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Benson Henderson by Submission, Rampage Jackson by KO and More UFC 144 Calls

We’re now only a few days away from UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson.” In the main event, Frankie Edgar defends his UFC lightweight championship against former WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson.The co-main event will also be an in…

The co-main event will also be an interesting matchup, as former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson takes on Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader. As is customary, here are my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring UFC 144.

Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson

I don’t make this decision lightly, but I think Benson Henderson will be the next UFC lightweight champion. Henderson has looked amazing in the UFC, and he was amazing in the WEC.

Edgar is good at everything and great at making a game plan to beat his opponent, but Henderson is great at everything and pursues his opponents with the tenacity of a true champion. I think Henderson is going to wear down Edgar and eventually catch him, but knowing that Edgar’s chin is too good, Henderson is going to use the opportunity to get a submission.

It’s going to be a long, hard fight, but eventually Henderson is going to win it.

Henderson wins by submission in Round 4.

Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader

Ryan Bader’s only chance of winning this fight is to grab Quinton Jackson and hold on for as long as possible. Coming off a stoppage loss (his first stoppage loss since 2005), Jackson is going to come in looking for Bader’s head.

My prediction: He’s going to find it. Bader simply won’t be able to keep up with Jackson, and he’ll crumble under the pressure of Jackson’s bombs.

Jackson wins by KO in Round 1.

Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo

The first round of this fight is going to be all kinds of awesome. Both men are going to be throwing bombs, both in the form of punches and kicks, and neither man is going to give an inch.

Eventually though, some of the old problems Mark Hunt has shown in the past will catch up to him. His confidence will start to wane as Kongo keeps the pressure up, and his cardio will begin affecting Hunt since he threw so much in the first round. And finally, Kongo will catch Hunt and put him down for the count.

It won’t be as easy as it used to be, but my prediction is that Mark Hunt gets dropped and stopped.

Kongo wins by TKO in Round 2.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields

This will be Akiyama’s last stand. He could turn in one of his best performances in the UFC, or he could get taken down for three rounds. My prediction is…he’s going down and staying down.

Jake Shields will come into this fight knowing he needs a dominant win, and that’s exactly what he’ll be fighting for. Akiyama won’t be able to avoid the takedown for long, and since he’s never been much of a puncher Shields can just absorb his shots until the takedown is complete.

Shields win by unanimous decision.

Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch

This will be another fight where Yushin Okami shines. With a combination of precise and powerful punching, great cardio and the occasional takedown which leads to some well-timed ground and pound, Okami should be able to win this fight convincingly. I have nothing against Tim Boetsch, but he’s simply out of his element and Okami is out of his league.

Okami wins by unanimous decision.

Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski

I think Palaszewski is too good and Hioki is too unready. Hioki had a lot of trouble against George Roop, and I personally felt that Roop should have won that fight.

And without any disrespect intended, I think Palaszewski is several levels above Roop. Palaszewski will put the pressure on Hioki, and Hioki will wilt under it.

Palaszewski wins by TKO in Round 2.

Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon

As much as I like Joe Lauzon, I think this will be Anthony Pettis’ night. Faced with an opponent that wants to finish him just as badly as he wants to finish his opponent, Pettis will get the opportunity to shine in a way he’s never been able to so far in the UFC.

This will be a fight where afterwards I can finally say “Anthony Pettis has arrived.”

Anthony Pettis wins by unanimous decision.

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 144 Fight Card: 5 Reasons to Watch "Edgar vs. Henderson"

On February 26, 2011, the UFC will hold its highly-anticipated “UFC 144” event, featuring Frank Edgar defending his UFC Lightweight Championship against Benson Henderson. Also, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and former PRIDE FC mega-…

Still, some fans may be asking themselves, why should I check out this card? Here are the top five reasons to watch UFC 144.

5. The preliminary card on FX boasts some interesting Japanese stars.

Maybe they aren’t the biggest stars right now, but back in their day, many of the fighters on the FX prelims were Japanese mega-stars.

Takanori Gomi is the most-obvious example, since he was once thought of as the most dangerous and exciting Lightweight on the planet. You’ve also got Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto, who was known for his wild knockouts and wilder personality. Riki Fukuda and Takeya Mizugaki may not have been the biggest stars, but they are entertaining fighters nonetheless.

4. Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon will be all kinds of crazy and all kinds of awesome.

Joe Lauzon is a beast, plain and simple. Most of the time I’ve got nothing negative to say about him, although sometimes I think he can be hit-and-miss. Speaking of which, “hit and miss” perfectly describes Anthony Pettis’ run in the UFC. Coming off the famous “Showtime Kick” that practically catapulted him into superstardom, Pettis’ UFC run seems to have fizzled. These fighters do match up well, so the fight should be a good one.

3. If Hatsu Hioki isn’t UFC-ready, Bart Palaszewski will prove that.

For all the hype surrounding him before his UFC debut, Hatsu Hioki seemed ready to succumb to the “foreign fighter’s curse” in the UFC—when fighters who were dominant in foreign countries come into the UFC and fail to live up to their hype. Hioki’s close call with the curse came when he won a Split Decision against George Roop.

Bart Palaszewski, meanwhile, just knocked out Tyson Griffin. Can Hatsu Hioki really compete with the elite of the division? I honestly don’t know, but what I do know is thiat if Hatsu Hioki beats Bart Palaszewski, he’ll have taken a big step forward in his efforts to avoid the “foreign fighter’s curse”. He may have even beaten it entirely.

2. Just about all the main card fights are loaded with stars.

In addition to the aforementioned Pettis/Lauzon and Hioki/Palaszewski, there’s also Yushin Okami (who just fought for the title), Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jake Shields, Mark Hunt, Cheick Kongo, and of course, former UFC champion Quinton Jackson.

Akiyama vs. Shields should be very entertaining, Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo should be very entertaining, Quinton Jackson fighting in Japan for the first time in several long years should be very entertaining as well. In terms of star power maybe it’s not the biggest UFC show, but in terms of fight potential, this card is stacked.

And the number-one reason to watch UFC 144 is…

1. Frank Edgar vs. Benson Henderson sounds amazing on paper.

How can you not love this fight? Like all fights there’s a chance it could be a disappointment, but I’m only going to consider the positive going into this fight, since I’m a big fan of both men. I’ve always believed Frank Edgar had what it took to be champion, and it’s been a joy to see him fully mature into the undisputed best fighter at Lightweight. Benson Henderson, meanwhile, has been amazing for so long that I have no reason to doubt that he’ll stop anytime soon. I absolutely cannot wait to see this fight.

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A Crash Course in UFC 144: Everything You Need to Know

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course.” “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 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson.”

The Event: UFC 144 “Edgar vs. Henderson,” currently scheduled for Sunday, February 26, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. One preliminary fight will be shown on the UFC’s Facebook page, and four preliminary fights will be shown on the FX network starting at 8:00 PM ET. The seven-fight main card will be shown live on Pay-Per-View starting at 10:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: For one, it’s the UFC’s return to Japan for the first time in over 100 (100!) events. The main card is seven fights compared to the usual five, and you’ve got a certified “Fight of the Year” contender in Benson Henderson vs. Frank Edgar. You’ve also got Quinton Jackson, and further down the card, you’ve got notables like Mark Hunt, Cheick Kongo, Jake Shields and more.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: This is the most excited I’ve been for a lighter-weight fight in quite some time. I just don’t see how this fight doesn’t live up to its potential. Frank Edgar is a fantastic Lightweight champion; the way he keeps finding ways to win seemingly against all odds is a story right out of a movie. Benson Henderson, meanwhile, has been tearing through the UFC’s Lightweight division. All signs point to this being an amazing fight.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Quinton Jackson has been campaigning to fight in Japan for a long time, and now he finally gets his wish. Hopefully that brings out the best in him, because Jackson could use an old-school PRIDE-era monster KO to rebound from his loss to Jon Jones. Ryan Bader, meanwhile, will do everything in his power to prove that he wasn’t just a flash in the pan and that he can still compete with the elite of the division. It’s not the best fight for either man, to be honest, but it should be very fun to watch.

Why You Should Watch This Card: The atmosphere alone is one of the biggest reasons I’ll be watching this show: it’s the UFC in Japan, and we haven’t seen that in a long, long, long time. In addition to that, you’ve got a whole host of stars competing in several smartly-booked matches. Once thought of as little more than a throwaway event, the amount of effort the UFC has put into making this a good card is downright commendable.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: Aside from the main event and Quinton Jackson, this card lacks true top-division star power. All things considered, this is a safe bet for the UFC; they’re not risking any of their absolute best, and the Lightweight Championship isn’t the most prestigious belt in the UFC. That’s not said to discredit anyone or anything in particular, that’s simply the reality of the situation.

Closing Thoughts: I think you have to watch this card, all things considered. It’s well-constructed, and the story behind the event is pretty interesting as well. I don’t know what surprises the UFC will have for us in Japan, but I’d really like to find out. Getting a good event filled with good fighters, along with a fantastic can’t-miss main event, only sweetens the pot.

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UFC on FUEL TV 1 Results: Predictions for the Winners and Losers

“UFC on FUEL TV 1” was a fun night of fights from the start of the show all the way to the main event. Now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after several dominant and heart-felt performances by a variety of UFC talent? Here’s my answer to just that: a new edition of my “What’s Next for the Winners and Losers” series of articles, now featuring “UFC on FUEL TV 1.”

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UFC on FUEL TV 1 Results: The Sleeper Hit I Knew It Would Be

Last night, the UFC presented its first officially-numbered “UFC on FUEL TV” event. Featuring an interesting blend of mid-level talent and rising stars, it was an event that reached beyond its network shortcomings.Even though FUEL TV is the…

Even though FUEL TV is the lowest on the totem pole of networks the UFC is now affiliated with, this event was still a lot of fun and mostly lived up to my prediction that it would be a “sleeper hit.” Here are the full results, as well as my early commentary for “UFC on FUEL TV 1”.

Jake Ellenberger defeats Diego Sanchez by Unanimous Decision.

Stefan Struve defeats Dave Herman by TKO (Strikes) at 3:52 of Round 2.

Ronny Markes defeats Aaron Simpson by Split Decision.

Stipe Miocic defeats Phil De Fries by TKO (Strikes) at 0:43 of Round 1.

T.J. Dillashaw defeats Walel Watson by Unanimous Decision.

Ivan Menjivar defeats John Albert by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 3:45 of Round 1.

Jonathan Brookins defeats Vagner Rocha by KO (Punches) at 1:32 of Round 1.

Justin Salas defeats Anton Kuivanen by Unanimous Decision.

Tim Means defeats Bernardo Magalhaes by Unanimous Decision.

As I expected, the prelims delivered some fun action, a few hard-hitting wars and one big “OMG” moment. From this point forward, expect me to stop harping on how good these prelims are. Instead, I’m simply going to accept it as fact that these free fights are always worth watching and that more people should be checking them out.

With that said, I was very impressed by Jonathan Brookins. He seems to be advancing his skills at a very fast rate, and his KO victory over Vagner Rocha was one of the biggest highlight-reel moments of the night.

Speaking of highlight-reel moments, both Ivan Menjivar and Stipe Miocic looked great in their come-from-behind victories. But the best “against the odds” victory had to go to Ronny Markes, who came back from the absolute brink to take a close Split Decision against the always-tough Aaron Simpson.

One of my favorite moments of the night occurred when Stefan Struve dropped and stopped Dave Herman. Like I said in a previous post, amazing moments tend to happen around Stefan Struve. With this aura of unpredictability and excitement once again proving true, Stefan Struve is quickly becoming a “dark horse favorite” of mine.

And in the main event, Jake Ellenberger beat a very game, very tough Diego Sanchez. Diego put it all on the line in this fight—it’s very unfortunate that this main event wasn’t a five-round fight because it looked like Sanchez was making quite the comeback near the end of the third round.

But I won’t take anything from Ellenberger—for two rounds he had the perfect game plan to not only neutralize Diego Sanchez, but to also punish and hurt Diego Sanchez. While I still am a fan of Sanchez, Ellenberger proved that all the newfound hype around him is justified, and I can’t wait to see where he goes from here.

In the end, I think this show should be considered a big success. I was impressed by the quality of fights on this card, and I definitely liked all the exciting finishes I got to see. “UFC on FUEL” is off to a good start and I look forward to seeing if this series of live events will become the home of the UFC’s “sleeper hits.”

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5 Reasons to Sit Back and Appreciate MMA

I’m making it a bit of a personal mission of mine this week to bring some positivity to the various internet hubs where I post my random ramblings. I don’t actually have a name for this series yet, but perhaps it doesn’t need one. The point is simple: while there’s always a lot to complain about in MMA, sometimes we should just remember how amazing this sport can be. With that in mind, here are my top 5 reasons why we should do exactly that.

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