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?

UFC 108 Dos Santos v. Yvel

Yvel is old and tired. dos Santos is young and hungry, he believes he should have a title shot and will look to make an impression by making several impressions in Gilbert Yvel's face. Look for a Dos Santos win by KO inside of 2 rounds.

UFC 108 Lauzon v. Stout

Sam Stout is a very good kickboxer and he is learning the ground game all the time. but Lauzon is a crafty and fast submission artist and it won't take him long to penetrate the stirking defenses and make this a jiu jitsu match. I predict Lauzon by subby in the second.

UFC 108 Evans v. Silva

Rashad Evans has a lot of talent to be boastful about, and if he returns to the ground game that brought him to the UFC, then he may have more to brag about. But, Thiago Silva is taller, faster and a well-rounded fighter, who can submit but prefers to bang. Evans was almost caught in a submission in his TUF days, so I see this fight ending by Silva submission if Evans is not careful or a Thiago Silva KO if Evans can't take this to the ground. I predict Thiago Silva to win wherever this fight goes.