UFC 148: The MMA Fight Professor vs. Sven Gordon
I can't believe it's finally here, after all the trash talk, scandals and surgeries the rematch that everyone has been waiting for Sonnen vs Silva. I for one ain't been so keen to see a rematch since Mir vs Lesnar 2!!
I would firstly like to thank Scott Matla for taking on the challenge on the last occasion, but it's fair to say.... you had your pants pulled down on that one!!
The MMA Fight Professor was indeed triumphant!!
Ok I'll start from the bottom of the card and work my way up the same as last time.
Ivan Menjivar vs Mike Easton
This as with all Bantamweight fights will be fast and furious!!
Ivan Menjivar 24-8-0 and a brown belt in BJJ will be a very dangerous opponent for Mike Easton. Training partners with welter weight king GSP you would think this guy probably has seen and been taught just about everything there is to know about MMA. Ivan has slick subs and Nasty G'n'P.
Mike Easton 12-1-0 a BJJ Black belt under Lloyd Irving has an impressive record but for me not been fighting the biggest names.
As always will be a very entertaining fight but my prediction is that this will go the distance with Menjivar taking the decision.
PS funny note, how a 135lb fighter is called the HULK...
Addict Sven Gordon: Menjivar is coming into this fight on a roll and I feel he will have too many weapons at his disposal and too much experience for Easton to deal with. However I don't think Menjivar will have it all his own way and he may have to survive an early onslaught from Easton
Prediction: Menjivar Round 2, TKO
Chad Mendes vs Cody McKenzie
Chad Mendes 11-1-0 is a NCAA division one wrestler and All American Pac 10. Is the master of lay and pray, Chad reeled up an impressive 11- 0 record from the WEC in to the UFC defeating fighters such as Erik Koch and Cub Swanson until he ran up against the Brazilian wrecking machine Jose Aldo who finished him off with a horrible knee to the face with only seconds left in the 1st round.
Cody McKenzie 13-2-0. This is the master of the guillotine choke; of which he has his own slightly modified version of which he likes to call "the McKenzietine". Before entering the UFC BJJ purple belt McKenzie had 11-0 record with 9 successive 1st round finishes with a guillotine. You do not want to expose your neck to this lad or it will be a short night!!
My prediction is that it will go past the 1st round Chad Mendes is no stranger to the guillotine choke coming from Team Alpha Male; head coach Urijah Faber has some deep nasty versions of his own.
My predictions for the fight will be Chad Mendes winning by decision.
Addict Sven Gordon: I've not much to say about this one; two fighters that are poles apart but who knows, this is MMA after all!
Prediction: Mendes Round 1, KO
Dong Hyun Kim vs Demain Maia
This will be a grappler's dream fight, Judo vs BJJ at its very best. Dong Hyun Kim a 4th degree Judo Black Belt against Maia 3rd degree BJJ Black Belt multiple world champion!!
I think the key point in this fight will totally lie in the stand up, who I do think Kim 15-1-1 has the better striking even though this is something that Maia 15-4-0 has been working very intensively. You can see a massive improvement in every bout he has had of late.
Maia, one of my favorite fighters will be making his debut at welterweight after his disappointing loss to Chris Weidman in January this year.
Is Kim going to try and keep it standing or will he take a chance and put BJJ World Champion Maia on his back??
My prediction for this fight will be Maia 2nd round submission.
Addict Sven Gordon: This will be a tough and close fight, but I expect Maia to do well at his new weight and surprise everyone after a difficult nights work with Kim, stopping him with a latish sub.
Prediction: Maia Round 2, Submission (RNC)
Cung Le vs Patrick Cote
In this middleweight bout we shall see the return of "The Predator" Patrick Cote. Cote 17-7-0, a Canadian kickboxing champion and BJJ purple belt will be up against a fellow pugilist Cung Le 7-2-0, a Sanshou expert who has won every title there is to be had in this discipline and has a perfect kickboxing record....but this is MMA!
Be prepared for some high level kickboxing maneuvers proper Van Damme style from Le, while i'm sure Cote will have some strong Muay Thai counters himself a student of Mark Dellagrotte. Both have reasonable wrestling but nothing to write home about. We do need to remember that Cote was once the number 1 contender for the belt against the headliner and champion Anderson Silva.
My prediction will be that Cote will win 3rd round TKO
Addict Sven Gordon: Between Le coming off his loss to Wanderlei and Cote making his first UFC appearance for two years both men need the "w", which I think will lead to both men being cautious. I see Cote looking to throw bombs and Le staying on the outside. I don't envisage this one spending too much time on the ground!
Prediction: Le Round 3, Unanimous Decision
Forrest Griffin vs Tito Ortiz
What can you say about this fight, two ex-champions? One mans last fight who would love to walk out on a high, and another man who really needs to have a word with himself and get back on track.
Tito Ortiz 16-10-0 was one of the UFC's poster boys holding the light heavyweight belt longer than any other man. But also being one of the greats with Liddell, Couture and Shamrock he will be looking to ride of into the sunset with a fresh W to finish of his legacy.
Forrest 18-7-0, a BJJ Black Belt under Robert Drysdale will have a very different version how he sees things going down. Griffin is a very hard man to finish and fights better the more he gets hurt. Unless he gets sparked out he is very much in the fight. Unfortunately for Tito I don't think he possesses the boxing to put Forrest spark out.
Both are very durable fighters and to be honest it might be time for them both to hang the 4oz gloves up.
My prediction Forrest wins by Decision.
Addict Sven Gordon: I expect Tito to come out fast swinging for the fences and looking for the takedown, however Forrest is never one to back down from a tear up, and after a few stuffed takedowns I think Griffin will take control and gradually beat Tito up over the second and third rounds to grind out the points win.
Prediction: Griffin Round 3 Unanimous Decision
Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This really is what the MMA world has been waiting for the rematch of all rematches. Sonnen 27-11-1, the only man who has every got anyway near defeating the unstoppable 31-4-1 Silva. This has everything you can ever wish for Bad Blood, a sense of almost having it and being taken away, vengeance and a good old fashioned beating the crap out off each other for 25 minutes.
Sonnen back in UFC 117 almost exactly 2 years ago hammered the Champion Silva for 23 of the 25 minutes of their championship fight, only to get caught in a triangle armbar submission at the three minutes stage. This fight won fight of the year and an almost immediate rematch was being begged from the baying public to UFC President Dana White.
It all looked good for it until Sonnen tested positive for banned substances and lost his license, and then was caught up in a money laundering scandal. But on his return decimated Brian Stann and had a tough fight against Michael Bisping and got the nod.
Silva kept himself out of trouble and also racked up two wins with a KO of the year against Vitor Belfort and a 2nd round beat down to Yushin Okami.
Ok then the fight itself, Silva has promised that he is going break every bone in Chael's body and Sonnen has been just as nice back. The problem I see for Chael is to me he hasn't got the tools to beat Silva after his performance against Bisping, not taking anything away from Bisping but he isn't Anderson Silva. Chael must score the takedown or he is in a whole world of trouble. While Silva has proved many times he is dangerous anywhere you put him. But I am sure of one thing we will probably watching the 2012 fight of the year!!
My prediction is Silva 3rd round TKO.
Addict Sven Gordon: I think we're going to see a very different fight this time around with Sonnen having much more limited success with the takedowns, and Silva picking away at him culminating in a savage flurry mid-fight.
Prediction: Silva Round 3, TKO
As always the final word goes to the MMA Fight Professor....
Good luck trying to beat me, never going to happen!!!
'Sweep the Leg'
Peace out
The MMA Fight Professor!!!!
Summary:
The MMA Fight Professor:
• Menjivar Rd 3 UD
• Mendes Rd 3 UD
• Maia Rd 2 Sub
• Cote Rd 3 TKO
• Griffin Rd 3 UD
• Silva Rd 3 TKO
Sven Gordon:
• Menjivar Rd 2 TKO
• Mendes Rd 1 KO
• Maia Rd 3 Sub
• Le R3 3 UD
• Griffin R3 UD
• Silva R3 TKO
If you'd like to challenge the Professor at UFC 149 then drop me an email at SteveWickett@AddictedMMA and you may get the call up!
Published by Steve Wickett - Thu, 5 Jul 2012 20:07
