UFC on FX 6 Prelim Recap

The prelims were a perfect way to to start this card. Many people entered this fight believing that this card would lack in entertainment due to the fact that it lacked any star power. There were two nasty KO's and two wars. The prelims couldn't have gone any better.

Nick Penner vs. Cody Donovan: I have to admit, this fight was a lot more exciting than I was expecting. It looked as if Donovan was getting the better of Penner but then “The Quiet Assassin" caught Donovan on the ear with a counter right hook. It dropped the Australian and Penner nearly finished the fight. It happened again but with an uppercut and looked as though Donovan was out. He got up again and eventually dropped Penner himself. Donovan capped it off with ground and pound and earned a victory in his UFC debut. Now with this making Penner 0-2 with two first round TKO losses, I project he will be released.

Possible matchups for Donovan: This was a huge win for the Aussie. He took the fight on short notice and made a comeback for a first round TKO victory in front of his hometown. Penner was definitely a fighter at the bottom of the heap so this win doesn’t do much for Donovan’s stock. I believe he should fight the winner of Roger Hollett and Wagner Prado next.

Mike Wilkinson vs. Brendan Loughnane: This fight was downright awesome. Brendan came out in the first round and looked to have a really good gameplan, sticking and moving with inside leg kicks. It was definitely working on the smaller Wilkinson, but the second round was a different story. Wilkinson really started to push forward and was landing some solid hooks that would have dropped most fighters but Loughnane showed an amazing chin. The rest of the fight was exactly like this and Wilkinson eked out a close unanimous decision win. I really hope the UFC keeps around Loughnane, but history shows that fighters from TUF who lose in the finale are released.

Possible matchups for Wilkinson: This was a really tough fight for a guy who was a pretty big favorite heading in. Wilkinson is a natural featherweight and I would predict he will make a return following this win. If he does, I would like to see him fight Felipe Arantes who is coming off of a draw to Milton Vieira.

Ben Alloway vs. Manny Rodriguez: This was an early contender for KOOTN. Manny came out strong right away and pretty easily took Alloway down on several occasions. Alloway did get up each time and showed he does have a solid ground game, though he does need to work on his takedown defense. In the later stages of the round, he landed an accidental groin kick. Once they got back to the fight, Alloway threw a front kick and Rodriguez leaned right into it. Rodriguez fell back and Alloway put him out cold with some ground and pound. Manny is a very talented fighter but he will have the same problem as Brendan Loughnane.

Possible matchups for Alloway: I really like Ben Alloway, all his fights with the UFC (TUF included) have been fantastic. If he can work on his takedown defense, he could be a name to watch. I want them to move him at the right pace so a fight with 0-2 David Mitchell could be the fight to make.

Mike Pierce vs. Seth Baczynski: From beginning to end, Mike Pierce fought like… well, Mike Pierce. From the opening bell to the closing bell, Pierce smothered and outwrestled Baczynski en route to a unanimous decision win. In the third round, though, Baczysnki started to light up Mike Pierce and gave the favorite a nasty mouse. But it wasn’t enough, as Pierce continued to outwrestle “The Polish Pistola”.

Possible matchups for Pierce: The wrestler in Mike Pierce put a stop to the momentum of up and comer Seth Baczysnki with his much superior grappling. Thiago Alves is looking for a rebound fight after losing to Martin Kampmann by submission and if Pierce can beat Alves, that would be a huge name on his resume and launch him into title contention.

Possible matchups for Baczynski: This was a very big loss for Seth. He was 4-0 since his return to the UFC and his step up in competition didn’t exactly go as planned. He is still a top-20 welterweight and I would love to see him fight the loser of Mike Pyle vs. James Head this Saturday.

Igor Pokrajac vs. Joey Beltran: Just like how Mike Pierce fought like Mike Pirece, Joey Beltran fought like Joey Beltran. But this was an improved Joey Beltran. Typically when he comes out, he rushes forward and slugs it out for 15 minutes. Beltran instead used a great gameplan of pushing Igor against the fence and utilized some brutal dirty boxing. Of course, there were several points where they did stand in the middle and slugged without pause for 30 seconds. But other than that, Beltran saved his UFC career with his best performance in his MMA career.

Possible matchups for Beltran: This was easily the best fight of the fan friendly Joey Beltran’s career. He actually seemed to have had a gameplan this time out. I know he isn’t a particularly talented fighter, but he looked great Friday night. I think the fight to make is against Fabio Maldonado. That has all the makings to be fight of the year.

Possible matchups for Pokrajac: This was an absolutely devastating loss for the Croatian  The only plus he gets from this fight is that he showed he also has an incredible chin. Other than that, he looked terrible. He couldn’t ever get anything off and Beltran dominated him from the start. He desperately needs a rebound fight if he doesn’t want to be released and the man to match him up with would be Chad Griggs. If Griggs isn’t already released following his loss to Diabate, this is the fight to make.

Chad Mendes vs. Yaotzin Meza: If this fight was a surprise to you, you’re either related to Meza or you train with him. Either way, this fight went exactly as expected. Mendes stalked forward, noticed that Meza was holding his chin a tad bit too high, and capitalized. It was a brutal KO and now hopefully Mendes will finally get the type of fight that his talent deserves.

Possible matchups for Mendes: Now that Mendes has (hopefully) ridden past this mismatch curse of his, he should get a top-10 opponent. The Korean Zombie is the fight everyone has been begging the UFC to make and I believe now is the best time.

Possible matchups for Meza: For a guy like Yaotzin Meza, it’s hard to find a matchup that makes sense. I’m not even sure if he’s UFC material. My guess is that he will fight a UFC newcomer himself next, but if not, he should fight Joey Gambino in a loser goes home fight.

UFC on FX 6: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson Predictions

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Ross Pearson vs. George Sotiropoulos: This should be a fun one. I think Pearson has the more technical standup and has more power but Sots has a much better ground game. In my opinion this whole fight boils down to Sots’ takedown ability. He has had trouble in the past getting guys down or at least not down soon enough.  However, I think Sots can avoid Pearson’s power and grind out a somewhat close decision. = Sotiropoulos by unanimous decision.

Brad Scott vs. Robert Whittaker: Scott seems like a well rounded and decent fighter but Whitaker seems like a killer and I see Whitaker coming out and ending this quick with a highlight reel KO. = Whitaker by KO in round 1. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Colin Fletcher vs. Norman Parke: This fight is a tough pick for me. I really think Fletcher’s ground game might be too much for Parke. Parke does have the wrestling ability to win this but he will have to be defending takedowns left and right. I just think the safest pick here is Fletcher grabbing on to a limb and ending it. = Fletcher by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Hector Lombard vs. Rousimar Palhares: I believe that Palhares in the world of BJJ is an beast but in MMA he is one of the most overrated fighters in the middleweight division. Don’t believe me? Look at who he was beaten recently. I think Lombard is smart enough and strong enough to avoid the submission attempts of Paul Harris. I see Lombard dictating the standup and staying out of trouble en route to a boring decision. = Lombard by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Chad Mendes vs. Yaotzin Meza = Mendes by unanimous decision.

Joey Beltran vs. Igor Pokrajac = Igor by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Seth Baczynski vs. Mike Pierce = Pierce by split decision.

Ben Alloway vs. Manuel Rodriguez = Rodriguez by submission in round 2.

Brendan Loughnane vs. Mike Wilkinson = Wilkinson by split decision.

Cody Donovan vs. Nick Penner: Penner by split decision.

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Ross Pearson vs. George Sotiropoulos: These TUF coaches’ fights are really difficult to pick. Both of these guys are in a bit of a slump at the moment, but more so for George, who is coming off losses to Dennis Siver and a KO at the hands of Rafael dos Anjos. Pearson himself is coming off a TKO loss to Cub Swanson. It’s kind of a striker vs. grappler matchup but they’re both well rounded. Pearson’s striking is very technical and fast but Sotiropoulos’ ground game is extremely slick. It’s going to be a very close fight but I see a late submission win for the Aussie = Sotiropoulos via 4^th round submission (choke). My pick for SOTN! My 2^nd pick for FOTN!

Brad Scott vs. Robert Whittaker: Dave nailed this right in the head in my opinion. Scott is definitely a good fighter, but Whittaker’s blitzing attack will be too much. Remember Whittaker’s name, he has a very bright future = Whittaker via 1^st round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Colin Fletcher vs. Norman Parke: This one is much tougher for me to pick than the other final. Parke is very strong and pretty well rounded but Fletcher is just the better fighter. Parke has good wrestling but he sticks his head in for a guillotine and that is Freakshow’s specialty = Fletcher via 1^st round guillotine choke.

Hector Lombard vs. Rousimar Palhares: This could be a fight between the two most overrated fighters in the UFC today. But Lombard may not be overrated. His all-around game is fantastic while Palhares is really just a one trick pony. Paul Harris also lacks toughness; you hit him with a solid punch and he turtles. Lombard will make up for his last fight with this one = Lombard via 1^st round TKO.

Prelims

Chad Mendes vs. Yaotzin Meza = Mendes via unanimous decision.

Joey Beltran vs. Igor Pokrajac = Igor via unanimous decision. My 1^st pick for FOTN!

Seth Baczynski vs. Mike Pierce = Pierce via split decision.

Ben Alloway vs. Manuel Rodriguez = Alloway via 3^rd round TKO.

Brendan Loughnane vs. Mike Wilkinson = Wilkinson via unanimous decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Cody Donovan vs. Nick Penner = Donovan via split decision.

UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva Prelim Recap

The UFC delivers again. This event was yet another fantastic card on their small scale that introduced promising fighters, new title contenders, and hometown favorites prevailing in victory. Let's take a look at some of those bouts and some possible matchups for both the winners and losers

Darren Uyenoyama vs. Phil Harris: Both fighters impressed me in this fight. I thought it was going to be a striker vs. grappler match, but it was really a mixed martial artist against mixed martial artist. Harris took down Uyenoyama early, but they got up quickly and Darren threw some sort of flying spinning somersault kick. Yea, it was just as crazy looking as it sounds. The first round was closely contested but the second was another story. Uyenoyama took down Harris and got his back in an absolutely beautiful transition. He then soon after got the rear naked choke for the highlight reel submission.

Possible matchups for Uyenoyama: Darren Uyenoyama has now become a top guy in the UFC’s flyweight division with this finish over Harris. He has both unorthodox standup and a brilliant ground game. His original opponent for this fight was Louis Gaudinot and this fight still makes sense as they are both 1-0 at flyweight in the UFC with second round submissions. Who ever wins that fight should then fight in a number one contenders match.

Possible matchups for Harris: Despite being finished in his UFC debut, Harris is still a fighter with a lot of promise. Another fighter who lost his UFC debut was Ulysses Gomez. Because they are both 0-1, they should fight for a possible loser goes home, but hopefully not, fight.

Bart Palaszewski vs. Diego Nunes: This fight was bound to produce fireworks and it did, plus a little extra. Diego Nunes is typically the type of technical striker that picks his shots and strikes when he sees the opportunity. In this fight, he blitzed Bart from the opening bell. No one has ever seen Diego fight so aggressively, and I got to say, I really like it. He caught Bart on multiple occasions and almost finished him in the first and at the end of the fight. He even landed one of the most solid spinning back-fists to not knock someone out. If Diego can work on his cardio and continue to do what he did on Saturday, he will quickly become a top contender.

Possible matchups for Nunes: Like I just said, Nunes can become a title contender very quickly if he continues to do exactly what he did the other night. Now that he is a contender, he needs to fight some contenders. Hatsu Hioki is coming off of a huge loss to Ricardo Lamas and because he is still a top guy at 145, he will continue to fight top guys. With Diego Nunes looking to become a top guy and Hioki looking to reestablish himself as a top contender, this fight would be fantastic.

Possible matchups for Palaszewski: This has now been two losses in a row for "Bartimus" and his third of his last four. That isn’t great but he is still one of the better fighters at featherweight. Mike Brown is a former champion at 145 and is looking to go back into title contention. Now that he has wins over both Daniel Pineda and Nam Phan, he needs to take a step up in competition if he wants to get there. Bart Palaszewski is that step up.

Jacob Volkmann vs. Shane Roller: Volkmann finally got hat first finish under the UFC banner and better yet, he did it in front of his hometown in Minneapolis. Volkmann ran out and put his hands on Roller as quickly as possible. He got the takedown and Roller’s back in the process. The rear naked choke attempt followed soon after but Roller was not giving his neck up, but Volkmann didn't care, he decided to crush his jaw instead. Volkmann really impressed me in this fight. And with this loss, Roller has now lost 4 of his 5 fights. That is simply not UFC caliber. He has now even decided to retire.

Possible matchups for Volkmann: The man named "Christmas" is surprisingly a force at 155 pounds. He doesn't look menacing. Actually, he’s quite unassuming. But he has some solid grappling that can put any lightweight fighter on their back. I'm sure he wants another step up in competition and a fighter that was screwed out of a fight on Saturday was Thiago Tavares. This would be a fun grappling match.

Marcus LeVesseur vs. Carlo Prater: There is always that one fight you wish you could un-see at every UFC event. This was that one fight. And let me tell you, it was awful. For two guys who's jobs were on the line, you would expect a spirited affair. But this fight was packed with sloppy takedowns and guillotine attempts. That was it. The outcome was very questionable and no one cared. Prater is basically 0-3 in the UFC. He's gone.

Possible matchups for LeVesseur: Marcus could very well be 0-2 in the UFC so I don't think he deserves any step up and should be put right into a loser goes home fight. CJ Keith is coming off of a first round TKO loss to Ramsey Nijem after missing weight. I thought he would have been released but since he's still in the UFC, these two should square off.

Mike Pierce vs. Aaron Simpson: This fight was shockingly good. The UFC had it as the first fight originally for a reason. They have both had very boring fights in their last two performances. This fight was anything but. Midway through the first round, Simpson caught Pierce and almost finished him with some ground and pound and a submission. Simpson looked fantastic in the first round but Pierce showed a lot of heart going into the second round. He landed a huge right hand right on the chin of "The A-Train" and instantly put him out. It was a great comeback, but it wasn't the only one.

Possible matchups for Pierce: Pierce is one of the more under appreciated fighters in the UFC. He holds great knockout power and fantastic wrestling, a pretty good equation for success. He is slowly but surely making his way to the top and if he wants to continue that ascension, he should fight the winner of Mike Swick and Matt Brown. The winner would most likely become a top-10 welterweight.

Possible matchups for Simpson: If Aaron Simpson isn't considering retirement yet at 38 years of age, his time is coming soon. A fighter who is coming off of a win but just about at the same level of Simpson is Dan Miller. A wrestler vs. wrestler can sometimes turn into a slugfest.

Danny Castillo vs. Michael Johnson: Remember when I said Pierce's comeback wasn’t the only one? Well this is the other one. Danny Castillo dropped the Blackzilian at about the one minute mark of the first round. He then started to rain down so many hammer fists on Johnson's temple, that I was actually telling the ref to stop the fight. After that, Castillo locked in an ultra tight arm triangle choke that I thought was going to end the fight for sure. But no, Johnson showed the heart of a warrior and defended well against every one of Castillo's attacks. Going into the second round, Johnson was instantly the aggressor, taking hold of the center of the octagon. Castillo came in and Johnson caught him with a short left hand and dropped him. He followed up with some brutal hammer fists of his own and knocked Danny Castillo clean out. It was another fantastic comeback.

Possible matchups for Johnson: With this win, Michael Johnson has become a legitimate contender at 155 pounds. He is athletic, strong, has great wrestling, and powerful striking. There is no wonder as to why Rashad says he is a future champion in the UFC. Another fighter who has looked great in his last performance was Matt Wiman. This would be a huge step up in competition for Johnson and it would also be extremely entertaining.

Possible matchups for Castillo: The Alpha Male product has yet to do anything that really impresses me inside the UFC. His lone finish win was over an out of shape Shamar Bailey. Although he is still a talented fighter, he has yet to truly make a statement. Evan Dunham is coming off of a close loss to TJ Grant and if either fighter wants to reinstate themselves as contenders, they need a win over a fellow former contender in each other.