UFC 155: Dos Santos vs. Velasquez Prelim Recap

Chris Cariaso vs. John Moraga: In a division as shallow as the flyweight division, two finishes in a row is mighty impressive. John Moraga has now won two fights in a row, one by knockout and one by submission. The first two rounds of this fight were a bit slow, more of a feeling out process than anything. Cariaso was throwing a lot of left head kicks and Moraga would try to counter it. That is really the story of the first two rounds. But Moraga came into the third with some urgency. Cariaso clinched and jumped into a modified guillotine. Moraga finished him shortly thereafter.

Possible matchups for Moraga: This huge win now puts Moraga at least one win away from a title shot. Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez are fighting at UFC 156 and the winner of that should fight Moraga in a number one contender bout.

Possible matchups for Cariaso: Cariaso was looking good up until he got caught in the guillotine. I would like to see him fight the winner of Phil Harris and Ulysses Gomez. All three of these guys are very talented but Harris vs. Gomez is a potential loser goes home bout.

Max Holloway vs. Leonard Garcia: This fight was…well… a Leonard Garcia fight. He was overly aggressive while being countered down the middle. He did fight with a lot more technique though, as he used a lot more head movement and more straight punches than usual. Holloway proved to be the more technical and out countered him throughout. Many people are saying that Garcia got robbed but you have to look at it this way: the first could have gone either way, the second was much of the same but everyone is leaning towards Garcia, and Holloway won the third. In other words, it could have gone either way, therefore it wasn’t a robbery. But robbery or not, Leonard Garcia is going to be released from the UFC.

Possible matchups for Holloway: Though this is a win over a pretty big name in Leonard Garcia for Max Holloway, it’s kind of a setback to be totally honest. He was a big favorite heading in but almost lost against a guy whose striking is far inferior to his in many ways. I don’t think Holloway is just yet ready for a step up so I would like to see him fight another up and comer. That fighter is Rony Jason, who is coming off of his TKO win over Sam Sicilia.

Phil de Fries vs. Todd Duffee: This fight went much like I envisioned: Duffee being aggressive and getting the finish early. He clipped Phil early but ended up being takedown and nearly finished. De Fries had him against the cage and was landing several very solid shots to the temple, but right after that, Duffee finished him off quick. There is no doubt that Duffee has a lot of power.

Possible matchups for Duffee: This now makes Duffee 2-1 in the UFC and right back on track. I have a feeling that he is going to be put on the fast track towards a title shot by the UFC. His knockout power and entertaining fighting style can make him a star in the mainstream spotlight. Pat Barry is another fighter that has similar fighting style: extremely powerful and entertaining. And he just happens to be coming off of a KO of the year candidate over Shane Del Rosario.

Possible matchups for De Fries: Though this loss only makes de Fries 2-2 in the UFC, his two losses are both via early KO losses. He should be put in a loser goes home bout next with the loser of Shawn Jordan vs. Mike Russow.

Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury: Right from the start, this fight was Myles Jury. Many people went in thinking that this fight was going to be a mismatch, including myself. Jury was just the better fighter. He controlled him everywhere the fight went, especially on the ground; getting takedowns and battering him with ground and pound. That’s what I envisioned Michael Johnson doing. Going into this fight, Johnson was considered to be a future title contender and many now believe that Jury took his position.

Possible matchups for Jury: With this huge win over Johnson, this launches Jury up the rankings. I was calling for a big name for Johnson but instead he got owned by lesser known prospect in Jury. Mac Danzig is coming off of a very close decision loss to Takanori Gomi, so I think he should fight Jury for either a rebound fight for Danzig or a big stepping stone for Jury.

Possible matchups for Johnson: This was a devastating loss for the Blackzilian product. It will certainly push him down the ladder quite a bit. I’d like to see him fight guy for a rebound like Fabricio Camoes, who is coming off of a decision loss to Melvin Guillard.

Jamie Varner vs. Melvin Gulliard: This fight was exactly as many expected: a barnburner from beginning to end with a great scrambles on the ground. Guillard opened the fight with a bunch of very solid legkicks but Varner ended up countering them with a nasty combo that almost knocked Guillard out. Varner ended up fighting smarter in the second round though, as he began to wrestle with Melvin, who is known to have a very poor ground game. It was a back and forth second round but Varner took it to the ground again. In the third round, Varner fought smart again and out-grappled Guillard. At one point, Varner did a reversed atomic bomb right on Guillard’s head. Yeah, it’s a tad hard to describe in words. It was a generally easy 30-27 for Varner and one of the judges gave it 30-27 to Guillard… Anyway, on to the matchups.

Possible matchups for Varner: This was an absolutely huge win for Varner. Guillard has a lot of name value so I want Varner to fight a top-10 or top-15 opponent again. I would like to see him fight the loser between Cerrone and Pettis. Cerrone and he have a huge rivalry that goes way back to 2009 at WEC 38. And Pettis vs. Varner would be an instant Fight of the Night.

Possible matchups for Guillard: It’s a shame that Guillard may never actually reach the greatness in which we all thought he could one day reach. I would like to see him fight another guy who is coming off of a decision loss like Mark Bocek. It could go either way with a KO from Guillard or a submission from Bocek.

Erik Perez vs. Byron Bloodworth: Did anyone expect any different? Perez came right out and landed shots, pushing Bloodworth against the cage. After landing a nasty knee to the body and dropping Bloodworth, Perez swarmed and finished him soon after. This makes Bloodworth 0-2 with two TKO losses in the UFC. He’s not UFC quality.

Possible matchups for Perez: There were reasons as to why Perez was so hyped going into his fight and he showed it in his win over Bloodworth. I would like to see him fight the winner between Francisco Rivera and Edwin Figueroa. The winner would deserve a top-10 opponent.

Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland: From beginning to end, Eddie Wineland put on a striking clinic over Brad Pickett, and I have to admit, I was quite surprised. Wineland was just countering and landing with right hands the whole fight, battering Pickett’s face. He looked fantastic, much like his last win over Scotty Jorgensen.

Possible matchups for Wineland: Heading into this bout, there were very big title implications. Wineland dominated this fight so I would like to see him fight the winner of Renan Barao and Michael McDonald. With the technique and power that he brings to the table, he will be a handful for either fighter.

Possible matchups for Pickett: Poor Brad Pickett. He gets to a number one contender match, and loses. This has happened at least two or three times to him now. If he wants to make it back into contention, he should fight Mike Easton. A win over Easton could send him right back into contention.

CR's 2012 MMA Awards!

 We are doing an end of the year award post for this amazing year of MMA in 2012. We cover a variety of subjects and give you our take on what was the best of the best. Let us know your choices in the comments section below!

Sam’s Awards

Fighter of the Year – Ronda Rousey: MMA had a rocky 2012, this is something that the UFC will try to change in in the year 2013. But when men’s MMA had a rocky year, women’s MMA had the best year in its history and it’s all due to one women: Ronda Rousey. Being a former Olympic bronze medalist, she smoothly made her transition into MMA with seven first round armbar finishes heading into 2012. After snapping Miesha Tate’s arm in half and doing much of the same to Sarah Kaufman in her first title defense, Rousey became a star. Her natural sex appeal, aggressive personality, and dominant fighting style put women’s MMA in the mainstream light. With what Rousey has done in only 365 days is what makes her the Fighter of the Year.

Fight of the Year – Chan Sung Jung def. Dustin Poirier via D’Arce choke at 1:07 of round 4: The equation for a fight of the year candidate consists of a back and forth brawl, people being dropped, submission attempts, and an exhilarating finish. This fight had that and a little more.  They slugged it on the feet, Jung went for multiple submissions in the second with almost getting a few, and ended up finishing Poirier with Poirier’s favorite technique. There was only one other fight that could be considered better and Dave picked it.

Round of the Year – Dustin Poirier def. Jonathan Brookins via D’Arce choke at 4:15 of round 1: Apparently Poirier loves to be in amazing fights. After he lost in his Fight of the Year bout against Jung, he was looking for a rebound fight against TUF winner, Jonathan Brookins. Brookins came out strong and aggressive, pushing Poirier against the fence and swinging for the fences. Poirier returned and eventually caught Brookins, dropping him into a sloppy takedown attempt. Poirier countered with a D’Arce choke and finished him off.

Submission of the Year – Ronda Rousey def. Miesha Tate via armbar at 4:27 of round 1: When picking a submission or knockout of the year, it will typically be a comeback win, the first of its kind, or a win with huge implications. This is the third, but we didn’t know it at the time. Rousey won the fight, but the huge explosion for women’s MMA is what causes this win to be my submission of the year. Also the arm snapping didn't hurt, well, except Miesha Tate.

KO of the Year – Edson Barboza def. Terry Etim via KO (Spinning wheel kick) at 2:02 of round 3: Did you really expect anything else? This knockout was insane. I couldn’t stop watching it for weeks. Remember the three different things a “Finish Of the Year” would need? This was the first of its kind. No one has ever knocked anyone out with a spinning wheel kick in the UFC. And Etim just happened to be frozen in time while falling unconscious.

Upset of the Year – Jamie Varner def. Edson Barboza via TKO (punches) at 3:23 of round 1: Varner’s return was a very unexpected surprise but he was supposed to be absolutely blasted by Edson Barboza, who was coming off his win over Terry Etim. Varner was about a 5-1 underdog in the betting lines heading in, but an even bigger one in people’s opinions. Varner bum rushed him and easily finished him in the first round.

Event of the Year – UFC 144: With a card filled with brutal knockouts, awesome submissions, stunning upsets, insane comebacks, and all out wars, this card was absolutely nuts. Sure there were one or two fights that weren’t that great but seriously this card was one of the best in UFC history.

Comeback of the Year – Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via TKO (punches) at 0:54 of round 3: Heading into this fight, Boetsch was meant to be a rebound win for Okami, who was coming off of his failed title shot. Okami was well on his way to a possible 30-26 or 29-27 decision win but Boetsch came out into the third round a different man. He completely demolished Okami in seconds into the third round, pulling off one of the best comebacks of all time and best upsets of the year.

Prospect of the Year – Max Holloway: At only 21 years old, Max Holloway has already amassed a 2-1 record in the UFC. He possesses some of the most technical striking in the UFC’s featherweight division. His last two wins over Justin Lawrence and Pat Schilling are just the beginning of what this young prospect can do.

Most Improved Fighter – Matt Brown: Heading into 2012, Matt Brown was on the brink of being released from the UFC. He was 1-4 with all his losses being submissions in the second round. His New Year resolution was apparently to become a better fighter, and boy did he succeed at that. He ended up going 4-0 in 2012 with two big upsets and three T/KO finishes. That is the definition of improved.

Moment of the Year – Jose Aldo Celebrating with Brazilian Crowd: At UFC 142 in Brazil, the featherweight champion Jose Aldo capped off the night with a first round KO win over Chad Mendes. After his win, he ran into the wild crowd. At first, I was worried because it seemed as though he was being mauled. But then he was put upon the shoulders of a fan and was carried while swinging the Brazilian flag. It was a very emotional and amazing scene.

Story of the Year – UFC 149 Injury Bug: Not only is this the story of the year because it’s insane, but because it’s extremely comical. The amount of injuries that this card sustained is absolutely mindboggling. I will give you a quick rundown of what happened: Bisping was replaced by Lombard against Boetsch. Yoshihiro Akiyama was supposed to fight Thiago Alves but pulled out, Siyar Bahadurzada filled in. Alves pulled out and Chris Clements filled in. Bahadurzada pulled out and Matt Riddle filled in. Thiago Silva was supposed to fight Shogun but pulled out and Shogun left the card to fight Brandon Vera later on. Jose Aldo, originally headlining against Erik Koch, pulled out and Urijah Faber and Renan Barao ended up headlining after Dominick Cruz pulled out of his fight with Faber. George Roop was supposed to fight Antonio Carvalho but pulled out and Daniel Pineda filled in. Big Nog, originally fighting Cheick Kongo, was still healing from his broken arm he got from Frank Mir. And last but not least, Claude Patrick was going to fight James Head but pulled out and Brian Ebersole filled in. It not only was terrible but led to one of the worst cards in MMA history.

Dave’s Awards

Fighter of the Year – Matt Brown: Yes, Matt “The Immortal” Brown. Brown went 4-0 with 3 of those being finished by (T)KO. He destroyed one of the most highly touted prospects in MMA in Stephen Thompson. And put a screeching halt to Mike Swick’s comeback ride. Brown not only did all of this in a dominating fashion but also made each fight incredibly fun to watch. Matt Brown is why I watch MMA. He is talented and fun to watch. And in 2012 Matt Brown was the best.

Fight of the Year – Joe Lauzon def. Jamie Varner via triangle choke at 2:44 of Round 3: This fight was freaking insane! Everyone watching this around me lost their minds on at least 5 different times. It was a back-and-forth affair that ended with a fantastic scramble that summed up the fight as a whole and got Lauzon back in the win column.

Round of the Year – Ivan Menjivar def. John Albert via RNC at 3:45 of Round 1: This round was my favorite because I was certain it was over 2 times and each time the other guy pulled it out somehow. Albert came at Menjivar like a wild animal. Albert was destroying him but Menjivar, the wily vet, kept his cool and somehow came back and won in one of the most fun fights you’ll ever see.

Submission of the Year – Wolfgang Janssen def. Aaron Armstrong via Flying Reverse Triangle at 1:57 of Round 2: This fight didn’t mean much and it was in a small promotion but it is one of the most amazing technical grappling maneuvers I have ever seen. He didn’t get lucky in a scramble and run with it. Janssen was looking for it and got it. Please go watch it on YouTube NOW!

KO of the Year – Johny Hendricks def. Martin Kampmann via KO at :46 of Round 1: Both of these guys had a ton of steam coming into this fight and it lived up to the hype. Most people thought Hendricks would outwrestle Kampmann but he instantly put a big left hand on Kampmann and Kampmann went flying back like a punch from Superman in a comic book. 46 seconds in and we found the scariest man at 170. Watch out GSP!

Upset of the Year – Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via TKO at :54 of Round 3: This fight was supposed to be a one sided beating, and for 2 rounds, it was. Most people thought Okami would just throw Boetsch around and blanket him, and for 2 rounds, he did. But then Boetsch decided to take Okami’s head off and he did. Incredible.

Event – UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort: I’m a little biased because I was there close to the action but the action was nonstop during this one. The night started out with 3 straight 1^st round finishes. Then there was Grant vs. Dunham which could have been Fight of the Year. Then Vinny Magalhaes’ submission over Igor Pokrajac was a thing of beauty. A few fun fights later and you get two amazing title fights! The first ever Flyweight Title fight which was a back-and-forth technical battle and then Jon Jones defended his light heavyweight title against legend Vitor Belfort. That fight alone was amazing. All in all it was the best time I had watching MMA this year.

Comeback of the Year- Martin Kampmann def. Jake Ellenberger via TKO at 1:40 of Round 2: I thought Jake was going to destroy Martin. And he was well on his way to doing so until Martin somehow landed a knee out of nowhere that sent Jake to the ground in a heap. I was speechless at the time. I truly felt that Ellenberger would easily win that fight, but you can't ever count out Kampmann.

Prospect of the Year – Erik Perez: Perez is only 23 years old, is 2-0 in the UFC and both of those wins came against quality opponents. Not only that, but both of those wins ended in the first round. On top of all of this, he trains at Jackson’s camp. This kid has a huge chance to do something amazing at 135 pounds.

Most Improved Fighter – Cub Swanson: Cub has always been good but if you were to tell me a year ago he would go 3-0 against great competition and all of those wins coming by way of KO, I would think you’re nuts. He got manhandled by Chad Mendes, barely won against Mackens Semerzier and then got destroyed by Ricardo Lamas. But Cub went on a rampage in 2012 and most recently destroyed fellow rising star, Charles Oliveira in just under 3 minutes. The sky is the limit for Cub.

Moment of the Year – Vitor Belfort’s armbar attempt on Jon Jones at UFC 152: This fight was a joke to begin with. You had the scariest man alive, Jon Jones, taking on aging and undersized Belfort squaring off on short notice. It was ridiculous and you could tell from the ring of the bell that Jones was going to destroy Belfort. Jones took Belfort down immediately and started to land vicious elbows. But then out of nowhere, Belfort locks on an armbar that made Jones wince in pain and the Air Canada Centre arena erupted in a noise like no other. I’m a huge Jones fan and even I wanted to see Belfort pull it off. It was incredible and even though Jones defended it off, it was an amazing moment in MMA history.

Story of the Year – Women’s MMA makes it to the UFC: This was a huge moment for MMA history as women will now be able to fight under the UFC banner. It was a long time coming and I am so glad it has happened. I just hope that they sign a ton of fighters and handle the women’s divisions better than they have handled the 145, 135 and 125 divisions for men. Dana needs to keep them off of Facebook and feature them often. I can’t wait  for this chapter in UFC’s history to begin.

UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II Main Card Recap

Max Holloway finishing Justin Lawrence.
Photo by MMAWeekly.com

This was a solid night of fights that was sadly capped off with controversy. Every fight but one was entertaining and the prelims only had one fight go to a decision. This entire card was stacked from top to bottom with lower weight class fighters, something that has been slowly taking over the UFC with their entertaining fights and incredible speed. Let’s take a look at those fights and give some possible matchups.

Justin Lawrence vs. Max Holloway: This fight was the one that I was looking forward to the most, with the exception of the main event, heading into UFC 150. It lived up to my expectations. They showed some of the more technical striking in the UFC, and they only have a combined age of 42 years old. That’s pretty incredible. The first round was very close as Lawrence pushed forward for the majority of the round but Holloway landed more combinations, utilizing his significant reach advantage. Eventually, Holloway landed a knee to the body that hurt Lawrence and followed it up with a punch to the liver, ala Bas Rutten, which dropped Justin and Holloway finished him with a hectic flurry.

Possible matchups for Holloway: Holloway is the next big thing, and that’s to say the least. At 20 years old, he has some of the best striking at 145 pounds, and arguably the most technical. But he’s not the only 145er to be making a name for himself; Jimy Hettes is also being considered a future title contender as he will be fighting Marcus Brimage at 152. The winner of that fight should face off with Holloway to see who’s truly ready for that title contender status.

Possible matchups for Lawrence: Pablo Garza was on his way to title contention before he lost to both Bermudez and Dustin Poirier. They are now both looking for rebound fights and Garza would be a good test for Lawrence’s ground game.

Yushin Okami vs. Buddy Roberts: I have to say, Roberts’ standup really impressed me in this fight. He started off very solid and was landing great jabs on Okami before Yushin realized he was losing. Okami then dragged him to the ground, not without difficulty at first though. Eventually in the 2^nd round, Okami would finish the fight with strikes in a very lackluster TKO finish.

Possible matchups for Okami: It really seems that Okami’s title contention days are behind him as he was losing the standup to Roberts. Him and Jake Shields both won very lackluster performances Saturday night and a fight between them makes perfect sense and I'm guessing that Okami would like revenge against Shields for their fight several years ago.

Possible matchups for Roberts: I think that Roberts really surprised most of us with his solid striking attack against Okami. Andrew Craig is coming off an amazing comeback KO win over Rafael Natal and even though Roberts is coming off a loss, Roberts looked solid and deserves a move up the rankings despite the 0-1 added to his resume.

Ed Herman vs. Jake Shields: This fight was awful. I am personally a huge fan of a ground fight but Shields simply just didn’t do anything when he got there. He almost had a kimura at one point, but he never got it. He ended up winning the unanimous decision, but it didn’t do much to help his status in title talks.

Possible matchups for Herman: One of the more promising middleweights in the UFC, Ronny Markes, does not have his next fight set up yet and I’m sure that Herman wants to put this horrible loss to Shields behind him as quickly as possible.

Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard: It is very rare to see a Fight of the Night bonus go to a fight that didn’t go to a decision. It’s even more rare for a fight to earn Fight of the Night when it didn’t go past the second round. But for a fight to earn Fight of the Night when it only lasts 76 seconds, that's unheard of. Yes, the fight was only 76 seconds, and it undoubtedly earned Fight of the Night. Guillard landed a solid counter right hand that dropped Cerrone, which was a first in his UFC career. Guillard rushed in, trying to finish the fight with all his might, but was eventually caught with a head kick that clipped the top of his head. Guillard was out on his feet as Cerrone landed the final blow with a right straight that put “The Young Assassin” out.  Back-and-forth action is always the perfect formula for FOTN.

Possible matchups for Cerrone: Before this fight even happened, Cerrone was calling out Anthony Pettis. Joe Silva, it’s time to make this fight happen!

Possible matchups for Guillard: Not only did this loss make him 1-3 in his last four, but it was also his first ever TKO/KO loss in his MMA career. I still believe he is an elite lightweight in the UFC, his standup is incredible, but setbacks are inescapable in the slump he is going through. Danny Castillo and Michael Johnson are fighting at UFC 151 and they are certainly looking for a step up in competition with whoever wins that fight. Guillard could be that exact leap in competition they are looking for.

Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar: This fight was amazing, but it was almost completely overshadowed by its decision. It almost seems like it’s in Henderson’s DNA to not put on a boring fight, and he didn’t fail this time. Edgar and Henderson put on an amazing fight that I, and many other journalists and fans, had scored for Edgar. It was an extremely close fight, but I personally thought that it was a clear-cut decision win for Edgar. A fight can sometimes be razor thin but still clear-cut. I had the last four rounds scored for Edgar with the 3^rd round being the only one I would give to Henderson, if I had to change one. I was very upset with this decision, and luckily, I’m not alone.

Possible matchups for Henderson: Nate Diaz was announced before this fight that he was the next challenger. I truly believe in my heart that Diaz can become the new lightweight champion.

Possible matchups for Edgar: After looking through the UFC’s lightweight roster, there are very few fights that make sense for Frankie. The one that stands out to me the most though, is a fourth fight with Maynard. Gray is coming off a, bizarre to say the least, win over Clay Guida and Frankie is still the second best in the world in my eyes. This would be a great fight to headline a Fox card to finally finish their 1-1-1 record with each other in what could be a number 1 contender's bout.

Click here for the prelim recap!

UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar 2 Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar: Oh, how I've been looking forward to this rematch. The first fight was an absolute war and I don't see this fight being any different. Their first encounter was as close as can be and I personally scored 3 rounds to 2 for the present day champ. Now that being said I thought that Henderson won, if you look at Frankie Edgar's record with rematches, it's 2-0-1 with each performance better than the last. Once you fight Edgar, he figures you out the next time around. Adaptability is one of the most important features in a champion and I see Edgar continuing his rematch rhythm and get his title back in another classic = Edgar by unanimous decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard: BARNBURNER ALERT: This fight will undoubtedly produce fireworks in the opening stages. Donald Cerrone needs to take this to the ground if he wants to win this easier. I think Cerrone will open up in the beginning, stalking him down and eventually clinching in for a takedown = Cerrone by 1st round submission (choke). My pick for SOTN and 2nd for FOTN!!

Jake Shields vs. Ed Herman: I really, really want to pick Herman. Ever since his return to the UFC, he's looked like a title contender. Jake Shields has not. Shields is still technically an elite fighter though and Herman is right on the tip of that consideration. I simply cannot in my right mind though pick Herman over a guy like Shields = Shields by split decision.

Yushin Okami vs. Buddy Roberts: To say the least, this fight is bizarre. Sure, Roberts has a promising future and Okami is on a two fight losing streak, but let's face it, Roberts isn't going to win this fight. It will be a big learning experience for him and I see him becoming a top-15 or top-20 middleweight but now is too soon = Okami by unanimous decision.

Justin Lawrence vs. Max Holloway: This is the fight that I am looking forward to the most behind the main event. These two will certainly be title contenders in their futures and now is the time for them to prove that point. The major difference for me in this fight is the reach and technique. Holloway is much more technical and taller than Lawrence. Also, Holloway has very good fight IQ which is something that someone his age, and Justin Lawrence, lack. This fight should have some amazing standup = Holloway by unanimous decision. My 3rd pick for FOTN! (For Holloway interview click here)

Prelims
Dennis Bermudez vs. Tom Hayden = Bermudez by 2nd round TKO.

Jared Hamman vs. Michael Kuiper = Hamman by 3rd round TKO. My pick for KOOTN! (For Hamman interview click here)

Nik Lentz vs. Eiji Mitsuoka = Lentz by split decision.

Ken Stone vs. Erik Perez = Perez by 1st round submission.

Dustin Pague vs. Chico Camus = Camus by split decision.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar: Frankie Edgar is the master of the rematch. He has had rematches with some of the sport’s best. He defeated BJ Penn in their rematch; which I saw live and Edgar won every round. Then Edgar defeated Gray Maynard in their third fight. He won both of those rematch contests even more decisively then the first fights. So, Henderson and Edgar’s first matchup was very close and I see Edgar repeating his usual rematch quality performance. It will be very close again but Edgar’s speed was a huge problem for Henderson and I think it still will be. It will be a close one but I am going with what I believe is the smartest choice. = Edgar by unanimous decision.

Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard: This fight will be awesome. Cerrone has the more technical striking and a much better ground game but Melvin hits harder than anyone at 155 pounds. I think Melvin’s only chance is to land a huge punch and KO or TKO Cerrone. But Cerrone has an amazing chin and I think he will be too much for Melvin. I think this will go to the ground at some point and Cerrone will finish it there. = Cerrone by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Jake Shields vs. Ed Herman: This will be an interesting fight and I think it will end up with who has the better cardio and heart. Neither have real KO power and both prefer the submission game. I think Shields is much more technical and higher level but sometimes can be very slow and lose out on good opportunities. Herman has a ton of heart and grit and decent cardio. This fight will be interesting but Shields has beaten better talent in the past and I think he can take this. = Shields by split decision.

Yushin Okami vs. Buddy Roberts: Roberts has not defeated or even faced a fighter even close to Okami’s level. Okami will be stronger with better grappling and striking. This might be ultra boring as well. The “potty break” fight I guess. = Okami by unanimous decision.

Justin Lawrence vs. Max Holloway: This fight is going to be amazing! Both of these guys are very young and talented athletes that are well rounded and exciting. Both of them also fight smarter than then their age would normally imply. Holloway showed in his last fight against Pat Schilling that his fight IQ and maturity is light years ahead of a lot of the young fighters at 145. His striking is scary good and it is just crazy that he is only 20 years old. Lawrence holds a lot of power and speed but is a little sloppier in his approach. Holloway should have the reach advantage as well. I see Holloway picking Lawrence apart and taking the decision. = Holloway by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night! (For Holloway interview click here)

Prelims

Dennis Bermudez vs. Tom Hayden: Bermudez by split decision.

Jared Hamman vs. Michael Kuiper: Hamman by unanimous decision. (For Hamman interview click here)

Ken Stone vs. Erik Perez: Perez by split decision.

Nik Lentz vs. Eiji Mitsuoka: Lentz by unanimous decision.

Dustin Pague vs. Chico Camus: Pague by submission in round 1.

The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale Main Card Recap

Michael Chiesa caps off amazing TUF run and story.
Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

Justin Lawrence vs. John Cofer: This fight had one hell of a finish. Although Cofer was the busier striker, Lawrence was landing the better blows and getting the better of the exchanges. Coming into the 3^rd round, Lawrence was arguably up on the scorecards but he didn’t have to worry about any scorecards, he brutally KO’d the tough Cofer with a brilliantly executed head kick just 19 seconds into the closing frame. Lawrence has an extremely bright future.

Possible matchups for Lawrence: Lawrence needed to desperately work on his fight IQ. This was shown in his fight with Chiesa. He fought a much smarter fight against Cofer and it eventually worked out with his brutal KO in the 3^rd round. He is also a rather undersized lightweight and a move down to featherweight could prove very beneficial for him. Daniel Pineda is coming off a loss and it could definitely be an entertaining fight between two rising prospects.

Max Holloway vs. Pat Schilling: Max Holloway is the new kid everyone needs to keep their eye on. He has some of the best technical striking in the division. Not even Jose Aldo mixes it around with body shots. Holloway peppered Schilling for three dominant rounds mixing in beautiful body shots, brutal uppercuts, and even went for the famous off the cage “showtime” kick. I was reading around on some forums and people were saying that Schilling is going to absolutely destroy Holloway. That wasn’t exactly the case. The main criticism that I have for Holloway is that he needs to work on his finishing ability, but he was simply playing it smart. Schilling had a much better ground game and he didn’t want to risk it. Props to Schilling though for a tremendous amount of heart, but heart doesn’t win you a fight.

Possible matchups for Holloway: Holloway showed to me that he shall be a title contender in the coming years. With the technical standup that brutalized Schillings face and body, to his great takedown defense. He defended all Schilling’s takedown attempts and in a few, I really thought that Schilling would get the takedown but Holloway showed much improved takedown defense, which he promised and delivered. Schilling has absolutely no name value, so if Holloway really wants to make a statement at featherweight, he should fight the winner of Cub Swanson vs. Ross Pearson. It very well could be too much too fast but I can guarantee you that Holloway will hold his own in either of those fights.

Charles Oliveira vs. Jonathon Brookins: Oliveira truly emerged as a contender for the featherweight belt against Brookins. Oliveira’s punches were picture perfect and then he ended up cinching a devastating modified guillotine choke that was also part D’arce choke for the finish mid way into round 2.

Possible matchups for Oliveira: With the featherweight division looking rather thin as of late, Oliveira has launched himself up into the top contenders. Dennis Siver himself has also launched himself into title contention. That fight would be absolutely awesome along with it being a real launch for both goes at 145.

Possible matchups for Brookins: Let’s be honest with ourselves, Brookins is a very talented guy but he will never rise above anything passed gatekeeper status. But before he has to resume his job as gatekeeper, he needs a fight that will put him back there. A fight with the lone Chinese fighter, Tiequan Zhang would be both a fight that would get him back there, and a rather easy fight.

Mike Chiesa vs. Al Iaquinta: After Chiesa’s fight with Larsen, I wrote him off as guy who would prove tough but not even come close to winning the show. I also chose the guy he was facing to win every time, except for Larsen. But boy, was he on a mission. After hearing about the death of his father, he made it the only goal in his mind that he was going to win this in dedication to his father. Iaquinta is a tough dude but when you are facing a guy like Chiesa, you aren’t going to win. This show was Chiesa’s to win. Not much happened in the standup but once Chiesa got a hold of him, he took his back and finished the fight. The best storybook ending to any TUF season ever.

Possible matchups for Chiesa: Once you win The Ultimate Fighter, you will be instantly thrown into the wolves. You will be given a fighter that has name value and has a chance to beat you. But isn’t that the way with all UFC fights? A fight with Mac Danzig would be a great test for Chiesa.

Possible matchups for Iaquinta: Iaquinta has some solid standup but desperately needs to work on his submission defense. Tony Ferguson is coming off of a loss against another TUF runner up and that would be a great standup fight.

Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann: Martin Kampmann is turning into the comeback kid of the UFC. After being blitzed in the opening stages of the fight and the second round, Kampmann pulled off the upset and finished Ellenberger with a barrage of knees that dropped him. Ellenberger, despite this loss, is still one of the top guys in the division and Kampmann is easily one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC.

Possible matchups for Kampmann: The only fight that would truly make sense right now would be a title eliminator fight with Johny Hendricks, and Kampmann said it himself, a fight with him and Hendricks would be an entertaining scrap.

Possible matchups for Ellenberger: Well, as of today, Jon Fitch has had to pull out of his fight with Aaron Simpson due to injury. Ellenberger would be the perfect guy to replace Fitch. This is, of course, depending on the fact that he doesn’t have a concussion following his TKO loss.

For the Prelim Recap Click Here

The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale Predictions

Dave’s Picks

First off I would like to inform you all that my beautiful wife predicted every single fight correctly except one this entire season of TUF. No, she does not help me with my predictions…but maybe she should..

Main Card

Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann: What a great fight. I love watching these guys but in my opinion Ellenberger is on another level at this point. Kampmann is a dangerous guy who can beat anyone if they get careless but Jakes is just a monster. Kampmann is almost impossible to finish but I think Jake needs to do that early on or he may be in trouble. Jake has shown that his gas tank can run dry due to his insane pace he keeps up and this one is a 5 rounder. If I was Jake I would intelligently try and finish this quick and I believe he can. I see Jake putting on pressure, getting a knockdown and then finishing Kampmann with crazy ground and pound. = Ellenberger by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Mike Chiesa vs. Al Iaquinta: Anything could happen in this fight but knowing that Al trains with Matt Serra makes me put some faith in him. The other thing that gives me great confidence in picking Al is that when I interviewed Urijah (Click here for that interview) he said he thought Al would win. Urijah coached both of these guys the entire time and he is choosing Al. I think Al has much better standup and better wrestling but Chiesa has a knack for pulling off crazy stuff. But I feel pretty safe picking Al. = Al by unanimous decision.

Max Holloway vs. Pat Schilling: Max Holloway is a little monster. The kid is only 20 and has crazy standup skills. Go watch his youtube highlight video. I really like this kid a lot. We interviewed him recently (Click here for that interview) and you can tell he is just a great kid loving his time in the big leagues. But Schilling is no joke as well. This fight could be closer than I am expecting but I see Holloway dominating. = Holloway by TKO in round 1.

Jonathan Brookins vs. Charles Oliveira: I can’t wait for this one. This will be a very fun fight. Brookins is coming off the greatest win of his career by absolutely destroying Vagner Rocha and Oliveira is coming off a successful featherweight debut. If you were to ask me about this fight a year ago I would have likely picked Oliveira by a close decision but after their last couple fights I have to go with Brookins. However, this fight will be very close and expect some fireworks on the feet and on the ground. = Brookins by split decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Prelims

Justin Lawrence vs. John Cofer = Lawrence by unanimous decision.
Myles Jury vs. Chris Saunders = Jury by split decision.

Daron Cruickshank vs. Chris Tickle = Cruickshank by unanimous decision.
Cristiano Marcello vs. Sam Sicilia = Marcello by 3rd round submission. My Pick for Submission of the Night!
John Albert vs. Erik Perez = Albert by unanimous decision.
Jeremy Larsen vs. Joe Proctor = Proctor by unanimous decision.

Sam's Picks

Main Card

Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann: In a welterweight clash that will undoubtedly be an amazing fight, the winner is next in line for a title shot. At least, that’s how I feel about it. Apparently, Johny Hendricks is the next one to receive a title shot after Condit but I disagree. Hendricks is 4-1 in his last 5: decision loss to Story (not impressive), TKO victory over TJ Waldburger (pretty impressive), squeaked by Mike Pierce (not impressive), KO’d Jon Fitch in 12 seconds (extremely impressive), and squeaked by Josh Koscheck (not impressive). I don’t see how that deserves a title shot. Now what Ellenberger and Kampmann have done is much more impressive and worthy of a title shot. Kampmann is 3-2 (with the two being very controversial decision losses) and Ellenberger 6-1 in the UFC with the loss also being a controversial decision loss. But hey, lets get back to the fight. Between these two, the most impressive as of late is by far Ellenberger. A 50 second KO of Jake Shields, a dominating decision win of Diego Sanchez (besides the 3rd round), and another KO of a game Sean Pierson. Kampmann on the other hand, was being dominated by Thiago Alves until Alves made a horrible mistake and Kampmann capitalized on it. Personally, I think that the deciding factor will be Ellenberger’s power and momentum in the UFC. But if he doesn’t finish, Kampmann will win by unanimous decision = Ellenberger by 2nd round TKO. My pick for KOOTN and 1st for FOTN!

Mike Chiesa vs. Al Iaquinta: Iaquinta has rolled along the competition in TUF despite his two close fights between Jury and Pichel, he never really took damage in those fights. Chiesa on the other hand, has taken lots of damage in his last fights. Almost being finished by Lawrence with a body shot and submitted by Vick. He has a lot of heart, but simply not the technique that Iaquinta holds. Look for Chiesa to pull off the upset and comeback if he isn’t finished in the first. I will be cheering for him = Iaquinta by 1st round TKO.

Max Holloway vs. Pat Schilling: I see this fight being a one sided beatdown handed by Max Holloway, and no I’m not just saying that because we got an interview with him, its because I thought that the second I saw this fight announced (which was before the interview). Schilling was destroyed by future contender in Daniel Pineda, and he looking terrible and not UFC caliber. Holloway, on the other hand, despite losing in the first round really impressed me in his debut. He was winning the standup against one of the top contenders in Dustin Poirier before being finished with a bizarre mounted triangle/armbar = Holloway by 2nd round TKO.

Jonathan Brookins vs. Charles Oliveira: This fight is probably the hardest one to pick on the whole card. These guys are both young phenoms who are undoubtedly going to fight for the title in the future. I’m going with Brookins on this on this one because he has been more impressive, knocking out the always dangerous Vagner Rocha brutally in one minute and barely losing to (now) title contender Erik Koch = Brookins by split decision

Prelims
Justin Lawrence vs. John Cofer = Lawrence by unanimous decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!
Myles Jury vs. Chris Saunders = Jury by split decision. My 3rd pick for FOTN!
Daron Cruickshank vs. Chris Tickle = Cruickshank by 1st round TKO
Cristiano Marcello vs. Sam Sicilia = Marcello by 2nd round submission (choke). My pick for SOTN!
John Albert vs. Erik Perez = Albert by unanimous decision
Jeremy Larsen vs. Joe Proctor = Proctor by split decision

RIP Mr. Chiesa.
 

CR Exclusive Interview with Max Holloway!

                                                                                                Photo by MMAJunkie.com

Max Holloway is currently the youngest fighter on the UFC roster. He is an incredibly exciting young talent. (Go watch his YouTube highlight reel!) He is also a great kid. We were able to do a short interview with him and you can tell in his answers that he is just a happy young guy enjoying his success and his ride through the number one MMA promotion in the world.

CR: Hey Max! It’s a great pleasure and honor to have an interview with you! We just have a few questions for you. So, you are facing a tough fighter in Pat Schilling on June 1^st for the Ultimate Fighter Live Finale.   1) How has training been going? And what have you done differently in this training camp to prepare for Schilling?

Max: Training been going great feeling stronger and faster. Differently I am doing more jiu jitsu and wrestling for this fight. Putting in a lil more time in both areas.

2) CR: For your UFC debut you had quite a unique experience. You are only 20 years old, only 4 fights under your belt and you were called on short notice to fight a top contender in Dustin Poirier. Describe that overall experience. How excited were you? What were your emotions throughout that process?

Max: The experience was pretty crazy! It was everything I thought it would be and much more! I was pretty excited words couldn't describe how I was feeling! The day I got my contract official was the same day my son was born so it was a memorable day! The emotions was all over the place lol

                                                                                       

  

3) CR: It seems that you are a very spiritual person. How does that affect your MMA career?

Max: I believe it is a big affect. I'm at a place where people train for years to be and only being 20 if you don't believe in blessings it’s cool, more for me hahaha.

4) CR: Your striking seems extremely advanced for someone only 20 years old. When and how did you get started in MMA?

Max: I started at the age of 16 I came up from a garage gym.

5) CR: How do you see your fight with Pat Schilling playing out?

Max: Ideally I would like to keep it on the feet but you never know. We will have to see fight night! 

6) CR: After you win this fight, what’s next for Max Holloway in the UFC?

Max: You know my goal is to get the W first then after that I’ll fight whoever UFC want me too. I just wanna put on a good show! 

Thank you guys! 

CR: We thank you so much for taking your time to do this interview. We can’t wait to see your next fight and your very promising future playing out. You are an extremely exciting fighter and you have fans here at Championship Rounds! Good luck at the Ultimate Fighter Live Finale!

Go give some love to Max Holloway on Twitter!