner has the better wrestling and good enough submissions to finish Guillard without much resistance. = Varner by submission in round 1. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury: Jury is a talented kid but I don’t believe he will amount to a whole lot in the UFC. Johnson has completely turned his career around and is now a deadly fighter at 155. I see Johnson winning this fight everywhere it goes. = Johnson by unanimous decision.

Todd Duffee vs. Phil de Fries: Glad to see Duffee back in the UFC. He is a monster with potential and I hope that he can develop into the force I think he is. Phil, on the other hand, is an okay fighter. His ground game is good but his striking is atrocious. Duffee will out-strike him and deflect takedown attempts. = Duffee by unanimous decision.

John Moraga vs. Chris Cariaso: Sam is in love with Moraga but I need a little more convincing to crown him the next best thing at 125. Cariaso is a good fighter but he has trouble finishing people and that is what will kill him in the end. Moraga is a bulldozer and will eventually find an opening and will capitalize on it. = Moraga by TKO in round 3.

Max Holloway vs. Leonard Garcia: I love this fight. Holloway will be able to show the world he is ready for bigger names. Holloway’s striking is so good for his age that it doesn’t even make sense. Garcia is just too sloppy and will be eating punches coming down the pipe all night. All Holloway has to do is not play Garcia’s game and he will be fine. = Holloway by unanimous decision.

The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale Main Card Recap

Within 48 hours, the UFC held two cards in which everyone was saying were going to be two very lackluster cards due to the fact that they both lacked star power. Fans really need to stop saying that cards aren't going to be good just because of the lack of star power because these last two cards have been absolutely outstanding. Nine finishes? Check. Six knockouts? Check. Three submissions? Two wars? Check. A heartfelt cap off the TUF season? Check. 

Seriously, this card was awesome. 

Dustin Poirier vs. Jonathan Brookins: This was one of the best one round fights of the year. Poirier came out a bit cocky and Brookins’ improving standup took complete advantage of that and started to attack. They literally stood toe-to-toe and swung for the fences for almost a minute straight. It was absolutely nuts. When they finally took a break, Poirier caught Brookins off guard with a solid straight punch that dropped him. Brookins went in for a very sloppy takedown and ran right into Poirier’s favorite submission, the D’Arce choke.

Possible matchups for Poirier: This was a huge win Poirier, who was looking for a rebound win after his Fight of the Year submission loss to The Korean Zombie. Hacran Dias, who was supposed to fight Chad Mendes at UFC on FX 6 but injured himself about a week beforehand, is definitely looking for a fight once he heals. I would love to see him fight Poirier in a fight that would lead the winner into a number-one contender’s bout.

Possible matchups for Brookins: With this being Brookins’ second loss via submission in-a-row, there is a good chance that his next fight could possibly be a loser goes home bout. I would like to see him fight the winner of Cody McKenzie and Leonard Garcia which will be held at UFC 155.

Pat Barry vs. Shane del Rosario: What a comeback that was for Pat Barry. Not only in the fight, but career wise as well. After a few minutes of feeling each other out with kicks, Shane took down Barry and almost submitted him on multiple occasions. In the second, Barry was on a mission and hurt del Rosario with a body punch. He followed it up with a huge left that backed him up to the fence. Barry finished him off with a monstrous right hand that put del Rosario as unconscious as unconscious gets. Many were considering this to be a loser goes home fight, and I think that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Possible matchups for Barry: This guy will always be a fan favorite as long as he is with the UFC. After this huge win for him, I would like to see him fight the winner of Phil de Fries and the returning Todd Duffee.

Colton Smith vs. Mike Ricci: Man, I am seriously impressed with Colton Smith. As Joe Rogan said, “This was the Colton Smith Show”. He reminds me of GSP in the way that he just smothers you with his top game and never lets you get up. He never gave Ricci a chance to ever capitalize on anything. He just completely dominated him from beginning to end; no breathing room was sparred. A judge even gave it a 30-26 in favor of the army Ranger.

Possible matchups for Smith: Now that Smith has entered the prestigious group of Ultimate Fighter winners, he will be thrown through the fast track. Now he did state that he was thinking about dropping down to lightweight, which I personally think would be a brilliant idea. But I’m going to say he isn’t going to drop down. I would like to see him fight Sean Pierson, who is coming off of a decision win over Lance Benoist at UFC 152 and I’m sure he’ll be looking for revenge for Canada.

Possible matchups for Ricci: Mike Ricci was a very hefty favorite heading into this fight and lost in demoralizing fashion. But he is a natural lightweight, so that certainly took a big part in his performance. I would like to see him fight Rafaello Oliveira, who is coming off of a decision win over Yoislandy Izquierdo.

Roy Nelson vs. Matt Mitrione: This was really disappointing. Matt Mitrione was looking really good, landing body kicks and moving in and out really well. Nelson was having a lot of trouble closing the distance to try and land his signature right hand. That is, until two and a half minutes in. He landed a huge uppercut that stunned Mitrione and followed it up with a right hand on the temple that dropped him. He finished him off with ground and pound to ultimately win by TKO.

Possible matchups for Nelson: With the heavyweight division being almost as thin as the flyweight division, it’s very difficult to find matchups that make sense. If Shane Carwin doesn’t retire and heals up sooner rather than later, I would love to see these two finally settle their rivalry.

Possible matchups for Mitrione: With this now being Mitrione’s second loss in-a-row, he needs to take a step back in competition. A fight with the loser of Mike Russow and Shawn Jordan makes sense for it would be two heavyweights on a two fight losing skid. 

The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale Prelim Recap

TJ Waldburger made a great come-from-behind victory over the very strong Nick Catone
Picture via DevotedMMA.com

Only one decision in seven fights with that one decision being a potential Fight of the Night? Now that is a way to start off an event that people weren't talking about. With three brutal knockouts and two very slick submissions, the prelims have continued to provide with a ton of entertainment. 

Timothy Elliot vs. Jared Papazian: This fight went exactly how I expected it. An all-out war wherever the fight, whether it was on the ground or it was on the feet, neither of these guys gave up. Papazian is one of the more aggressive fighters at 125 and he continued to show it this fight. He instantly stalked Elliot backwards but Elliot would get him down on several occasions and threatened with a few guillotine chokes. Papazian is a pretty one-dimensional striker and Elliot took advantage of that with several takedown attempts. But once when Papazian was standing, he threw a knee as Elliot was falling backwards and it landed flush in the chin. Elliot’s butt was on the ground so it was highly illegal and Elliot was badly hurt. When they broke it up, he was stumbling all over the place and it seemed as though the fight would be stopped. The ref let it continue and Elliot continued to show dominance, the third round especially. Elliot took Papazian down and got his back. From there, he beat “The Jackhammer” down and bloodied him up. It was an easy 10-8 round and the judges agreed. This makes Papazian 0-3 in the UFC; he’s simply not UFC caliber and will be release.

Possible matchups for Elliot: I really like this kid: extremely entertaining, very talented, and charismatic. That is all the makings of a future UFC star. Considering the fact that he had such a close decision to the present number-one contender in John Dodson shows me he has the makings a contender. There aren’t a lot of choices at flyweight so I would like to see him fight John Lineker, who is coming off of a very dominant victory over Yasuhiro Urushitani.

Mike Rio vs. John Cofer: This was the one fight that I honestly had very little interest going into it. It was a shockingly fun fight from beginning to end. Cofer showed a very improved standup game right from the start, with quick leg kicks and powerful left hands. Rio, though, showed a very strong wrestling game, which we all knew going in, and landed some huge takedowns. Going into the third after two close first rounds, they both seemed to be drastically slowing down. Rio ended up getting a takedown and mounting him. He went for an armbar and after a long battle for it, Rio secured it for the tap. Cofer, now 0-2 in in two third round finishes, will be released following this loss.

Possible matchups for Rio: After not being able to compete at the TUF: Live due to a knee injury, this was a much needed win for Rio in his UFC debut. Now that he has the UFC jitters off his chest, I’m sure his next performance will be much better. The man for him to fight would be fellow grappler in Fabricio Camoes

Reuban Duran vs. Hugo Viana: We have a new name to watch at 135 pounds. Hugo Viana was the better fighter from the start on Saturday and he showed that he is much more comfortable at bantamweight than he is at featherweight. Duran is an extremely large bantamweight so Viana had his hands full in being able to cover distance in order to land anything. But his speed was lightning fast and Duran’s ring rust was apparent after taking a year and a half off. Viana dropped him three times in the first with the last finally putting Duran out and earning himself a 1^st round TKO victory (though it should have been a KO).

Possible matchups for Viana: This Brazilian has a ton of potential and I can’t wait to see how he develops as a fighter. His hand speed and power is very impressive for a 135er. I would like to see him fight the winner of Erik Perez vs. Byron Bloodworth (in other words, Perez).

Possible matchups for Duran: This fight now makes Duran 1-2 in the UFC, so he will be fighting for his job his next time out. There aren’t a lot of bantamweights that are close to being released so I would like to see him fight the loser of Perez vs. Bloodworth (in other words, Bloodworth).

TJ Waldburger vs. Nick Catone: This was a super fun grappling match. Catone looked to utilize his strength in the first round and, for the most part, succeeded quite well. He took Waldburger down and controlled him the majority of the opening stanza. In the second, Waldburger was a different man. He rocked Catone early and went for a guillotine. When he lost the guillotine, he locked in a really tight triangle and choked the New Jersey native unconscious.

Possible matchups for Waldburger: The Texan native is one of the most promising fighters in the UFC today. His striking is continually improving and his ground game is damn near masterful. Yoshihiro Akiyama is riding a 4-fight losing streak, but is still a very talented fighter. He would be a very hard test for the young Waldburger and I would love to see how TJ would do.

Possible matchups for Catone: This is Nick Catone’s second loss in a row in which he was finished. He will undoubtedly be fighting for his job his next time out so it only makes sense to have him fight in a loser goes home bout next. Lance Benoist is in a similar position so it only makes sense to have them fight.

Vinc Pichel vs. Rustam Khabilov: Holy crap do we have a future champ on our hands. Now, I did pick Khabilov to win but in no way did I think he was going to do what he did. After a moment of feeling each other out, the Sambo champion in Khabilov came out and he slammed the very large Pichel three times. Not just slams, but suplexes. It looked similar to what Rory MacDonald did to Nate Diaz back at UFC 129. But the third one put Pichel out and he finished him off with strikes. It was also an extremely late stoppage.

Possible matchups for Khabilov: Not only does Khabilov train out of Jackson’s MMA, but he is also only 26 years old. He has unlimited potential and I see him fighting for the title in the coming years. I think a fight that could be a very fun scrap between two very promising prospects would be with Makdessi and Khabilov.

Possible matchups for Pichel: I wouldn’t be surprised of Vinc is released following this loss, but he is a talented fighter. Brendan Loughnane is coming off of a very hard-fought decision loss to Mike Wilkinson and I would love to see a fight between these two.

Marcos Vinicius vs. Johnny Bedford: Here is another future contender to watch at 135. Marcos Vinicius had absolutely nothing on Bedford this whole fight. Johnny came out aggressive and picked Vinicius apart. He took him down and beat him there as well. It was a very dominant first round. In the second, Bedford did much of the same. He dropped Marcos early, landed a nasty body kick and knocked him out cold in a minute into the second round. Brutal is an extremely apt nickname for the TUF alumnus.

Possible matchups for Bedford: This guy holds a lot of potential in his hands. I’m very glad that he has finally healed up after a knee injury and I’m sure he is too. A fellow member of TUF 14 was Bryan Caraway, who is coming off of a fantastic 3^rd round submission win over Canadian Mitch Gagnon. This would be a very close, entertaining, and big fight for these guys.

Possible matchups for Vinicius: Marcos Vinicius almost lost his fight to Wagner Campos in his UFC debut at UFC 147 and after this loss to Bedford, he will be fighting for his job next time out. Jeff Hougland is coming off of two decisive decision losses to Yves Jabouin and Takeya Mizugaki. This fight makes perfect sense at these stages of their careers.

James Head vs. Mike Pyle: This was a fantastic two minute fight. Both these guys were looking to continue their winning streaks and they both fought like it. Head came out strong and really hurt Pyle on multiple occasions. Head has very technical standup and it showed in this fight. Pyle, though, is an extremely tenacious veteran and he came back with a knee and punches to finish off Head.

Possible matchups for Pyle: At 37 years old, Pyle is continuing to improve. After this performance, I would like to see him fight Mike Pierce, who is coming off of a win over Seth Baczynski just yesterday.

Possible matchups for Head: James Head started this fight strong, but Pyle was just too tough and Head exposed himself to a knee. I would like to see him fight Seth Baczynksi, who just lost to Mike Pierce yesterday.