UFC 79: “Nemesis” is set for tomorrow (Saturday) night on December 29 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The pay-per-view (PPV) event airs at 10 p.m. ET.
Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates and blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action throughout the telecast. It promises to be a great discussion as usual for an amazing line up of fights.
To get us pumped for the festivities MMAmania.com contributor Jesse Holland and site veteran “C-War,” went toe-to-toe below to try and predict the fighters who will leave the Octagon with their hands raised tomorrow evening.
It’s important to note for the predictions that while someone may be lauding a certain fighter, he isn’t necessarily the guy who he thinks is going to win. Basically, we never want this to come out sounding repetitive. At the end of each analysis, therefore, you will see the individual picks.
Let’s get to it:
Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell (20-5) vs. Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (31-7-1)
MMAmania reader “C-War”: The fight we have all been waiting for has finally come. If this fight were to happen a year ago, would you predict a different victor than whom you would think to win now? Both were once at the top of the food chain in the 205lb division, and now both are coming off 2 consecutive losses. Liddell isn’t a very happy guy when he loses, so I believe him to now be twice as mad. I think both fighters want to keep this fight standing. Even though he has proven to be defeated, you are always taking a risk when you want to stand with Liddell, no matter who you are. Actually, the same could be said for Silva. I don’t expect this fight to last past the second round with the amount of KO power being brought in from both sides. Someone’s gonna take a nap.
Jesse Holland: A lot of fans have been coming down hard on the timing of the Liddell/Silva fight but to me it couldn’t have happened at a more apropos time. Have the stakes ever been higher for either fighter? Critics are also pointing to the two consecutive losses of each fighter and while it’s not the ideal situation it does create an even playing field. Silva’s fury can create problems for the Iceman ala Liddell/Jackson 1 and his clinch is the stuff of legend. But by the same token Wandy has a tendency to be a little more reckless in his offense. Chuck of course is a dangerous counter puncher and if he’s able to weather the storm I can see him ending it via strikes in Round 2. There is no point in going crazy trying to analyze this fight. It’s going to be one-dimensional and for once that’s not such a bad thing. Whoever hits the hardest with the most accuracy is going to take it. I happen to think it’s going to be Liddell.
Final Predictions:
C-War: Liddell via knockout
Jesse Holland: Liddell via technical knockout
Matt Hughes (41-5) vs. Georges “Rush” St. Pierre (14-2)
MMAmania reader “C-War”: Two of the most accomplished mix martial artists enter the octagon once again. I know we have anticipated a Hughes-Serra fight for a while now, but the bout between these two was bound to happen sooner or later again anyways. St. Pierre is the more athletic of the two, but Hughes isn’t far behind him while carrying the strength advantage. GSP looked very good in his last fight, but Hughes won’t be as timid as Koscheck was, and will test him quite a bit more. You could look at this fight from so many different angles and there’s almost no way to predict a winner. So, I’m going with my gut instinct here and picking Hughes to win because I believe he’s on a mission. I think Serra has lit a new fire in Hughes and I don’t see it burning out before December 29. I love St. Pierre but someone has to lose here. I’m just sorry it has to be him. GSP will eat some GnP.
Jesse Holland: Some of MMA’s top stars fell victim to the upset bug in 2007. Had GSP been the only one than perhaps I could be a little more critical of his loss to Serra. While that loss was a tough pill to swallow, it does not diminish the reign of terror he inflicted on the welterweight division including his dismantling of then-champion Hughes at UFC 65. Is GSP the better fighter? My personal opinion is that he could be the greatest fighter of our generation if he could only conquer his psychological demons. I don’t expect him to walk through Hughes as easily as he did in 2006, but he’s still the more complete fighter and should dominate most of the fight. No question Hughes will employ a more controlled and methodical pace, but St. Pierre will have an answer for every attack.
Final Predictions:
C-War: Hughes via technical knockout
Jesse Holland: GSP via unanimous decision
Rich “No Love” Clementi (29-12-1) vs. Melvin “Young Assassin” Guillard (20-6-2)
MMAmania reader “C-War”: Clementi is going to have his hands full for this fight, that’s all of the advice I can give him. After a very long suspension, Guillard has finally returned. He is going to be full of Power, full of determination, full of will, and hopefully NOT full of cocaine (Let’s pray that wasn’t his source of energy). From what I know, Guillard and Clementi hate each other with a passion. But if Guillard can keep his anger in control, and keep out of the danger zone he sometimes likes to put himself in, he will end this in the first round by a vicious knockout. Guillard’s real weakness has been underestimating his opponents, but I give Guillard the right to drive a steam roller into the octagon this time and just ride it right over Clementi. It might be less painful for him that way.
Jesse Holland: It’s a battle of the bayou brothers and to be honest this is a hard one to call. On paper it looks like an easy fight for Guillard (who hits as hard as any lightweight) but his loss to Stevenson and subsequent suspension for white lighting gives me pause. Clementi is experienced and knows how to finish fights but he may not be able to handle Guillard’s intensity. Of Melvin’s six losses, five have come via submission. This has got to be something that Clementi is training for and the real question is will Guillard be able to defend the sub? He may not need to if his striking is sharp but again the layoff comes into question. Clementi needs to stay on the outside, avoid Melvin’s range and wait for a mistake - assuming he can survive the first round.
Final Predictions:
C-War: Guillard via knockout
Jesse Holland: Guillard via technical knockout
Rameau Thierry “The African Assassin” Sokoudjou (4-1) vs. Lyoto Machida (11-0)
MMAmania reader “C-War”:This fight just tops off a very well put together card. I don’t like predicting a winner of this match, because I have very high hopes for both fighters, so I know my “anticipated” thoughts for at least one of them will end up being shattered. Sokoudjou is extremely powerful and talented, knocking out a few of the top names in PRIDE (Arona and Nogueira). Some think he is the next name that will make his way to the top of contention in the UFC 205-pound division. The only problem is, Machida is in the way. Machida has yet to be defeated, and is one of the best, if not THE best, technical fighters in the game. The African Assassin will be the aggressor in this fight, which leads exactly to Machida’s bread and butter, the counter punch. His style has proven to be very effective against the toughest of opponents, and I don’t think that trend is going to change any time soon.
Jesse Holland: Sokoudjou made a name for himself by knocking out two respectable opponents in PRIDE but like Houston Alexander before him, what happens when KO power is not enough? Judo be damned according to Sokoudjou, who’s fought a total of two and a half minutes in the past year. Machida on the other hand makes a living out of going to the scorecards - and stifling opponents. Though not a finisher, Machida is a very skilled fighter and going 11-0 with wins over Rich Franklin and BJ Penn is no easy feat. It’s also important to note that Sokoudjou was stopped via strikes as recently as October of 2006 by Glover Teixeira who is not anywhere near the striker that Machida is. Lyoto does not have to do anything differently than he’s done in the past to win. All he needs to do is simple be the better striker - which I believe he is.
Final Predictions:
C-War: Machida via unanimous decision
Jesse Holland: Machida via technical knockout
Eddie Sanchez (7-1) vs. Soa “The Hulk” Palalei (8-1)
MMAmania reader “C-War”: Maybe this bout made the main card to give Liddell/Silva a little televised competition for KO of the night. Although, I still will not be able to stop thinking about why I’m not seeing Dean Lister or James Irvin as this fight goes on, I’ll still make the most of it. Both guys have won most of their fights by KO or TKO, so they will most likely keep it standing. I also see Sanchez being the aggressor of the two, and possibly getting the best of the exchanges. These two guys remind me of a can of Natural Light. It will never be as good as a Bud, but it’ll always still be on the shelf next to it.
Jesse Holland: Eddie Sanchez is probably best known for his mambo against Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 67 and that’s a shame because he happens to be a hard-hitting heavyweight with a ton of potential. He faces a heavyweight who like himself was a rising star a few years ago. Palelei is coming off a flash KO win back in October but prior to that hasn’t fought in three years after losing to Mu Bae Choi in PRIDE. He’s aligned himself with Team Quest which is of course a good thing but his inactivity will hurt him against the busier Sanchez. Palelei also has to drop a lot of weight to make 265 so I question not only his gas tank but his overall conditioning. It may not matter much since both fighters are looking for the KO. For my money Sanchez has the better chance of getting it.
Final Predictions:
C-War: Sanchez via knockout
Jesse Holland: Sanchez via knockout
For the complete UFC 79: “Nemesis” fight card click here.
What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for UFC 79.
59 Comments »
I take Wanderlei by TKO and Matt Hughes by decision.
i think those are pretty close to being right, but i would have to disagree with the Machida pick.i think Soko will knock Machida out
whoah! both of our analyst predict liddell will win, even though i want liddell to win, but i cant see it happen
I have the same picks as Jesse except I think GSP will get the T/KO, and Machida will get the UD. My undercard picks are:
Irvin: T/KO
Gamburyan: UD
Lister: SUB
Carneiro: UD
Evans: UD
why did chuck go to a hollywood exercise coach?
Chuck only has one tool he uses, Silva can knock you out with knees, hand or his feet. Too much for Chuck. Chuck needs a new camp! He is too predictable, how else would jardine beat him…. Time to change with the times chuck add some more tools in the tool box.
chnage the rocky mr t pics please this is mma not rocky!
My prediction: Zuffa will make Tens of millions of dollars off this card and everyone else, well not so much.
[quote comment=”247038″]I have the same picks as Jesse except I think GSP will get the T/KO, and Machida will get the UD. My undercard picks are:
Irvin: T/KO
Gamburyan: UD
Lister: SUB
Carneiro: UD
Evans: UD[/quote]
I’m switching Carniero to Dezouza
Wanderlei - TKO 1st RD (Liddell weekness has been exposed)
St.Pierre - Unanimous Decision (St.Pierre will stuff every
attempt)
Sokoudjou - TKO 2nd (The African Assassin will prove to be too
strong)
How dare u guys doubt a polynesian…soa will crush eddie sanchez
I like both Silva and Chuck equaly I think Silva might get the KO but I would like Chuck to win b/c if he losses him might retire or something and if Silva losses he’ll fight again he just signed and it his 1st fight back with a new contract so we’ll see Silva back in the UFC winn or lose thats why I want Chuck to win so we can see both fight again!
As for GSP and Hughes I think it might be a little harder for GSP to finish him but he’ll still finish him I’m guessing the fight won’t pass the 4th win GSP winning by KO or sub.
Wandy - only if he utilizes kicks. Those kicks seem to throw Chuck’s game off
LIDDELL WINS KO
GSP WINS KO
GUILLARD WINS
MACHIDA WINS
SANCHEX WINS
AS much as i don’t like chuck.. i do think he’ll win…. BUT if silva is smart he wont’ attack that aggressive and pick his angels before shooting…. if thats the case then silva, GSP all the way…. Machida will win too good, but very boring to watch….
Sokoudjou should win over Machida. This will likely be a grappling and ground war, not the striking-fest that most are predicting.
My picks:
GSP TKO
Silva KO
Sokoudjou TKO/UD
Guillard TKO
Palelei KO
It’s funny how the opinions have been swayed about the Silva vs. Liddell fight, I have been reading all the posts and most people had Silva pegged as the winner in this fight and by some sort of savage knockout. But the last few days it seems even the “Nyquil” posters are starting to lean back towards the side of the Iceman. I wonder why the sudden change of heart? What has happened in the last 24 to 48 hours that has some of the nay-sayers singing a different tune?
I don’t have a problem with people changing their minds, I think it’s great that people evaluate and re-evaluate the fighters, and look at their strengths and weaknesses. That’s what makes watching sports so great: Everyone having the chance to make predictions on how the event will turn out and the reasons as to why that the outcome will come to be.
For this fight I’m still sticking with Chuck! I think he has always had this fight in his head as win by knock out. That is what’s motivating him this time and he will be more than up to the task. I saw him at The Pit a month back and he is still calm as bomb but more focused. He’s ready, he got the fight he has wanted for the last three years and he wants his belt back.
As for Wanderlei Silva, I believe he has the weight of the world on his shoulders right now: New country, new gym, and back to an arena that he didn’t do so well in last time around and the fact that most of the Pride fighters that have crossed over to the Octagon have not done so well. I think it’s going to be too much for him to overcome, he’s going to come out blasting but I see him eating too many counter punches to put up a full assault on Chuck. This fight ends half way through the first with Chuck raising his arms crossed and giving the hang loose sign once again!
I agree
GSP TKO
Silva KO
Sokoudjou TKO
Guillard TKO
Palelei KO
Silva by TKO
GSP by TKO
Machida by Unanimous Decision
Guillard by KO
Palalei by TKO
[quote comment=”247047″]My prediction: Zuffa will make Tens of millions of dollars off this card and everyone else, well not so much.[/quote]
Is this Tito or Randy?
Wandy by TKO and GSP by 1st Round TKO of the farm boy
i have heard people say that once you get seriously ko’ed you will never be the same but, you know what wandi ko’ed jackson pretty brutally and look at jackson now. I am thinkin that this rest did wandi nothing but good and pick him to tko liddell in round one. gsp by tko in round two, and i am pickin soko over machida although that is a fight that is up for grabs IMO could go either way
W silva gets Iced by the iceman…
Iceman win
GSP win
Guillard win
Sokoudjou win
James Irvin win
Silva tko
Gsp tko
Machida Tko
Clementi sub
Palelei KO
Irvan ko
Stephens ud
lister ud
Dezouza ud
Evans tko
Silva TKO by stoppage due to excessive cuts to Liddell´s face
GSP tko by unanswered strikes
Machida via Unanimous Decision
Clementi tko
Palelei TKO (unanswered strikes)
Irvan UD
Stephens tko
Lister UD
Dezouza tko
Evans UD
[quote comment=”247250″]i have heard people say that once you get seriously ko’ed you will never be the same but, you know what wandi ko’ed jackson pretty brutally and look at jackson now. I am thinkin that this rest did wandi nothing but good and pick him to tko liddell in round one. gsp by tko in round two, and i am pickin soko over machida although that is a fight that is up for grabs IMO could go either way[/quote]
You are never the same when you face that SAME opponent again. Most of these guys have been knocked out before and come back strong against other opponents, there just seems to be something mentally that affects a fighter when he fights a guy who had previously knocked him out.
I do agree about GSP and a 2nd or 3rd round TKO. I can’t stand people like C-War who give absolutely no reasons why Hughes wins the fight except that he is “on a mission”. GSP is more atheltic, equally as strong, has more tools, has a better camp, and TKO’d Hughes the last time. That TKO has to reign in the back of Hughes mind and he will be looking for that high kick the whole fight. Much like the Koscheck fight GSP will prove he is better in all aspects and overwhelm Hughes. Bank it.
I can’t wait. I expect Hughes-GSP to be a war. I see Hughes being relentless with takedown attempts, and GSP winning the stand-up. I don’t think Hughes knocks out GSP or subs him in the early rounds. For Hughes to win, I think he has to take GSP down in 3 of 5 rounds, and I don’t see it happening. His other chance is trying to knock out GSP if he gets too far behind in the scorecards.
Silva.
GsP.
MAchida.
Poa.
Melvin.
Those are my picks.
Liddell KO (2)
St. Pierre TKO (4)
Machida - SD
Guillard - submission (2)
I’m surprised that the Gamburyan (who most likely would of beat Nick Diaz) fight isn’t going to be televised in lieu of the Sanchez fight.
[quote comment=”247403″]Liddell KO (2)
St. Pierre TKO (4)
Machida - SD
Guillard - submission (2)
I’m surprised that the Gamburyan (who most likely would of beat Nick Diaz) fight isn’t going to be televised in lieu of the Sanchez fight.[/quote]
Not just you.
OFF TOPIC:.. did anybody see the press confrence on ufc.com.. man GSP sounds verry well prepared… matt is not in this fight as much as he wants to be
For what it’s worth:
Silva via snorkel
GSP via technical knockout
Soku via decision
Poa via technical knockout
Melvin via straight up violence
sanchez is gonna get KNOCKED OUT
I don’t see Liddell winning this one. I mean Chuck lost to Jardine for petes sake. I don’t see Wandy ever losing to a Jardine type of fighter because Wandy is more complete as a fighter. I believe Chuck only has a punchers chance. Wandy can do one of the following or any combination of the following;
Knee to the face Ask Page or Saku
Punches in bunches Ask anyone who has fought Wand
High and Low kicks Ask Page and Hendo first fight
Take downs Ask Mark Hunt and CroCop first fight
Better Cardio Ask CroCop first fight and Hunt
Quick recovery time Ask Mark Hunt and hendo first fight
More rest between last fight and now Obvious
Quickness/age Obvious
I got Chuck by Triangle Choke.. =P
I got Hughes by spinning heel kick to the head. =P
The time has come to kick ass like Daniel Son!!
SILVA 2R KO
GSP R3 TKO
SOKOUDJOU R2 TKO
GUILLARD R1 VICIOUS KO
PALELEI R2 TKO
CANE 1R KO
GAMBURYAN 2R SUB
CARNEIRO U.DEC
RADEV U.DEC
If we asked Mirko about his first fight with Wandy, he would say that it was a no-grappling match. Where did you see takedowns in that fight?
Just because chuck lost to keith jardine doesn’t mean he sucks. Jardine is definately top 10 and has beaten some formidable opponents like forest griffin. But clearly Wandy has more tools to win than chuck. What idiot would bet on this fight?
[quote comment=”247078″]How dare u guys doubt a polynesian…soa will crush eddie sanchez[/quote]
I want to see an in-ring Haka.[quote comment=”247404″][quote comment=”247403″]Liddell KO (2)
St. Pierre TKO (4)
Machida - SD
Guillard - submission (2)
I’m surprised that the Gamburyan (who most likely would of beat Nick Diaz) fight isn’t going to be televised in lieu of the Sanchez fight.[/quote]
Not just you.[/quote]
What do you think people would rather see — a HW slugfest that is almost certain to end with a great KO or Manny “British Prostitute” Gamburyan dry-humping for 15 minutes?
GSP via KTFO 3rd round
Wandy via KTFO 1st round
Sokoudjou via KTFO 2nd round
No Love via Rear naked choke 1st round
POA via KTFO 1st round
[quote comment=”247461″][quote comment=”247078″][/quote]
quote comment=”247404″][quote comment=”247403″]
I’m surprised that the Gamburyan (who most likely would of beat Nick Diaz) fight isn’t going to be televised in lieu of the Sanchez fight.[/quote]
Not just you.[/quote]
What do you think people would rather see — a HW slugfest that is almost certain to end with a great KO or Manny “British Prostitute” Gamburyan dry-humping for 15 minutes?[/quote]
I agree, with PW. I don’t want to see Manny’s fight televised. BORING fighter for the most part. His only exciting fight that I’ve seen was against Noah, and that dude blows. If Jake O’Brien’s neck ever heals, they can have him, Manny, Timmy, Assuerio Silva, Fabricio Werdum, Anderi Arolvski and Kevin Jordan all on the same PPV and call it “UFC86 Please Don’t Fall Asleep”
Silva WINS KO in 1st
GSP WINS KO in 3rd
GUILLARD WINS
Soku WINS
And now on to my predictions:
Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell (20-5) vs. Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (31-7-1)
FINALLY. I will be rooting for Wanderlei to knock Liddell out like he’s never been knocked out before. Wanderlei needs to have a highlight reel performance in his first fight back in the UFC because most new fans don’t know of him. I think that Wanderlei has many more exciting matchups than Chuck in the LHW division. With Randy Couture helping Silva come up with a strategy, and Wanderlei having several personal trainers that strictly work with him will definitely show in the octagon. Obviously, if Wandi rushes in with reckless abandon, he will get cought with a KO counter punch from Liddell. But I’m pretty sure The Axe Murderer has seen Liddell fight a time or two, so he knows Liddell’s MO. I am expecting to see a very well rounded Wanderlei Silva, striking from all angles with many different parts of his body. If Liddell is losing the standup war, he can only begin to swing for the fences. If Silva is losing the standup war, he can either swing for the fences, OR try and take Liddell down to the matt and work his BJJ. Liddell can be submitted. The hardest part though is getting him down and keeping him down long enough.
Prediction: Wanderlei Silva TKO by Knees
Matt Hughes (41-5) vs. Georges “Rush” St. Pierre (14-2)
Here we go again. Hughes is the greatest WW of all time. BUT, GSP is the greatest WW today. I don’t see Matt losing as bad as he did the last time. I’m sure he learned from that loss. Do not expect him to stand and trade with GSP for long. Hughes will HAVE to take the fight to the ground. Most people think that GSP will want to keep the fight standing. However, that is what most thought GSP would do against the other great WW wrestler who has bad standup, Josh Koscheck. GSP actualy did the exact opposite. He put the wrestler where he is most uncomfortable - on his back. Don’t be surprised to see GSP trying to take Matt Hughes down and put him on his back. So it boils down to this. If Matt Hughes can keep GSP on his back for the majority of the fight, or finish from the top, Hughes will win. If the fights stays standing for most of the time, I GSP winning by KO/TKO. But also, GSP can end this fight at any given moment with his striking. GSP also has the ability to win a decision as well. He will get the nod on the scorecards as long as he is not on his back for the majority of the fight. Lucky for him he is one of the hardest fighters to take down. Although, I do not expect this fight to go all 5 rounds. Actually, I don’t expect any of the main card fights to go the distance.
Prediction: GSP by TKO
Rich “No Love” Clementi (29-12-1) vs. Melvin “Young Assassin” Guillard (20-6-2)
Its ironic that Rich Clementi’s nickname is “No Love”, because not too many fans, including me, have love for this guy. I think that Melvin is just too fast and powerfull for Rich to handle. Rich’s only chance at winning is to pull guard and look for a submission. But, Melvin is actually a phenominal scrambler. I’m looking to see Melvin win by devastating KO.
Prediction: Melvin by KO
Rameau Thierry “The African Assassin” Sokoudjou (4-1) vs. Lyoto Machida (11-0)
If this fight goes the distance, Machida is winning. If the fight ends by KO, Sokoudjou is winning. Most would think that Machida just has too much experience for Soko to handle. But that’s what everyone thought when he fought Lil Nog and Arona as well. Soko is like a TALENTED Houston Alexander with skills in multiple aspects of MMA. I will be rooting for a brilliant Soko KO, but unfortunately, that’s not how I see it going. I expect Soko to get extremely frustrated when he isn’t able to connect his powershots on Machida and Machida jabs him a couple times every time for his efforts.
Prediction: Machida by decision (how else would he win?)
Eddie Sanchez (7-1) vs. Soa “The Hulk” Palalei (8-1)
Boy oh boy, I have been looking forward to this fight for sooooo long! Can you sense the sarcasm? Actually, this should be a pretty good scrap. From what I hear, “The Hulk” is a monster. And from what I’ve seen, Sanchez runs away from scary people. So I’ll take the Hulk in this one.
Prediction: The Hulk by TKO
[quote comment=”247492″][quote comment=”247461″][quote comment=”247078″][/quote]
quote comment=”247404″][quote comment=”247403″]
I’m surprised that the Gamburyan (who most likely would of beat Nick Diaz) fight isn’t going to be televised in lieu of the Sanchez fight.[/quote]
Not just you.[/quote]
What do you think people would rather see — a HW slugfest that is almost certain to end with a great KO or Manny “British Prostitute” Gamburyan dry-humping for 15 minutes?[/quote]
I agree, with PW. I don’t want to see Manny’s fight televised. BORING fighter for the most part. His only exciting fight that I’ve seen was against Noah, and that dude blows. If Jake O’Brien’s neck ever heals, they can have him, Manny, Timmy, Assuerio Silva, Fabricio Werdum, Anderi Arolvski and Kevin Jordan all on the same PPV and call it “UFC86 Please Don’t Fall Asleep”[/quote]
If I had to choose between Eddie the can..Manny..and Dean Lister..being a BJJ guy I would of rathered seen Dean Lister’s return tothe ufc as a televised match.
GSP via TKO
Wandy via KO
Soko via TKO
Guillard via something vicious
the Hulk via Ko, unless Sanchez can run and make the Hulk tired of chasing him and gas, then maybe Sanchez can finish him, but hopefully the Hulk knocks his head off quick, and Guillard destroys No Love quickly so a couple pre lim fights sneak on to the televised portion of the pay per view.
If Manny wants to become anything other then a Armenian Sherk, then he needs to finish this fight in impressive fashion. Both him and his cousin Karo have trouble in finishing fights, that needs to change for both of them, especially Karo who needs to be able to finish if he ever wants to step up to the next level.
But thats another story
I can see many of these fights ending quickly and the UFC having to televise an additional fight or two, which would be great!
Well I had fun making those. I see Im standing alone with my prediction on Hughes. Thats ok though. I do think GSP is the better of the two. I just think Matt Hughes has something to prove to himself, and will put himself on the line to do it. Hughes WILL win this fight, but if they ever meet again, it will be the desctruction of Matt Hughes.
As for Liddell/Silva…I do believe Liddell is one dimensional, but I also believe Wandy doesnt care and wants to bang with him anyways. Liddell will get the better of exchanges.
Wanderlei F-ing Silva by heart melting, earth shaking knock out as if the finger of God himself came down to punch Liddell in the face. LOL, JK, but seriously.
Yeah, good pick guys… Eddie the can Sanchez by KO huh? Laughable.
Lidell by KO
Hughes by TKO via GnP
Guillard has skills, but I hate that over-the-top cocky attitude. I would love to see him get tapped… again. Or better yet, get laid out cold.
Silva
GSP
Machida
my picks
liddel ko
gsp tko
soko ko
I really don’t see the top 3 fights going to a decision, maybe the soko/machida fight but for some reason I see soko ko’ing machida. I have high hopes for soko, I hope he doesn’t let me down like shogun, that was sickening.
GSP
Wandy
Soko
Clementi (only big upset of the night)
Manny
Both of you guys pick Machida by decision? Just watch, Soko is another level from the guys Machida has faced.
Machida beat some UFC cans: Hoger, Heath, and Nakamura. He did beat BJ Penn, but BJ was moving up 2 weight classes and he arguably won the fight. He also beat Rich Franklin, but that was back in the day before Franklin had any real experience…and Franklin fights at 185, not 205 like Soko
Soko is a BEAST. He probably outweights Machida by 20 pounds, pre-cut weight.
Watch the fight and you will see how much more POWER Soko has then Machida…
Personally, I cant wait to watch these fights
Although I think Silva is more well rounded than Chuck, he is sometimes way too reckless (which plays right into Chuck), not to mention I truely think Chuck believes he is gonna get his belt back, regardless. Chuck knockout in round two.
As for the other main event, GSP is my favorite fighter to watch. He is gifted in about every aspect in the Octagon, and he is way too athletic and has too many skills for Hughes to handle. It wont be as devastating as the previous fight, but eventually GSP will knock him out.
The African Assassin is smart enough and powerful enough to finally knock Machida’s boring ass to the mat for a minute or so, but it will take until the 3rd round because Machida will do his usual and Soko, i believe, will be patient.
Clementi will get wrecked (unbelievably) by Guillard, very simple call.
Silva TKO GSP Lights out for Hughes Guillard The African Assassin in a bloodbath
[quote comment=”247047″]My prediction: Zuffa will make Tens of millions of dollars off this card and everyone else, well not so much.[/quote]
ahaha thays about the most accurate and definite won kik ass brother way to be honest
Not bad, not bad. I do think you guys are pretty much spot on, except for Silva. In the one year and a half plus I’ve been commenting here, I have always said Chuck couldn’t handle strikers, and it has been proven lately. Silva has a good chance of doing to him what Rampage did, unless Chuck can adjust. And by all reports, he seems to have stubbornly kept to the same regime and game plan. Can’t wait for GSP to bring the belt home to Canada, I want to touch it when I train with him in mid January.
[quote comment=”247078″]How dare u guys doubt a polynesian…soa will crush eddie sanchez[/quote]
haha…no
[quote comment=”248012″]
Both of you guys pick Machida by decision? Just watch, Soko is another level from the guys Machida has faced.
Machida beat some UFC cans: Hoger, Heath, and Nakamura. He did beat BJ Penn, but BJ was moving up 2 weight classes and he arguably won the fight. He also beat Rich Franklin, but that was back in the day before Franklin had any real experience…and Franklin fights at 185, not 205 like Soko
Soko is a BEAST. He probably outweights Machida by 20 pounds, pre-cut weight.
Watch the fight and you will see how much more POWER Soko has then Machida…[/quote]
Sorry I tried to warn you…
[quote comment=”247615″]Yeah, good pick guys… Eddie the can Sanchez by KO huh? Laughable.[/quote]
Still laughing?
[quote comment=”247411″]For what it’s worth:
Silva via snorkel
GSP via technical knockout
Soku via decision
Poa via technical knockout
Melvin via straight up violence[/quote]
It’s not worth anything. 1-4 to my 4-1.
This is why you got out of the predictions, remember?