Facebook Prelims
There is really no reason that you should miss free fights on facebook. First of all, you know you are on facebook at the time anyway. It is 6pm on a Saturday. Get yourself some pregame beers, order in or cook something up and log on. The preliminary card is solid top to bottom but two fights really catch my attention.
Mike Pierce is riding a three-fight win streak into the cage against Johnny Hendricks. Hendricks is a hot commodity at 170 pounds since beating Amir Sadollah in his UFC debut. Since that fight Hendricks has gone 4-1 with his only lose coming to fellow prospect Rick Story. Mike Pierce isn’t just streaking; he will represent a significant obstacle to Hendricks’ climb. Both men are strong wrestlers and Pierce looks like the bigger, stronger man. Many fans might fear a wrestling snoozefest with this fight but that’s not what it’s adding up to. I suspect that neither will be able to impose their will grappling and will turn to striking. There is a really good chance that this goes all 15 minutes but don’t expect boredom.
The other significant bout is somewhat baffling to me. It is hands down the most absurd fight of the facebook prelims, not because it is in any way shape or form abnormal in itself, but because it warrants a more prominent position on the card. Mike Brown vs Nam Phan is one hell of a fight, no matter how you cut it. Brown is a former champion at 145 pounds and was the man who sent Faber packing to the next weight class down. An apparent string of personal problems have led him to a meager 3-4 record since those glory days but Brown has huge knockout power for his size and strong wrestling that keeps his opponents in check. On the other side of the cage stands one of the few Ultimate Fighter alumni that I have been impressed with recently. Phan’s record as of late wont impress anyone but he put on a great performance against Leonard Garcia (a fight many, including myself, think he won) and he demonstrated an impressive skill set as well as an capacity to improve while on the show. This is a huge opportunity for Phan to show that he is for real and for Brown to show that he is still a top featherweight. Both men are exciting and have the ability to finish. Tune in to see two exciting, top quality fighters at crossroads in their respective careers.
Spike TV Prelims
The Spike TV Prelims also sport two fights that I think deserve main card status. In addition to being more free fights Spike TV is going to be showing you a top contender at 145 pounds and a risingstar at 205.
Chad Mendes (pictured) is undefeated. He is 10-0 at 145 pounds, a division running out of contenders for its gold goose, Jose Aldo. He is one of the most promising young fighters in the division and at UFC 133 he finds himself with a chance to take a huge step towards a title shot. He has to get past Rani Yahya, who is coming off of the biggest win of his career against the aforementioned Mike Brown. This will be a classic case of wrestler vs submission expert but the ramifications make this a whole lot more. There is a good chance you are going to see one of these guys in a number one contenders fight very soon and with so much to gain and not a whole lot to lose, both men should be ready to leave it all in the cage.
You remember that def fighter that everyone talks about? He got his ass handed to him by Rampage Jackson and they are making a movie about him… you know the guy. Well he is fighting on Spike TV and wowy zowy is it awesome. Matt Hamill took the fight on short notice and his reward for throwing the UFC a bone here is a fight with rising star Alexander Gustafsson. Gustafsson is one of my favorite young fighters right now, well rounded and with a propensity for excitement. He is embarking on a huge step upin competition against Hamill, who can’t afford a second strait lose. Gustafsson is going to try to make a splash in the division a division constantly in flux, while Hamill tries to get back on track in the win column.
Main Card
I am not going to bullshit you. There are only three fights on the main card that warrant being there and there are only three fights on the main card that I am going to bother talking about. The other fights could be exciting and if your tuning into the main card you might as well not skip them but they are of little to no consequence and my interest in them is negligible at best.
If you want to show off how much you know about MMA just start talking about Rory MacDonald (Pictured) and then casually predict that he is a future champion in the works. This will be impressive because it is true and in a couple of years you will be showered with compliments and dubbed the guy who knows the most about “ultimate fighting” in the room. MacDonald is the real deal folks. He may only be 2-1 in the UFC but his only lose came to a guy you might have heard tell of – Carlos Condit. Truth be told, MacDonald was winning that fight until Condit out of nowhere decided to hulk out and spoil Rory’s coming out party. Our young blue chipper in question runs into Mike Pyle at UFC 133 and as much as I just talked MacDonald up I must now warn you that Pyle is more than capable of spoiling the festivities. Pyle is a worker, a veteran, and one hell of a fighter. This fight is going to go everywhere and should be nothing if it isn’t electrifying. It has fight of the night written all over it and will either be a huge step forward for MacDonald or an attention stealing upset for Pyle.
Yoshihiro Akiyama and Vitor Belfort (pictured) are going to hit each other in their respective heads… hard. That is more or less all you need to know about it. Vitor is one of the most stunning strikers in MMA and Akyama has some serious power in his hands. The stakes are raised by the fact that it might actually be Akyama’s best bet to throw leather and swing for the fences. Some question Vitor’s chin and think this is just the fight the Japanese superstar needs to get back on track in the UFC. With Akyama on a two-fight skid this could be his last stand. Vitor on the other hand needs to prove he isn’t a fluke, but given his erratic fight record I don’t see him shaking that label anytime soon. Smart money is on Belfort but smarter money is on a finish.
Tito Ortiz… Tito, Tito, Tito. What else can you say really? Tito Ortiz (pictured) is an enigma wrapped in a riddle snuggled into a box of what the hell is going on. Tito Ortiz is kind of like a heel in wrestling in the late 90s. Everyone is pretty sure they are supposed to root against him, almost positive. However when his career was on the line against Ryan Bader I couldn’t help but root for him. Now that the overexcited MMA hype-machine is back behind him I can’t help but keep rooting for him. Let’s face it, he shouldn’t be able to beat Rashad Evans, who considered one of the top fighters in the division while Tito is past his prime, right? One look at Tito’s record will let you know that he has never been given an easy opponent in his life, particularly in the last 5 years. A quick look at Ortiz vs Evans part one will further blur the issue. Tito might have won the fight outright had he not held the cage. While men are different fighters today but I think both are better fighters. Add the fact that Rashad Evans is preparing to face his third opponent in the same training camp and transitioning from his longtime home at Greg Jackson’s camp and you have quite a different looking fight on your hand. The winner of this COULD be the next contender for the UFC Light Heavyeweight Championship. The trash-talk has been good for its share of amusement and the fight should top it by a margin.
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