Strikeforce - Luke Rockhold v. Paul Bradley

I prefer to predict for fighters that have been around long enough to have a history, but in this case I have analyzed Luke Rockhold and I will go out on a limb and predict his victory against Paul Bradley. He has the right attitude and rounded skills. He has mental toughness, he was being dominated by Jesse Taylor and then held out to turn it around for the win. And he understands tactics.

UFN Junior dos Santos v. Gabriel Gonzaga

Junior dos Santos and Gabriel Gonzaga are two fearsome heavyweights. The only thing that separates them is the advantage of help. Santos trains with Anderson Silva and Nogueira at Black house and he has come into every fight prepared to win and win decisively. Gonzaga is not as prepared and when he had the chance at the belt against Couture he looked mentally unready for the challenge. Compared to Couture, dos Santos is more than able to flatten him quick. Santos flattened Fabricio Werdum decisively. Santos will look to keep the fight standing and Gonzaga may as well, but that's a very bad idea for Gonzaga. My system predicts dos Santos victory but it will be close.

UFC 111 Carwin v. Mir

Carwin was rocked by Gabriel Gonzaga before eventually landing the KO blow. Carwin's chin is suspect. I don't think he wants that- a stand up war with Frank Mir. His best strategy is to out wrestle Mir in a textbook rehash of Mir v. Lesnar 2. Carwin wants to muscle Mir to the fence and then suppress and silence him. I predict Carwin by an ugly ground and pound TKO or decision.

UFN Live Kongo v. Buentello

Cheick Kongo had a chance to disintegrate Velasquez and didn't - mainly because he had not learned the circle away tactics of the best strikers like Liddell. He has a chance to prove he is a superior striker and Buentello will engage. I predict Kongo by KO, either first or second round.

UFC 110 Cro Cop v. Perosh

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic has had a long vacation from MMA, perhaps enough time to get reinvigorated and his old purpose. If that is so, then no matter what his pedigree, Cro Cop's next opponent Perosh is in for a treat. I predict a victory for Mirko. Of course - Perosh was a last minute sub for Ben Rothwell. So it's not too hard to see this one end Cro Cop's way.

UFC 110 Wanderlei v. Bisping

Wanderlei is a feared, balls to the wall, competitor who doesn't let a little thing like caution stop him from mauling opponents. At least until he met the UFC, where the more disciplined LHW challengers were able to give him a losing streak.

Bisping is a UFC marketing machine product, who was given hand picked opponents - Sinosic who still worked IT and had just flown in for the fight - to give him a leg up at LHW. Henderson exposed "The Count" as a striker without KO power.

Wanderlei is best when he charges - juggernaut style - and does not let his opponent circle away. "The Axe Murderer" will run Bisping over just like he did Jardine. My system predicts Wanderlei inside 3 minutes to put Bisping out for the count.

WINNER

[POST fight update - wow Bisping is such a loser, he actually thought he won that fight? One eye gouge, low kick, and he got dropped twice by punch combos. Bisping almost fell face first into the canvas. This guy is unbelievable- what an ego. And reaffirms my belief he is a marketing ploy.]

UFC 110 Velasquez v. Nogueira

This heavyweight battle is billed as a match of an up and comer versus a wily veteran. The UFC is really hyping Velasquez, the good ol' marketing machine, but here is the straight facts. Nogueira has KO power and Velasquez doesn't. Velasquez may be a workaholic and a wrestler, but Nogueira has submitted bigger and stronger wrestlers. Velasquez was nearly knocked out by Cheick Kongo, so he has a suspect chin and you can't hide that for long. Nogueira can take a punch to deliver damage and he will be prepared by Anderson Silva so he will have the best tactics and the best conditioning. My system predicts Nogueira to win, by whatever Velasquez gives up first.

Demian Maia v. Anderson Silva

I can understand the frustration the UFC has trying to find a good match for MW champion Anderson "the Spider" Silva. And when Vitor Belfort withdrew due to injury; it was a scramble. Too bad there was a little less forethought when the UFC cut Dan Henderson last December. Dan Henderson and Travis Lutter both dominated Anderson Silva for a while, and Dan won a complete round.

It looks as if the UFC didn't want to find an opponent able to deal with Silva's striking.

I predicted before the best style to beat Silva is wrestling. To man handle him and get within those long arms and put him on the disadvantage. I predict a short evening for Maia and Anderson Silva, with Maia going to sleep a little earlier than Anderson Silva.

MMA Rules favor wrestlers?

I think the unified MMA rules that favour wrestlers are the clinch work on the fence and not the ground and pound. Couture scored an incomprehensible win in a fight when he was knocked to the ground twice. Perhaps that just means fighters have to roll for broke against a clinch or risk losing. The scoring seems to favour wrestlers for fence clinch and take downs versus strikes.

It leads to the complaint about no damage on the scorecard. I agree with Mauro Ranallo - for once - that the rules need damage over position because the whole point is to win, not be technically better.

But if you are going to open up the rules, why wouldn't you penalize Machida for running away from an opponent? That is in the scorecard already and they ignore it. He wasn't backing up to deliver a new blow, he was outright running with his back to his opponent and still he won? They have a rule about that already. Huh?