Saturday, February 20, 2010

UFC 110 Picks

With UFC 110 just hours away, I figured I would put up some picks for the card before its too late.

Perosh is a last minute replacement to the fight after CroCop's original opponent, Ben Rothwell, came down with an illness. Whether it was Perosh or Rothwell, the pick I would have made would be and is Crocop. Mirko has had his ups and downs in the UFC and at one point called his retirement. Now that he is returning to the fight game, one has to believe that this "victory lap" of sorts is done for the purpose of coming out and leaving the world of MMA on a positive note.

Mirko via TKO in round 2

Bader at UFC 110 takes a step up in terms of competition fighting an always game Keith Jardine. Although Jardine seems to give guys trouble from time to time, I dont expect Bader to have too much trouble in this fight. Expect Bader to use his wrestling and get within a comfort zone in this fight, not allowing Jardine to throw effective leg strikes on the feet.

Bader via UD, maybe even a stoppage on the ground

Probably the fight that has me the most intrigued coming up tonight is this one. Stevenson is looking to work himself up to the lightweight championship discussion and he fights Sotiropoulous who should be a good test for him, particularly on the ground. Both have good bases in grappling and have good boxing. For me, I think the key for the fight will not be inside the ring but rather outside. Stevenson is working with Greg Jackson, MMA guru to the who's who of the UFC, while Sotiropoulos fights in front of a home crowd. Ultimately, I like Sotiropoulous to win the fight in an upset of sorts (granted, Im picking this fight more on a gut instinct rather than rationale). I think this fight goes to the judges and Sotiropoulos does enough to win over the fans (and judges) in a close fight. Plus, Sotiropoulos is going at +190 on Bodog, good odds in my books.

Sotiropoulos via close, but unanimous decision

In the co-main event of the evening, we get a slimmer Wanderlei Silva (dropping down to his first fight at 185 pounds in the UFC), against Michael Bisping, trying to work his way back into title contention. For me, the key to the fight will be if Bisping can get Wanderlei to respect his power. The last time Bisping fought a "big" 185 pounder, he got clocked by Dan Henderson in a memorable knockout. We all know that Wanderlei, like Hendo, has dynamite in his hands and he has a good chin to boot. If Bisping cannot get Wand to respect his power, I see Wanderlei walking down Bisping all night, eventually getting caught with a punch and either being stopped out KO'ed.

However, an interesting sidenote to all Bisping fans, all is not lost. You have to remember that one of Bisping's sparring partners in Rampage Jackson, a fighter who has been in the ring with Wanderlei three times, and who in their last battle got the upper hand. Rampage more than likely showed Bisping some weak points in Wanderlei's armor and that could go a long way into helping The Count come away with a win.

Regardless, Wanderlei via TKO in the 1st or 2nd.

Finally, in the other co-main event, we have the grizzled veteran in Minotauro Nogueira facing off with the young up and coming wrestler, Cain Velasquez. This is a really intriguing fight considering a win by either fighter propels them into the heavyweight title picture. Both are well rounded fighters, albeit Nogueira being a better submission fighter on the ground while Velasquez is better at wrestling, control, and ground and pound. Who do I like? Too close to call for me. What Im interested in seeing is where this fight goes. On the feet, I think technically Minotauro has the edge with his boxing. On the ground, although I think Cain's best chance at winning this fight is with his wrestling and utilizing ground and pound, you are asking for trouble by taking the fight to the ground considering that Minotauro is technically one of the best BJJ artists not just in the heavyweight division, but in the world. As a result, I think I have to take Minotauro via a submission in the 2nd or 3rd.

Minotauro via submission in the 2nd

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