UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar Prelim Recap

Rony Jason finishing Sam Sicilia

This event that was almost a weak catastrophe went on to become one of the best events in MMA history. From beginning to end this event held fantastic submissions, slugfests, and several “Fight of the Night” performances. The undercard and PPV main card were packed with them. We can only hope that every event is like this.

We also learned two things: Anderson Silva is not a human and Fernando Yamasaki is the worst referee in MMA not named Kim Winslow.

Cristiano Marcello vs. Reza Madadi: After re-watching this fight the second day, there is no doubt in my mind that Madadi won the first two rounds. He staggered Marcello a solid five or six times in the opening two rounds! If that doesn’t win you a round, I don’t know what does. This was a fun standup war, when it really should have been a grappling match. This fight was hometown judging at its worst.

Possible matchups for Marcello: Even though it was a win, a controversial decision such as this one doesn’t exactly help your stock. Another fighter with a low stock but is also coming off of a win is Anton Kuivanen. This could be a fun back and forth grappling match that could show us who is UFC caliber or not.

Possible matchups for Madadi: Reza Madadi is a fun fighter. There is no doubt about that. He always goes for the finish whether it’s on the feet or on the ground. I’m excited to see where he can bring his career in the UFC. Henry Martinez and Daron Cruickshank are fighting later this year of the 5^th Fox card. Madadi should fight the winner of that fight.

Luiz Cane vs. Chris Camozzi: What happened to Luiz Cane? He was once considered the next big thing at 205 but has just absolutely fallen to pieces lately. Throughout this entire fight, Camozzi easily kept him off with the jab en route to a unanimous decision win. The fight wasn’t very good, but it was certainly an impressive performance from the Denver native. This is now Cane’s fourth loss in his last five, there is no doubt in my mind that he will be cut from the promotion.

Possible matchups for Camozzi: With this upset win over a a formerly highly touted prospect, Camozzi also becomes an exciting prospect in the 185 pound division. With a technical standup game and an underrated ground game, Camozzi is ready for a step up in competition. Another one of the more exciting prospects at middleweight is Ronny Markes, who hasn't fought since his fight with Aaron Simpson back in February. The winner between Camozzi and Markes could show a possible new contender.

Sergio Moraes vs. Renee Forte: This wasn't a very good fight. A striker vs. grappler fight with one fighter hardly either one of those. Forte had barely any striking skill and his ground game was nowhere near the match of Sergio Moraes. Forte gave up his back midway through the third and was submitted soon thereafter. This was Forte's UFC debut following TUF, and typically when a fighter loses there debut following TUF, they are released.

Possible matchups for Moraes: Even though his standup abysmal to say the least, but his ground game is masterful. Moraes could go somewhere in te UFC if he plays smart and takes it to the ground as quickly as possible. If he wants to fight a stiff test at 170, Claude Patrick has yet to have his next fight set up.

Diego Brandao vs. Joey Gambino: Even though it wasn't necessarily against someone who had a name, this was a huge win for Brandao. Gambino is a highly touted prospect fighting out of Tristar and Brandao easily ran through him, but Gambino showed an amazing chin and heart from the opening moments of this fight. Brandao clipped him with a head kick just a few seconds into the first round. The rest of the fight was much of the same. On several occasions, Brandao dropped Gambino with both punches and kicks en route to a unanimous decision win. With two very decisive losses under the UFC banner in a row, Gambino will most likely be released.

Possible matchups for Brandao: Now that the TUF 14 winner has received his first post-TUF win, Brandao is going to be looking for a step up in competition. The mid-tier level of the UFC's featherweight division is very stacked. Lots of former contenders and future contenders looking to make their way up the ranks. One of those former contenders is Manny Gamburyan. A fight between the former and the latter would be a great fight for two guys looking to get a crack at the top-10.

Gleison Tibau vs. Francisco Trinaldo: Before I start to talk about this fight itself, I want to know how in the world that either of these guys can make it down to 155 pounds. They both look like middleweights, and have the strength of one. Anyway, this fight was the most surprising on the topic of entertainment. This was an awesome fight. The first round was close but Tibau definitely won. The second round was a completely different story. Trinaldo rocked Tibau and quickly took his back like a monkey. He had a rear naked choke in that I thought for sure would finish the fight, but nope, Tibau showed both heart and excellent submission defense. But once he got out of the submission, Trinaldo started to unload on him with ground and pound. I actually thought it was a clear 10-8 round for Francisco but the judges thought otherwise. Tibau came out strong in the third and ended up with a 29-28 unanimous decision win across the board.

Possible matchups for Tibau: This has been the second prospect in a row for Gleison. The guy is an elite lightweight in many people's opinion. I think it's time for him step back up and fight stiffer competition, despite the fact that he lost one and the other was very close. Jamie Varner is coming off of the FOTY candidate with Joe Lauzon and is looking to get back in there. These two could definitely put on a show.

Possible matchups for Trinaldo: The fact that he almost defeated a guy like Tibau in only his second showing in the UFC leads me to believe that he can definitely accomplish a lot in the sport of MMA. I think he should continue fighting guys who are right in between high to mid-tier at 155. Terry Etim has yet to come back from his injury and it would be an exciting fight between two lightweight prospects.

Rony Jason vs. Sam Sicilia: The first ever TUF Brazil winner came in with a lot of hype at UFC 147 and he didn’t live up to any of it despite winning a unanimous decision. But this fight showed the reason he had the hype in the first place. His standup looked a lot better in this fight. It wasn’t as wild as his UFC debut. Not only did he look better but he also put on an awesome fight. This was a back and forth slugfest and Jason eventually dropped Sicilia in the second round. It was huge win for him and I can't wait to see who the UFC gives him next.

Possible matchups for Jason: Speaking of who the UFC should give Jason next, I want to see him fight a really hard opponent. A similar fighter who is a also a young Brazilian and future contender is Charles Oliveira. How awesome would this fight be?

Possible matchups for Sicilia: With this TKO loss and his last win being very unimpressive, if he loses again, I see a pink slip forthcoming. Cody McKenzie is also a fighter on the brink of receiving a pink slip and these two should fight in a loser goes home fight.

Bellator 76 Predictions

Sam's Picks

Main Card

Eddie Alvarez vs. Patricky Pitbull = Alvarez via unanimous decision.

Nazareno Malegarie vs. Rad Martinez = Malegarie via 3rd round TKO.

Wagnney Fabiano vs. Akop Stepanyan = Fabiano via 1st round submission (choke).

Mike Richman vs. Jeremy Spoon = Richman via split decision.

Cody Bollinger vs. Shahbulat Shamhalaev = Shamhalaev via split decision.

Prelims

Jason Fischer vs. Kyle Prepolec = Prepolec via unanimous decision.

Chad Laprise vs. Ainsley Robinson = Laprise via 3rd round submission.

Simon Marini vs. Ali Mokdad = Mokdad via 2nd round submission (choke).

AJ Matthws vs. Dom O'Grady = O'Grady via unanimous decision.

Nayeb Hezam vs. Magomedrasul Khasbulaev = Khasbulaev via 1st round submission.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Eddie Alvarez vs. Patricky Freire = Alvarez by unanimous decision.

Nazareno Malegarie vs. Rad Martinez = Malegarie by split decision.

Wagnney Fabiano vs. Akop Stepanyan = Fabiano by submission in round 2.

Mike Richman vs. Jeremy Spoon = Richman by unanimous decision.

Cody Bollinger vs. Shahbulat Shamhalaev = Bollinger by submission in round 1.

Prelims

Jason Fischer vs. Kyle Prepolec = Prepolec by TKO in round 3.

Chad Laprise vs. Ainsley Robinson = Laprise by split decision.

Simon Marini vs. Ali Mokdad = Marini by split decision.

A.J. Matthews vs. Dom O'Grady = O’Grady by unanimous decision.

Nayeb Hezam vs. Magomedrasul Khasbulaev = Khasbulaev by unanimous decision.

UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar: Well, this could very well be the strangest matchup in the history of the modern day UFC. The best of all time against a massive underachiever. My prediction is quite obvious but I want to talk about Bonnar's chances in winning this fight. Silva shouldn't underestimate Bonnar in any way, shape, or form. Bonnar has a lot of power that can knock anyone out at 205 pounds. He also has very underrated grappling skills that if he can back Anderson up, he could possibly take him down. Do I see any of this happening? No, I don't. But I don’t see Anderson knocking him out either = Silva via unanimous decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Dave Herman: People are saying that Nogueira's career is over and done with. I think he's almost there, but not quite yet. Sure, he got submitted for the first time in his last fight with Mir, but Nogueira almost knocked him out. He dropped him and started to rain down some ground and pound. Herb Dean yelled at him to not hit the back of the head so be went for the guillotine that lost him the fight. His boxing looked fantastic in that fight and Herman has a very questionable chin. Nogueira will rock him, take his back and submit him = Nogueira via 1st round submission (RNC). My pick for SOTN!

Glover Teixeira vs. Fabio Maldonado: BARNBURNER ALERT - Believe it or not, but this is the fight that I am looking forward to the most. Teixeira is one of the most promising fighters in the UFC today and Maldonado has been in three straight Fight of the Night performances. Maldonado has also been screwed out of two decisions in a row against Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury. This fight is going to be an absolute slugfest. Teixeira has the clear ground advantage but the standup is a toss up. Teixeira has the power and Maldonado has the technique. Now I understand why Teixeira is such a favorite heading into this but Maldonado is really being counted out in this fight when he shouldn’t be. He could make a career in the UFC for being so entertaining and showing lots of boxing mastery. But with that being said, Teixeira is going to win this fight in a standup war. This is going to steal the show = Teixeira via unanimous decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva: I am extremely excited for this fight and it's for one reason and one reason only: to see what Erick Silva can do against a true elite welterweight. His three performances thus far have been complete domination from beginning to end. But the competition in those fights weren't anywhere near the level of competition that Fitch brings. Fitch is a wrestling powerhouse. Dominating almost all of his fights with his smothering grappling style. And he gets a bad rep from that. I don't think a guy who finds what works best for him and becomes a top guy should change his fighting style just because people say, “BOO”. But he recently said that he has realized that entertainment earns title shots more, and sadly, he's right. But the fact that he said that kind of scares me. I have a bad feeling that he is going to try and make it a scrap and not do what he does best. Silva will destroy him in the standup if he decides to keep it there. But the safe pick is to go with Fitch and not the welterweight phenom = Fitch via unanimous decision.

Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado: The last fight was bizarre to say the least. Prado was continuously backing Davis up until Phil accidentally threw out a finger and took out a chunk of Prado's eye (not literally) and let me tell you, Prado turned into the incredible hulk when the ref decided to call off the fight. Going into that fight, I didn't give Prado even the slightest chance. I thought Phil would take him down and submit him or smother him for three rounds. Prado started to look really solid before the inadvertent eye poke. I could see him upsetting Davis, but right now, Davis is just way more well rounded when it comes to the ground. I don’t see a submission, but I do see him going for a takedown whenever Prado starts to find his range = Davis via unanimous decision.

Demian Maia vs. Rick Story: Even though Maia’s welterweight debut ended rather abruptly, he still impressed me with the fact that he instantly engaged, trying to go for the takedown. Story has looked awful lately. Hopefully he has changed since his last three performances but if he hasn’t, expect a poor performance. I see a similar fight to Maia’s welterweight debut: instant engagement on the fence, trip takedown, mount, but then a submission = Maia via 1^st round submission.

Rony Jason vs. Sam Sicilia = Jason via unanimous decision. My 2^nd pick for FOTN!

Gleison Tibau vs. Francisco Trinaldo = Tibau via split decision.

Diego Brandao vs. Joey Gambino = Brandao via 1^st round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Renee Forte vs. Sergio Moraes = Moraes via 3^rd round split decision.

Chris Camozzi vs. Luiz Cane = Cane via split decision.

Reza Madadi vs. Cristiano Marcello = Marcello via 2^nd round submission.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar: This easily the most lopsided fight ever put together in the Zuffa era. Don’t get me wrong I love and have much respect for Bonnar but Silva is the best fighter to ever live. The only hope Bonnar has is that Silva takes him lightly and Bonnar sneaks in with a big overhand. Silva has taken opponents he deemed unworthy lightly and put on bad performances; like against Demian Maia and Thales Leites. But in all seriousness this will be a beat-down and no one will be surprised. = Silva by TKO in round 2. My Pick for Fight of the Night! My Pick for KO of the Night!

Dave Herman vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: This is such a strange fight to me. But it should be a fun one. Big Nog is one of my favorites and has looked great in his last few fights. He is coming off a long layoff after breaking his arm but I think he is ready to go. If Nog is healthy, he should win this fight with more technical striking and a much better ground game. Herman leaves his hands low and Nog does have the power to knock Herman out. Nog has struggled with lanky guys in the past but I think Herman just is not talented enough to win this. = Nog by TKO in round 2.

Fabio Maldonado vs. Glover Teixeira: Fabio has some good boxing but lacks real KO power. Glover, on the other hand, has some massive power. Fabio might have the better technique but he hasn’t looked great lately. Yea, he had a case to say he won against Igor but even still, he looked mediocre. Glover looked fantastic in his debut and the big stage did not seem to faze him at all. I think Glover will land more of the big punches and might be able to finish Fabio. = Glover by unanimous decision.

Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva: Silva is a beast and has looked like a killer. Fitch is coming off of a devastating 12 second KO at the hands of Johny Hendricks. Silva is fast and has much better striking than Hendricks. If Fitch comes out slow, which is possible due to his long layoff, then he will get blitzed into a coma. But if Fitch comes out and fights like he normally does, he will win because Silva will not be able to handle Fitch’s smothering wrestling style. However, the kicker is that Fitch has stated that he can no longer fight like that because only exciting guys get big fights and more money. If Fitch comes out swinging then he will be eating fists all night. This is a hard one because it is based solely on what style Fitch decides to fight with. But I’m going to go with what I believe is safest which is the AKA wrestling machine. = Fitch by unanimous decision.

Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado: This is a rematch to their very disappointing match back in August. Prado came out strong and was landing early but then Davis practically ripped Prado’s eye out and the bout was called a No Contest. Many people will probably pick Prado based on how the first fight went. But that was only 1 minute and 28 seconds. Davis is an amazing fighter but his standup needs a ton of work. But I think he learned in the first fight that he can’t stand with Prado and should be able to outwrestle him. However, if Davis stays standing he will most likely be KO’d. But I think Davis is smart enough and will execute the best game plan possible. = Davis by unanimous decision.

Demian Maia vs. Rick Story: This is an interesting fight. Maia’s career has been so up and down recently but his last fight he looked like the Maia of old. He came out strong and took Kim down so hard it cracked a rib. It was short but was a glimpse of what is to come…hopefully. But Story has not looked all that great recently. He had a great run for a while but got crushed two times in a row and then outwrestled a guy that is nowhere near Maia’s level of grappling. Maia will have the advantage on the ground for sure but as long as Story keeps it standing or is in top control he may be OK. Maia’s BJJ is much better when he is on top; which will be hard to do because Story will be the one doing the takedowns. But I think Maia can come out hungry and get the win by out grappling Story. = Maia by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Rony "Jason" Mariano Bezerra vs. Sam Sicilia: Jason by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Gleison Tibau vs. Francisco Trinaldo: Tibau by unanimous decision.

Diego Brandao vs. Joey Gambino: Brandao by TKO in round 1.

Renee Forte vs. Sergio Moraes: Moraes by unanimous decision.

Chris Camozzi vs. Luiz Cane: Cane by split decision

Reza Madadi vs. Cristiano Marcello: Marcello by split decision.

UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva Main Card Recap

The thunderous right hand.
Photo via Josh Hedges

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.

Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards: This fight came as the biggest surprise to myself and many others. Neer was a huge favorite heading into this fight, and understandably so. Edwards was only 1-2 in his UFC career with his only win being over Jorge Lopez. Edwards really had something to prove. He went out there and backed Neer right up. Neer had to go for a takedown but ended up sticking his head right into a guillotine. Edwards cranked it and choked Neer unconscious at only 45 seconds into the fight. It was surprising and very impressive.

Possible matchups for Edwards: With this win, Edwards has become a very exciting prospect. A win like that over a guy like Neer can give you a huge step in your career. Kyle Noke, who is also coming off of a 45 second upset win over Charlie Brenneman, should face off with Edwards in a battle of exciting fighters to watch.

Possible matchups for Neer: Now with two losses in a row in which he was put to sleep in the opening frame, Neer may very well be released following this fight. If he isn’t, a fight with Chris Clements, who is coming off of a loss to Matt Riddle would be a fun loser goes home fight.

John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga: Although this fight wasn’t the explosive, crazy brawl we hoped for, it was a beautifully fought fight. Whatever Dodson’s gameplan was coming into this fight, it worked to a ”T”. Dodson was in and out landing nice hooks to Formiga and some solid kicks. Because of Dodson’s speed, Formiga wasn’t able to land anything. Eventually in the second round, after already dropping him before, Dodson landed a huge left hook that put Formiga on his butt. A few punches of ground and pound and Dodson became the number one contender at 125 pounds.

Possible matchups for Dodson: Before this fight, Dana announced that the winner would be the first to challenge Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title. With Dodson having won the fight and becoming a title challenger, the first ever defense of the belt could be the fastest paced fight of all time. I am very excited to say the least.

Possible matchups for Formiga: The fight didn’t exactly go as planned for the Brazilian. Even though he lost this fight, he is still a top-5 flyweight in MMA. Another fighter who is almost a top-5 is Yasuhiro Urushitani and he will be fighting John Lineker. The winner should fight Formiga to get right back into title contention.

Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron: Both these guys really underwhelmed me in their performances on Saturday. Jake was very timid in attacking and Hieron followed suit. It almost felt like a 15 minute feeling out sparring session. Ellenberger ended up taking the decision, but I would not have argued if Jay won. Ellenberger was just not himself in this performance.

Possible matchups for Ellenberger: Just because you were finished in your last fight, which was a potential number one contenders match, doesn't mean you stop doing what got you there! Chael Sonnen has it right. Whatever got you to where you are doesn't mean you should change it up. Ellenberger needs to go back to what he did before he fought Hieron. Josh Koscheck was his original opponent at UFC 151 but Koscheck was injured and 151 was cancelled. The fight with Koscheck still makes perfect sense.

Possible matchups for Hieron: Despite the fact that he overwhelmed me, it was still impressive that he did arguably win over a top-10 welterweight. He says he still wants a big test but I don't think he is just ready. A fighter looking to become a top contender is Seth Baszynski. The winner between those two would deserve a top-10 or top-15 opponent.

Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva: Silva seemed to be the better fighter right when it started. Browne tried to throw some pizzazz but it was to no avail. Silva continue to pepper him with some leg kicks and at one point, Browne's knee seemed to have buckled. Silva took advantage of it and pushed him into the fence and landed one the biggest right hands that I have ever seen. It literally looked like he snapped Travis' neck. Browne fell to the ground and Silva landed a few more shots that eventually secured him the first round TKO win.

Possible matchups for Silva: Bigfoot looked awesome in this fight. Even though Browne's knee buckled half way through the first round, Silva still dominated every moment of the fight before hand. With this win, he has become one of the top guys in the UFC. Stefan Struve also pulled off a knockout-upset victory a week ago. A fight between the two could be a number one contenders match for Struve and a win could catapult Silva into a number one contenders match.

Possible matchups for Browne: This is only the first loss for Browne in his entire career. He is still one of the most promising fighters in MMA today. A man in a similar position as him is Stipe Miocic. Two promising facing off heavyweights is always entertaining.

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. 

Bellator 75 Predictions

Sam's Picks

Eric Prindle vs. Thiago Santos = Santos via 1^st round submission (choke).

Mike Wessel vs. Rich Hale = Hale via 1^st round KO.

Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz vs. Mark Holata = Holata via 1^st round submission (arm).

Brett Rogers vs. Alexander Volkov = Volkov via 3^rd round TKO.

Bo Harris vs. Chase Beebe = Beebe via unanimous decision.

Ryan Martinez vs. Manny Lara = Lara via 1^st round KO.

Joe Williams vs. Rod Montoya = Williams via 3^rd round submission.

Jason Graves vs. Rafal Skibinski  = Skibinski via split decision.

Joes Medina vs. Anthony Gomez = Gomez via unanimous decision.

Cliff Wright vs. Bobby Reardanz = Wright via split decision.

Dave's Picks

Eric Prindle vs. Thiago Santos = Santos via 1st TKO.

Mike Wessel vs. Rich Hale = Hale via 3rd round KO.

Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz vs. Mark Holata = Holata via unanimous decision.

Brett Rogers vs. Alexander Volkov = Rogers via 1st round KO.

Bo Harris vs. Chase Beebe = Beebe via unanimous decision.

Ryan Martinez vs. Manny Lara = Lara via 1st round KO.

Joe Williams vs. Rod Montoya = Williams via unanimous decision.

Jason Graves vs. Rafal Skibinski  = Skibinski via unanimous decision.

Joes Medina vs. Anthony Gomez = Gomez via unanimous decision.

Cliff Wright vs. Bobby Reardanz = Wright via split decision.

ONE FC 6: Rise of Kings Predictions

Sam's Picks

Shinya Aoki vs. Arnaud Lepont = Aoki via 1^st round submission (leg).

Soo Chul Kim vs. Leondro Issa = Issa via unanimous decision.

Zorobabel Moreira vs. Kotetsu Boku = Moreira via 5^th round submission.

Jens Pulver vs. Zhao Ya Fel  = Pulver via 1^st round TKO.

Masakatsu Ueda vs. Min Jung Song = Ueda via 1^st round submission.

Yusup Saadulaez vs. Kevin Belingon = Belingon via split decision.

Melvin Manhoef vs. Ryo Kawamura = Manhoef via 1^st round KO.

Bruce Loh vs. Gianna Subba = Loh via split decision.

Ngabdi Mulyadi vs. Mitch Chilson = Chilson via 1^st round submission.

Dave's Picks

Shinya Aoki vs. Arnaud Lepont = Aoki via 1st round submission.

Soo Chul Kim vs. Leondro Issa = Issa via unanimous decision.

Zorobabel Moreira vs. Kotetsu Boku = Moreira via 2nd round submission.

Jens Pulver vs. Zhao Ya Fel  = Pulver via 1st round KO!

Masakatsu Ueda vs. Min Jung Song = Ueda via 1st round submission.

Yusup Saadulaev vs. Kevin Belingon = Saadulaev via 3rd round decision.

Melvin Manhoef vs. Ryo Kawamura = Manhoef via 1st round KO.

Bruce Loh vs. Gianna Subba = Loh via split decision.

Ngabdi Mulyadi vs. Mitch Chilson = Chilson via unanimous decision.