Tag: UFC on Fox 2

We’re now only a day away from “UFC on Fox 2.”

In the main event, top light heavyweights clash as the undefeated Phil Davis meets former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.

The co-main event will also be an interesting matchup, as Michael Bisping fights Chael Sonnen, with the winner getting a shot at Anderson Silva’s UFC Middleweight Championship.

As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post for “UFC on Fox 2.”

 

Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia

I have a lot of respect for Chris Weidman.

I respect him for being undefeated. I respect him for putting on some good fights in his short time with the UFC. I respect him for taking this fight on such short notice.

But to this day, Demian Maia continues to display flashes of brilliance that make me believe that one day he could become the next Mark Munoz. Maia’s stand-up has been consistently improving on a fight-by-fight basis, and we all know how good his ground game is.

With Munoz taking that final big step out of gatekeeper status and into legitimate championship relevancy, I think Maia stands tall as the best gatekeeper in the UFC’s middleweight division.

It’ll be a war, but Maia’s experience and expanding versatility will be too much for Weidman, especially since he’s coming in on ultra-short notice. Demian Maia wins by unanimous decision.

 

Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping

Hate me if you must, disagree with me if you like, but I still think Michael Bisping isn’t submitting Chael Sonnen.

Bisping could damage Sonnen over three rounds, and he may even be able to TKO him if given the perfect opportunity, but my official prediction is that Sonnen spends much of this fight taking Bisping down and having his way with him on the ground.

It’ll be “pillow hands” this and “lay and pray” that from the Sonnen cynics, but I respect Sonnen’s smothering, dominant top game too much to give Bisping the nod in this fight.

Chael Sonnen is coming off of one of the best performances of his career, and he is as motivated as he has ever been. Chael Sonnen wins by dominant unanimous decision.

 

Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis

I haven’t seen Rashad Evans this motivated since he knocked out Chuck Liddell.

I think Evans is truly angry at not only his situation, but at himself. The UFC isn’t blameless here, either, but Evans has had an active role in what has become a saga revolving around the constant game of “so close and yet so far away” for his shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

I have nothing against Phil Davis, and I think in a year or two he’ll be right at Rashad’s level and ready to compete for the title. But right now, going up against a motivated and angry Evans, I think Davis is going to crumble under the pressure.

Rashad is going to attack and he won’t stop attacking, and eventually he’ll blow past any and all of Davis’ defenses and finish him. Rashad Evans wins by TKO in Round 2.

 

And that’s what I think, fans and friends.

 

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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The UFC on Fox this Saturday night is the biggest card of the year, because it will decide whether the UFC will have two grudge matches that fans have been anxiously anticipating.

When the cage door closes behind Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen, both fighters will have one obstacle in their way before getting their hands on their rival.

For Evans, all he has to do is get past Phil Davis, so he can fulfill his destiny and fight the greatest light heavyweight the UFC has ever seen, Jon Jones. As for Sonnen, he gets a chance to take on Anderson Silva for one of the biggest rematches in UFC history, should he defeat Michael Bisping.

But then again, both fighters will have their hands full with these two opponents. Evans is facing a young up-and-comer in Davis, who just might possess the wrestling skills to take Evan’s No. 1 contendership.

Evans’ wrestling skills in his mind are second to none, but Davis is a four-time NCAA Division I All-American Wrestler and 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Champion.

If Evans can keep the fight standing, he should have a distinct advantage in striking—as he’s shown with his knockout victories over Sean Salmon and Chuck Liddell, he has some lethal strikes.

But then again, it’s been 10 months since we’ve seen Davis back in the octagon, and he could have improved his striking dramatically since then.

Should Evans get past Davis, the title fight with Jones will be the biggest grudge match for the light heavyweight championship since Chuck Liddell fought Tito Ortiz at UFC 66. Both fighters hate each other, and the fact that both of them have trained with each other and know each other’s tendacies, makes for an exciting clash.

Evans has the best chance of dethroning Jones, and with tremendous buildup, that fight could be one of the biggest of the year.

But make no mistake about it, it wouldn’t be bigger than Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva II. If Sonnen gets past Bisping, the rematch between him and Silva will take place in a soccer stadium in Brazil.

Sonnen is the only fighter to ever really come close to beating Silva in the UFC, and Sonnen was less than three minutes away from winning a decisive victory against Silva.

After Silva slipped on a triangle choke in the fifth round to reclaim his title at UFC 117, Sonnen has fought his way back to challenging for the title after beating Brian Stann at UFC 136 via arm-triangle choke.

Silva’s victory over Sonnen was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in sports and is my favorite fight of all time simply because of the way Silva came back from a dominating performance by Sonnen.

Sonnen talked a lot of trash before the fight, backed it all up and came just short of dethroning Silva. With Bisping, Sonnen needs to take him to the ground and work his ground-and-pound. I believe that’s just what Sonnen will do, and the rematch should be set after Saturday night.

Depending on the outcome of the fights this Saturday, this could be the most exciting year in UFC history. 

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