UFC 155: Dos Santos vs. Velasquez Main Card Recap

This is only a little bit of blood compared to how much was actually shed.
Photo via Yahoo!

Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson: Man, this fight was painful to watch. Leben showed a very severe case of ring rust. He was slow, his cardio was garbage, and he just looked plain old. Brunson was clearly just stronger and had the better ground game. He outwrestled him and out-grappled him en route to a gruesome decision win. Leben might have to retire following that loss. I think he might even be released.

Possible matchups for Brunson: This was a huge win for the young wrestler in Brunson. Though he was riding two straight losses (though it should just be one loss to Jacare), Brunson deserves another stiff test. His cardio really isn’t as bad as this fight showed, it was most likely due to an adrenaline dump. Another fighter who is considered to be a very promising up and comer is Francis Carmont. The winner between these two should result in a big name matchup.

Possible matchups for Leben: If Leben doesn’t either retire or get released, he will be put with a smaller name fighter like Jared Hamman. That would be a loser goes home bout but could put on an awesome barnburner.

Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher: Yushin Okami is the Jon Fitch of the middleweight division: he smothers from bell to bell. Belcher just couldn’t stop it. There isn’t really much to say about this fight other than Okami evaded a few guillotine attempts and smothered his way to victory.

Possible matchups for Okami: This was a much needed win for the former title challenger. Though it wasn’t pretty, he did look very impressive. I would like to see him fight Hector Lombard, who is coming off of a very dominant first round KO victory over Rousimar Palhares.

Possible matchups for Belcher: Man, Belcher just couldn’t get anything going for about 14 minutes of this fight. He landed one or two solid punches and a couple OK guillotine attempts. Nothing else. I could honestly see the UFC setting up a fight with Karlos Vemola just to get him back on track.

Tim Boetsch vs. Costa Philippou: After the first round, which was Boetsch pretty easily outwrestling Philippou, it seemed as though Tim was going to go on to a pretty easy decision win. But Philippou came out in the second round a new man. He cut Boetsch very bad on the forehead (though it seemed as though it was from an accidental headbut) and started to wear him down. He was landing more shots and stuffing all of Boetsch’s takedown attempts. Tim knew he wasn’t going to get anything going on the feet so he began to pull guard, which was a horrible decision. He did it about three times in rounds two and three. Each time he did pull guard, Philippou would beat and bloody him up, and bad enough to finish him halfway through the third.

Possible matchups for Philippou: If Boetsch would have beaten Philippou, he would have been put into a number one contender bout. So what does that say about Philippou’s future? Certainly not a number one contender match, but he is now very close to a title shot. Brian Stann is going to be fighting Wanderlei Silva next, so I expect a knockout in favor of Stann. If Stann wins that, I’d like to see him fight Philippou.

Possible matchups for Boetsch: This was a devastating loss for Boetsch, there is no two ways about it. We all knew he didn’t have elite skills in any aspect of MMA, just mediocre abilities. But he’s still at least a top-15 middleweight. Mark Munoz is in a similar position so I would like to see a fight between these two.

Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon: It’s a shame that we already did our “End of the Year” awards because this could definitely be considered for Fight of the Year. Miller came out guns blazing and started to kick out Lauzon’s legs and sliced open his face with elbows in the clinch. There was so much blood that it was basically puddling up in Lauzon’s eyes while he was standing up. It was so dark that it looked as though his eyes were plucked out. These two guys wouldn’t stop; they just kept slugging it out and would have amazing scrambles on the ground. There aren’t many words that can describe the awesomeness of this fight.

Possible matchups for Miller: Even though this was an awesome back and forth fight with Lauzon having several good moments, Miller still looked fantastic. If Miller wants to put on another amazing fight, he should fight the winner of Diego Sanchez and Takanori Gomi. If Sanchez wins, a fight between him and Miller is definitely an instant Fight of the Year contender.

Possible matchups for Lauzon: Joe had some momentum coming into this fight and he’s still a very good fighter and one of the elite in the UFC’s lightweight division. But I don’t think that he should fight a top guy next. I think he should fight the winner of Paul Sass and Danny Castillo.

Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez: There’s not much you can really say about this fight other than that Velasquez absolutely mauled him. Dos Santos actually started off very well; he defended almost everyone of Velasquez’ takedown attempts, which there were many of. Halfway through the round though, Cain caught Dos Santos right on the chin while Dos Santos had his arms down. It almost knocked him clean out. I thought the fight was over but for all five rounds, Junior showed absolutely amazing heart. You can’t question Dos Santos’ toughness, heart, or chin. He is a true champion and he will come back stronger than ever.

Possible matchups for Velasquez: After recapturing his title in extremely dominant fashion, Cain is ready for the best. I think that the fight between Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva is a number one contender match. So the winner of that should fight Cain next.

Possible matchups for Dos Santos: Due to the thinness of the heavyweight division, there aren’t a lot of matchups you can make for Dos Santos. I honestly think the best choices are either the loser of Overeem and Silva or the winner of Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve. Either way, any four of those matchups are great.

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.

MMA Lightweight Rankings: September Edition

As we at CR continue our rankings, we now head into the most stacked division in MMA, and possibly combat sports, history: lightweight.

There are so many fighters that you could argue to be top-10 guys like Joe Lauzon, Eddie Alvarez, or even guys like Rick Hawn. The division is so unbelievably stacked that there are UFC cards that have 3 or even more fights that either feature lightweights, or former lightweight fighters. Fortunately, they are also extremely entertaining so there is no shortage of Fight of the Night performances.

Let’s try and sort out the standings of this chaotic division:

10. Michael Chandler – Many people wouldn’t exactly consider Chandler a prospect considering he is the champion in the 3^rd largest MMA promotion, but Michael arguably has the promising future out of everyone on this list. At only 26 years old, he already has wins over some of Bellator’s biggest names like Lloyd Woodard, Patricky Freire, Akihiro Gono, and Eddie Alvarez. The biggest fight of note is the win over Alvarez. That fight was a back-and-forth brawl that ended with a Chandler win via 4^th round RNC. With powerful wrestling and striking, the sky is the limit.

9. Jim Miller – Jim Miller is, in a nutshell, a tough SOB. “Jimmy Redbeard” is the type of fighter that I love. He always puts on a good fight and always figures out a way to win. His ground game is very solid, one of the best at 155, and it shows in his wins over Charles Oliveira, Melvin Guillard, and Duane Ludwig. His only “glaring” weakness is his standup. It’s good, but not good enough to hang with guys like Nate Diaz and Ben Henderson. If he can get his standup up to par with his ground game, or at least closely up to par, then he can be right back in there in the title picture.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

8. Anthony Pettis – Anthony Pettis is one of the most dynamic strikers in the UFC today. His kicks are absolutely nuts. And I’m not just talking about his wild crazy spinning kicks, I’m talking about simply his technique. Watch his wins over Danny Castillo and Joe Lauzon. He is a master at the KO (head kick and punches) finish. The main reason that he is this low though is because his loss to Guida and lackluster win over Jeremy Stephens didn’t do him any favors. But if he can beat Cerrone in his next fight, he will undeniably be top-5.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

7. Clay Guida – Say all you want about his last fight with Gray Maynard, but Guida is still one of the most entertaining fighters in UFC history. Go back and watch his fights with Benson Henderson, Rafael dos Anjos, Diego Sanchez, and Roger Huerta and tell me he’s not. He even arguably beat Gray Maynard, which most likely would have earned him a title shot. I see his next fight possibly being with Jim Miller.

6. Donald Cerrone – Cowboy is a badass. Seriously, he fought Jeremy Stephens, dominated him, and then came out saying that he had some horrible intestinal issue going into the fight (and during) that felt like he was being stabbed in the gut. My lord. I would be incapacitated and he fights in the UFC against a solid fights and destroyed him for 3 rounds. And he is one of the only people who could win Fight of the Night with a fight that only lasted 76 seconds. His Muay Thai is one of the best in the lightweight division. I cannot wait for his fight with Pettis.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

5. Gilbert Melendez – I have always personally felt that Melendez is overrated. His last two wins over Jorge Masvidal and Josh Thomson are further proving my point. Now how can wins prove something negatively? Watch the fights and think about what I said. They are both guys that he should have not only beaten but finished. Especially Jorge Masvidal, it almost seemed like he wasn’t motivated for the fight. You’re the champion; you should be motivated for every fight. With that being said, I still can’t wait to see him come to the UFC and finally fight the best in the world.

4. Gray Maynard – Gray Maynard was just a few punches away from being a UFC champion, twice. How much more heartbreaking can you get? He had Frankie Edgar down and this close to out. He has been one of the best fighters at 155 for some time now in the UFC and now that there is a new champion in the UFC at lightweight, he may receive another title shot against the winner of Henderson and Diaz if he can beat Joe Lauzon.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

3. Nate Diaz – The younger of the Diaz brothers has become one of my personal favorite fighters lately. His wins over Gomi and Miller really made me realize that he truly has what it takes to become the next champion at 155. His standup is crisp and accurate and his ground game is slick. You can’t get much more well rounded then Nate Diaz. His title fight with Ben Henderson has what it takes to be a Fight of the Century.

2. Frankie Edgar – Despite having lost two in-a-row, Frankie Edgar is still undeniably the second best lightweight in the game in my book. He beat BJ Penn twice when Penn was considered unbeatable. He went to a draw and beat Gray Maynard when he was knocked silly in the 1^st round of both fights. He has more heart than any fighter in MMA. I personally believe that he should be champ still but perhaps a move to featherweight is the best thing for his career.

This picture shows just how apt his nickname is.

1. Ben Henderson – Henderson just absolutely loves to go to war. His last three fights are all stable mates for Fight of the Year. Say all you want about how he shouldn’t be champion and about how Frankie beat him both times. He is the champion of the UFC! He deserves the appreciation, no matter how close the fights were; the fact that he is the champion means that he is the champion. I love Henderson because he fights with all his heart every time. Let’s give him the appreciation he deserves.

So what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments on what you either greed on or disagreed on.

UFC on Fox 3 Predictions

First off, let us know on Twitter what you guys think of our picks!!

Sam’s Picks

Main  Card

Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz: When I first saw that this fight was set up, I thought that I would be an easy win for Miller. That he would cruise to a decision victory. But then my brother Dave made a good point. He said, “Can you see Miller really dominating him in the standup and the ground game?”. I was like “Sure!”, so I tried to imagine it, but I simply couldn’t. Diaz has the more technical standup, a huge reach advantage, and way better BJJ. But the thing about Miller is that he simply finds a way to win a fight. I truly believe in my heart that Miller will win this fight but Diaz will be one of his toughest fights in that he will win = Miller by split decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Johny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck: Really good fight here. They are similar fighters in that they both have huge over right hands and dynamic wrestling skills. Originally, you might look at this fight and say that Koscheck should win this fight based on his past opponents. But one thing that my brother and I have noticed about Koscheck is that he cannot adapt in the middle of the fight. If he says that he is going to KO someone, that will be what he will go for the whole fight, never changing even if he is being picked apart by jabs ala GSP. Hendricks does have that skill. He CAN adapt and as of late, he is simply the better fighter = Hendricks by unanimous decision.

Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares: Paul Harris has really become a very serious fighter to take notice of. He is showing some world caliber BJJ with his slick and shockingly precise leg locks. It also very awesome to see that Belcher is back and ready to go but I think that just his second fight back after being gone for so long is a little tough considering who he is fighting. Paul Harris will leg lock him but will probably have trouble getting it to the ground at first. This fight will launch Rousimar just one win away from a fight for the title = Paul Harris by 3rd round heel hook. My pick for SOTN!

Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson: This fight is probably just going to be a stand up war. But if you look at each one of their ground games, Barry’s is probably better. And considering the fact that Barry is continually working on his ground game, he might actually try and take this fight to the ground. It’s a possibility, but it is very slim. I’m still going with Lavar based on his power and that Barry’s chin looked bad against Kongo. Going with the power! = Johnson by 2nd round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Prelims

Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson: I personally find this fight very weird. Ferguson has been quickly establishing himself as a serious contender as Johnson has been struggling to keep himself relevant to the UFC brass. Johnson literally has no chance of winning this fight = Ferguson by 2nd round TKO.

John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott: Dodson is an animal! He has some crazy power for his size along with some blinding speed. I’m serious; his speed is some of the fastest punching that you will ever see. Elliot, on the other hand, I do not know much about but I do know that he has a bright future in the UFC but he doesn’t have anything against Dodson, considering the fact that he also took this fight on very short notice. = Dodson by 1st round TKO.

John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss: I find this fight very interesting. Krauss is a virtual nobody and Hathaway is a huge young prospect from England. Krauss also has not fought in a very long time. That is a big deciding factor in this fight. Hathaway will win this fight based on all around skills, but Krauss will give him a run for his money. = Hathaway by split decision. My 3rd pick for FOTN!

Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker: At first, I counted Lineker out of this fight based on the fact that he has no name in MMA, yet. I was just going with Gaudinot by decision because I have heard of him. Research can be very resourceful. I looked at the fighters that Guadinot has faced and the accumulation of the records of the fighters he has beaten is 32-17. It is mainly made up of a guy he has recently beaten with an 11-2 record. That would knock it down to 21-15. That’s not so good. Lineker on the other hand, has a record of 19-5 and is riding a 13 fight win streak against guys with good records. Gaudinot has yet to impress me and Lineker has the chance to on Saturday. = Lineker by unanimous decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish: I really feel that Cholish will one day be a contender for the belt but for now, Castillo will put those dreams on hold. Castillo really still hasn’t impressed me; the only thing that he has done that actually made me go “wow, that’s impressive” was when I read that he is the only one who has defeated Dustin Poirier. Cholish will be tough but Castillo will out grapple him, but I won’t be surprised if Cholish wins = Castillo by split decision.

Pablo Garza vs. Dennis Bermudez: The betting lines really surprised me for this fight. Bermudez is the very small favorite but I would have guessed that Garza would be a decent favorite. Garza is a future contender for the belt while I can never see Bermudez fighting at that high caliber level. Along with that, Bermudez has lost 3 straight all in the first round by submission. Garza is a submission guy. See what I’m getting at? = Garza by 2nd round submission (choke).

Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis = Denis by unanimous decision.
Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola = Vemola by 2nd round TKO.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz: Like Sam had mentioned I too believe Miller will win this fight but when I picture it in my head I see Diaz winning the standup and ground game. It’s bizarre! But like Sam said I am still picking Miller to win but it will be a very close and tough fight for both men. This fight will be a very technical match both standing and on the ground. Miller will have the wrestling advantage but Diaz will have the better ground game but Miller is a very smart and conservative fighter. He rarely makes mistakes. This fight is a tough one. = Miller by unanimous decision. My pick for Fight of the Night!

Johny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck: I love this fight because, as most of you know, I am obsessed with amateur wrestling. These guys were two very fun guys to watch during their college days. I have always liked Hendricks because I have a special place in my heart for OSU wrestling. It’s my favorite team with my favorite coach, John Smith. So, I am biased towards Johny. But I never let that affect my pcks, however, it just so happens I think he will win. I think he will be stronger, faster and the better grappler. Koscheck is a great fighter and well rounded but his days of being near the top are soon to be over. He is getting older and has simply not improved that much over the last few years. Hendricks has been improving my leaps and bounds since he entered into the UFC. I see this fight mostly being a stand up battle but if Hendricks starts losing that I see him outwrestle Kos. But if Kos is losing that I don’t think he can outwrestle Johny. Not only that but Kos is one of those fighters who refuses to change his approach in the midst of a fight. If he is losing the stand up battle he will not try and grapple and that has been a problem for him his entire career. Should be an interesting match. = Johny by unanimous decision. 

Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares: This is a classic grappler vs. striker. I like watching both of these guys compete and it should be a fun one. I’m really glad Belcher made a return to fighting after his horrible retina injury. The way I see this going is Palhares eventually getting a takedown or grabbing a leg or arm and ending it at some point. Belcher’s take down defense and clinch fighting is pretty good but Palhares is just such a monster and I just cannot see him losing this fight. = Palhares by submission in the 2^nd round. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson: I think this is actually the only fight we disagree on this card! We usually have around 4 but we have been agreeing lately. But anyway, this fight will be INSANE!! Now, my gut says pick Lavar because he punches so hard that it is hard to watch and not cringe. But I just watched his fight with Beltran again. That is arguably Lavar’s best fight to date and I gotta admit Lavar looked not too great before he destroyed Beltran. His jab is awful and his footwork and lack of head movement scares me when picking this fight. Barry’s chin issue against Kongo has me worried but Barry has ten times the technical striking that Lavar does. Barry’s kicks are lethal and if Barry fights smart this fight is his. He should stay outside and leg kick the heck out of Lavar. Then switch it up with head kicks and punches to the head. Plus Barry has better cardio too. And Lavar has the worst ground game I have ever seen in my life but he knows that himself. So, I think Barry has more ways to win, he just has to tuck that chin, = Barry by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson: I disagree with Sam that this will be super easy for Tony. I think Tony will win because his striking is much better but Johnson is a scrappy guy who never gives up. But I see Tony out striking Johnson and coasting at the end after winning the first two rounds. = Tony by unanimous decision. 

John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott: Dodson is a freaky athlete. The dude has strength like nothing you’ve seen, especially for his size. Elliott is a decent fighter but this is a tune-up fight for Dodson at flyweight and to get him some exposure. This fight will be very exciting. = Dodson by TKO in the 2^nd round. 

John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss: Like Sam mentioned the fact that Krauss hasn’t fought is over a year is a huge deal. Hathaway is a very interesting fighter. He comes in and easily handles Diego Sanchez but then gets handled by Mike Pyle. It’s just confusing. I mean Pyle is a great fighter but it’s just confusing. I have Hathaway pulling this out but he is very unpredictable. = Hathaway by unanimous decision. 

Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker: This is a good and exciting fight. I’m loving these flyweight guys!!!! But Lineker, from the small amount of what I have seen, is a level above Louis. Louis has not shown me anything to make me think he can handle Lineker. = Lineker by unanimous decision. 

Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish: I disagree with Sam’s assessment of Cholish. I think the guy is talented but, in my opinion, he is nowhere near title contender talent. And I also disagree with his assessment of Danny. I think Danny is the real deal. He has faced and defeated some very serious competition. I see Danny taking this to the ground and owning it. = Danny by unanimous decision. 

Pablo Garza vs. Dennis Bermudez: Garza has some slick submissions and Dennis is highly overrated with poor submission defense. = Garza by submission in the 2^nd round. 

Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis = Denis by TKO in round 1.
Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola = Vemola by TKO in round one.

Make sure to watch the prelims on Fuel TV and the Main Card on FOX for free! Great card filled with top talent and two very important fights with the winner of Diaz vs. Miller getting a title shot and the fight between Hendricks vs. Koscheck moving closer to one as well. Let us know on Twitter what you guys think of our picks!! Enjoy the fights!!