UFC on Fox 6 Prelim Recap

Ryan Bader sinks in a guillotine on Vladimir Matyushenko.
Photo via MMAConnected.com.

Simeon Thoreson vs. David Mitchell: This was a surprisingly good back and forth ground battle throughout. I had a feeling heading in that Mitchell’s strength would play a huge part in this fight, and it did. Being a six foot tall welterweight can really help during grappling exchanges. Mitchell pretty easily won the first two rounds but the third was much closer for Thoreson. Good showing by both guys but Mitchell was just too strong.

Possible matchups for Mitchell: Mitchell’s stature and grappling abilities could carry him to a decently successful UFC career. If he wants to continue his rise, he should fight someone with a big name but at the same level as him. Yoshihiro Akiyama is riding a four fight losing streak but is still considered a solid fighter. If Akiyama wants to stay with the UFC he needs to beat Mitchell, and if Mitchell wants to continue up the ranks, he should beat Akiyama.

Possible matchups for Thoreson: This is now two straight losses for Thoreson, which will give him a loser goes home bout his next time out. If he wants to stay with the UFC, he should fight another fighter riding a two fight losing streak. That man would be Papy Abedi.

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer: For a guy taking a fight on about two weeks’ notice, Spencer did a fantastic job in this fight for what he was given. Natal is a very solid fighter, which was shown throughout this fight. Though Spencer had his moments in the first round, Natal was able to control this fight from beginning to end with his much superior grappling. Spencer showed intense toughness as he somehow escaped an Americana that should have snapped his shoulder. Natal eventually synched up the arm triangle and finished from the mount in the third.

Possible matchups for Natal: Following his KO loss to Andrew Craig, Natal was ready to rebound from the devastating loss. He did so successfully with this win over Spencer. Thiago Bodao, a semi-finalist on the first season of TUF Brazil, has yet to make his return after his TKO win at UFC 147 over Leonardo Mafra. These two should fight sometime in the spring.

Possible matchups for Spencer: With his entertaining fighting style and extreme toughness, Spencer is a welcomed addition to the UFC’s middleweight division. Though he was finished in his debut, he deserves another shot in the UFC, as he not only took this fight on short notice but he put up such a fight. Caio Magalhaes, a talented grappler, is coming off of a decision loss in his UFC debut against Buddy Roberts back in June of last year. A bout between these two could prove to be a fun fight, but would ultimately lead to the release of the loser.

Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan: Well, we have an early favorite for comeback of the year with this fight. In in the first round, Russow absolutely obliterated Jordan with shockingly good standup as he nearly finished the Jackson’s MMA product on almost three occasions. Going into the second round, Jordan easily took the fatigued Russow down on multiple occasions and softened him up with some violent ground and pound. Eventually, Jordan got Russow’s back and pounded him out with violent ground and pound for the finish and great comeback. Russow has looked terrible in his last two fights despite looking great in the first round against Jordan. I predict a pink slip forthcoming.

Possible matchups for Jordan: Despite his extremely lackluster loss to Kongo and poor first round against Russow, Jordan is still one of the more promising heavyweights in MMA. Todd Duffee, an even more promising heavyweight prospect, is coming off of a 1^st round KO victory over Phil de Fries in his return to the octagon. A fight between Jordan and Duffee could very well be slugfest in the making.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: I think it’s time for Matyushenko to retire. At 42 years old and riding a two fight losing streak, Vladimir should hang up the gloves. Bader came out hungry and aggressive, landing a left hand that dropped Matyushenko and then choking him out with a guillotine choke. The fight only lasted 50 seconds and is now the fastest submission win in the history of the UFC’s light heavyweight division.

Possible matchups for Bader: Despite this huge win, I’m not going to consider Bader a title contender just yet. He needs one more win over a fellow up and comer if he wants to be mentioned in the title picture. James Te Huna and Ryan Jimmo will be fighting in the near a future and the winner of that should fight Ryan Bader in a fight that will launch the winner into title contention.

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf: Right from the get-go, Krauss easily out-struck Stumpf. Krauss landed tons of quick combinations throughout, even throwing something I’ve never seen before: a superman uppercut. Both times he threw it he landed it very solid. Stumpf did take Krauss down on a few occasions, but Krauss was able to get up and destroy Stumpf on the feet. This now makes Stumpf 0-2 in the UFC against mid-tier competition; he will be released shortly after.

Possible matchups for Krauss: With a very solid all-around game, Krauss is one of the more exciting prospects in the UFC’s welterweight division. Another fighter who is an exciting welterweight prospect is Ben Alloway, who is coming off of a first round front kick KO over Manny Rodriguez at UFC on FX in Australia. Both of these fighters bring a very dynamic standup game but Krauss brings in the better ground game.

Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki: It seems as though Guida is quickly starting to lose his “insanely entertaining” persona. This was a very close grappling match right from the start but Hioki was the more aggressive on the ground, despite being on his back the whole time. Guida took him down on multiple occasions but Hioki consistently threatened with submissions, leading many to believe the Hioki won the fight. It was such a close fight that the last two rounds really could have gone either way. Guida did take the split decision much to the chagrin of many grappling fans.

Possible matchups for Guida: With this huge win in his featherweight debut, Guida is now instantly put into title contention. With solid striking and powerful wrestling, his fighting style is very similar to that of Chad Mendes, who is fighting Manny Gamburyan at UFC 157. The winner of that bout should fight Guida in a potential number one contender’s bout.

Possible matchups for Hioki: A two fight losing streak is never good for anyone, even if you are a title contender like Hatsu Hioki. He desperately needs a rebound fight against a solid competitor. Pablo Garza is coming off of a dominant decision upset win over former title challenger in Mark Hominick. If Hioki wants to stay in the UFC, he needs a win over Garza.

TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman: In the fight I was having the most trouble in predicting and saying it was going to be very close, turned out to be a one sided beat down. Grant just absolutely destroyed Wiman with superior striking and takedown defense. Grant continually caught Wiman with hooks and elbows whenever they got in close. Eventually with only about 10 seconds left, Grant dropped Wiman down and knocked him unconscious with ground and pound.

Possible matchups for Grant: With this huge KO win over Wiman, this puts Grant right into the top of the UFC’s lightweight division. I would guess that he is only about 2 wins away from a title shot. I would like to see him fight Gray Maynard and the winner of that is put into a number one contender’s bout. Grant poses a lot of problems for the former title challenger in Maynard.

Possible matchups for Wiman: This was a devastating loss that plummets Wiman down the lightweight ladder. Another fighter who is coming off of a brutal loss is Mark Bocek. Bocek is probably still healing after the brutal beat down that he received from Rafael dos Anjos. Both these guys should fight for a fun lightweight affair.

UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: Speed; the one word that is surrounding this whole title fight. Who will be the faster one? Who will have the advantage on the ground? These are two most important factors entering the fight. And the man to have the advantage in both is the champion, Demetrious Johnson. He has the better footwork, wrestling, and submissions. Dodson has the power to knock anyone at featherweight and under on their butt, but overall, Johnson is the more well-rounded fighter. Keeping distance away and moving in and out of Dodson’s power punches with some takedowns mixed in should be Johnson’s gameplan. It will be an extremely close fight, but Johnson’s superior skills will earn him the nod = Johnson via unanimous decision (48-47). My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: I really try not to fall into hype trains, and mostly fail, but I don’t think that Teixeira is a hype train. He is a legitimate contender and can defeat almost anybody at 205. A year ago, I would have picked Rampage hands down, but his lack of motivation is a turn off. He said he was motivated heading into his fight with Bader, but he was dominated. His heart just isn’t in it anymore, and Teixeira is just heading into his prime = Teixeira via unanimous decision (30-26).

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: BARNBURNER ALERT: When having two of the most entertaining guys in MMA facing off, it typically leads to an amazing fight. When you add in the fact that they really dislike each other and that there’s a title shot on the line, you have yourselves a fight of the year in the works. That is exactly what this fight is. Possibly the most interesting variable heading into this fight is the fact that both of these guys are really good off their back. They love the triangle and are very good at sweeps. One of Cerrone’s last outings against Jeremy Stephens was arguably the most impressive Donald Cerrone that we have ever seen, and he fought with a horrific intestinal problem. If you compare the difference in both Pettis’ and Cerrone’s last fights with Jeremy Stephens, it’s completely different. Pettis arguably lost to Jeremy and Cerrone absolutely destroyed him. Though this is MMA and anything can happen, but Cerrone is just too hard to bet against = Cerrone via split decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: I really, really hope that this is a number one contender’s bout. Lamas derailed Hioki’s title hopes with a shocking (though not to me) decision win over him. Koch is one of the more promising fighters in MMA today, possessing rare finishing ability for a featherweight. Koch’s one blemish to his record comes at the hands of Chad Mendes, a very strong wrestler. Guess what Lamas is. Yep, a very strong wrestler, and arguably stronger than Mendes. Lamas could possibly be the strongest featherweight in the UFC. Lamas’ last three wins are much more impressive than Koch’s. Koch has beaten Francisco Rivera by 1st round TKO (a bantamweight), Raphael Assuncao by 1st round KO (also a bantamweight), and a debatable win over Jonathan Brookins (who is semi-retired at the moment). Lamas murdered Matt Grice by 1st round TKO (a decent wrestler, nothing insane), demolished Cub Swanson by second round arm triangle (who is on a three fight win streak all by (T)KO) and an upset over former number 1 contender in Hatsu Hioki. Also, Koch hasn’t fought in 15 months = Lamas via unanimous decision.

Prelims

TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman: I’m having a lot trouble picking between these two guys. Both have looked fantastic lately against very solid competition. It’s fun to see two of the more underrated guys in the UFC fight to finally become someone relevant in the title picture. When breaking down the aspects of MMA, Grant has the advantage overall. His striking is improving rapidly and looked great against Evan Dunham, his wrestling is better and his submission game is very dangerous. Wiman is a bit of a wild card though; he takes everyone by surprise, he certainly did against Paul Sass in his last outing. With them being such similar fighters talent-wise, I’m leaning towards the stronger fighter = Grant via split decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Hatsu Hioki vs. Clay Guida: I don’t really see as to why people are having so much trouble predicting this fight. The last person that Hioki fought was Ricardo Lamas, a strong and powerful wrestler with solid striking. Guida is a strong and powerful wrestler with fantastic striking. Hioki has looked terrible in the UFC thus far (minus his fight with Palaszewski, he looked fantastic) and Guida is almost a better version of Lamas = Guida via unanimous decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: I love Matyushenko but his days are quickly coming to an end. He can’t hang with solid fighters anymore. Bader is still a contender and he will rebound from his last loss to Machida with a violent KO, or a grinding decision = Bader via 1st round KO. MY pick for KOOTN!

Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan: Even though Jordan’s last fight with Kongo was truly one of the worst fights that my eyes have ever beheld, he is still an exciting prospect. He is crazy athletic for a heavyweight, which is always a plus in MMA. Russow is a very different fighter though. He isn’t particularly athletic, but he knows how to get the job done. His superior grappling will grind Jordan out to a decision win. I just hope the UFC keeps Jordan around to show his potential = Russow via unanimous decision.

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss via 1st round submission (armbar). My pick for FOTN!

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal via 3rd round submission.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen via unanimous decision.

Dave's Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: This will be the fastest fight any of us will ever see. These guys might be the fastest fighters in MMA, but I think this fight will be pretty similar to Johnson vs. Benavidez. I see Johnson outwrestling Dodson due to being the faster fighter and having the better wrestling. I do think Dodson will be stronger and have more punching power but other than that I think Johnson has every advantage. This will be close, just like every Johnson fight, but the champ will take it due to superior wrestling and speed. = Johnson by unanimous decision.

Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: This fight should be a brawl. Glover is going to kill Rampage and it’s going to be awesome. Rampage has been easily handled in his last two fights and hasn’t fought in 11 months. Glover hasn’t lost since 2005…and is coming off of two huge wins in the UFC. Be prepared to see a legend of the sport get totally outclassed on the feet and on the ground. This will be brutal and if you are a Rampage fan, this is the fight for you to go to the kitchen and grab another slice of pizza until you hear Goldy say “It’s all over!” = Glover by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: Definitely my pick for Fight of the Night! These guys are elite kick boxers and good on the ground. This fight will be incredibly fun to watch but very hard to predict. Pettis has shown a weakness to strikers and wrestlers who are aggressive and have good submission defense. (Stephens, Guida, Ben Henderson, Palaszewski). Cerrone can struggle against strikers who are diverse in their attacks (like Ben Henderson, Nate Diaz) and Pettis is incredibly diverse in his attack. Pettis hasn’t fought in almost a year and Cerrone’s camp (Jackson) has been studying Pettis for some time now. This is so hard to pick but I’m going with the Jackson camp. = Cerrone by split decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: This is another possible Fight of the Night candidate. Sam and I were the only people picking Lamas against Hioki and he ended up beating him handily. Koch has his work cut out for him due to the fact that Lamas is one hell of a wrestler. Koch’s only loss is to a wrestler (Chad Mendes). My only concern in picking Lamas is that his two loses have been by KO. Koch has the ability to KO anyone at 145 pounds. I think the safer bet is to always go with the fighter most likely to control the fight then it is to pick the fighter that might have a chance at a KO = Lamas by unanimous decision.

Prelims

T.J. Grant vs. Matt Wiman: This fight should be an awesome one as well. Grant should have the better wrestling and striking but Wiman definitely has the better submissions and fight IQ. I think Grant can use his superior size advantage to bully Wiman for 3 rounds but I wouldn’t be shocked if Wiman found a way to win. Both of these guys are highly underrated and I can’t wait to see this one. = Grant by unanimous decision.

Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki: This fight depends solely on Hioki’s takedown defense and submission offense. I see Guida pushing the pace and roughing Hioki up against the fence while Hioki tries to find a submission. This is a very hard fight to pick but I just have not been impressed with Hioki at all since he joined the UFC = Guida by split decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: This fight should be exciting. I am a huge fan of both guys. I think Bader will just be too big and strong for Vlad. I think that Vlad has the chance to KO Bader but I believe Bader will out wrestle Vlad for a decision win = Bader by unanimous decision.

Shawn Jordan vs. Mike Russow = Jordan by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss by unanimous decision.

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal by split decision.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen by unanimous decision.

UFC on Fuel TV 5 Main Card Recap

Stefan Struve finishing Stipe Miocic

The UFC continues to deliver on their smallest scale of fight nights on the obscure Fuel TV. This event had brutal knockouts, slick submissions, big upsets, and the emergence of some extremely promising fighters. Fuel TV continues to deliver exciting UFC events, which is sad because no one is really watching these fights. Anyway, let’s head into this event and look at some possible matchups for winners and losers of this event.

Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig: This fight was rather confusing. I thought it would be an awesome standup war, but Mills instantly went in for a takedown. He softened Ludwig up a little bit with some ground and pound but Duane got up soon after that. Then, all of a sudden, Duane fell to the ground waving off the fight. Apparently his knee gave out. Honestly, this is the perfect sign that Duane should retire. I love the guy but his time in this sport is done.

Possible matchups for Mills: Despite this weird "win", Mills is still a very promising fighter with a well rounded MMA game. Another fighter who is very exciting and looked great on Saturday was Dan Hardy. A fight between these two guys would fun and would show how far Mills can go in his UFC career.

John Hathaway vs. John Maguire: Horrible is the only word to sum up this fight. It was like watching a sparring match between two aspiring MMA fighters. Hathaway took a decision and we all went "meh".

Possible matchups for Maguire: Despite this boring and embarrassing loss, Maguire is still one of the most promising welterweights in the UFC. He needs a rebound fight but if you want to stay promising, fight another prospect. Kyle Noke is coming off of a huge TKO win over Charlie Brenneman that instantly made him one of the most promising 170ers in the UFC. This could be a fun grappling match.

Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman: Paul Sass came into this fight as one of the biggest prospects in MMA today. There was a monster hype train that was submitting people left and right with triangles and heel hooks. He came into this fight as a favorite to win and was fighting one of the most underrated fighters in MMA today, Matt Wiman. We at CR were very confident that Wiman would win this fight, and win dominantly. But we had no idea that it was really going to go the way it did. No one expected Wiman to win this fight by way of submission. He further proved why he is so under appreciated. The first round armbar was beautiful.

Possible matchups for Wiman: With this fight, Wiman has finally cemented himself as a top guy at 155 pounds. Even though it may not be a fight he would want, another undefeated fighter that holds unlimited potential is Khabib Nurmagomedov. Khabib is coming off of a really close decision win over Gleison Tibau that made him a top-20 lightweight himself. The winner of this fight should most likely face a top-10 guy afterwards.

Possible matchups for Sass: Despite this loss, Paul Sass is still one of the most promising fighters in the UFC. If he wants to continue to seem like he has the future we all want him to have, then he needs to fight another good fighter. Jamie Varner is coming off of a triangle loss in one of the best fights this year and I'm sure Sass saw a lot of opportunities for some triangles himself. Jamie Varner would be a huge test for him and if Sass could win, that would be a huge feather in his cap as Varner has a lot of name value.

Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin: Everyone expected this fight to be one of the best on the card, and it delivered exactly what we expected, plus a little extra. Jabouin was looking solid in the beginning of the fight, getting the better of the favorite to win, Brad Pickett. I was starting to become really impressed with how well Yves was utilizing his unorthodox striking to get the better of the Brit. But then, out of nowhere, Pickett lands a monstrous uppercut that put Jabouin out cold. Brad Pickett finally lived up to his nickname of "One Punch".

Possible matchups for Pickett: With this huge win, Pickett should be put in a number one contenders match. Michael McDonald is most likely still healing his broken hand, but once it heals, those two should fight in what could very possibly be one of the best fights of the year.

Possible matchups for Jabouin: Yves was looking awesome up until he got caught with a monstrous uppercut. I think he should still fight a good fighter, like Takeya Mizugaki. Mizugaki is fighting Jeff Hougland next, and win or lose, he should fight Jabouin in what would also be an awesome fight.

Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah: This fight wasn't exactly the fight that we hoped it would be, but it did have one pleasant surprise, it showed a new and improved version of Dan Hardy. I felt that Hardy would have the advantage on the feet and Amir would have the advantage on the ground, but it was quite the opposite. Amir was winning that standup, so Dan took it to the ground almost every round. Weird, right? Dan looked great on the ground and I look forward to how he is going to use his new arsenal in the future.

Possible matchups for Amir: After two very lackluster performances in a row, Amir is starting to lose my interest. If he wants to continue to show everyone why he was a TUF winner, then he needs to beat someone with at least a little name value. Pascal Krauss is coming off of a decision loss to John Hathaway and needs a rebound win.

Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic: So many people were doubting Struve in this fight. Everyone was saying that Stipe would knock out Struve and become a top guy in the heavyweight division. But Dave and I felt that Struve would be the more composed fighter and wouldn’t wilt under pressure. We felt that he would submit him. Although we were partially right, we were also partially wrong. Stipe won the first round but Struve came out strong in the second. He started to catch Miocic with some solid jabs and straights that wobbled Stipe badly. Struve followed that up with some nasty uppercuts and the fight was finally stopped. Struve is now undeniably a top-10 heavyweight.

Possible matchups for Struve: With this win, Struve is possibly just one or two wins away from a title shot. He called out Fabricio Werdum after this win, and I love that fight. That would be a great number one contenders match.

Possible matchups for Miocic: Stipe is still one of the most promising heavyweights in the UFC. He has crazy athleticism that is unmatched by most other heavyweights. One other fighter that is also coming off of a loss who is also both promising and extremely athletic is Shawn Jordan. This would be a great fight.

Prelim recap here.

UFC on Fuel 5 Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic: The betting lines for this fight are really surprising me. Everyone is thinking that Miocic is going to absolutely destroy Struve and basically knock him out in the first round. I really don't see that happening. Struve, as I said before (Dark Horse article here), is one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC. Because he has lost a few fights by KO, people are instantly saying he has a horrible chin. Although he doesn't have a good chin, it isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Now, Miocic is amazingly well rounded. Being a well established collegiate wrestler and a gold gloves boxing champion. That's impressive to say the least. But Struve has been fighting extremely smart as of late, bringing it to the ground when he needs to, which is clearly his strong suit. One huge weakness that I have seen in Miocic is his conditioning; it's subpar. In the Joey Beltran fight, he started to drastically slow down in the later rounds. If he does that, Struve will take him down and submit him. But I even see Struve doing that earlier, rather than later = Struve via 2nd round submission (armbar). My pick for SOTN!

Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah: Dan Hardy finally gets to fight in front of his hometown of Nottingham, England. I'm looking forward to this fight more than I thought I would. Dan Hardy looked awesome in his last fight in his vicious KO win over Duane Ludwig. And Amir Sadollah looked horrible in his last fight with Jorge Lopez. Dan should easily win this fight = Hardy via 1st round TKO.

John Hathaway vs. John Maguire: This is an interesting fight to me. Two young, promising British welterweights looking to establish themselves as title contenders. Hathaway has a clear advantage in the standup, but Maguire has a slight advantage in the ground game, specifically with submissions. Maguire has sweet submissions but Hathaway has a solid top game. This is pretty hard to pick but I'm going with what makes more sense = Hathaway via unanimous decision.

Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin: BARNBURNER ALERT - Before I start talking about this fight itself, I just want to say that I love the way that Pickett fights. He puts everything on the line every time he goes out there. He seems to always be in the FOTN every time he's out there. Anyway, I think this is a very easy fight to pick. Jabouin may have a slight advantage in the technical aspect of striking but everywhere else, Pickett has the advantage. Especially in the submissions = Picket via 3rd round submission (guillotine). My 1st pick for FOTN!

Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman: I am really looking forward to what Paul Sass can do in the future. He has looked unstoppable since being signed to the UFC. I'm also a fan of people who pull guard, and finish the fight. But Matt Wiman may be way too big of a step up. Wiman is a legitimate title contender and Sass' biggest win has been over Jacob Volkmann, who isn't anywhere near Wiman's level. I see Wiman winning everywhere the fight goes = Wiman via unanimous decision.

Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig: Mills is one of the most promising welterweights in the UFC. He holds some insane power. I mean, like crazy power. That is what is going to win him the fight. I love Ludwig, but his career is starting to close in on him fast = Mills via 1st round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Prelims

Kyle Kingsbury vs. Jimi Manuwa = Manuwa via 1st round TKO.

Andy Ogle vs. Akira Corassani = Ogle via 3rd round submission (RNC). My 3rd pick for FOTN! (Interview here)

Tom Watson vs. Brad Tavares = Watson via unanimous decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

DaMarques Johnson vs. Gunnar Nelson = Nelson via 1st round submission (arm).

Robbie Peralta vs. Jason Young = Young via split decision.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic: Oh man I can’t wait for this one. Struve has never had a boring fight and Stipe is a bruiser. Everyone knows I am a huge Struve fan and when he fights smart and puts all of his tools together, he can beat anyone in the world. He is still super young and his height and reach advantage are huge. Stipe is also another very exciting young fighter with decent wrestling and striking power. I see Struve playing it smart and trying to keep his distance using his sizable reach advantage and eventually taking it to the ground and finishing Stipe. = Struve by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah: Hardy is coming off of a huge, and much needed, win and is fighting at home for the first time in years. Sadollah has never impressed me at all for one second. He is super funny and I like reading his tweets but Hardy is going to hand him his pink slip. = Hardy by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

John Hathaway vs. John Maguire: This fight will show us a lot about their futures in the UFC. Both of them are talented young guys with the possibility of doing some big things. I think this one will be a stinker though. I see Hathaway controlling a long boring fight and ending up with the W. = Hathaway by unanimous decision.

Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin: Awesome fight! This fight will be sick and filled with tons of striking. I think Pickett will out-point Jabouin and maybe even finish him after landing a huge combo. Look for this one to set Pickett up for another huge contender match. = Pickett by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman: I agree with Sam that Sass is great but not ready for Wiman. If Wiman fights smart and safe he will easily win this one. However, if Sass wins, especially by submission, he will be ready for the big names. This fight should be fun. = Wiman by unanimous decision.

Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig: Che Mills hits with a ton of force and Ludwig’s chin is gone. I’m a huge “Bang” fan but Mills is going to light him up. = Mills by KO in round 1.

Prelims

Kyle Kingsbury vs. Jimi Manuwa = Manuwa by TKO in round 3.

Andy Ogle vs. Akira Corassani = Ogle by unanimous decision. (Interview here)

Tom Watson vs. Brad Tavares = Watson by split decision.

DaMarques Johnson vs. Gunnar Nelson = Nelson by split decision.

Robbie Peralta vs. Jason Young = Peralta by unanimous decision.