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UFC on Fox 8: Predictions for Saturday’s Main Card Events

UFC fans are in for a treat this weekend as a handful of intriguing matchups will unfold inside Key Arena in Seattle, site of UFC on FOX 8, which will be broadcast on network television.
Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson headlines the event. …

UFC fans are in for a treat this weekend as a handful of intriguing matchups will unfold inside Key Arena in Seattle, site of UFC on FOX 8, which will be broadcast on network television.

Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson headlines the event. The 125-pound champion will put his title on the line against John Moraga in Saturday night’s main event.

Welterweight star Rory MacDonald and female bantamweight contender Liz Carmouche will also be put to the test inside the Octagon. But before the action gets underway, here we’ll get you set with predictions for every main card event on Saturday.

Liz Carmouche Over Jessica Andrade via TKO

Liz Carmouche showed in her bout with Ronda Rousey that she’s an elite fighter and on Saturday Girl-Rilla will remind UFC fans of that when she earns a stoppage victory over Jessica Andrade.

Andrade, a raw 21-year-old from Brazil, has made her way through the ranks thanks to a dominant guillotine choke. But the experienced Carmouche is aware of where Andrade‘s strengths lay in this matchup and should do well to neutralize them.

Carmouche, the more versatile fighter, can win in a variety of ways and that’s why she has the edge.

Robbie Lawler Over Bobby Voelker via KO

Robbie “Ruthless” Lawler has struggled with consistency over the past few years, failing to record back-to-back victories since 2007. But Lawler is coming off an impressive TKO win over Josh Koscheck at UFC 157 last February and possesses the power to knockout Bobby Voelker this weekend.

A dominant southpaw boxer, it’s no surprise that 17 of Lawler‘s 20 professional wins have come via knockout, every single one involving punches.

Keep in mind that both fighters will making just their second career UFC appearance on Saturday. But at the same time, Voelker is coming off a loss to Patrick Cote at UFC 158 and is taking this fight on short notice.

Lawler can end a fight at any moment and that makes him the safest pick in this welterweight clash.

Rory MacDonald Over Jake Ellenberger via TKO

Two exciting fighters are set to go head-to-head in the second-to-last fight of the night on Saturday.

Both Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger are lethal strikers and flying high at the moment, each having put together a string of victories. But look for the superior athleticism of MacDonald to overcome the experience and wisdom of Ellenberger, who has more twice as many professional bouts under his belt.

MacDonald brings a bit more size to the table and is every bit as quick as his opponent.

In addition to winning two of his last three fights via technical knockout, MacDonald looked awfully tough against B.J. Penn in his most recent outing last December, defeating The Prodigy via unanimous decision.

That said, look for the Canadian to keep his winning streak alive against Ellenberger, taking out the veteran via TKO to boost his welterweight credentials.

Demetrious Johnson Over John Moraga via Unanimous Decision

In Saturday’s main event, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will put his title on the line against challenger John Moraga, who has won 13 of his 14 professional fights, including two in the UFC.

Moraga is a surprisingly lethal striker for a flyweight, but that doesn’t mean he has enough to get past Mighty Mouse this summer.

Johnson has incredible speed and is a master at wearing down opponents and outlasting them down the stretch, as evidenced by his eight career decision victories. The 26-year-old has won three consecutive fights coming in, each via decision.

Johnson’s past seven fights have all gone the distance. He won five of them and should add to that count on Saturday in Seattle.

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Anderson Silva Must Use Ray Longo’s Comments as Motivation vs. Chris Weidman

Widely regarded as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, Anderson Silva has nothing more to prove in the cage. But he does have a legacy to protect in his upcoming rematch against Chris Weidman at UFC 168.
That’s why “The Spider” must make not…

That’s why “The Spider” must make note of recent comments made by Weidman’s trainer, Ray Longo, who confidently pointed out that guys don’t bounce back from knockouts like the one Silva suffered earlier this summer at the hands of his undefeated fighter.

In case you missed it, here’s what Longo had to say regarding the stunning July bout and December’s rematch, per Shameless MMA Radio, via LowKickMMA.com’s Mike Drahota:

This guy [Silva] had a highlight reel that would scare the crap out of anybody. Now, knowing that he [Weidman] can knock this guy out — you’ve seen it in boxing a hundred times, guys don’t come back from that type of knockout. On top of that, the guy is 40 or 39 or whatever he is [38]. I don’t see it. I think Weidman is going to go in more confident than he was in the first fight. He knows what to expect with all the mugging and all the antics. I think it is really going to be a bad night for Anderson Silva again.

While Longo’s comments are hardly surprising given where his allegiance lies, that’s not to say they aren’t foolish. After all, the last thing you want to do ahead of a fight against one of the greatest strikers of all time is provide that person with bulletin board material.

Both Weidman and Longo have every right to be confident and proud, but Longo would be wise to let his fighter do the talking in the future.

For Silva, these comments are invaluable.

Not that the 38-year-old needs a reason to come out fast and furious against Weidman at UFC 168. But Longo’s arrogance is likely what Silva has been waiting for.

Having never before lost a fight in the UFC, none of Silva’s previous opponents were able to call him out or challenge him in the wake of an encounter.

Now, Silva’s competitive chord has been struck. And even if he’s not interested in ruling the UFC middleweight division for the next five-plus years, surely he wants to remind the world what he’s capable of while at the same time forcing Weidman to eat his trainer’s words.

Considering Silva has nothing left to prove inside the Octagon after winning a record 16 straight fights to begin his UFC career, successfully defending his middleweight crown 10 consecutive times in the process, Longo’s remarks serve as a welcomed challenge for the Brazilian, who is a competitor above all else.

Weidman has had Silva’s coveted championship belt since knocking him off his throne on July 6 in Las Vegas. But after Longo’s bold prediction, the current champ now has The Spider’s undivided attention, whether he wanted it or not.

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Anderson Silva’s Legacy Will Be on the Line in Rematch with Chris Weidman

Anderson Silva is arguably the greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen, but that doesn’t mean his legacy is bulletproof.
The 38-year-old is fresh off of suffering his first-ever UFC loss earlier this July (Silva’s first UFC fight was in June 2006) follo…

Anderson Silva is arguably the greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen, but that doesn’t mean his legacy is bulletproof.

The 38-year-old is fresh off of suffering his first-ever UFC loss earlier this July (Silva’s first UFC fight was in June 2006) following a second-round knockout defeat at the hands of Chris Weidman. The Spider would surrender his UFC middleweight title in the process.

To quickly put Weidman‘s victory in perspective, Silva had successfully defended the middleweight crown a record 10 straight times before the stunning loss on July 6 in Las Vegas.

But even though Silva deserves tons of credit for dominating the middleweight division over the past few years and taking out challenger after challenger, he’s in danger of hurting his legacy with back-to-back losses to Weidman.

An agreement has been reached and the two men will square off in a rematch in the main event at UFC 168 in December, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole.

While Weidman will enter as the favorite after defeating Silva in convincing fashion at UFC 162, the latter has more to lose. Sure, Silva has been champion long enough, but two consecutive losses for the first time in his professional career could have some second-guessing his past accomplishments and would no doubt taint his legacy.

Clearly, Silva is closing in on the twilight of his career, but as several athletes have demonstrated in the past, it’s often times how you finish that counts when it comes to how you are remembered and whether you’re revered.

An impressive victory over Weidman in December would have many labeling Silva’s loss at UFC 162 a fluke and would allow the Spider to pump some much-needed air into his legacy. But another convincing defeat could have a similar effect, only negative.

A second straight Weidman win would reaffirm what many are now thinking: Silva’s run in the middleweight division is all but over.

His 16 straight UFC victories and 10 consecutive successful title defenses would become ancient history and those fans who have recently discovered the UFC would remember him for his vulnerability and inability to protect and win back the crown rather than his reign of invincibility.

It’s not fair to judge Silva’s legacy on one fight, but there’s no question that a second straight loss following a 16-0 start would severely damage the Brazilian superstar’s legacy.

Silva’s UFC records may be safe, but his legacy will be in serious danger at UFC 168.

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Anderson Silva’s Legacy Will Be on the Line in Rematch with Chris Weidman

Anderson Silva is arguably the greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen, but that doesn’t mean his legacy is bulletproof.

To quickly put Weidman‘s victory in perspective, Silva had successfully defended the middleweight crown a record 10 straight times before the stunning loss on July 6 in Las Vegas.

An agreement has been reached and the two men will square off in a rematch in the main event at UFC 168 in December, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole.

A second straight Weidman win would reaffirm what many are now thinking: Silva’s run in the middleweight division is all but over.

It’s not fair to judge Silva’s legacy on one fight, but there’s no question that a second straight loss following a 16-0 start would severely damage the Brazilian superstar’s legacy.

Silva’s UFC records may be safe, but his legacy will be in serious danger at UFC 168.

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UFC 162: Why Anderson Silva Will Roll to Another Easy Win

Anderson Silva has given UFC fans and experts every reason to believe in him. After all, he hasn’t shown a glimpse of vulnerability in nearly three years and has yet to lose a fight inside the Octagon.That’s why the Spider is poised to roll to another …

That’s why the Spider is poised to roll to another victory on Saturday at UFC 162, where he’ll make his 11th straight successful title defense look easy against inexperienced challenger Chris Weidman.

The current UFC middleweight champion, Silva is 16-0 in the UFC since making his debut in the Octagon just over seven years ago. But those 16 victories have all come in dominant fashion mostly. Of the 16 wins, only two have come via judges’ decision with the other 14 ending early via knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Even in a match that Silva had no business winning, he found a way to earn a submission victory and extend his streak.

Flashback to August 2010 at UFC 117, when challenger Chael Sonnen dominated Silva for a majority of the fight before the champion broke free late in the fifth and final round to win via a triangle armbar.

While that victory showed Silva’s vulnerability, it also highlighted his ability to get out of any situation inside the Octagon.

Weidman will likely take an approach similar to the one Sonnen took three years ago in Oakland, but that doesn’t guarantee success against the Spider. If the former wrestler doesn’t execute his takedowns perfectly, he could give Silva the opening he needs to land a critical strike.

There are very few weaknesses in Silva’s game, and having fought in 37 professional mixed martial arts bouts over the course of his career, the 38-year-old has faced and solved nearly every situation and problem a fighter can come across.

Plus, we know the moment won’t be too big for Silva. He’s been defending his championship match after match for the past six years. If either fighter is going to let nerves or adrenaline impact his judgment on Saturday, it will be Weidman.

Not only has Anderson Silva proven impossible to beat in the UFC, but he’s rarely been challenged. While Chris Weidman has the talent, athleticism and fighting style to give him problems, history tells us that the Spider will emerge with yet another easy victory.

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UFC 160 Main Event Will Be Highlighted by Cain Velasquez’s Unrivaled Power

It’s been nearly a year since Cain Velasquez destroyed Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 146 in Las Vegas. But the only thing that’s changed over those 12 months is that this time around, Velasquez enters the Octagon as the reigning UFC heavyweight champi…

Therefore, the 30-year-old will head into Saturday’s main event at UFC 160 with a massive target on his back. But don’t expect the current UFC heavyweight trend of champions going down to continue.

Velasquez is no Brock Lesnar, and as he proved last December, he’s a step above Junior dos Santos.

The belt won’t change anything for Velasquez this weekend. At the end of the night, the former college wrestler’s unrivaled power, stamina and strength will be what fans remember most about UFC 160.

After all, four of Velasquez’s five victories have come via knockout or technical knockout, including last year’s first-round win over Silva. While Velasquez had plenty of motivation to annihilate Silva on that night, having surrendered the title in his previous bout, the motivation this time around is simple: Keep the belt.

As Velasquez’s trainer Javier Mendez recently pointed out, the UFC’s heavyweight division has been plagued by parity (via ESPN.com’s Josh Gross):

Remember, no one has defended the title more than twice, so if he’s talking about wanting to keep defending that title, he wants to be remembered by everybody as one of the greatest, like Fedor [Emelianenko].

While recent history suggests that Velasquez will soon be forced to hand over the title, recent performances from the current champion tell us he will be a heavy favorite when the bell rings on Saturday night.

Silva only lasted a little over three-and-a-half minutes in the cage with Velasquez in their first meeting. But he was lucky to last that long. He had no answer for Velasquez’s power, speed and strength despite boasting a significant size advantage.

Right off the bat Velasquez forced Silva to the mat and within a minute he drew blood, delivering an elbow to Silva’s head. After Velasquez landed a plethora of combinations and significant strikes, the referee finally stepped in and stopped the fight.

Velasquez absolutely dominated from start to finish, and while his speed was perhaps the difference, it was his deceptive power that put Silva on the defensive within moments.

While the 6’4″ Bigfoot has had plenty of time to analyze what went wrong for him in that fight, there’s simply no way around Cain Velasquez’s strength and speed. This is a terrible matchup for Silva, as it is for just about every heavyweight fighter in the UFC.

The result of Saturday’s main event remains to be seen, but all indications are that Cain Velasquez will put on a show, displaying more of his unrivaled power in another dominant performance.

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