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UFC 142 Picks: The Ascension of Chad Mendes and the Revival of Vitor Belfort

This Saturday, the UFC presents its first major card of the year and the second major card of its newest foray into Brazil. Filled with top Brazilian stars (both present and former champions), UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes has high potential to be a quality event. In the main event, UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo defends his title once again, this time drawing unbeaten prospect Chad Mendes. The co-main event should also be something special, as Anthony Johnson takes on Vitor Belfort. Here are my official picks and predictions for UFC 142.

Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim: Now this is a tough one. Barboza is undefeated and a good striker; Etim is 3-1 in his last four with all three victories earning him a “Submission of the Night” bonus. I think the deciding factor in this match-up will be the experience of Etim, who should be able to neutralize Barboza’s stand-up and work his magic on the ground. After a round of tiring out Barboza and getting him frustrated so that he starts making mistakes, I’m predicting that Terry Etim wins by submission in Round 2.

Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater: I won’t lie: I really want Carlo Prater to win this fight. This may sound strange at first glance, but this is one of the toughest choices I had to make when it comes to my UFC 142 predictions. Prater really is a “dark horse favorite” of mine; I’ll root for him no matter what. But my head ends up overruling my heart in this case, as I think Erick Silva is just too hot of a prospect right now. Erick Silva wins by KO in Round 1.

Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio: Assuming that Rousimar Palhares doesn’t do anything stupid or crazy (or stupidly crazy), he should win this bout handily. Then again, that’s assuming a lot given his recent penchant for doing crazy things. Still, I just can’t pick against Rousimar Palhares in this fight, considering that he’s beaten good competition lately and his opponent is 2-3 in his last five fights. I’m thinking that Massenzio comes in overeager and ends up getting caught in a submission. Rousimar Palhares wins by submission in Round 1.

Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson: Let me say this for both the co-main and main event fights: Just because I’m picking one guy to win doesn’t mean I think the other guy can’t win. In fact, I’d consider both the co-main and main event fights toss-ups. In the end, I think this will just be too tough of a match-up for Anthony Johnson. The jump up in weight will be a factor, but the biggest factor will be the simple fact that Vitor Belfort is the biggest challenge of Johnson’s career. The first round will probably be close, but my official prediction is that Belfort catches Johnson in the second. Vitor Belfort wins by TKO in Round 2.

José Aldo vs. Chad Mendes: Nine times out of 10, you’d have to force me to pick against Jose Aldo. But a combination of factors leads me to believe that Mendes is the one to beat the UFC’s Featherweight kingpin. One, Aldo’s aura of an unbeatable champion has really taken a hit in his last two fights. He won those fights, sure, but both opponents were able to expose some weaknesses in him. Two, Mendes is simply an amazing fighter. It’ll be a war, and a damn close one, but my official prediction is that Chad Mendes wins by unanimous decision, taking three rounds to Aldo’s two.

Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan, and lifelong video game nerd. For more news, views, previews, and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.

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UFC 142 Picks: The Ascension of Chad Mendes and the Revival of Vitor Belfort

In the main event, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo defends his title once again, this time drawing unbeaten prospect Chad Mendes. The co-main event should also be something special, as Anthony Johnson takes on Vitor Belfort.

Here are my official picks and predictions for UFC 142.

Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim

Now this is a tough one.

Barboza is undefeated and a good striker; Etim is 3-1 in his last four with all three victories earning him a Submission of the Night bonus. I think the deciding factor in this matchup will be the experience of Etim, who should be able to neutralize Barboza’s stand-up and work his magic on the ground.

After a round of tiring out Barboza and getting him frustrated so that he starts making mistakes, I’m predicting that Terry Etim wins by submission in Round 2.

Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater

I won’t lie: I really want Carlo Prater to win this fight. This may sound strange at first glance, but this is one of the toughest choices I had to make when it came to my UFC 142 predictions. Prater really is a dark-horse favorite of mine; I’ll root for him no matter what.

But my head ends up overruling my heart in this case, as I think Erick Silva is just too hot of a prospect right now. Erick Silva wins by KO in Round 1.

Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio

Assuming that Rousimar Palhares doesn’t do anything stupid or crazy (or stupidly crazy), he should win this bout handily.

Then again, that’s assuming a lot given his recent penchant for doing crazy things.

Still, I just can’t pick against Rousimar Palhares in this fight, considering that he’s beaten good competition lately and his opponent is 2-3 in his last five fights. I’m thinking that Massenzio comes in overeager and ends up getting caught in a submission.

Rousimar Palhares wins by submission in Round 1.

Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson

Let me say this for both the co-main and main event fights: Just because I’m picking one guy to win doesn’t mean I think the other guy can’t win.

In fact, I’d consider both the co-main and main event fights toss-ups.

In the end, I think this will just be too tough of a matchup for Anthony Johnson. The jump up in weight will be a factor, but the biggest factor will be the simple fact that Vitor Belfort is the biggest challenge of Johnson’s career.

The first round will probably be close, but my official prediction is that Belfort catches Johnson in the second. Vitor Belfort wins by TKO in Round 2.

José Aldo vs. Chad Mendes

Nine times out of 10, you’d have to force me to pick against Jose Aldo. But a combination of factors leads me to believe that Mendes is the one to beat the UFC’s featherweight kingpin.

One, Aldo’s aura of an unbeatable champion has really taken a hit in his last two fights. He won those fights, sure, but both opponents were able to expose some weaknesses in him. Two, Mendes is simply an amazing fighter.

It’ll be a war, and a damn close one, but my official prediction is that Chad Mendes wins by unanimous decision, taking three rounds to Aldo’s two.

Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan and lifelong video game nerd. For more news, views, previews and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The Future for Fedor Emelianenko

Recently, MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko fought for the second time following his high profile three-fight losing-streak in Strikeforce that led to the now Zuffa-owned promotion cutting ties with arguably its biggest star. Emelianenko fought former Olympian Satoshi Ishii, and would win the bout via first-round KO. But where does Fedor go from here? Much like my recent thoughts on Brock Lesnar, here’s a special piece where I consider the future for one of my favorite fighters.

I would like to get this out of the way right away because you can absolutely not talk about Fedor anymore without at least mentioning this in passing: Fedor Emelianenko will never fight in the UFC. It’s just not going to happen, fans and friends. I’m 100 percent convinced that Emelianenko and the UFC will never reach a deal, they’ve tried too many times and they’ve built up too much bad blood.

At this point, my first reaction to a legit “Fedor Emelianenko to the UFC” news post would be to pinch myself several times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

We can debate the positives and negatives of the situation all we want, in fact I may write just such a piece in the near future. But in the here and now, I’ll simply state that Fedor Emelianenko won’t be heading to the UFC in the few years he has left before he retires.

And yes, I do think that Fedor Emelianenko only has a few years left in him. My official prediction is that Fedor has three years left, tops, before he decides to call it a career. He’s simply getting older, and he’s beginning to slow down. His chin isn’t as good as it once was, his timing isn’t as good as it once was… virtually everything about Fedor isn’t as good as it once.

But you know what? That happens to everybody. I don’t fault Fedor Emelianenko for succumbing to the rigors of age. Last time I checked, none of us were immortal.

So if not the UFC, where? I think the answer to Fedor Emelianenko’s future lies in the past: the immediate past, in fact. In Fedor’s last two fights, he’s fought in Russia and Japan against decent competition, beating them resoundingly. I think that makes the most sense for him and that’ll ensure he fights for the full three years I’ve given him.

In short: Fedor Emelianenko will continue to take bookings all around the world, but he’ll probably stick to Russia and Japan mostly because that’s where everyone knows him and that’s where he’s most comfortable fighting. He won’t fight the best competition out there, but he’ll face competition. And that’ll have to be enough.

Of course, there’s always a possibility that another Affliction or Elite XC or Strikeforce emerges and tries to make a serious run at contending with the UFC. If that happens, I expect that company to use Fedor Emelianenko at least once, just to see if he still has the kind of name recognition necessary to turn a profit.

At the end of the day, I’ll support Fedor Emelianenko no matter what he does, where he goes, or who he ends up fighting. I wish Fedor nothing but the best, and I still consider him one of the greatest fighters of all time.

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Crash Course: Everything You Need to Know About UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

“Crash Course” is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect in the co-main and main event, and even where and when you can find it on TV is all covered in detail. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, featuring UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes.

The Event: UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, currently scheduled for January 14, 2012 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Two free preliminary cards are scheduled to air on the UFC’s Facebook page starting at 7:00 PM ET. An additional four free preliminary fights are scheduled to air on the FX network starting at 8:00 PM ET. The five-fight main card is scheduled to air live on Pay-Per-View starting at 10:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This is the first major UFC event of the year, and much like the UFC’s last trip to Brazil, this card is loaded with some of the UFC’s top Brazilian stars. You’ve got champions, hungry upstarts, and thrilling veterans. Even better, all of those fighters have been put into matches that make sense and look very exciting on paper, with a high potential of several “can’t-miss” moments.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: I think it’s a fair criticism to say that Jose Aldo has yet to generate the same level of fear and hype in the UFC as he did in the WEC, where many thought he was untouchable and the future of the division. But Aldo is still a champion, and he’s facing a tough threat in the unbeaten Chad Mendes. Will the chinks that have recently appeared in Aldo’s armor lead to Mendes realizing his full potential, or will Aldo take the experience he’s gained from a slew of tough, top UFC competition and restore his status as a walking wrecking ball? There’s only one way to find out.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: For quite some time I’ve been saying that Anthony Johnson could make middleweight easily and should in fact move up before his massive weight cut catches up to him and begins affecting both his performance and his health. Johnson will be facing a very tough challenge in Vitor Belfort, who aside from his loss to Anderson Silva has looked absolutely amazing in his latest UFC run. It’s a classic “prospect vs. veteran” match-up, featuring one of the UFC’s hottest prospects going up against one of the UFC’s most dangerous veterans.

Why You Should Watch This Card: The main event should be a back-and-forth war, and the co-main event has an amazing amount of potential. You’ve also got a total of six free fights if you’re into prelim bouts, and with the quality of the UFC’s prelims lately… you need to be into prelim bouts. The Pay-Per-View card, the FX card, and the Facebook card all boast some of the UFC’s top Brazilian talent: from Rousimar Palhares to Gabriel Gonzaga to Erick Silva and more.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: It’s pretty clear that the UFC is banking on filling this card with Brazilian fighters as a way to get fans to overlook the fact that this isn’t exactly a stacked card. Jose Aldo isn’t really a draw yet because he hasn’t been smashing people the way he did back in the WEC, Anthony Johnson is unproven as a middleweight, and the other Pay-Per-View fights are honestly Fight Night Live-caliber fights.

Closing Thoughts: In the end, I’m excited about this card. It has its fair share of shortcomings, but I think the potential for big KOs and dramatic submissions is high. It may not be the biggest UFC event, but it should be one that’s well worth watching. So definitely count me in.

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The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale: Clay Guida/Anthony Pettis Head to Toe Breakdown

On June 4, 2011, the 13th season of the popular and long running Ultimate Fighting Championship reality TV show—The Ultimate Fighter—will officially come to a close with another live ‘Ultimate Finale’ event.In the main event, Anthony Pettis…

In the main event, Anthony Pettis is set to take on popular UFC lightweight journeyman Clay Guida.

All indications are that this will be an explosive bout between two entertaining Lightweights. But who has the advantage? What are both fighters risking in this fight? What will they gain if they win?

Let’s examine this match up from head to toe.

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Anderson Silva’s Front Kick of Doom and 6 of the Best Kicks in MMA/UFC History

There’s something almost universal about an epic KO. Fans of Mixed Martial Arts like the sport for many reasons, reasons that sometimes divide them into groups: those that prefer the ground game over striking, those that prefer Japanese MMA rules…

Occasionally, those groups argue with each other. But if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s this: there’s almost nothing quite as amazing as an awesome KO.

And at least in my opinion, it’s tougher to knock someone out with a kick than with a single punch or even a barrage of punches. A perfect KO kick requires exact balance, precise timing, and deadly power.

So, with that in mind, I’d like to present six of my favorite kicks from all around the MMA world: from the Ultimate Fighting Championship to PRIDE Fighting Championships to World Extreme Cagefighting to DREAM. Let’s get started.

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