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UFC 134 Predictions

Filed under: UFCWill Anderson Silva improve to 14-0 in the UFC, or will Yushin Okami pull off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history? Can Shogun Rua avenge his loss to Forrest Griffin, or does Griffin have Rua’s number? Does Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira …

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Will Anderson Silva improve to 14-0 in the UFC, or will Yushin Okami pull off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history? Can Shogun Rua avenge his loss to Forrest Griffin, or does Griffin have Rua’s number? Does Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira have anything left, or is Brendan Schaub going to knock Big Nog into retirement? Those are the questions I’ll answer as I predict the winners at UFC 134.

What: UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami

When: Saturday, the Spike TV preliminaries begin at 8 PM ET and the pay-per-view starts at 9.

Where: HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Predictions on the five pay-per-view fights below.

More Coverage: UFC 134 Fight Card | UFC 134 Results

Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami
Okami is the last man to defeat Silva: On Jan. 20, 2006, the two fought in the first round of a Rumble on the Rock tournament, and Silva was disqualified when he kicked Okami in the head on the ground. To the extent that their first meeting is relevant to their rematch, however, it should give Silva more confidence than it gives Okami: Silva was in control of the bout during all the stand-up exchanges until that unfortunate illegal kick the first time the fight went to the ground.

So what would Okami have to do to pull off the historic upset? The key for Okami would be to fight Silva the way Chael Sonnen fought Silva — except for the part where Sonnen got caught in a submission in the fifth round. Okami is a powerful grappler who has good takedowns and might just be able to do some of the same things to Silva that Sonnen did.

But Okami’s wrestling isn’t on the same level as Sonnen’s, and even if Okami is able to take Silva down, he’s going to have a hard time keeping Silva down. And Okami isn’t anywhere near Silva’s class as a striker. Is it possible that Okami could grind out a decision and become the new middleweight champion? Yes. Is it likely to happen? No. I think Silva wins by TKO.
Pick: Silva

Maurício Rua vs. Forrest Griffin
The co-main event is also a rematch, of Griffin’s upset victory over Rua at UFC 76. Going into that fight, most people thought Rua — a Pride wrecking machine making his UFC debut — would run through Griffin, who was very popular but known mostly for his stint on The Ultimate Fighter. Instead it was Griffin who finished Rua with a rear-naked choke in the third round.

Rua is again a big favorite this time around, as most people seem to think that Rua is healthier now than he was then, and that Griffin, at age 32, isn’t quite the fighter he once was. But I’m not convinced. I think Griffin’s size and strength is going to be tough for Rua to handle on the ground, and Griffin’s use of leg kicks will be very important to slowing Rua down. I see Griffin winning a hard-fought decision.
Pick: Griffin

Brendan Schaub vs. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira
Nogueira has had a long and honorable MMA career spanning more than a decade, and he’s finally fighting in his native Brazil for the first time. So it would be great to see him put on a phenomenal performance.

Unfortunately, there’s not much reason to believe Nogueira has any phenomenal performances left in him. He’s been inactive for a year and a half, so ring rust may be a problem, and in his last fight he was knocked cold by Cain Velasquez. Nogueira was once legendary for his chin, but that knockout loss to Velasquez — as well as Nogueira’s TKO loss to Frank Mir at UFC 92 — has me thinking Schaub could put him to sleep.

Schaub is a former football player who only started fighting three years ago, so he’s got nothing close to the experience of Nogueira, but he’s strong as a bull and hits like a Mack truck. I expect Schaub to handle Nogueira, and as a longtime Minotauro fan, I just hope it’s not an ugly loss.
Pick: Schaub

Ross Pearson vs. Edson Barboza
Pearson won Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter and has shown since then a real propensity for landing effective punches and putting on exciting fights. But Barboza is a different kind of striker, a guy whose leg kicks are legendary and who is capable of finishing opponents with his hands, his elbows or his knees. The 25-year-old Barboza is 8-0 and a rising star in the lightweight division, and he should earn his biggest victory to date against Pearson.
Pick: Barboza

Luiz Cane vs. Stanislav Nedkov
Win or lose, Cane’s fights usually end quickly: He’s been to the second round just twice in his 14-fight career. The 11-0 Nedkov is also a finisher, with five wins by technical knockout and four by submission, so don’t expect this fight to go the distance. I think Cane will welcome Nedkov to the UFC with a TKO win.
Pick: Cane

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UFC 134 FIght Card Predictions: Randy Couture Predicts Barboza vs. Pearson

On Saturday, August 27 the UFC will return to Brazil for the first time since October 16, 1998. That event, “Ultimate Brazil” was headlined by a middleweight title bout between Frank Shamrock and John Lober, but it is perhaps best remembered for…

The promotion will bring UFC 134 to the HSBC Arena in Rio next Saturday and the event, like the first UFC Brazil event, will be headlined by a middleweight title fight as Anderson Silva defends his title against Yushin Okami. The co-main event will feature Mauricio “Shogun” Rua facing Forrest Griffin. In all, 14 Brazilian fighters will be competing on the 12 fight card. Only one contest will be without a Brazilian fighter.

A lightweight bout between Ross Pearson and Edson Barboza will take place on the main card of UFC 134. Barboza has a record of 8-0 in his MMA career and judging from the comments that Tom Atencio makes in the below video he is criminally under appreciated for a fighter that has been compared to Jose Aldo.

Pearson comes into the fight with a record of 12-4 with his last win being against Spencer Fisher.

UFC 134 Fight Card: Can Yushin Okami Beat Anderson Silva?

If you have read any story about this weekend’s UFC 134 event that will take place in Brazil you have undoubtedly learned that almost each and every story has begun with the same exact focus, Yushin Okami being the last fighter to score a victory over Anderson Silva. While some would consider the introduction to be lazy writing, it’s not, it’s a way to focus on how impressive a feat Silva’s 14 fight winning streak is and if not for the illegal upkick that cost him the first Okami fight, his streak could possibly be at 17 consecutive victories. When the two do meet in the main even at UFC 134, that fight which took place in January 2006 will surely be in the minds of both fighters.

The oddsmakers are not giving Okami much of a chance, listing Silva at -525 and Okami at +375. Translated to a percentage, those numbers put Silva as an 84 percent favorite, which judging from MMA fan commentary may actually be on low side of things. The odds are not a reflection on Okami as much as they are a statement on how dominant a fighter Silva has become since his loss to Okami.

13 of Silva’s 14 straight wins have come in the UFC. Eight of those wins have been in defense of the UFC middleweight title he captured in October 2006 when he defeated Rich Franklin via first round TKO. The 13 straight wins and the eight consecutive title defenses are both UFC records.

In the words of UFC president Dana White, “He hasn’t lost a fight in five years. He’s never lost in the UFC. The last time he lost was to Yushin Okami in October 2006. He’s got the most title defenses ever, with eight. He’s got the longest (UFC) win streak ever, at 13-0. And in my opinion, he’s the greatest mixed martial artist ever. Ever, period.”

To say that Okami, who has quietly gone 12-3 since his win over Silva, is being given little chance to defeat Silva, is an understatement. But Okami is not just a bump in the road to another UFC record victory for Silva. The man the White recently called “The best fighter ever to come out of Japan,” does stand a chance in this fight.

If Okami follows the blueprint of his current training partner and the man that was within 110 seconds of taking Silva’s title at UFC 126, Chael Sonnen, he could lay claim to being the only fighter to score two victories over Silva.

Sonnen came out at UFC 117 and took the fight to Silva, something that many opponents of Silva have failed to do. Sonnen showed zero fear, using his wrestling to dominate Silva for most of the five round battle. The end came for Sonnen when Silva capitalized on an opening that was given to him, grabbing the submission win via a triangle/arm bar with less than two minutes remaining in the fifth and final round. At the time he tapped out, Sonnen was ahead on all three judges scorecards and would have been declared the new UFC middleweight champion if he had not submitted.

Okami is a better wrestler than Silva and has strong ground and pound. He also has never been submitted in 31 professional fights. If Okami can secure takedowns and stay in top position he may, however unlikely it seems, earn a decision victory, especially when one considers MMA judges propensity for scoring in favor of fighters that hold top position.

UFC 134: Sonnen Says Yushin Okami Should Be ‘Clear Favorite’ over Anderson Silva

Chael Sonnen has never been one to hesitate in vocalizing his beliefs, and he believes UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva being favored over top contender Yushin Okami is an absolute injustice. “Yushin’s got to be a clear favorite. Yushin’s much …

Chael Sonnen has never been one to hesitate in vocalizing his beliefs, and he believes UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva being favored over top contender Yushin Okami is an absolute injustice.

“Yushin’s got to be a clear favorite. Yushin’s much better than Anderson. Yushin beat Anderson the last time they fought,” said Sonnen in an appearance on Bruce Buffer’s “It’s Time” show on the Sherdog Radio Network.

“It’s real hard to imagine how Anderson would win, but that doesn’t mean he can’t. He’s pulled it off a few times before. I think the hardest part in selling this fight, as they say, is convincing people that Anderson’s actually got a chance.”

Okami and Silva last squared off in January 2006 at Rumble on the Rock 8, where Silva was disqualified for landing an illegal upkick that left Okami unable to continue.

Five years later, Silva has broken a plethora of UFC records, secured a world title and crafted one of the greatest legacies the sport has ever seen.

Okami’s UFC tenure has been impressive as well. He carries a 10-2 record inside the Octagon, with his only losses coming to Sonnen and former middleweight champion Rich Franklin.

A former opponent, Sonnen now trains alongside Okami and is expected to corner him in the championship bout at UFC 134 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which should serve as a significant story in itself.

Since losing to Silva in August 2010, Sonnen has unleashed Armageddon in verbal attacks on the champ, Black House gym and the entire country of Brazil.

Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Silva has taken great offense to Sonnen’s comments about his country and teammates.

As far as the fight is concerned, there is some validity to Sonnen’s madness.

Silva is the proposed pound-for-pound kingpin, but like every other fighter, he has his weaknesses. A consistent weakness in The Spider’s game has to be his wrestling.

Sonnen dominated Silva for four and a half rounds with relentless takedowns and suffocating top control. Okami will present Silva with similar problems. He’s a strong wrestler with nasty ground-and-pound and shutdown top control.

The primary difference between Sonnen and Okami is the Japanese star’s underrated Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Okami is a very intelligent fighter on the ground, and Silva shouldn’t bank on late fight heroics in this fight. He’s going to have to get after Okami early and stay off his back.

The winner of this fight could face the winner of the upcoming bout between Sonnen and Brian Stann at UFC 136. Sonnen has already stated that he doesn’t have any qualms about facing his teammate, but he would love to get another crack at Silva.

The world may have anointed Silva as the greatest fighter on the planet, but Sonnen isn’t quite ready to cave into the masses. When asked to predict a winner in a dream fight between Silva and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, Sonnen didn’t have to think long before answering.

“I think it would be one-sided…a very easy match for GSP,” Sonnen said.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 134 Preview: Anderson Silva Says Yushin Okami Will Be "Very Well Prepared"

Just days away from his upcoming title defense, Anderson Silva is motivated to fight in front of his country at UFC 134. Silva, who will make his ninth-consecutive title defense, headlines the event against Yushin Okami.In a recent interview on FOX Spo…

In a recent interview on FOX Sports, Silva spoke about his upcoming bout against the Japanese star and hopes to see his opponent in good condition. Both men met previously in a 2006 bout that saw Okami earn a win over the Brazilian by disqualification, but despite the result, Silva expects nothing more than to see Okami prepared to compete.

“I believe that Okami is going to come very well prepared,” Silva said of his opponent.

“I have no idea if he is going to stand up with me or try and take me down. I do know that he will be well prepared just like me. One thing I do know is I will be well prepared to represent my team and represent my work.”

Represent might just be an understatement in regard to Silva’s upcoming fight.

The Brazilian has held the middleweight title for nearly five years and is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. “The Spider” has created some of the most memorable highlights in UFC history with his quick reflexes and creative striking.

But the accolades and championships don’t seem to flatter the Curitiba native as much as simply representing the UFC and being given the opportunity to be a part of an event in Brazil.

“I’m just proud to be part of the history, to be part of the team that are UFC athletes. That is the thing I’m most proud of,” he said.

If history tells us anything about Silva, it is that he can put on inspiring performances when he is motivated to do so. Now that he has been given the opportunity to fight in Rio de Janeiro, Silva will not likely disappoint.

“It’s going to be great. The Brazilian fans are very rowdy and my message to the world [is] prepare yourself because it’s going to get rowdy,” he said.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chael Sonnen is Keyser Söze!

Well there was much hype about Chael Sonnen going to Rio to corner training partner, Yushin Okami at UFC 134. Especially, since he said he was going here: But then there was a Brazilian Facebook.

Well there was much hype about Chael Sonnen going to Rio to corner training partner, Yushin Okami at UFC 134. Especially, since he said he was going here:

But then there was a Brazilian Facebook page created calling for the lynching of Chael Sonnen, which has since been taken down but not before Chael could comment via Twitter:

Now, it was reported yesterday in SPORTV that Chael Sonnen never boarded a plane for Rio nor arrived in the city eagerly awaiting him. Instead Okami’s camp flew out there this Saturday sans Sonnen. Okami’s training camp says Sonnen was never expected in Rio, therefore it is uncertain the impending lynch mob had any impact on Sonnen’s decision not to corner Yushin Okami. So perhaps we may consider the possibility that he is simply too busy training for his upcoming fight against Brian Stann at UFC 136 this October 8th to flee the country (no pun intended on the probationed Sonnen).

*Props to Bloody Elbow for translating the article below:

If the threat of lynching has changed the mind of Chael Sonnen, it is not known. The fact is that the American will no longer be coming to Rio according to the coaches of Japan’s Yushin Okami, who arrived on Saturday. Sonnen will not be in the country for the event.

Disliked by most Brazilian fighters like Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, Lyoto Machida and the Nogueira brothers, Sonnen said in several interviews that he would come to Brazil for UFC 134. Yushin Okami, his teammate, will face Anderson in the main event of the night and Sonnen was expected in his corner. The American even said during the week he would come to Rio on Friday.

However, the coaches of Team Quest denied that the Sonnen has or will come to Brazil. According to a post by the official UFC Brazil twitter, Sonnen was just “trolling” and will not be in Rio for the fight. Sonnen has a fight scheduled for Oct. 8 at UFC 136 against Brian Stann, and will be focused on training for the occasion.

Sonnen just “trolling” they say… But as always, the last word will go to Chael who teased again by tweeting this famous line uttered by Keyser Söze in The Usual Suspects:

The cool thing about Keyser Söze is he was lurking right in front of our eyes without us even knowing. Where will Sonnen be this Saturday?