Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida
Machida will definitely have the edge in the stand-up, so it would make sense for Tito to try and close the gap and take Machida to the ground early. Even though The Dragon is a BJJ black belt I think that Tito's excellent submission defence should help him to avoid Lyoto's attempts. Tito's takedowns are not as explosive as they used to be but he's still one of the best wrestlers in the light heavyweight division when he brings his A game. If he can get Machida down and keep him there I can see Tito winning by unanimous decision due to his excellent elbows strikes from inside the guard. Machida's best chance to win this fight is by using his unorthodox striking to beat Tito, I can't really see Machida knocking Tito out as he’s not really known for his power, however his strikes are dangerous because of the accuracy that he possesses. If this fight does indeed stay standing then Machida’s striking may prove too much for Tito and he could end up winning a decision or possible a TKO, however I think that in the end Machida will struggle to stop Tito from taking him down.
Kazuhiro Nakamura
Nakamura is a fighter who is known for not backing down and taking on the best fighters in his division. This fight will be no different as he takes on top light heavyweight prospect Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. “The African Assassin” announced himself to the MMA world by knocking out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, a fighter known for his iron chin, 23 seconds into his PRIDE debut. He proved that his first fight was no fluke by also knocking out Ricardo Arona in only his second PRIDE fight (again in the 1st round).
This should be a very interesting fight with both fighters coming from a Judo background and both needing a win to get back in to the mix for the light heavyweight title, this is especially true for Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou who was being tipped to run through the light heavyweight division and become the next champion before his loss to Lyoto Machida. Nakamura's strategy in this fight should be to get Sokoudjou down to the ground, an area where he has previously shown a weakness. It'll be intriguing to see whether his submission skills have improved after his recent loss. If Sokoudjou can keep this fight standing his explosive and power strikes should prove too much for Nakamura to handle. This fight will be decided on whether or not Nakamura can get Sokoudjou to the ground.
My Prediction: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou by KO
Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine
Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva
This has the potential to be fight of the night, both of these fighters like to stand and trade punches and this should make for one explosive fight. Jardine is the more orthodox striker of the two whereas Silva uses more of a brawling style. Jardine is coming off the biggest win of his career to date, a unanimous decision victory over “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell, whereas Silva is coming off of a loss to the same fighter. Silva has a lot riding on this fight, if he loses where does that leave him in the division? This would be his 3rd successive loss, which would see him drop significantly in the rankings. However if Silva pulls out the victory and looks impressive in doing so a potential re-match against Liddell could materialize. Jardine should be looking to utilize his leg kicks in this fight, he showed everyone in the Liddell fight just how effective his kicks can be and they’ll be his biggest weapon. Silva on the other hand will need to use his aggressive striking to put the pressure on Jardine early, if he can also utilize his knees from the clinch (which were so effective against Rampage) he has a good chance of beating Jardine.
My Prediction: Wanderlei Silva by KO
BJ "The Prodigy" Penn
Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk
The main event of the evening for the undisputed lightweight title, this fight has some major bad blood, both fighters can't stand each other and this should make for a really good fight.
Sherk will be looking to use his strengths and take BJ down while using his ground and pound ability, however BJ's guard from his back is excellent and Sherk will need to be careful not to get caught in a submission. One major factor in this fight will be cardio, Sherk is known for his excellent cardio and has been often looks just as fresh in the 5th round as in the 1st, BJ on the other hand has had some problems in this area, although recently been training a lot harder for previous fights and will be extremely motivated for this match. However the question still remains will he have enough in the tank to go 5 rounds with Sherk and the high intensity pace that he usually sets? Despite Sherk having the advantage in takedowns, I still think with BJ’s flexibility and world class BJJ if it does indeed go to the ground BJ will pull off the submission.
My Prediction: BJ Penn by Submission
Antonio "Samuray" Mendes
Thiago Silva
Antonio "Samuray" Mendes will be making his UFC debut against Thiago Silva, Mendes is coming off an 11 fight win streak, but most of his career thus far has been in smaller shows in Brazil and Russia. This will be a real test for Mendes, Silva is a typical Chute Boxe fighter (having trained there prior to joining American Top Team) he has a BJJ black belt and good Muay Thai skills as evidenced by his 12-0 record (10 KO’s). After knocking out Houston Alexander, Thiago will want to keep his momentum going in order to get a title shot and another impressive win here puts him right in the mix.
My Prediction: Thiago Silva by KO
