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.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com