Main Card
Welterweight Championship bout: Nick Diaz (c) vs Paul Daley
Its no secret, I’ve made it known on this blog, that the Diaz brothers are in my favorite fighters of all time list. Nick Diaz can take punches and Paul Daley can deliver them. Diaz also a puncher, but he is the kind that wears you down with a relentless pace. Frank Shamrock has said the punches hurt even though they don’t look like there is anything on them. When Jake Shields fought Paul Daley he quickly took him down and submitted him via armbar. I expect the same scenario from Nick Diaz. However, Diaz won’t take him down so quickly. The reason is because he wants to put on a show, like he always does and show Daley who the champ is.
Pretty much the only way Daley stops Diaz is by KO. Daley doesn’t have a good record going the distance and his takedown defense better have improved because imo, as good as Jake Shields is on the ground, Nick Diaz is right there with him. They train together so maybe that’s why?!
Nick Diaz can win this in the first round if he wants to, so I’m taking Diaz easily.
Lightweight Championship bout: Gilbert Melendez (c) vs Tatsuya Kawajiri
Both of these guys are straight wrestlers from the beginning of their careers. However, Melendez has a better all around game. Kawajiri hasn’t fought well on US soil and I’m thinking Melendez wins this one via decision. Kawajiri is very tough and can absorb punishment and I think he will be a sponge and absorb all Gilbert Melendez puts on him.
Light Heavyweight bout: Gegard Mousasi vs Keith Jardine
I’m going with the upset here and taking Jardine. The reasons are Mousasi hasn’t fought a guy like Jardine and he doesn’t fight guys as big as Jardine regularly. However, Jardine has fought bigger guys before and has excellent cardio. I think Jardine has enough striking and ground game to give Mousasi problems. More particularly is that this is a 3 round fight. This is important because when Mo Lawal fought Mousasi, Lawal was very aggressive and Gegard was fighting backwards and had trouble. Jardine is a very aggressive fighter and i think in 3 rounds, Gegard may not have enough time to turn the fight around.
Lightweight bout: Shinya Aoki vs Lyle Beerbohm
Shinya Aoki is a submission specialist and I’m not sure that term is enough to describe him because that is pretty much all he does. He has weak kicks and crappy punches, but his submission game is top notch. He is an expert at getting his opponents in completely vulnerable positions where he can either pound out a win or submit the guy. Lyle Beerbohm on the other hand is a wrestling specialist and a grinder. He is excellent at escaping submissions and reversals. His striking is better than Aoki’s as well.
I don’t see Aoki winning this fight and am going with the underdog Beerbohm.
Preliminary Card
Featherweight bout: Hiroyuki Takaya vs Robert Peralta
Takaya
Heavyweight bout: Brett Albee vs Virgil Zwicker
Pass
Lightweight bout: Joe Duarte vs Saad Awad
Taking the UFC vet, Duarte.
Welterweight bout: Herman Terrado vs AJ Matthews
Pass
Featherweight bout: Rolando Perez vs Edgar Cardenas
Pass
Middleweight bout: Casey Ryan vs Paul Song
Pass