Your prayers are answered, ALar’s Weekend Fight Watch is back!!!
No matter what your favorite flavor of MMA may be, your cage fighting taste buds will surely be satisfied with the cornucopia of Mixed Martial Arts events taking place this weekend. If you are a fan of the ladies getting it on in the cage, fighting that is… then Invicta FC on Saturday night will be right up your alley. The third card put on by the all female promotion is set to feature the likes of Shayna Baszler, Cat Zingano, and Tara Larosa as well as many other talented fighters. For those of you that reminisce of soccer kicks and the pageantry of the PRIDE days, ONE FC 6 is in your wheelhouse.
Just give me some soccer kicks…
ONE FC 6: Rise of Kings takes place in Singapore on Saturday. The card features two inaugural title fights in the Bantamweight and Lightweight divisions, as well as a Main Event ‘Superfight’ headlined by submission ace Shinya Aoki. While ONE FC feautures many of the best fighters in the Asian market, old notables are also slotted to fight on Saturday including Melvin Manhoef and Jens “Lil’ Evil” Pulver. Lil’ Evil will be part of the first round of the Bantamweight Grand Prix taking place on the card. Last but not least, former WWE Superstar Dave Bautista makes his MMA debut this weekend against journeyman Vince Lucero. Usually a promoter will throw a can in front of a big name making his debut in the sport, but Lucero will be no pushover for Bautista a.ka. “Batista”. Lucero has traded blows with the likes of Roy Nelson, Tim Hague, Soa Palelei, Laver Johnson, and Tim Sylvia putting together a 22-22 record. If Bautista wins, let us hope it at least LOOKS legitimate…
Now that would be a solid weekend of fights for any hardcore fight fan, but I haven’t even touched on the weekend’s two biggest cards. Get your party pants on! On Friday night we have Bellator 75 and UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Bigfoot. Hope your DVR’s are ready, on to the preview!
Bellator 75
Live on MTV 2 and Spike.com
Photoshop skills on point!
Friday’s Bellator event marks the first round of the Heavyweight tournament. The promotion’s Heavyweight title has been left in limbo since undefeated Champion Cole Konrad abrubtly retired from the sport to enter the financial realm of milk trading. (Really, he did that…) Whether the winner of this tournament is going to be given the Heavyweight belt is still to be decided, but as we learned with UFC 146, a card full of big guys assures a night full of finishes.
Former UFC fighter Vinicius Queiroz looks to rebound from a tough few years since his first stint in the big leagues. The Chute Box product lost his UFC debut to Rob Broughton and then was popped for abusing Stanozolol. Read more about his odyssey here. I think Queiroz will be able to return to form against Mark Holata.
In the second bout of the night, Richard ‘Rare Breed’ Hale takes on UFC and TUF 10 vet Mike ‘The Juggernaut’ Wessel. Wessel has quite the story behind him, from his wife faking having cancer to being arrested for terroristic threats, the guy has some serious baggage. I expect ‘Rare Breed’ to handle ‘The Juggernaut’ in a slobberknocker leading to decision.
Remember the good times!
Speaking of ‘odysseys’, Brett Rogers will be making his second appearance for Bellator on Saturday. The homie Ben Fowlkes covered Rogers’ story better than I ever could, so I highly advise you check it our and read why I think ‘The Grim’ will be knocking out his Russian opponent Alexander Volkov.
The Main Event of the night will be a rematch of BFC Heavyweight vets Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos. Their first meeting was deemed a No Contest after Santos landed a nut shot on Prindle and Prindle couldn’t continue the fight. Trying to get these two back in the cage has been like pulling teeth for the BFC brass. The rematch was delayed once for Prindle having the flu; then at weigh ins for the proposed make up, Santos came in 12 pounds heavy and the bout was canceled again. Prindle will be looking to avenge the No Contest on his resume and win this one in a decision.
UFC On FX 5: Browne v. Bigfoot
Live on FX
Another weekend, another free UFC card. None of the names from top to bottom may be screaming “Must Watch!” to the busy MMA fan, but we have to remember, that Joe Silva guy may know what he is doing and the card should certainly deliver, big names or not.
The Fuel TV undercard is full of the prelim stalwarts we have come to know and love over the last few years. Michael Johnson v. Danny Castillo promises to be a heck of a fight, both guys are athletic and love putting on a show. Johnson is the Vegas underdog but I anticipate him to get the W here. I also expect Dennis Hallman and Jeremy Stephens to take care of their respective opponents, and I hope that Shane Roller decimates Jacob Volkman, because everytime Mr. Volkman opens his mouth, somehow something more idiotic dribbles out.
The FX broadcast starts off with Josh Neer v. Justin Edwards. Not sure how these two finagled their way on to the Main Card as both are coming off losses, but I believe Neer takes a decision in a war here.
The winner of the next fight between John Dodson and Jussier Da Silva will get a shot at newly crowned Flyweight Champ ‘Might Mouse’ Johnson. This will be Da Silva’s promotional debut, but the guy has been submitting guys like it is going out of style for the last year or so. Some Brazilians have a rough go of it their first time fighting in the States, but Jussier has experience in California’s local circuit. As much as I enjoy watching Dodson fight, I believe Jussier takes this one in a decision.
Blue Steel!
Finally! The rematch you have all been waiting for! Hieron’s fishy decision victory over Ellenberger at IFL: 2006 Championship has just been eating me up inside for the last six years… The match was originally scheduled for UFC 151, but we all know what happened there. On Friday night, Ellenberger will get his chance for sweet, sweet revenge. Hieron is one of the good guys in the sport with a great comeback story behind him, but Ellenberger is an absolute monster at 170. I predict the headlines on the UG after this one will read something along the lines of “Ellenberger MAULED Hieron!!!!11!!!”
It seems as though these Heavyweight Main Events are becoming a trend for these smaller UFC cards. I can’t blame the organization as the Heavyweights rarely fail to entertain. It is safe to say though that the two guys in the Main Event are in very different places in their careers.
Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, I have no idea where I’m bleeding from…
The last time we saw Travis Browne was at UFC 145 where he looked like a world beater as he demolished Chad Griggs and submitted him in the first round. The last time we saw Bigfoot Silva, he was nearly drowning in a pool of his own blood after Cain Velasquez opened up a cut akin to ‘Ol’ Faithful’ on the forehead of the Brazilian. Right now, I see Travis Browne as a poor man’s Cain Velasquez. Both are very athletic for their size and have great striking technique, but Browne may not be as well versed on the ground as Cain. With that comparision being said, I think Browne will still beat Bigfoot just as Cain did, but it may take him a little longer to do so. I’m going with Browne by TKO in the late second round.
Who needs to go see TAKEN 2 this weekend when there is this much great MMA going on across the globe??!!? Any thoughts on this weekend’s fights are much appreciated in the comment section!
ALar out!
Moai Martial Arts 
ALar’s UFC 153 Preview: Nothing wrong with fun fights!
{Author’s Note: If you haven’t been informed, the head honcho is taking paternity leave from the blog for time being. Congratulations to him, but he mistakenly left me the keys to the website! Get ready for a wild ride!!!}
UFC 153 is another product of the injury plague that has struck the organization over the last 12 months. I won’t take up any of your time complaining about overtraining or fighter insurance, but I will certainly attempt to get you pumped up for tomorrow night’s fights. Sure, there are no belts on the line and some of the matchups may not have a strong implication towards the hierarchy of their respective division, but as Dana White said, “There is nothing wrong with having a fun fight.” As a fan of MMA, I would be wrong to say I was not hyped up to watch stars like Anderson Silva and Big Nog fight in their native Brazil. The atmosphere that Brazilian fans create during a UFC event is second to none; add in two of the nation’s biggest stars? HSBC Arena is surely going to be rocking come tomorrow night. On to the preview!
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 7 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 8 p.m. ET)
Since we are getting a six fight Main Card tomorrow, I figured I would just throw my picks for the prelims above. If you have any questions about the early bouts feel free to ask me in the comment section or Twitter!
Main Card (PPV, 10 PM ET)
Demian Maia v. Rick Story
The night starts with a welterweight bout between two guys coming into the Octagon after winning their last fight. Personally, I am huge a fan of the 170-lb Demian Maia. I feel at a lighter weight he won’t be overpowered and can use his skill and finesse to look to finish opponents on the ground. Rick Story isn’t the most exciting fighter in the sport, but always seems game for a battle to the final bell. I think the two will look to stand and trade for a better part of the first round, but a scramble will ensue as the clock ticks down as one of the athletes looks to steal a round with a takedown. I can see Maia wearing Story down and getting into a dominant position during a scramble towards the end of the fight. Maia by Round 3 Submission.
Facebook Cover Photo? You know it.
Phil Davis v. Wagner Prado
It was good to see that during the weigh ins these guys could make fun of their ‘No Contest’ ruling back at UFC on FOX 4. Davis poked Prado’s eye and rendered the Brazilian unable to continue. Up to that point, I had Davis up on the scorecards. To my surprise, Prado looked like he had chugged a 2-liter of Mountain Dew right before the weigh ins. The guy was AMPED UP. The usually monotone Prado was damn near inciting a riot in the Brazilian crowd. I expect him to bring it to Davis right away, but I’m not confident of his cardio. I think Phil will be able to control Prado as the fight drags on. Don’t look for this one to be getting any Fight of the Night Honors. Davis by Decision.
Only real men wear pink…
Jon Fitch v. Erick Silva
As cool of a guy as Jon Fitch is, the more he says lately, the more I begin to dislike him. His comments about the UFC being a popularity contest and lack of sponsorship opportunities are very irksome. It is clear that the UFC brass celebrates guys that go into the cage looking for a “war” and put on a show. Jon can look at his own record as to why matchmakers may not appreciate him and why sponsors may be shying away. Just freakin’ look at it!
The guy hasn’t finished a fight in five years! So then how does the UFC reward Jon ‘The Walking Decision’ Fitch? Throw one of the most talented and hyped fighters in the organization in Erick Silva at him. Fitch could grind out a win versus Silva here if pulls the ‘lay and pray’ for three rounds, but Brazilian fans would sooner rush the cage and shiv Fitch before he could hear the final bell if that were the case. Silva handled a solid wrestler in Charlie Brenneman in his last bout and I believe he has the chops to deal with Fitch’s takedown attempts. I think this fight is another case of a scramble leading to a submission. Silva by Submission
Glover Teixiera v. Fabio Maldonado
Ahh, this is the slot that was once inhabited by my guy Rampage… sigh… Now, if you thought Erick Silva had a hype train behind him, Glover Teixiera must have the Hype Millenium Falcon spurring his reputation on. Former champs and top prospects want absolutely nothing to do with the guy. He has tons of power in his hands and his ground game is lethal. I don’t blame a soul for not wanting to tangle with Mr. T. It is tough to say anything bad about Glover, besides the fact that his recent opponents havent exactly been high caliber. Rampage certainly would have been a test, but I still don’t see a fight with Fabio Maldonado teaching us much about Teixiera. Maldonado strikes me as a guy that owns a whole lot of fedoras, whatever that means. He is going to get manhandled by Glover tomorrow night. Maldonado has never been knocked out, I think Glover is the guy to change that. Teixera by TKO.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira v. Dave Herman
The last time we saw Big Nog in the cage, his arm was laying limp after Frank Mir snapped it in half. As the arm popped, any long time fan of the sport cringed as one of their heroes was simply demoralized by his opponent. After a long lay off to rehab the arm, Nog is back and ready to avenge his arm cracking loss. When you dream up possible opponents for Big Nog, Dave Herman doesn’t exactly come to mind. His dedication to the sport is sometimes in question and his performances don’t really warrant a chance to fight one of the greatest MMA practicioners of all time. Herman has also been trolling fight fans recently by proclaiming that “BJJ doesn’t work” and other statements of similar ilk. This matchup may not be a superfight, but it is a fight that gives Nogueira that ability to put on a show in his home country. The guy is a superstar down there and the arena will be deafening if Big Nog takes home a W tomorrow night. Big Nog by submission. (Is it too cocky to predict an armbar as well??? Would be quite fitting…)
Kings!
Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar
I had absolutely ZERO interest in this fight when it was announced. As much as I love watching Silva fight, I didn’t want to see him simply run through another Light Heavyweight for the heck of it. I saw no purpose in the fight. After a few brilliant promos put together by the UFC and Bonnar, my mind changed. I mean, the guy has never been knocked out, he only has two TKO’s on his record simply because refs deemed him too bloody to continue fighting. Bonnar will stand in front of anyone and trade blows with reckless abandon. You can beat his face to a bloody pulp and Stephan will still march forward. Bonnar is a pioneer of modern MMA and truly believes that he will be able to defeat the greatest fighter of all time tomorrow. Whether you give Bonnar a chance or not, you have to respect his adamantium chin and willingness to step in the cage with ‘The Spider’ in his native Brazil.
It is almost a foregone conclusion that Silva will win this fight. Vegas deemed Bonnar one of the greatest underdogs in the history of the sport. My main prediction here is that this will be Silva’s longest lasting fight at 205 pounds. That isn’t anything groundbreaking, but Bonnar has the chin to hang with Silva a little longer than his buddy Forrest did. I don’t see Stephan’s will breaking as Griffin’s did either. Unless Silva pulls out some ‘Matrix” moves we haven’t seen yet, I can see Stephan making it to the second round. But that’s where things get iffy. Silva is a predator, he looks for his opponent’s weakness in the first round and adapts and attacks it in the second. (See Henderson, Sonnen II) It could be the first and last time that Bonnar is knocked out cold in the Octagon. Silva by TKO. 2nd Round.
Winter is coming for Stephan Bonnar…
Well, it is officially the ALar Era here at Moai Martial Arts. Make sure all of your shots are up to date. Spay and nueter your pets! Enjoy the fights and let me know if you have any predictions of your own!