JWGunslinger
Warrior Forever
Main Card (PPV)
Light Heavyweight Championship:Jon Jones vs Vitor Belfort
Flyweight Championship:Joseph Benavidez vs Demetrious Johnson
Michael Bisping vs Brian Stann
Matt Hamill vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Cub Swanson vs Charles Oliveira
Preliminary Card (FX)
Igor Pokrajac vs Vinny Magalhães
TJ Grant vs Evan Dunham
Sean Pierson vs Lance Benoist
Jimy Hettes vs Marcus Brimage
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Seth Baczynski vs Simeon Thoresen
Mitch Gagnon vs Walel Watson
Kyle Noke vs Charlie Brenneman
We've got a hell of a card coming up on the 22nd here folks, what could be a Middleweight #1 Contender match up and two title fights including the very first Flyweight Championship bout in UFC history. Lets break it down. We'll start at the bottom of the card on a bout that was scheduled to take place at the now infamous UFC 151.
Kyle Noke vs Charlie Brenneman
Set to fight tonight but now waiting til later this month, Charlie Brenneman has been very vocal about his frustrations concerning 151 and he's looking to take out that steam on Kyle Noke who looks to find new life one weight class down from his original home. Not many paid Brenneman much attention in his first 3 UFC bouts but when he upset standout Rick Story last year he was put on the map. However following his popularity boost he fell short in fights with Anthony Johnson and Erik Silva while picking up a win over Dan Roberts.
Noke was a heavy favorite to win his season of TUF before being upset by Kris McCray, but after the show made it back to his old ways by picking up 3 straight finishes. However he's currently on a 2 fight skid after losses to Ed Herman and Andrew Craig, and dropping to welterweight for this fight he hopes he can find success again.
It's hard to say what happens here because there are some big factors with Noke, whether the cut was good and if he's fighting well. Noke is very much a hot or cold kind of fighter, he's either on or he isn't. If he does show up to fight like he needs to I can see him avoiding the TD's and even reversing one or two to get dominant position and submit The Spaniard". If he's not doing well then Brenneman takes him down for 3 rounds and wins a Decision, let's hope for the second. Noke via Submission
Mitch Gagnon vs Walel Watson
Here two relative newcomers look to get back in the win column at bantamweight. Gagnon was game in his fight of the night bout against Bryan Caraway at UFC 149 but unfortunately not enough as he was submitted in the 3rd by the WEC vet. Before that he held a record of 8-1 with nearly all his wins coming by submission.
Watson came into the UFC by storm, scoring an impressive TKO over Joseph Sandoval at UFC Live:Cruz vs Johnson. However after that he went on to drop a Split Decision to Yves Jabouin and a Unanimous Decision to TJ Dillishaw where he was dominated the entire time. To be fair he was very outmatched in his two losses and should have a more level playing field here.
They're both talented young fighters and are always game but I think Watson's striking prowess will be too much for Gagnon. If Mitch can get it to the ground then he's in his element and has a good chance but Walel should defend the TD and pick up the finish. Watson via TKO
Seth Baczynski vs Simeon Thoresen
Seth Baczynski probably would have done TUF differently given the chance, after going 1-2 in the house and then dropping a second fight to Brad Tavares at the finale he was cut by the UFC. But he immediately got back to fighting and quickly picked up two KO wins that got him back under the UFC banner. Since then it's been all good things for Seth, I guess he needed the cut to get refocused because since returning he's choked out Clay Harvison & Matt Brown and decisioned Lance Benoist. He'll look to add Thoreson to his hit list.
Thoreson is a Norwegian fighter who joined the UFC in December of 2011, signing a multi fight deal coming in with a record of 16-2 and a notable win over current UFC fighter John Maguire. He had his first fight in the promotion on their Sweden card in April, submitting Besam Yousef in the second round.
Normally I'd be wary of a guy with a record like this but not give them too much thought. However Thoreson's win over Maguire shows that he's legit and could be a real test for Baczynski. At the same time Seth is on a hell of a roll and the way he's been fighting I can't not pick him. So keep an eye on Thoreson but I'd say put your money on a TKO or Decision from Seth. Baczynski via TKO
Jimy Hettes vs Marcus Brimage
Jimy Hettes is an undefeated fighter in the Featherweight Division looking to make a name for himself, and he's well on his way to doing so already. He's 10-0 with all but his last win coming by submission, but that's not such a disappointment when you look at the fact that it was a win over standout Nam Phan. Before beating Phan he debuted last August, submitting another TUF fighter from the Koscheck-St Pierre season in Alex Caceres. Now he looks to do add another TUF veteran to his list of wins against Brimage.
Marcus Brimage is adorable, he's like a tiny mix of Mike Tyson and Gary Coleman. But dont forget the Tyson part because that's how he wins, he's got some good stand up and can put you away if he connects. He showed these skills in his pre UFC career against Kyle Bradley and two wins since TUF over Stephen Bass and underdog win over feared striker Maximo Blanco.
Unfortunately for "The Bama Beast" the one fight that means the most in this breakdown is his loss on the show to Bryan Caraway. Marcus doesn't do well with good wrestlers who can submit him, and that is exactly what Hettes is. Brimage need to have his TD defense sharp if he's gonna win here but I don't see that happening. Hettes should be able to time a good takedown and get to work, if that happens then this fight will almost certainly end. Hettes via Submission
Sean Pierson vs Lance Benoist
Pierson are two tough sluggers who will certainly make a great fight for us here. Pierson started off his UFC career at UFC 124 after a pretty successful run in canadian promotions and wins over the likes of Steve Vigneault and Fabio Holando. At 124 he continued his wins on Canadian soil by picking a gritty decision over Matt Riddle and put himself on the map. After that though he was put up against some stiff competition and dropped a KO loss to contenders Jake Ellenberger and Dong Hyun Kim. Since then he's picked up a win over Jake Hecht and will try to put together his first win streak in the promotion.
Lance Benoist came in and did the exact same thing, came in and won over the fans with a bloody performance against Matt Riddle. However since then he's run into trouble dropping his most recent fight to Seth Baczynski in a close decision. Despite the loss that fight showed again that he's a true warrior who will give anyone he fights a run for their money.
In this one i'm going to have to give the edge to Pierson, he's got more experience and we've seen him perform against top competition. We didn't see enough in the Ellenberger fight but against Kim he gave him a hell of a fight and most guys just get overwhelmed by him. I say we see a bloody gritty fight of the night worthy battle but Sean gets the edge. Pierson via Decision
TJ Grant vs Evan Dunham
It feels like not too long ago Evan Dunham was the next big thing at Lightweight, but with the way the division works his run was broken and focus went to another fighter. However this is a guy nobody in their right mind should forget because he still has what it takes to get it done. He came to the UFC in 2009 with a record of 7-0 and the backing of a strong camp in Xtreme Couture. He proceeded to win 4 straight with each opponent more impressive than the last including Tyson Griffin. Then at UFC 119 he lost a contoversial decision to former champion Sean Sherk, which broke his 11 fight unbeated streak. Everyone expected him to come back and win but ended up on the business end of Melvin Guillard's winning streak and was blitzed in a quick brutal first round TKO. Since then though he's gotten back to his old ways and is on a two fight winning streak with dominant wins over Shamar Bailey and Nik Lentz.
Grant has played the Journeyman his entire career in the UFC, since his debut at UFC 97 in 2009 he has traded wins and losses in each fight. That is until recently when he picked up his first win streak in the promotion, submitting Shane Roller and winning a decision over Carlo Prater. He's look to continue the winning run in what is easily his biggest fight in his career.
Grant is a tough guy and hasn't been finished in UFC but Dunham is scary and has shown what he can do to tough wrestlers in his fight with Nik Lentz. TJ will put up a fight and try to get the TD and top control, but with Dunham he's got too tall of an order. Dunham will keep it standing and he's finish it there or take the judges decision by dominating him. Dunham via TKO
Igor Pokrajac vs Vinny Magalhães
Igor Pokrajac isn't someone that you would have remembered back in 2009 or 2010, going 1-3 will do that to a guy. However something must have changed in 2011 because 2 KO wins over Todd Brown and Krysztof Soszykski along with a bloody decision win over tough brazilian Fabio Maldonado and Igor is a new man.
Vinny Magalhaes has a similar story, about having hard times followed by newfound success. He rose to fame on TUF winning 1 fight by TKO and two by submission and being recognized for his submission abilities. However he had a reality check when he was KO'd by Ryan Bader and then dropped a Decision to Eliot Marshall which resulted in his release from the promotion. Since then he's 7-1 with 5 submissions and two TKO's, and won the M-1 Light Heavyweight Championship.
So these men are new and refreshed versions of their old selves, Pokrajac has improved his stand up to be very dangerous and Magalhaes improving his overall game but mainly his stand up. Although Vinny's striking is much better than his last UFC run he needs to remember what made him successful this time around and that's his BJJ, if he can get it to the ground he will end it and that's a sure thing. Igor needs to keep it standing obviously but he needs to be careful in the clinch too because Vinny is the kind of guy who will go for a flying armbar and get it or drop to his ankle and lock it up. That's what I see happening, Igor could very well catch him though. Magalhaes via Submission
Cub Swanson vs Charles Oliveira
This should be another intriguing striker vs grappler matchup but one I am really looking forward to because I cannot see this fight making it to the judges. Charles Oliveira is one of the most dynamic young submission artists in the lower weight classes and is a treat to get to watch. He won his first two UFC fights against Darren Elkins and Efrain Escudero by submission, but then fell on hard times when he was submitted by Jim Miller, dropped a No Contest for an illegal knee in a fight he originally won my submission and got KO'd by Donald Cerrone. Since then though he's been back to his incredible grappling with an amazing Calf Slicer submission over Eric Wisely and an Anacondo Choke over Jonathan Brookins.
Cub has been in a bit of a resurgence, a true veteran of the WEC who holds wins there over Micha Miller and Mackens Semerzier is looking seriously scary lately. After a disappointing submission loss to Ricado Lamas at UFC on Fox 1 he bounced back with a brutal KO over George Roop at the second Fox event. Most recently he scored another impressive KO over Ross Pearson in an awesome Knockout Of The Night.
Both guys are very dynamic in their respective areas, but not great in their opponent's strong spots. Charles isn't much of a stand up fighter and doesn't take much punishment well, if Cub hits him good then it's over. Cub isn't great on the ground but can survive and get back up against most, but against Charles if it goes to the ground he's screwed. It's really a toss up but since ever fight starts on the feet and the combo of Cub having great striking and KO power and "Do Bronx"'s lack of a chin this one will end with a KO. Swanson via KO
Vladimir Matyushenko vs Matt Hamill
Vladimir Matyushenko is the definition of a grizzled veteran,a former IFL Champion he's fought 36 times in professional MMA and has been in most of the major promotions. He made his UFC debut at UFC 32, in other words the guy has been around forever, he's fought everyone and at 41 he's still going strong. Recently he was doing well picking up KO wins over Alexandre Ferriera and Jason Brilz, but then dropped an early TKO to Alexander Gustaffson.
Hamill was one of the stars of the UFC since his time on TUF 3, and going up against the best of the best. But after tough losses to Rampage Jackson and Alexander Gustaffson he decided to call it quits and retire. Well he's out of retirement and ready for war against "The Janitor".
Although Hamill is the one coming out of retirement i'm gonna give him the edge here, aside from the TKO to Gustaffson he's never been TKO/KO'd by head shots(rich franklin beat him with a liver kick) and he's a stronger wrestler than Vlad. I'm gonna say Matt by decision but I'm hoping Vlad can pull it off and maybe shock us with another quick KO. Hamill via Decision
Michael Bisping vs Brian Stann
Like Hamill, Michael Bisping has been one of the big names of the UFC since TUF 3, although he was the one who eventually won it.He's faced a who's who of tough guys and legendary veterans, beating Chris Leben, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Denis Kang while coming up short against Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson to name a few. Most recently was the loss to Sonnen which was a middleweight contender fight but this fight could get him right back in there.
Brian Stann has grown more and more ever time we see him, from being the WEC Light Heavyweight champion, to coming to the UFC and struggling with bigger guys at 205 to making the drop to 185 that changed his life and fortune. He started his middleweight run against Mike Massenzio, submitting him in the third and then calling out Chris Leben. Nobody gave him much of a chance but he then became the second man only to Anderson Silva to knock out Leben. He then KO'd Segundo star Jorge Santiago but fell short in a contender bout against Chael Sonnen. Recently he bounced back with a KO victory over Alessio Sakara and was slated to face Hector Lombard at UFC on Fox 4 but pulled out due to an injury.
On the feet Bisping is the more technical fighter but doesn't have the power needed to put away Stann, while Stann's ever improving stand up has the power behind it to be the first guy since Dan Henderson to KO Bisping. Michael says he'll stand but I have a feeling that's what will give him the edge, I hope the Sonnen loss taught him alot because if he hasn't trained enough in that area he'll be in trouble. But I think Michael will have enough confidence in himself to stand for a bit and while he was able to recover and come back with a submission against Denis Kang he won't be able to after a shot or two from Brian. Stann via KO
Inaugural Flyweight Championship:Joseph Benavidez vs Demetrious Johnson
For the first time in UFC history there will be a 125 lbs champion, and it'll either be Demetrious Johnson or Joseph Benavidez. It started with 4 men, Benavidez knocked out Yasuhiro Urushitani and Demetrious Johnson beat Ian McCall, now for the finale. Both guys were WEC standouts and now one of them will be a UFC Champion.
Joseph Benavidez was always the number two man in the WEC, he beat the former Bantamweight champion Miguel Torres back when he was one of the scariest men in the lower weights and has only lost to Dominick Cruz. Considering that Cruz is pound for pound one of the best in the world that isn't too bad, and since his last loss to Cruz he has gone on a tear winning 4 straight.
Demetrious Johnson isn't on a win streak but his story is just as impressive, he started out by debuting in the WEC at 10-0 and dropping a decision to Brad Pickett, but then winning 2 straight before all the WEC fighters were sent to the UFC. That's when things got impressive, he went on to beat Kid Yamamoto and Miguel Torres en route to a Bantamweight title shot at Dominick Cruz's strap, but lost in a valiant effort. Then the Flyweight tourney was set up and he jumped on the oppertunity, now two fights against Ian McCall and(a draw and a win) he's ready to meet Benavidez.
Hard to call a winner, both guys are great but I'm gonna say that Johnson takes it with his incredible wrestling prowess and the pace he pushes. Johnson via Decision
Light Heavyweight Championship:Jon Jones vs Vitor Belfort
We all know about the hoopla concerning 151, but that's not what we're talking about here. Jon Jones was going to fight Lyoto Machida here but now it's Vitor Belfort who stepped up and they will face off here in the main event.
Jones has been dominant as you can be since winning the Light Heavyweight title, he's beaten Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans and now he'll face his 6th former 205 lbs champion in a row and look to defend his title for the 4th time.
Belfort rebounded from his big loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 126 with two wins, a first round KO over Yoshihiro Akiyama and a submission win over Anthony Johnson. He'll now attempt to win his second UFC light heavyweight championship.
Belfort always has a chance at catching someone, he's still a top contender at 205 or 185 but Jones has been dominant as hell and I expect him to win with that range of his, either TKOing Vitor or submitting him with that Guillotine of his. Jones via TKO
So that's the breakdown, what do you think of the 152 line up? Who's winning and which are you excited for the most? Discuss
