Cannot wait for the card this weekend. So pumped for every fight on the main card. Might as well post a few predictions:
Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen - I'd love to see Sonnen take Anderson down and smash him for 5 rounds, just to see how arrogant Chael'd be after the fight and what he'd say after the fight. I don't see that happening though. Anderson looks very angry, and if he's fired up he's the most dangerous man on the planet bar none. His stand-up is just ridiculous. I see him using footwork and movement, avoiding Chael's takedowns and tagging him with some heavy shots. Also possible that Silva catches Sonnen with a knee as Chael shoots in too. Going to be an interesting fight, really looking forward to it.
Thiago Alves vs Jon Fitch - Both awesome fighters, and both vying for a title shot, but I see Fitch being good enough to take Thiago down and grind him for 3 rounds to get himself a title shot. Fitch will have to be wary though, this is not the same Alves he beat all those years ago. Alves has much better TDD, far better stand-up and is just an all-round better fighter. It's another that could go either way, but I see Fitch taking it. The lay-off could ultimately affect Thiago.
Matt Hughes vs Ricardo Almeida - Another great fight, but I see Almeida taking it. I believe Almeida's superior in the stand-up, and has a very dangerous guard. He's a 3rd Degree Renzo Gracie black belt, so he poses some serious problems for Hughes on the ground. I see Almeida pulling out a submission in the 2nd.
Clay Guida vs Rafael Dos Anjos - Love Guida, he's a super exciting guy to watch, but Dos Anjos looked excellent at UFC 112 against Etim. Dos Anjos has a slick ground game and is no mug on the feet. I expect Guida to push the pace, but ultimately see Rafael pulling out the submission in either the 2nd or 3rd round.
Junior Dos Santos vs Roy Nelson - Another fantastic fight this one. JDS has looked incredible in the UFC, with big wins over tough guys in Werdum, Struve, Gonzaga, Cro Cop and Yvel, and I see him having enough to KO Big Country here. I am not writing Nelson off though. If Roy gets this to the ground, he could very well end the fight. He's another Renzo Gracie black belt, has some slick ground skills and is very dangerous from the crucifix position. He could test JDS's chin on the feet, and I really hope this goes more than 1 round and Nelson tests JDS's ground game, as that's the 1 area we know very little about. It's something that needs to be tested too, as he doesn't want to go into a fight with Brock or Cain with little or no experience dealing with a big guy on top of him. I do see Junior pulling out the win in the 1st though, and it'll be via KO, his stand-up's too good for anyone in the division.
Prelim Card
Dustin Hazelett vs Ricky Story
Phil Davis vs Rodney Wallace
Todd Brown vs Tim Boetsch
Johnny Hendricks vs Charlie Brenneman
Christian Morecraft vs Stefan Struve
Ben Saunders vs Dennis Hallman
Roll on Saturday night!