Brock Lesnar vs Alistair Overeem: There are several questions surrounding the main event at UFC 141. Has Brock Lesnar trained enough in striking so that his brain won’t scream “retreat” the first time Alistair Overeem lands a powerful strike? Has Alistair Overeem trained enough in takedown defense that he can keep the fight standing? How will the time off and surgery affect Lesnar when the Octagon door locks behind him? There is no doubt that Overeem is the better striker here, just like there is no doubt that Lesnar is the better wrestler. I’m really torn on this one, it all comes down to who can get the advantage early. If Brock gets the takedown right away he’ll win via ground and pound. If Overeem can stun Brock with strikes when he’s going for the takedown, then it’s Alistair’s fight. In the end, I’m going to have to go with the wrestler (although I’m not 100% confident on this)….Lesnar via second round TKO.
Donald Cerrone vs Nate Diaz: If I had to pick a Fight of the Night right now, this one would get it. You know these two guys are going to come out and bring it. There are few fighters in the UFC who seem to love their job as much as these two do; all they want to do is fight. Cerrone is on one hell of a roll and if it wasn’t for a certain UFC Light Heavyweight Champion he would be most likely by a Fighter of the Year candidate. This is probably his biggest test of the year as well, but he’s just been a juggernaut in 2011 and I think he makes it 5-0 with a win over Diaz. Cerrone via unanimous decision.
Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks: A lot of folks are probably dreading this fight and maybe even the UFC since there has been little done in the way of promotion for it. Like it or not, Jon Fitch is one of the best in the welterweight division, the dude just wins. In this fight he will be taking on another high level wrestler in Johny Hendricks and that is why many are concerned about how high the excitement level will be with this fight. We could see 15 minutes of ground control and strikes from short range or, we could see the wrestling go out the window and the two may elect to stand and bang. Yes, I know the latter is unlikely, but one can dream. Either way, it’s Fitch by unanimous decision.
Vladimir Matyushenko vs Alexander Gustafsson: The age difference is pretty glaring in this contest as Vladimir Matyushenko is closing in on 41 while Alexander Gustafsson is 24 years of age. This is a big fight for both of these men. A win from Matyushenko and he proves that even though he may be a bit older than most, he is still a viable commodity in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. A win from Gustafsson and he takes another step up the ladder toward “real deal” status. In this one, youth will carry the day and Gustafsson will win via third round TKO.
Nam Phan vs Jim Hettes: In this fight you have the submission artist versus the fighter that has never tapped. Jim Hettes is 9-0 with all his wins coming via submission before the end of the second round. His opponent, Nam Phan is 17-9 and has never been submitted. Phan is, without a doubt, the best fighter that Hettes has faced in his career, with that being said, the pressure in this bout is clearly on Phan. He has not put together two consecutive wins since 2007-08 and he really needs to capitalize on his recent victory of Leonard Garcia. Will he do it? I don’t think so, Hettes by unanimous decision.