Author: Darin Pike

UFC 152 Predictions: How Jon Jones Will Make Quick Work of Vitor Belfort

Jon Jones and Vitor Belfort will step into the octagon in the UFC light-heavyweight championship bout. Virtually everyone except half of Belfort’s extended family are picking Jones to win, so I chose to take a different approach. I am going t…

Jon Jones and Vitor Belfort will step into the octagon in the UFC light-heavyweight championship bout. Virtually everyone except half of Belfort‘s extended family are picking Jones to win, so I chose to take a different approach. 

I am going to outline how and at what point in the bout Jones will finish off Belfort. I’ll add in a bit of analysis to make it official and then challenge the readers to predict Jones’ finishing move and time.

Of course, anyone that would like to take Belfort or a full-time bout will get bonus points if they are right.

My biggest issue with The Phenom is some fans still think he exists. One hears references to the “old” Belfort or which Vitor is going to show for his fights.

The answer is pretty basic. There is only one Belfort, and it isn’t The Phenom. It isn’t the Belfort of old.

It is simply the same old Belfort. 

He’s still a great puncher, but the lighting-fast attacks aren’t enough to overcame his lack of diversity. He doesn’t have the arsenal needed to counter an elite fighter, and each time he attacks Jones he will get corralled, taken down and occasionally contorted. 

It will be interesting to see how Jones approaches this fight. He may be content with evading Belfort early and taking a few well-timed shots at the former champion. His reach advantage will offset Belfort‘s speed.

Belfort will also struggle to defend Jones’ kicks. Bones will land several punishing blows in the first round.

As tempted as I am to predict a win via submission, I don’t see Jones settling for such a subtle end to the fight. He will work in several throws and a barrage of punches and kicks.

I see the bout ending 65 seconds into Round 2 via TKO. The deciding blow will be a fierce elbow after Belfort fails to land an attack. 

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Dos Santos vs. Mir: Pathetic Loss by Frank Mir Doesn’t Spell Doom for UFC Star

Frank Mir entered the ring against Junior dos Santos as a 5-1 underdog. He left with his tail between his legs, but a promising future in the UFC intact.While Mir was expected to lose—most fans thought it would happen in the first round—the…

Frank Mir entered the ring against Junior dos Santos as a 5-1 underdog. He left with his tail between his legs, but a promising future in the UFC intact.

While Mir was expected to lose—most fans thought it would happen in the first round—the former two-time champion wasn’t expected to look lost and confused during the fight. He was too busy attempting to evade and absorb the blows from dos Santos to mount any type of an attack.

There was a feeble attempt to grab dos Santos’ legs after being pummeled to the ground, but his arms came up as short as his overall attempt.

However, MMA fans must remember that Mir was expected to face Cain Velasquez in UFC 146 to earn a shot at the undisputed UFC champion. 

It is doubtful that a few extra months of preparing for dos Santos would have made a difference, but Mir deserves credit for accepting the challenge after Alistair Overeem was scratched following his suspension from the UFC.

Last December, it would have been difficult to pass Mir (16-6) off as a joke. He beat veteran contender Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7-1) for the second time. Following a TKO in December of 2008, 2011’s contest ended with a submission and a broken right arm…but not in that order.

Mir was not only the first person to knock Nogueira out, he also became the first to force him into submission.

Mir will have another shot at greatness in the UFC. Perhaps he will face Velasquez again, who notched a convincing win over UFC newcomer Antonio Silva on Saturday. 

Other options include forcing Overeem to face a fighter before granting him the expected match with dos Santos. Handing that fight to Mir as a “thank you” for stepping in against dos Santos would be a fitting move.

Regardless of whom he faces next, Mir still has a lot of battle left in him. Even at 33 years old, the tough American fighter isn’t done making headlines in the UFC.

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