UFC 73 Predictions
Nate Marquart vs Anderson Silva.
I know very little about Nate. I hear he has a ground game.
I know that Anderson Silva is a Muay Thai machine with fantastic clinch, knees, elbows and pin point accurate strikes with hands and feet. I know he destroyed an up and coming Chris Leben and a 20-1 Rich Franklin that no one thought would ever lose.
So I'm picking Silva?
Not on your life.
I also happen to know in his last fight a weakness was shown in Silva's armor and that's the ground game and a lack of takedown defense. A dehydrated and out of shape B-level fighter known as Travis Lutter took him down at will and rained down fists and elbows on a seemingly defenseless Silva.
Yes, Silva won the fight, but he won't win against Nate. Nate is going to take him to the mat and pound him out. I don't know what round, but I predict a savage beating, then a ref stoppage.
Alvin Robinson vs Ken Florian.
In Ken Florian's last outing he almost won the Lightweight championship. His opponent was Sean Sherk who is 32-2-1. His only losses coming from Matt Hughes and GSP. Both are phenomenal fighters. Two fights previous be demolished Sam Stout in a first round rear naked choke that was pure poetry from the opening bell.
Florian stops the fight early.
Rashad Evans Vs Tito Ortiz.
Okay, sure, Rashad is 10-0. Very impressive.
Tito Ortiz is a former light heavyweight champion with wins over Wanderlei Silva, Forrest Griffon, Guy Mezger, Evan Tanner, Vitor Belfort and more. His losses have come from Frank Shamrock, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell.
Tito has beaten Legends.
He has lost to Legends.
His resume reads like a list of "Who's Who" in the Martial Arts world.
Rashad Evans 10 wins reads like a "Who's that?" in the MMA world.
Tito by brutal ground and pound.
Hermes Franca vs Sean Sherk
This is a toss up. Sean Sherk I mentioned above. I don't think he's ever fought anyone like Hermes Franca though.
Hermes Franca is on an 8 consecutive wins winning streak. His last opponent is someone I think is a great fighter, Spencer Fisher who he knocked out in the second round.
Hermes Franca has bombs at the end of his arms. One of them catches Sherk like it did Fisher and it's going to be light's out. If the fight goes to the ground Franca wins there as well. Of his last 8 fights five of them have been won by submissions. Armbar, Armbar, Triangle choke, Armbar, Armbar. Hell in his last eight fights not ONE of them has gone to a decision.
You face his bombs or you face an armbar. Your choice.
Sean Sherk is primarily an amazing wrestler. He is facing an opponent well versed in submission. His only chance is a boring lay n pray victory taking Franca down and just avoiding submission.
I'm not going to predict a winner in this one. I can only predict that it will be quick and violent if Franca wins and slow and boring if Sherk wins.
Heath Herring vs Antonio Nogueira
Nogueira by destruction. This isn't even a fight that should be on the card. Herring has zero chance in this fight.
Mike Nichels vs Stephan Bonner
First let me just say - "Who cares?"
Okay I care a little. Bonner took steroids and was caught. I hope he gets destroyed. Nickels is just kinda boring and so is Bonner so this fight is a snooze fest.
Jorge Gurgel vs Diego Saraiva
Gurgel.
Chris Lytle vs Jason Gilliam
Lytle by destruction.
Frank Edgar vs Mark Bocek
Edgar
I know very little about Nate. I hear he has a ground game.
I know that Anderson Silva is a Muay Thai machine with fantastic clinch, knees, elbows and pin point accurate strikes with hands and feet. I know he destroyed an up and coming Chris Leben and a 20-1 Rich Franklin that no one thought would ever lose.
So I'm picking Silva?
Not on your life.
I also happen to know in his last fight a weakness was shown in Silva's armor and that's the ground game and a lack of takedown defense. A dehydrated and out of shape B-level fighter known as Travis Lutter took him down at will and rained down fists and elbows on a seemingly defenseless Silva.
Yes, Silva won the fight, but he won't win against Nate. Nate is going to take him to the mat and pound him out. I don't know what round, but I predict a savage beating, then a ref stoppage.
Alvin Robinson vs Ken Florian.
In Ken Florian's last outing he almost won the Lightweight championship. His opponent was Sean Sherk who is 32-2-1. His only losses coming from Matt Hughes and GSP. Both are phenomenal fighters. Two fights previous be demolished Sam Stout in a first round rear naked choke that was pure poetry from the opening bell.
Florian stops the fight early.
Rashad Evans Vs Tito Ortiz.
Okay, sure, Rashad is 10-0. Very impressive.
Tito Ortiz is a former light heavyweight champion with wins over Wanderlei Silva, Forrest Griffon, Guy Mezger, Evan Tanner, Vitor Belfort and more. His losses have come from Frank Shamrock, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell.
Tito has beaten Legends.
He has lost to Legends.
His resume reads like a list of "Who's Who" in the Martial Arts world.
Rashad Evans 10 wins reads like a "Who's that?" in the MMA world.
Tito by brutal ground and pound.
Hermes Franca vs Sean Sherk
This is a toss up. Sean Sherk I mentioned above. I don't think he's ever fought anyone like Hermes Franca though.
Hermes Franca is on an 8 consecutive wins winning streak. His last opponent is someone I think is a great fighter, Spencer Fisher who he knocked out in the second round.
Hermes Franca has bombs at the end of his arms. One of them catches Sherk like it did Fisher and it's going to be light's out. If the fight goes to the ground Franca wins there as well. Of his last 8 fights five of them have been won by submissions. Armbar, Armbar, Triangle choke, Armbar, Armbar. Hell in his last eight fights not ONE of them has gone to a decision.
You face his bombs or you face an armbar. Your choice.
Sean Sherk is primarily an amazing wrestler. He is facing an opponent well versed in submission. His only chance is a boring lay n pray victory taking Franca down and just avoiding submission.
I'm not going to predict a winner in this one. I can only predict that it will be quick and violent if Franca wins and slow and boring if Sherk wins.
Heath Herring vs Antonio Nogueira
Nogueira by destruction. This isn't even a fight that should be on the card. Herring has zero chance in this fight.
Mike Nichels vs Stephan Bonner
First let me just say - "Who cares?"
Okay I care a little. Bonner took steroids and was caught. I hope he gets destroyed. Nickels is just kinda boring and so is Bonner so this fight is a snooze fest.
Jorge Gurgel vs Diego Saraiva
Gurgel.
Chris Lytle vs Jason Gilliam
Lytle by destruction.
Frank Edgar vs Mark Bocek
Edgar
nice blog
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think of Tito's comment "If you aint cheating you aint trying"?
ReplyDeleteDisagree on the Silva, after seeing him rearrange Rich Franklin's face, I will never go against that guy.
Sean Shirk is a friggin pit bull, if he learns how to fight standing up he will be unstoppable.
Thanks Indianshawls
ReplyDeleteI think Tito was kidding around. I wouldn't be a fan if he was serious. I became a fan during TUF 3 when I saw what a mentor he was to those kids.
I was wrong on the Marquart thing.
Wendy and I thought Shirk was boring. He was so afraid of losing position, he never opened up. He was on top the entire fight and never rained down punches or elbows. Yes, he is an amazing fighter, yes he is a pit bull, yes he is going to be dominant for a long time, but he needs to learn how to finish. He was never in any danger on the ground, but never took a risk. He could pass guard freely, control everything about the ground game, and he never risked giving up position to do damage.
"I became a fan during TUF 3 when I saw what a mentor he was to those kids."
ReplyDeleteYES! He impressed the heck out of me on that show. He showed himself to be the bigger man than Shamrock. It may have all been edited to look that way of course.
You might be right about Shirk, I was surprised he didnt throw more elbows. You have to give it to the guy on his conditioning though, he went the full 25 minutes and looked energized even at the very end. I think he is the fittest fighter in the UFC.
BJ Penn - Shirk for the title is coming up. That will be a match of skill vs. brute force.
ReplyDelete