The ultra-stacked card that is UFC 187 is this Saturday and I couldn't be more excited. Now before I pop open my first beer for this Memorial Day weekend, let me tell you how I think the title fights will go down.
Middleweight Title Fight: Chris Weidman (C) vs. Vitor Belfort (#3) Vitor Belfort's last fight was a knockout win over Dan Henderson all the way back in November of 2013. Since then, a lot has changed for "The Phenom," mainly his lack of TRT use. This will be the first fight we see Belfort since the testosterone replacement therapy was banned and the big question on everyone's mind will be if he looks the same, if he is still the spin kicking maniac that lead him to this title fight. I've heard he's looking great, and he has had ample time to adjust without therapy, but something in my gut tells me he may feel a bit different when he steps into the octagon. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes off a bit timid at first, something very out of character for him. It's just a couple months shy of a year since Chris Weidman's last fight, his successful title defense against Lyoto Machida. You can thank the many delays due to the numerous knee surgeries he's been through. I don't believe the time off or the surgeries will affect Weidman however. Granted, I am a Weidman fan, so I am biased, but he is probably the most mentally prepared, confident fighter on the UFC roster today, maybe ever. Nothing scares him, nothing makes him back down, and it's surprising how he can be the only person to beat Anderson Silva not once, but twice, and not get the recognition he deserves. Let's also not forget his undefeated status and his successful title defenses against big names. Belfort is a great fighter and will make the fight competitive in the first round. I don't think he can show Weidman anything he can't handle, and by the second round Weidman will begin to outclass and dominate Belfort, resulting in a third round submission victory via rear naked choke for the champ Chris Weidman. Light-Heavyweight Title Fight: Anthony Johnson (#1) vs. Daniel Cormier (#3) Since Jon Jones got his title stripped away for breaking a women's arm and running away (allegedly) we now get this very interesting fight for the vacant belt. Anthony Johnson is a powerhouse. He is by far the scariest threat in the 205 pound division. Any punch he throws has knockout capabilities, and then throw in a solid takedown defense, you have a fighter who many believed had a great chance in beating Jon Jones, let alone Daniel Cormier. I think it is better for the division if Johnson wins by a vicious knockout, because unlike his opponent, he has never fought the original champ. This would set up a great title fight on Jones's return, which would put a lot of asses in the seats. The problem is, many thought Johnson could beat Jones, I'm not entirely sure if he can beat Cormier. Daniel Cormier may be the smartest fighter inside the cage, and he is very good at avoiding damage. I see Cormier coming in with a solid gameplan, holding Johnson up against the cage, neutralizing his superhuman knockout punches. Sadly, if Cormier wins, we are left with a champ who not only lost, but outclassed by the former champ Jones, potentially minimizing the credibility of the division. Johnson winning is better for the UFC, but if I had to put money down, I give the win to Daniel Cormier by unanimous decision. Let me know what you think about these predictions in the comments below or find me on Twitter @zachsmorch
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Anderson Silva will win this fight. But here's hoping for the best, most-entertaining, smack talking, taunting circus there has ever been in the UFC before Silva gets his hand raised. Both Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz are notorious for their taunting, doing so whether they are winning or losing, and even sometimes causing them to lose. It may not always be effective, but damn is it entertaining. Check out some highlights below:
So most of you by now know that I am a big fan of the UFC. What you may not know, however, is that I've been training to fight in it. And if I'm going to be fighting in the UFC, I have to make a big splash. That's why as of today, I ,Zach aka Paul Rudd's Little Brother, am challenging the one and only Jon "Bones" Jones to a title fight! There's a very important heavyweight match-up this Saturday. After the current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez had to drop out of the fight against number one contender Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt stepped up to fight in the main event for the interim title, which will guarantee the winner a fight with Cain once he's healthy, or even possibly the UFC title itself.
With such a huge fight taking place tomorrow night, before you place your bets you may want to read my prediction on how this fight will turn out below: Happy Fourth of July everyone! More importantly, happy fifth of July, where we all get to celebrate the sport of MMA by getting to witness what promises to be an amazing main event title fight between the middleweight champion Chris Weidman and former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Who do you think will win this fight? Will Weidman win in spectacular fashion to shut up his haters, or will Machida use his unique to land a devastating knockout? Here's what I think:
This Saturday the UFC brings us more action via Fox Sports 1. The main event features the #2 ranked and former lightweight champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson taking on a monster Russian by the name of Rustam “Tiger” Khabilov (#11) in a fight I expect to go into the later rounds, unlike the very short-lived main events from last week.
UFC hosts a free fight this Saturday night on Fox Sports 1 featuring a very competitive main event between two welterweight contenders, Matt Brown and Erick Silva. The fight is scheduled for 5 rounds and as of right now the odds have the No. 14 ranked Silva as a 2-to-1 favorite over Brown, even though “The Immortal” is currently ranked seven places higher at No. 7. This reflects what I believe to be people’s perception of Silva being the more technical fighter, which I don’t necessarily disagree with, but if I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Brown and here’s why:
Umm hey idiots! I knew Werdum would win! I'm so happy that he beat Travis Browne because it puts a small, but hopefully effective, signal that BJJ artists, MMA vets, and boxers can still win fights! So many people I knew just figured Travis Browne was the better fighter just because he was a better athlete, that can dunk on any defending basketball dude or something. Better athleticism can mean a TON but most of the time means NOTHING. That being said, here is the top three things to learn and takeaway from this event:
Tomorrow evening UFC middleweights Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy will square off in Quebec City, Canada and though these two fighters aren’t really in the current title contention picture, this fight has a LOT going for it.
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