Tag: UFC Fight Night 26

Ben vs. Jared — ‘UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen’ Edition


(Poster via Nixsons.com)

With a UFC event scheduled for this weekend that’s actually worth watching, it’s time for another installment of Ben vs. Jared, in which CagePotato’s founding editor Ben Goldstein and long-suffering staff writer Jared Jones go cabeza-a-cabeza to discuss some of this card’s major themes. For example: Is Shogun vs. Sonnen the most pointless match on the UFC Fight Night 26 main card? Is it safe to board the Matt Brown hype train? Will Joe Lauzon make history again? And is it Yuri or Iuri? Prepare for serious business…

So, Shogun vs. Sonnen at light-heavyweight — what’s at stake here? Anything? Anything at all?

BG: I think Shogun’s career is at stake, for one thing. If he loses to a one-dimensional middleweight (no offense, Chael), it’ll drop his UFC win percentage below .500, and bump him out of the UFC light-heavyweight contender picture, maybe permanently. He’ll enter that twilight stage of his career where he’s just showing up for “fun fights,” still famous enough to headline smaller UFC events in Brazil, but no longer part of the overall conversation. Or, he can just retire and run a gas station like his brother. Neither scenario is ideal, but the one that doesn’t require him to sustain traumatic brain injuries seems a little healthier.

For Chael, this fight is more of a no-lose proposition, just like his previous light-heavyweight appearance against Jon Jones. A win against Shogun would be a career highlight, and a loss just means he goes back to middleweight where he belongs, for a battle against Wanderlei Silva that he’s already trying to hype up. Sonnen has already exited the title picture in two different weight-classes, but I don’t even think that matters to him much anymore. Whether he’s shouting behind a FOX Sports broadcast desk or cutting promos after a fight, the man’s just content to have a microphone.

JJ: Fuuuuuuck no. “Out of the light heavyweight picture?” Shogun has been out of the light-heavyweight picture since the current champion put him out of the light heavyweight picture at UFC 128, and I say that as a Shogun fan. The fact is, Shogun can’t stay healthy, he can’t put a win streak together, and his BADBOY tights are getting more constrictive by the day. Training with Freddie Roach may prolong Rua’s career a year or two longer than he would have lasted without it, but Shogun has got to be about the oldest 31-year-old in MMA. He was just used as a stepping stone for Alexander Gustafsson (unless you honestly thought the UFC was setting him up to be slaughtered by Jones again), so as far as I’m concerned, he IS in the “fun fights” part of his career. Again, Shogun fan talking here.


(Poster via Nixsons.com)

With a UFC event scheduled for this weekend that’s actually worth watching, it’s time for another installment of Ben vs. Jared, in which CagePotato’s founding editor Ben Goldstein and long-suffering staff writer Jared Jones go cabeza-a-cabeza to discuss some of this card’s major themes. For example: Is Shogun vs. Sonnen the most pointless match on the UFC Fight Night 26 main card? Is it safe to board the Matt Brown hype train? Will Joe Lauzon make history again? And is it Yuri or Iuri? Prepare for serious business…

So, Shogun vs. Sonnen at light-heavyweight — what’s at stake here? Anything? Anything at all?

BG: I think Shogun’s career is at stake, for one thing. If he loses to a one-dimensional middleweight (no offense, Chael), it’ll drop his UFC win percentage below .500, and bump him out of the UFC light-heavyweight contender picture, maybe permanently. He’ll enter that twilight stage of his career where he’s just showing up for “fun fights,” still famous enough to headline smaller UFC events in Brazil, but no longer part of the overall conversation. Or, he can just retire and run a gas station like his brother. Neither scenario is ideal, but the one that doesn’t require him to sustain traumatic brain injuries seems a little healthier.

For Chael, this fight is more of a no-lose proposition, just like his previous light-heavyweight appearance against Jon Jones. A win against Shogun would be a career highlight, and a loss just means he goes back to middleweight where he belongs, for a battle against Wanderlei Silva that he’s already trying to hype up. Sonnen has already exited the title picture in two different weight-classes, but I don’t even think that matters to him much anymore. Whether he’s shouting behind a FOX Sports broadcast desk or cutting promos after a fight, the man’s just content to have a microphone.

JJ: Fuuuuuuck no. “Out of the light heavyweight picture?” Shogun has been out of the light-heavyweight picture since the current champion put him out of the light heavyweight picture at UFC 128, and I say that as a Shogun fan. The fact is, Shogun can’t stay healthy, he can’t put a win streak together, and his BADBOY tights are getting more constrictive by the day. Training with Freddie Roach may prolong Rua’s career a year or two longer than he would have lasted without it, but Shogun has got to be about the oldest 31-year-old in MMA. He was just used as a stepping stone for Alexander Gustafsson (unless you honestly thought the UFC was setting him up to be slaughtered by Jones again), so as far as I’m concerned, he IS in the “fun fights” part of his career. Again, Shogun fan talking here.

Don’t get me wrong, I purchased my tickets to “Fight Night” the day they went on sale, because the chance to see a legend like Shogun (among others) throw down before I die is something that is simply too good to pass up. But there’s nothing at stake here other than our entertainment, which I’m sure that Shogun and Sonnen will deliver on like they always do. Shogun is a big enough draw and performs well enough even when he’s off his game to continue fighting mid-to-upper tier guys while occasionally picking up wins until the UFC forces him to stop. His fight with Sonnen is no different, which is why I’ll just be cheering for a good fight while trying not to spill a drop of my $10 cup of Sam Adams come Saturday.

Somehow, Matt Brown has put together one of the most impressive win streaks of any non-champion in the UFC. If he beats Mike Pyle, will we have to start considering him an elite-level welterweight? And how far away would he be from a title shot if that happens?

JJ: At this point, I have no idea what to think about Matt Brown. Honestly, I’m starting to ponder the likelihood that some soul selling is behind his recent run of, well, not luck but something close to it. Three years ago, he was getting submitted by everyone who possessed a decent guillotine, and now he’s on a five-fight killing spree including a beatdown of the highly-touted Jordan Mein? (Don’t. Use. Scanners. Gif.).

The bad news is this: As was the case with Mark Hunt, Matt Brown’s improbable run is going to come to a screeching halt in the near future — specifically, the next time he faces an elite wrestler with a decent chin and good submissions. The good news is that I don’t think Mike Pyle, who is also enjoying some unexpected success as of late, is the man to do it. My prediction: Matt Brown by…murder. Then I say give him the Carlos Condit/Martin Kampmann winner. And as far as naming him an “elite” fighter? Come on, Ben, we both know that the UFC’s totally unbiased ranking system already does that for us. (*gives best “Can you believe this guy?” face*)

BG: Agreed; board this hype-train at your own risk. Look, putting together six wins in a row is a rare feat in the UFC, but I don’t think that beating a seasoned, well-rounded fighter like Mike Pyle would be any more impressive than Brown’s previous thrashings of Jordan Mein and Mike Swick. Brown’s recent streak has a lot to do with matchmaking; he’s had the fortune of being paired up against other bangers who have let Brown turn the fights into ugly brawls. At some point, he’ll have to face the kind of opponents who used to give him a lot of trouble, namely wrestlers and submission artists. Think of the way Dong Hyun Kim and Ricardo Almeida imposed their will on him, or the way four of his five appearances in 2010-2011 ended in submission losses. (All in the second round, by the way. Hopefully he saw Chael’s psychologist about that.)

Bottom line is, Matt Brown still has a long way to go in order to prove himself, even if he rips Pyle apart. A win on Saturday will put him on the title path at 170, where things start to get really hairy. Hendricks, Condit, Ellenberger, Rory Mac, Maia, Kampmann — he’ll have to beat at least two of those guys to punch his ticket to a title shot, and it’s doubtful that any of them will allow the scrappy underdog to turn it into an alley-fight.

If Joe Lauzon wins another end-of-night bonus on Saturday, he will once again break the record for most bonuses earned by a UFC fighter. (He’s currently tied with Anderson Silva at 12.) How likely is Lauzon to pick up a bonus on Saturday, considering his opponent and the rest of the lineup on this card?

BG: Lauzon has won Submission of the Night bonuses in each of his last five victories, and I like his odds for making it six in a row against Michael Johnson. For one thing, Johnson is submittable; Reza Madadi just won a $60,000 bump in April by tapping Johnson with a SOTN-winning d’arce choke, and “The Menace” also fell victim to a Paul Sass heel-hook back in 2011.

Not only does Lauzon hold a significant advantage against Johnson on the mat, the only other submission artists on Saturday’s card who are as dependable as Lauzon are Urijah Faber (6 subs and 4 SOTNs in his last 7 wins) and Cole Miller (6 subs and 3 SOTNs in his last 6 wins), and since Cole is fighting on Facebook, we can pretty much rule him out. So as I see it, it’s basically a coin toss between J-Lau and the California Kid.

Obviously, Lauzon’s chances of scoring one of the other end-of-night bonuses are much lower. It seems virtually impossible that Joe will produce the most impressive knockout on a card that also features Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne, Uriah Hall vs. John Howard, and assorted sluggers like Matt Brown and Conor McGregor. And with so many matchups designed for action on this card, Lauzon vs. Johnson has a ton of potential competition in the Fight of the Night department as well. So let’s hope Lauzon’s night ends with a bonus-worthy submission, because his life is about to get a lot more expensive.

JJ: I hate to agree with you, being that this is a “vs.” piece and all (speaking of which, we should probably come up with some sort of fight-based bet to sweeten the pot a little*), but it’s a well-known fact that I’ve been swingin’ from Lauzon’s gruesome twosome since back in the day. If Deathklok’s “Thunderhorse” could somehow be captured in a human vessel, it would be Joe Lauzon, and I predict he will do nothing less than annihilate Michael Johnson on the 17th. Johnson is in over his head, in enemy territory and is getting subbed in the first round. The only question is whether or not Lauzon will do it with that flying triangle off the cage he’s been practicing. If he does, I am fully prepared to shit bricks.

I similarly see either Brown or Overeem scoring KOTN, McGregor and Holloway possibly picking up FOTN and Lauzon snagging SOTN, either with the aforementioned pants-shitting flying triangle or some form of leg lock. The bank: You can take that to it.

This weekend’s card features Urijah Faber and Uriah Hall. It also features Mike Brown, Matt Brown, and Travis Browne, as well as Michael Johnson, Michael McDonald, and Mike Pyle, and a guy whose name is spelled Yuri or Iuri, depending on which database you’re looking at. How the fuck am I — the casual MMA fan — supposed to keep this all straight?

JJ: Chances are that if you’re the casual fan, you won’t know who half the aforementioned people are until Bruce Buffer is screaming their names with the passion of a thousand suns anyway (on that note, if Rene Rancourt is not brought into the mix, be it for a guest introduction or otherwise, I will find Dana White and uncork the ass whooping of a lifetime upon him for his insolence). I barely know who Yuri Alcantara is, and if you don’t believe me, read this article.

Honestly, this fight card is so stacked with so much talent and awesome matchups that it’s kind of hurting my eyes. If I could find Joe Silva right now, I’d give him a pat on his little head, a gold star for the day and hoist him up like so:

…did that answer your question?

BG: It’s pretty simple if you just memorize this mnemonic poem:

California sunny day
Spell Urijah with a J
Spinning kicks that make you fall
No J in Uriah Hall

“Immortal” says his stomach-tat
That’s the Brown who’s name is Matt
Travis Browne’s near seven-feet high
Mike Brown is the other guy

All these Michaels to keep straight:
“Mayday” is the bantamweight
Mike Pyle, party in the back
Johnson is the one who’s…athletic and explosive

Nobody should have to worry
How to spell “Yuri,” or “Iuri”
We just call him Alcantara
He will be choked out tomorra’

//////////

* BG: Alright, buster. Here are my main card picks: Sonnen, Browne, Faber, Brown, Howard, Lauzon. Post yours in the comments section. We’ll tally ‘em up after the show, and the loser has to get a life-sized tattoo of the winner’s face on their own face. Either that or a Starbucks gift-card.

UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen Is Perfect Feature Bout for Historic Event

Chael Sonnen and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua are an ideal feature matchup for UFC Fight Night 26. The event that will take place on Saturday night will be broadcast live from TD Garden in Boston, Mass., as part of the massive launch of the new Fox Sports 1 n…

Chael Sonnen and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua are an ideal feature matchup for UFC Fight Night 26. The event that will take place on Saturday night will be broadcast live from TD Garden in Boston, Mass., as part of the massive launch of the new Fox Sports 1 network.

The entire fight card is enticing, especially considering there are no title bouts. Fights like Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne and Urijah Faber vs. Iuri Alcantara could be considered co-features on most network television cards—and even some pay-per-view events.

Up to now, ESPN has been the end-all and be-all when it comes to 24-hour sports programming, but with fresh, bold and groundbreaking shows and events, Fox Sports 1 aims to claim a piece of the pie. 

Even though this is the big debut of the UFC on Fox Sports 1, it’s good the event doesn’t feature any of the top stars in the promotion such as Jon Jones, Benson Henderson or Jose Aldo. It is best to allow things to build up to that point. Too much too soon can take away opportunities for growth.

The Sonnen-Shogun feature has all the elements that Fox Sports 1 is aiming to represent in the less-than diverse world of 24-hour sports programming.

 

Sonnen‘s Salesmanship

No fighter in UFC history has been as adept at promoting himself, the sport or an event, like Sonnen. How else can you explain the appeal of a fighter who has rarely—if ever—delivered in the fights he’s helped create primarily with his gift of gab.

He’s part WWE superstar, part legit commentator and one heck of a wrestler, in the collegiate background sense of the word.

When the lights come on and Sonnen knows it’s time to put on a show, he’ll be at his best on the microphone and he’ll give it his all in the Octagon. Check out this poem from Sonnen posted on FoxSports.com aimed at Shogun and his friend and former teammate Wanderlei Silva:

 

Shogun’s Substance

With an approach that couldn’t be more different than Sonnen‘s, Shogun’s presence provides a perfect contrast in the featured bout. The Brazilian legend usually isn’t the man to talk a lot trash. His place in the sport’s lore is secure; he isn’t a self-promoter. Shogun is prideful and will look at Sonnen‘s promotional tactics as motivation.

Sonnen‘s comments about Silva and Shogun will only add to his intensity.

Each man’s natural approach to pre-fight festivities will highlight the other’s strengths. Shogun fans love his quiet, all-business behavior and they will long to see their hero shut Sonnen‘s mouth with his fists.

 

Both Guys Can Fight 

Shogun’s track record in Pride and in the UFC speaks for itself. He’s a former Pride middleweight champion and UFC light heavyweight champion.

Shogun made the switch over to the UFC in 2007. Despite his career having had its ups and downs over the past four years, he’s still a respected fighter.

For all the fluff Sonnen brings to MMA, no one who knows the sport will doubt his strength or technical wrestling acumen. He nearly defeated Anderson Silva in their first meeting; he dominated Brian Stann and Michael Bisping.

He won a thriller over Nate Marquardt in 2010. Those triumphs often get lost in his humbling defeats, but Sonnen is still a very good fighter.

The two men should top off an exciting night of fighting with a memorable main event.

 

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Chael Sonnen Wants Wanderlei Silva Next; Thinks Vitor Belfort More Likely

UFC Fight Night 26 headliner Chael Sonnen has a tough task in front of him in the form Mauricio Rua, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t already thinking about what comes next.
Sonnen, who recently admitted he likes to look past his opponents, told MMA Figh…

UFC Fight Night 26 headliner Chael Sonnen has a tough task in front of him in the form Mauricio Rua, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t already thinking about what comes next.

Sonnen, who recently admitted he likes to look past his opponents, told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani that his main motivation for going up to light heavyweight was quite simple: Wanderlei Silva. 

“The American Gangster” revealed that he is willing to battle Silva at any venue, at any weight class, which is his prime motivation for heading back to middleweight after the “Shogun” bout. 

“You had just interviewed Wanderlei who said he was going down to 185,” Sonnen told Helwani. “I’ve been chasing Wanderlei for a long time. And … every time the UFC asks him to fight me, he says no. Every time the media asks him, he just can’t wait to fight me. Can’t get in their quick enough. I don’t want to give him anyway out, I just want him to say he doesn’t want to do the fight. That’s good enough for me. He likes to talk tough and subtitle it weeks later, I like to speak clearly and directly. I will follow him anywhere, to any venue, to any country, at any weight class.”

Sonnen then told Helwani Wanderlei is the matchup he wants next, though he thinks he’ll “end up with Vitor (Belfort).”

The three-time UFC title challenger makes mention of a now infamous YouTube video of Sonnen and Silva traveling in the same van back in 2010, with Silva being critical of his the American’s recent disparaging remarks about Brazil.

While the Brazilian fan favorite has not made the cut to 185 pounds since November 2011, he recently told Helwani he would like to get back into the title picture at middleweight (via MMA Fighting). 

Apparently, that’s all Sonnen needed to hear to decide his return to light heavyweight would be short-lived. 

Belfort isn’t willing to fight at middleweight unless the title is on the line, but stated two weeks ago he would like to settle the score with Sonnen at a catchweight. 

If Sonnen beat Shogun on Saturday and the recently proposed Belfort vs. Lyoto Machida doesn’t come to fruition, all of a sudden Sonnen vs. Belfort makes some kind of sense. 

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Interview: A Healthy, Thankful Joe Lauzon Readies to Battle at Home in Boston Saturday Night


(Lauzon still carries a little reminder from his most recent war against Jim Miller. / Photo via Getty)

By Elias Cepeda

“I’m definitely excited and equally scared,” Joe Lauzon says while driving through some nasty Boston traffic this past Wednesday. On Saturday, the Massachusetts lightweight will fight in front of his home town at the Boston Garden on the UFC Fight Night 26 main card — but that isn’t what has Lauzon excited and scared.

The 29-year-old just found out that he and his girlfriend are expecting their first child together, a boy. “Obviously I want everything to go smooth and have a healthy kid. There’s all kinds of stuff to be worried about,” he confesses.

That’s Joe the expecting father talking. Joe the fighter doesn’t expect a child to change anything at all for him.

“Having a kid doesn’t change anything for me, fight wise. There’s a little bit with timing — I don’t want to fight right before or after he is born, but other than that…I train really hard and I fight really hard. I don’t think having a kid will change any of that,” he says.

So don’t expect platitudes from Lauzon about how being a dad adds or takes away from his motivation, as has often been said by other fighters. Joe likes to scrap, always had, always will.

And, after a pretty long lay-off, Lauzon has a good, tough bout ahead of him Saturday against the underrated Michael Johnson. 2012 saw Lauzon raise his star with a win and two Fight of The Year candidates, but he has yet to fight in 2013, choosing to let old injuries heal and wait for a chance to fight in Boston.


(Lauzon still carries a little reminder from his most recent war against Jim Miller. / Photo via Getty)

By Elias Cepeda

“I’m definitely excited and equally scared,” Joe Lauzon says while driving through some nasty Boston traffic this past Wednesday. On Saturday, the Massachusetts lightweight will fight in front of his home town at the Boston Garden on the UFC Fight Night 26 main card — but that isn’t what has Lauzon excited and scared.

The 29-year-old just found out that he and his girlfriend are expecting their first child together, a boy. “Obviously I want everything to go smooth and have a healthy kid. There’s all kinds of stuff to be worried about,” he confesses.

That’s Joe the expecting father talking. Joe the fighter doesn’t expect a child to change anything at all for him.

“Having a kid doesn’t change anything for me, fight wise. There’s a little bit with timing — I don’t want to fight right before or after he is born, but other than that…I train really hard and I fight really hard. I don’t think having a kid will change any of that,” he says.

So don’t expect platitudes from Lauzon about how being a dad adds or takes away from his motivation, as has often been said by other fighters. Joe likes to scrap, always had, always will.

And, after a pretty long lay-off, Lauzon has a good, tough bout ahead of him Saturday against the underrated Michael Johnson. 2012 saw Lauzon raise his star with a win and two Fight of The Year candidates, but he has yet to fight in 2013, choosing to let old injuries heal and wait for a chance to fight in Boston.

“Last year I was 1-2 so it was not my most productive year,” he says. “But I still had some good fights. A couple fight night awards but it was not the best year for me. I had a lot of stupid little nagging injuries, so taking a little more time off after the Miller fight was great. I could have fought months ago but we kept hearing rumblings about Boston in August or the fall so we decided to try and wait a little longer to fight at home as opposed to rushing out and fighting injured earlier and missing this chance.”

The chance to fight in his home state for the first time since a win at UFC 118 in 2010 holds more than sentimental appeal to Lauzon. It’s also just plain easier.

“At first, when I got into the UFC (in 2006) the whole traveling process was pretty cool. Going to airports, flying across the country, having your hotel paid for by the UFC,” Joe remembers.

“But now it is getting a little old. I’m not the biggest fan of flying or airports and it is nice to sleep in your own bed, eat the food you like, be able to do laundry and have my own car.”

What’s more, Lauzon’s loyal Boston-area friends and fans won’t have to go through so many hoops to see him fight live. “That’s really the coolest part,” he says.

“I have a lot of people who are so supportive and come to see me fight every time, no matter where I’m fighting. When they do that, they have to take time off of work, buy airplane tickets, pay for hotels — it’s a huge commitment out of their lives just to see me fight and support me. With this fight being in Boston, all they’ve got to do is buy their fight tickets and show up. It’s much easier on them.”

Lauzon is wrapping up a busy day of media obligations, including an open workout at The Garden, and he’s had friends and family and well-wishers on him like white on rice for the past couple months. With all the hub-bub of fighting at home, he still hasn’t forgotten that he’s got to fight and beat a man on Saturday night for all this to be a truly good time.

“I think we are pretty comparable in wrestling and stand-up,” Lauzon says, comparing himself to Johnson. “But I’m pretty far ahead on the ground. So, I don’t think it is any secret that we’ve got to go in there, get in the clinch and take him down. We’ve got to do whatever we’ve got to do to get him down and once we’re on the ground, I think the submission will come.”

If it does, Lauzon will undoubtedly bring the Boston Garden crowd to their feet. The exciting fighter says that when he last fought at home, in 2010, he didn’t really know what to expect in terms of the reception he’d get as well as the emotional charge from the Boston fans.

“I didn’t quite understand how many people were going to be there the last time, at UFC 118. I didn’t realize how crazy it would be being a local guy,” Joe says.

“Now, I get it and I’m really looking forward to it. It is going to be absolutely roaring. A lot of times when I walk out to fight, I don’t look up, I don’t look at the crowd, I’m just looking at the ground. This time, I don’t want to lose focus, but I am going to pay a little more attention to it. I’m going to embrace it a little more. We trained real hard, I’m healthy and I’m ready to go…I want to get back in the win column and if I get this win I’ll be incredibly thankful.”

UFC Fight Night 26: Preliminary Card Predictions

The UFC makes its debut on the newly minted Fox Sports 1 on Saturday, offering a card packed with talent. Headlined by light heavyweights Mauricio Rua and Chael Sonnen, the card boasts top contenders in multiple weight classes throughout.
On the prelim…

The UFC makes its debut on the newly minted Fox Sports 1 on Saturday, offering a card packed with talent. Headlined by light heavyweights Mauricio Rua and Chael Sonnen, the card boasts top contenders in multiple weight classes throughout.

On the preliminary card, we see a number of fights that are main card quality. Between Brad Pickett-Michael McDonald and Manny Gamburyan-Cole Miller, it’s clear to see this card is stacked from top to bottom.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the prelims and make some predictions. 

Begin Slideshow

UFC Fight Night 26: Preview, Predictions, Fight Card, Highlights and Start Time

Simply put, the card for UFC Fight Night 26 is stacked. It’s funny that an event without a title fight could possibly offer the best MMA card this year. On Saturday night, this historic event will take place live from TD Gardens in Boston, Mass.
Becaus…

Simply put, the card for UFC Fight Night 26 is stacked. It’s funny that an event without a title fight could possibly offer the best MMA card this year. On Saturday night, this historic event will take place live from TD Gardens in Boston, Mass.

Because this event will help launch the Fox Sports 1 network, the grocery list of compelling fights couldn’t come at a better time. Putting Chael Sonnen—the promotion’s No. 1 mouthpiece—opposite the legendary and understated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua creates a nice balance for the feature bout.

What Dana White and the UFC have done is compiled an event filled with bouts that could be co-main events—or at least main-card bouts—on most cards. Assembling them should make for an excellent night of MMA action.

Here’s how you can watch the action as well as my predictions for each bout. The highlighted predictions will feature a deeper analysis below. Check out the Fight Night Bonus section as well for my predictions on the fighters whose performances will earn them extra cash.

 

Diego Brandao Will Edge Daniel Pineda in a Thriller

I expect the event to produce a good number of entertaining bouts, but this featherweight clash is my pick as the Fight of the Night. When you match two solid submissions artists who have both shown the ability to do damage in the stand-up game, the fighters will usually deliver a well-rounded display of MMA action.

Both men have won Submission of the Night in their UFC careers. Pineda took home the honor at The Ultimate Fighter 17 against Justin Lawrence. Brandao won it against Dennis Bermudez at the Ultimate Fighter 14 finale.

Because this fight figures to be a stalemate on the ground, expect to see matters settled with striking.

Brandao is a bit more dynamic in this department, and he should have the edge in significant strikes. Fans should be treated to some excellent groundwork from both men and a touch of brawling.

When the dust settles, Brandao will have his hand raised.

 

Michael McDonald Will Eek Out a Win Over Veteran Brad Pickett

I went back and forth with this bout and the Brandao-Pineda fight as my choice for Fight of the Night. Both have potential to be excellent contests. Pickett is 34 years old, but he has resisted the notion that he is at the end of his rope.

He has won Fight of the Night three times and KO of the Night once in his UFC career. The man they call “One Punch” has tremendous power and is a world-class wrestler. He’s physically stronger than McDonald, but the 22-year-old has the edge in overall athleticism.

McDonald is a dynamic striker who ran into a buzz saw in Renan Barao in his last fight. This one figures to be exciting and bloody. It could easily end in a knockout considering the two fighter’s striking prowess, but both men also have solid chins.

McDonald’s speed will lead to a striking advantage and a decision victory. 

 

Joe Lauzon is Going to Twist Michael Johnson Up Like a Pretzel

This fight couldn’t be better set up for Lauzon to shine. He is one of the best submission artists in UFC history, having won Submission of the Night five times in his career.

Johnson seems to be a sitting duck here. Six of his eight losses have come by way of—you guessed it—submission.

In his last fight against Reza Madadi, he seemed lifeless, reserved and was simply waiting to be made to tap out. Lauzon won’t make him wait too long. Despite his grappling style, his fights only last an average of 6:28, per FightMetric.com.

This is the best bet for Submission of the Night.

 

Overeem or Browne? Someone is Going to Get Knocked Out

Not only is this fight almost assured of ending in a KO, the climax is probably going to be vicious. With over 510 pounds of beef in the Octagon, something explosive is on the horizon.

Both fighters have histories of dishing and absorbing brutal knockouts.  This fight is easily the best candidate for KO of the Night.

Overeem and Browne have felt the wrath of Antonio “Big Foot” Silva, but pitted against each other, it is hard to predict which giant will land first.

It is possible the first man to land a significant shot will win this fight. Browne has shown the better chin in his career, but despite holding a three-inch height advantage, Overeem has the longer arms with a ridiculous 80″ reach.

In what amounts to a toss-up, I’ll take Browne simply because it is hard to believe in Overeem after his embarrassing loss to Silva. The loss was demoralizing and almost a microcosm of Overeem’s big potential, but underachieving existence in MMA.

Browne is also a better conditioned fighter and if the two men survive the initial barrage of strikes, stamina could play a major role.

 

Sonnen Will Finally Find the Big-Name Fighter He Can Beat

Sonnen has called out the biggest and best in the UFC and failed to deliver a win. That trend will end on Saturday night. In Rua’s most recent fights, he’s looked slow and tired after the first round.

It is almost a given Sonnen will take this fight to the ground and expose Rua’s declining stamina. While Rua is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he leans more towards his Muay Thai background.

At this stage in his career, he doesn’t possess the quickness, reach, athleticism or varied attacks to prevent Sonnen from driving him to the mat.

Chael will win a decision as he dominates positioning in the main event.

 

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