UFC 116

600 pounds. That is pretty darn close to what the two fighters in this Saturdays main event at UFC 116 will weigh come the time of the fight. Leading up to the featured bout are fights that will help shape the future of the lightweight title picture, an rematch of a light heavyweight fight stopped due to an unfortunate cut, a potential fight of the night candidate between two of the toughest sluggers in the welterweight division, and a middleweight tilt between a fighter looking to prove that he is amongst the elite in the division, and a granite chinned brawler with nothing to lose.

I can't think of the last UFC event that featured all five weight classes in each of the main card fights, and each one should be better than the last, culminating in the biggest heavyweight title clash in company history. The polarizing nature of current champion Brock Lesnar, and his undeniable talent could make this the most watched UFC event this year. Whether or not that is a good thing for the sport of mma will be determined at a later point, but until then....

George Sotiropoulos vs Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino

Two of the hottest lightweight fighters in the UFC collide Saturday with aspirations of improving their stock in the division, and moving closer to a title shot. Sotiropoulos has won five straight and has been looking better and better in the Octagon. A win against the also streaking Pellegrino would help elevate him even further.

After getting submitted by Nate Diaz two years ago, "Batman" has rattled off four straight wins and is trying to get back into title contention himself. Once considered something of a gatekeeper amongst the 155ers, he has started to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with.

This fight is all about how their strengths match up, and who can exploit the shortcomings of the other more easily. With each fighter more than capable on the ground, and both being blackbelts in bjj, this fight could very well be decided on the feet, and if that's the case, Pellegrino is in for a long night.

Sotiropoulos is far and above the better striker, and while his wrestling may not be his strongest skill, he is more than capable of stuffing Pellegrino's takedowns, and keeping this fight where he can maximize his reach and striking advantage. Pellegrino has a stout chin, and can wing an overhand right with enough pop to make Sotiropoulos pick his shots carefully, but ultimately, this fight is the Aussies to win, and he should handily pummel Pellegrino for three rounds and get the judges nod.

Sotiropoulos via Unanimous Decision

Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski vs Stephan "The American Psycho' Bonnar

At first glance, this fight lacks the luster of the other main card bouts. It has no title implications, and moderate name recognition. What it does have, is history. Back in February, these two mma veterans went to war for the better part of three rounds, until the referee stopped the fight due to a major cut Bonnar suffered when the fighters clashed heads inadvertently. Despite an appeal of the decision, Soszynski was awarded the TKO victory, but both fighters, and most fans, were left unfulfilled.

Both men have a ton of experience, and are well rounded, complete fighters. Bonnar has a more dynamic striking repetoire, but Soszynski has a more technically sound, if not exciting standup game. Where Bonnar excels is keeping distance, and letting the side kicks, and spinning back fists fly. He loves to throw caution to the wind, and go for the high risk/high reward moves, relying on his sturdy chin, and stellar conditioning to keep him out of trouble. He may want to revisit the drawing board for the rematch.

"The Polish Experiment" has been steadily improving since making the leap to the UFC, and is looking to pick right back up where he left off. Pressure against the cage, nasty clinch work, and heavy body shots were what worked for him in their first fight, but Bonnar learns from his mistakes better than most, and if Soszynski tries to make the rematch a carbon copy, he may find that he is in for a rude awakening.

Soszynski was most likely on his way to a unanimous decision, but Bonnar wasn't going down easily, and with the very real possibility of the loser of this fight getting pink slipped, both fighters could bring a sense of desperation to the scrap. (Bonnar wont get canned, he has a job with the UFC for LIFE!)

I expect this fight to go much like the first, albeit a bit closer. Back and forth striking, very little ground work, but with Bonnar making it a much closer fight for the judges. Soszynski may do enough to win in the eyes of the casual fan, but as we've seen all year, that doesn't mean much to the judges. Expect an inexplicable split decision for "The American Psycho"

Bonnar via Split Decision

Chris "Lights Out" Lytle vs. "The Immortal" Matt Brown

I'm going to call it now. Despite how tough and hard fought the Bonnar-Soszynski fight will be, Brown-Lytle will be fight of the night. Both fighters love to stand and trade leather, and are not opposed to eating a few punches her and there to achieve that goal. There is no small amount of grappling, and submission acumen in either fighter, but the desire to inflict grievous injury with hands, elbows, knees and feet, remain priority number one for both.

Chris Lytle is hands down the superior boxer, preferring to rely on his footwork, and head movement to set up his shots. He also has a nice jab, and devastating power in both hands. While his submission chops are solid (18 of his 28 victories have come via submission), it's more because of his knowledge of how to grab a limb that's sticking out, than pursuing a tapout from bell to bell. The crazy thing about this guy, is that in 50 career fights, he's been stopped twice, sort of. His two TKO losses were due to cuts, and other than that, his other 15 losses were all by decision. So with all that info, your best bet as his opponent is to try and grind him out with superior wrestling, and top control to get a decision win, but don't bank on Matt Brown taking that route.

As much as Lytle like to sling fists with nasty intentions, Brown might actually dig it more. While not as technically sound in the boxing department, Brown has a much more varied stand up game. With solid punches, nasty knees and kicks, and every bit as well rounded in the grappling aspect of mma as Lytle, this is going to get nasty early, and stay that way for a while. These fighters have actually faced off before, with Lytle submitting Brown via guillotine choke in the second round, but don't expect a repeat.

This is going to be two fighters going all guns blazing for three rounds straight, and no matter who wins, we as fans will get to stand up and applaud two warriors putting it all on the line. Since this IS a prediction article though, I will give Brown the nod by a sliver, despite Lytle's frightening determination and solid chin. Brown has a bit more mean in him, and is coming off a loss, which never puts you in a good mood. Brown by the slimmest of margins.

Brown via Split Decision

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Chris "The Crippler" Leben

This was originally supposed to be Akiyama squaring off with Wanderlei Silva. When the brazilian torn a ligament in his knee a few weeks ago, he doggedly insisted he could still fight. The bad breaks kept coming when Silva suffered broken ribs less than two weeks before the fight, and was forced to withdraw. Despite being on short notice, and coming off a fight of his own just three days earlier, Leben jumped at the opportunity and with just ten days until the fight, signed on to replace Silva.

As tough as Leben is, and there are few tougher, this may not have been the smartest decision. Akiyama is a far tougher fight than anyone Leben has ever fought (outside of Anderson Silva), and with less than two weeks to prepare, AND having fought very recently, the chips are definitely stacked against "The Crippler". That being said, he is not that far removed from Akiyama's original opponent, the legendary Wanderlei Silva. Leben is a good sized middleweight, has devastating knockout power, and is damn near impossible to knockout (again, outside Anderson Silva), so he is far from a foregone conclusion.

Akiyama is a slick judoka, with throw from almost every clinch and angle imaginable, and a crisp standup game. He displayed much more boxing in his very close split decision win over Alan Belcher last July, but that was also his last fight, so cage rust is a distinct possibility. A year between fights can affect you more than you might think, just ask Rampage. ;)

For Leben to be successful, he needs to keep the pressure on Akiyama, and wear him out by cutting off the cage, and forcing him to go for takedowns. Going tow to toe with Leben should be an option saved for emergencies only, mostly due to the fact that it leads to unconsciousness unless, well, you know. Akiyama has to get this fight down to take advantage of the gulf between the fighters ground game. Leben is no slouch, but Akiyama is great at keeping pressure on while looking for submissions. I don't know who I was going to pick in the original fight, but here the odds are just too much against Leben, but I see him making Akiyama earn the unanimous nod from the judges.

Akiyama via Unanimous Decision.

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP UNIFICATION FIGHT

Champion Brock Lesnar vs Interim Champion Shane Carwin

Damn, just DAMN! The biggest, literally, heavyweight championship fight to ever occur in UFC history goes down at the end of the night. With both fighters likely to weigh in at the 265 limit of the heavyweight division, and most likely weighing closer to 275-280 come fight time, the UFC better have a reinforced Octagon to hold the two behemoths.

Lesnar is one of the easiest fighters to dislike, especially after his less than gentlemanly speech following his demolition of Frank Mir last July. However, a life threatening bout with diverticulitis, makes him a somewhat more sympathetic figure as he enters his first fight in a year. All that said, what Lesnar tries to do is simple, use King Kong like strength to try and bash your face in from wherever, and whenever he can. Carwin could be the Ghidora to Lesnar's Godzilla.

With hands bigger than Lesnars, and nearly as much muscle behind them, Carwin brings a more measured, cerebral approach to fighting. Training on a regular basis with the cream of the mma crop, and with gameplan guru Greg Jackson doing much of the analysis, Carwin has will be more than prepared to go to war with the massive Minnesotan.

It's simple, who can impose their will first, and with the most force? This fight is not going five championship rounds. Hell, it's not going three, but don't be surprised if it gets out of the first, and sneaks out of the second. Carwin is undefeated in 12 career fights, with nothing going past the fourth minute of round one, and Lesnar has managed to go three rounds only once in his career, so conditioning may be a factor, but my guess is not. It comes own to who can take a punch better? Lesnar has never had his chin tested, and Carwin has only been really cracked on by Gabriel Gonzaga, who after dropping Carwin, couldn't hold him down, and was KO'd with a nasty right hand.

On a night full of lengthy wars, this fight will be simple brutality, and very brief in comparison. The first minute or two will be a feeling out period, followed by Lesnar throwing an ill advised punch, and getting countered to the mat where Carwins 5XL gloves clobbertybonk the bejebus out of him, and Josh Rosenthal is forced to stop the fight, right near the 4 minute mark.

Carwin via TKO, and new heavyweight champion.

Ultimate Fighter Finale

Another weekend of UFC, and another night of good scraps. Some new blood, and some familiar faces step into the octagon Saturday night. With no further ado, here we go.

Jamie "Chosyn.1" Yager vs Rich "The Raging Bull" Attonito
middleweight (185)

Attonito apparently won the "I Want to Beat the Crap out of Jamie Yager" lottery, after Yager irritated nearly the entire house during the six weeks of The Ultimate Fighter. Attonito looked good in both of his fights on the show, with a dominating unanimous decision win to get into the house over Lyle Steffens. His second fight he started strong, despite a broken hand, but was awarded the disqualification win after Kyacey Uscola hit him with illegal knees toward the end of the first round. A very strong, and well rounded fighter, he is going to need to avoid the home run shots Yager throws, and get inside to utilize some dirty boxing and clinch work, or even get the fight to the ground to take advantage of Yagers suspect ground game.

On a show with a history of bad guys, Yager immediately rose to the upper echelon of jerks. After two big wins in his get into the house fight, and his first fight after being drafted by Tito Ortiz, the weakness in his ground game and cardio became evident once he refused to answer the bell after two rounds of being stalked and pounded on the ground by Josh Bryant. An extremely dynamic striker, he doesn't lack in the bravado department, but he may need to keep a more measured pace against the tenacity of Attonito.

Attonito is going to need to fight smart, and stick to whatever gameplan his camp has laid down. Getting in close to negate the condor like reach of Yager, and working for takedowns to exploit the lack of grappling and submission defense seem to be the orders of the day for "The Raging Bull". Yager must have improved upon his cardio, or will need to go for the knockout win. Fortunately, he is more than capable of the latter. With a staggering arsenal of kicks from almost every position and angle, Attonito is going to have his hands full.

Yager is a little full of himself and his abilities, and Attonito is just the fighter to let the air out of his ego. A more experienced fighter, and much more grounded, Attonito will just prove to be too much, and get the stoppage win in the second round.

Attonito via TKO, Rd. 2

Spencer "King" Fisher vs Dennis Siver
lightweight(155)

With a couple of men who like to throw leather, and fight with the gas pedal all the way down, this bout looks to be electric, and quite possibly a Fight of the Night front runner. With the superb boxing and stout ground game of Fisher, and the array of nasty kicks, and brutal ground and pound of Siver, this is one fight MMA fans are going to make sure they don't miss.

Fisher has long been one of the fighters to beat in the lightweight division. Once only one fight away from competing for the lightweight championship, he has faced some of the best in the division, and looks to get back to his winning ways after being stopped by Joe Stevenson back in October.

Also coming off a loss, Siver is responsible for one of the most devastating highlights of 2009 when he dropped Paul Kelly with a spinning back kick to the body. Siver was defeated by unanimous decision by Ross Pearson in March, but will try to add a third Knockout of the Night to his list of accomplishments.

Both fighters are more standup oriented, but the interesting area is where their strengths are on the ground. Siver is much better when he can try and post up from the top, and unleash a barrage of elbows and punches, but as he showed in his fight against Pearson, his takedown defense, and fighting from his back are not his strongest skillsets. Fisher, on the other hand, is strong on top, but also very dangerous from his back. He submitted Thiago Alves with a triangle choke, and has the ability to create space and scrambles from the bottom to get submissions and sweeps.

Standing, both men are solid, and if the fight stays standing, it would be a toss up. However, with Siver's substandard takedown defense, and the grappling acumen of Fisher, it's hard to bet on the Deutschman. We will see an extremely exciting fight, with Fisher getting the judges nod after three outstanding round.

Fisher via Unanimous Decision

Chris "The Crippler" Leben vs Aaron "A-Train" Simpson
middleweight (185)

Two durable sluggers with a penchant for grinding opponents into dust, and looking to advance in a very tough middleweight division, this should be an entertaining, if not technical tilt.

After a tough couple of losses, Leben put together an impressive unanimous decision over Brazilian brawler Jay Silva, and is trying to string together consecutive victories for the first time in over two years. Simpson on the other hand, is looking to prove that his undefeated record is no joke, and that his last victory was no fluke.

Simpson burst onto the scene with a nasty KO win over Tim McKenzie, and then was soundly pummeling Ed Herman, before the match was stopped due to a knee injury to Herman. In his last fight, Simpson was having a very hard time with the standup of Tom Lawlor, but managed to win a controversial split decision.

Can Leben avoid the trouble he's had with wrestlers in the past, and plant the hunk of masonry he calls a left hand on the chin of Simpson? Can Simpson avoid the meteorite on the end of Lebens left arm, and work his nasty ground and pound? Leben has shown that unless your name is Anderson Silva, if you punch him in the face, it's just going to piss him off. Simpson possesses more power than most in his fists, but his real strength is using his wrestling to set up his devastating ground and pound. Leben has some decent ground skills, but definitely wants to keep this fight standing. I hate picking against "The Crippler" but look for Simpson to keep taking him down, and doing just enough to win a tight decision.

Simpson via Split Decision

Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine vs Matt "The Hammer" Hamill
lightheavyweight (205)

Two very tough men are going toe to toe with a lot on the line in this fight. Both alumni of The Ultimate Fighter, and both in need of a win, this should be a very interesting fight.

Jardine is in dire need of win after dropping three straight, or he could be facing getting pink slipped. Hamill won his last fight, sort of. After getting thoroughly manhandled by Jon Jones, Jones was disqualified for illegal elbow strikes. Hamill himself hardly considers it a victory, and is looking to rebound himself. A heavy handed wrestler, and the man who practically defines unorthodox? Recipe for very intriguing fight.

Hamill is a former Division 111 wrestling champion who's striking improves every time he fights. Before the Jones fight, he had racked up two straight KOs, one of which garnered him KO of the Night. Against Jardine, he's going to need to avoid going for the home run too often, due to Jardine's astute counter punching. Jardine's underrated ground game may give him problems if he decides to resort to his wrestling, but "The Hammer has solid ground and pound, even from the guard, so Jardine is going to need to read carefully.

"The Dean of Mean" doesn't just want a win, he very badly needs it. Despite his losses coming against top flight competition, four straight will almost definitely send him packing from the UFC. He has very tough takedown defense, creative punches, and some of the nastiest leg and body kicks in MMA. His weak spot is his chin, or lack thereof. Of his seven career losses, five have come via knockout, and four of those have come in his last six fights. Hamill has a sturdier chin, and a nasty overhand right Jardine needs to avoid like the plague, but if Hamill falls in love with his own striking, the blueprint to defeating him already exists. Rich Franklin brutalized the legs, and particularly the body of Hamill to the tune of a third round stoppage win in September of 2008. Jardine will look to pepper Hamill with leg and body kicks much like he did Chuck Liddell, while dodging the chin seeking missile Hamill likes to throw.

WHEW! That was a mouthful. It all comes down to who has a better game plan, and who can stick to it better when they get into trouble. Training with Greg Jackson, and the fact that his job is on the line tilts favor towards Jardine, though it will be a tough, hard fought win. Hamill will start fast, and maybe even put Jardine in danger early, but "The Dean of Mean" will battle back, and begin roughing Hamill up throughout the second and third on his way to a very exciting decision victory.

Jardine via Unanimous Decision

The Ultimate Fighter Main Event

Kris "Savage" McCray vs Court "Crusher" McGee
middleweight (185)

The finale to what has been a somewhat hohum season, looks to be anything but that. Both McCray and McGee are tough as nails fighters, with tremendous amounts of heart and determination, this should be one of the most closely contested bouts in TUF history.

McCray had to overcome more adversary than almost any finalist in the shows history. Fighting five times in six weeks, he set the record for most fights during one season. After every fight, he came back more determined, and more disciplined than before. His wrestling is solid, and his chin is durable, despite being pounded on for six weeks straight.

McGee has had his share of hardships, but has shown the mental strength, and physical durability necessary to get through the six week season and come out on top. He did have a loss on his record, a hotly debated majority decision loss to Nick Ring, who he was set to fight but was replaced by James Hammortree when Ring had to pull out of the fight with a knee injury. He has good cardio, and heavy hands. McCray is in for a heck of a fight.

With both contestants being evenly matched in the skill department, one area that looks to tip the scales, is size and reach. Though not as tall as McGees last opponent Brad Tavares, McCray will look to take advantage of the height and reach disparity between them. McGee is going to need to try and grind "Savage" out, and get in close if he gasses, and start throwing bombs to try and put McCray to sleep.

This should be a back and forth fight which will be won by the fighter who wants it more. As evenly as these two are matched, McGee has more experience, and better cardio. Despite the reach disadvantage, he has shown that he can get inside and go to town with dirty boxing, and maybe even get the fight to the ground. I have two predictions for this fight; 1, McGee will win a split decision victory, ans 2, both men will be awarded contracts after the fight.

McGee via Split Decision.

UFC 115

Well, if I learned anything from the previous UFC event, it's to expect the unexpected. Since I've started this blog, I've rarely had a week as bad as last week, even though I went 2-3 in my picks, I completely missed how the fights got from point A to point B. If nothing else, it proves the unpredictability of the MMA fight game.

On to my picks, lets see if I can rebound!

Carlos "Natural Born Killer" Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
welterweight (170)

Condit had to pull out of his last scheduled fight due to injury, and hasn't competed since September. He's gone 1-1 in the organization, after running roughshod over the WEC as the welterweight champion of Zuffas siter MMA organization. MacDonald is undefeated in ten professional bouts, with all wins coming via KO, TKO, or submission. Only of those fights has been in the UFC, but this young canadian is quickly becoming a name of note amongst the 170 pounders.

Condit has nasty submissions, solid striking, and as his fight against Jake Ellenberger showed, a tough chin, and amazing heart. He has yet to show much of the first two in the UFC, but with his injury behind him, he's looking to make a big impression, and start moving back towards title contention.

MacDonald is a tough, well rounded fighter. He likes to finish fights, and has yet to be really tested in his MMA career. A submission fighter earlier in his career, he's started to add devastating striking to supplement his grappling, and is on his way to becoming a welterweight terror.

This fight comes down to experience. MacDonald has ten fights under his belt, but is a just over a month away from his 21st birthday. Condit is only 26, but has three times as many fights on his resume. With an impressive 24-5 record, the more stunning thing, is that only thrre of those fights have gone to decision. This fight is going to end before the judges have anything to say about it, and Condits experience, and grappling acumen will hand the young Canadian his first loss, but we will be hearing a lot about him in the future.

Condit via submission (rear naked choke), Rd. 2

"Big" Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert "The Hurricane" Yvel
heavyweight (205-265)

This is probably a loser gets cut fight. Despite the fact that they each lost their last fight to fighters in title contention, they're each seasoned veterans, who can ill afford to start a losing streak. Rothwell got absolutely pummeled by the man who will most likely be the next in line for the heavyweight strap, Cain Velasquez. Yvel got knocked into next week by top ten ranked heavyweight Junior Dos Santos. No shame in losing to those fighters at all, but if you want to keep your job, rebounding from a loss in a big way is how you gotta do it.

Rothwell is a former IFL heavyweight champ, and has great grappling skills to complement his decent striking. Yvel is a kickboxing nightmare, but also a PR nightmare. Biting other fighters, illegal blows, and punching a referee litter his list of transgressions. When he can pull it all together, his striking skills are truly a sight to behold. However, his ground skills are nearly nonexistant, and despite Rothwells pedestrian takedown ability, when this fight hits the mat, Yvel is at a big disadvantage.

Both fighters were interesting additions to the UFC heavyweight devision when they were signed. Rothwell has more to gain from a win, and more to win from a loss. Yvels best days are behind him, but his bizarre in ring history will always make him an attraction, alongside his brutal KO power in his hands and feet. Expect Rothwell to close the distance quickly, avoid the dutchmans power, and try for either a submission, or TKO win. My head says submission in the second.

Rothwell via submission (guillotine choke) Rd. 2

Paulo Thiago vs Martin "Hitman" Kampmann
welterweight (170)

NOOOOO! The "Hitman" nickname returns! Joking aside, Kampmann makes his first appearance since he had to withdraw from his last fight after suffering from one of the nastiest cuts I've ever seen. Google it if you dare, but I warn you, it's pretty gnarly. Thiago has gone from relative unknown, to top 5 ranked welterweight in the world thanks to the domination of Josh Koscheck, and Mike Swick. The winner of this fight could find themselves one or two more wins from being in line for a crack at Georges St. Pierres championship belt.

Thiago is a very talented grappler, and submission oriented fighter, with vastly underrated striking, and a nasty uppercut. Kampmann is a former middleweight who has gone 3-1 since his drop to 170, and has dsiplayed top level skills in every aspect of fighting. He has heavy hands, fast kicks, and a surprisingly stout submission base, but as the tenth ranked welterweight in the world, that comes as no surprise.

Kampmann looked a little lost in his fight with the now jobless Paul Daley, despite not getting dropped, Daley pummeled him relentlessly until the referee stopped the fight. Thiagos lone loss came to welterweight meat grinder Jon Fitch, and he is trying to get within striking distance of GSP.

Kampmann has solid ground skills, but he will want to keep this fight on the feet, and pick Thiago apart with kicks, punches, and force the brazilian to make a mistake. Thiago will use feints and footwork to set up a takedown, where he can go to work with his bjj, and try to coax a submission from the dane. Kampmann will prove too much on the feet, but Thiago wont be finished easily. This fight will go the distance, and "The Hitman" will get a close, but unanimous decision.

Kampmann vis Unanimous Decision.

Patrick "Get Hype" Barry vs. Mirko Cro Cop" Milipovic
heavyweight (205-265)

A dangerous young kickboxer, and an aging highlight machine. Two undersized heavyweights in a division populated by hulking behemoths. Cro Cop needs this fight more than Barry, but Barry is a dynamic striker that despite his short stature, packs knockout power in everything he throws. In a fight that has absolutely no chance of going to the mat, who is getting separated from their senses?

Since coming to the UFC, Cro Cop has been a shadow of the fighter he was in Pride, even in his wins. Supposedly when he returned after being cut from his first stint with the company, he was suffering from a bad knee injury. He claims to be fully healed, and vowes to be ready to start dispensing head kicks and highlights.

Barry is 2-1 in the UFC, but was darn close to being 3-0. With chainsaw-like leg kicks, a stout chin, and extremely fast hands, Barry is rapidly becoming a fan favorite. His KO of the Night, and Fight of the Night scrap with Antoni Hardonk was an instant classic, and he hopes to bring home some more extra cash by doing to Cro Cop what the croatian did for most of the early 2000s.

I want to believe that the old Cro Cop is back, and that we'll finally get the "OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH" inducing headkick we've been waiting for since his arrival in the UFC. I just think that for whatever reasons, he's lost the desire to compete, and as my close friend has been saying for a while now "He's no longer Cro Cop, he's simply Mirko Filipovic." Phoenix, I couldn't agree more. On top of all this, Barry is younger, healthier, and hungrier. I also foresee him being winning-er. Barry wins by giving the judges no choice but to award him the split decision.

Barry via Split Decision

Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell vs Rich "Ace" Franklin
lightheavyweight (205)

Franklin is a replacement for Tito Ortiz since the former UFC champ had to have neck surgery and pulled out of the mildly compelling, and somewhat unecessary fight. The addition of "Ace" makes it a more interesting fight, if not particularly relevant.

Franklin hasn't fought since his catchweight loss to Vitor Belfort in September, and hasn't fought at 205 since defeating Matt Hamill in September of 2008. Liddell is a year removed from his last bout, and is 1-4 in his last five fights. Both fighters claim they're trying to make a run at the 205 championship, but Franklin has the more realistic chance of the two.

At this point in his career, Liddell has lost the hand speed that made him such a counter punching nightmare, and doesn't have as stern takedown defense as he once did. Franklin has under appreciated ground skills, but he wont need to get the fight down there to win. With well rounded striking, all "Ace" needs to do is avoid the nuclear overhand right that Liddell can still drop anyone with, and stick to combos, leg and body shots, and he can get the win. Franklin will pepper the former champ with jabs, hooks, and frustrate him to the tune of all the judges agreeing. "The Iceman" should retire, but there are still some interesting fights out there if he decides to keep the gloves on.

Franklin via Unanimous Decision