UFC Fight Night 35 Rockhold vs Philippou Predictions

Kingdom MMA: UFC Fight Night 35 Main Card Predictions

by Ben Heather @benheather and Sam Heard @SamHeard_

On Wednesday night the UFC goes back to home soil for the first event in the USA of 2014 and the fans are treated to some great matchmaking in most of the fights on this card. Which will lead to us all being able to watch some high calibre fighting..... even if it is on a school night.

A lot is on the line at the top of the card as well, both Luke Rockhold and Costa Philippou could put themselves in the mix with a win on Wednesday but more importantly a loss for either fighter would severely damage their reputation and chance at ever getting a shot at middleweight gold.

Below you can find the predictions for what some of the guys at Kingdom MMA expect to happen on Wednesday night.

Luke Rockhold (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs Costas Philippou (12-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) 

Sam: I found the fact that Philippou had been given this main event given how disappointing he was in his last fight where he was dominated by Francis Carmont. Philippou is the sort of fighter who can beat the Jorge Rivera's and Riki Fukuda's of the world but as soon as he moves up the ladder to fighting tougher competition he falls short. Luke Rockhold can certainly be placed in this category of ‘tougher competition’. I fully expect Rockhold to have his way with Philippou here and beat him inside the distance. Rockhold has fought in five round fights multiple times while Philippou has not, Rockhold’s ground game is far better than that of Carmont which was able to stifle Philippou in his last outing and Rockhold has a reach advantage to keep Philippou on the outside on the feet. I think a lot of people overestimate Philippou’s knockout power and I really think Rockhold will be able to showcase his full arsenal of skills here after his disappointing UFC debut against Belfort.

Prediction: Luke Rockhold by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in Round 4

Ben: this is one of the few times a UFC main event is between two fighters coming off a loss, recent events i can remember that also both came in off a loss were Diaz vs Maynard and Shogun vs Sonnen in August. That being said I only see one winner in this fight. 

I feel Costa Philippou may be one of the more over rated fighters on the books of the UFC and a loss against Rockhold will take him back to fighting the calibre of fighters I feel he should be fighting. 

Luke Rockhold has fought the better opponents and has experience of fighting and winning 5 round battles beating top fighter Jacare and Tim Kennedy back in Strikeforce. I believe on Wednesday night we will see the Rockhold the fans enjoyed watching fight in Strikeforce and he will become the first man to finish Philippou.

Prediction: Rockhold by Submission Round 3

Lorenz Larkin (14-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs Brad Tavares (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) 

Sam: Larkin looked very impressive in his last fight and I fully expect him to get the win here. His high-level striking should be more than enough to chip away at Brad Tavares to get the decision win, though I don’t think he is a natural finisher. Tavares will be looking to get takedowns early in the round and neutralise Larkin’s striking by keeping him there. The issue with this is that Larkin has very good takedown defence. I don’t expect this fight to be hugely competitive and I can’t see Tavares troubling Larkin.

Prediction: Lorenz Larkin by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Ben: This is my big underdog pick. Tavares has been on a roll of late picking up four wins on the roll and now is stepping up the level of opponent. Last time out he continued his decision win streak making that four in a row as he beat Bubba McDaniel without doing too much or being tested himself. It ended up being a bit of a give me fight and this time out he really will be tested.

Larkin comes in to this fight having fought a far greater calibre of fighters and this may well be the difference in this fight. If he can use that experience he may well be able to nullify the game plan of Tavares.

I still believe Larkin should have a perfect record and the judges scored his fight wrongly against Carmont but I don't think it will be his night on Wednesday.

Prediction: Brad Tavares by Split Decision

T.J. Dillashaw (8-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) vs Mike Easton (13-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) 

Sam: A clash of two of the UFC’s rising Bantamweights who have recently hit ruts in their career. While I think both these fighters are promising, Mike Easton can sometimes be worryingly inactive which is a problem against someone like Dillashaw who likes to push the pace. This has resulted in Easton losing his last two fights by decision. I don’t expect him to break this losing streak on Wednesday. Dillashaw is a high-tempo fighter and – like the whole of Team Alpha Male – is bound to have benefited with more time training under Ludwig.

Prediction: T.J Dillashaw by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Ben: I think TJ is a great fighter and he will be looking to bounce back from a very close loss to Asscuncao in Brazil towards the end of last year. TJ has the makings of a potential future champ at 135lbs and with the backing of Team Alpha Male he could go all the way.

Mike Easton is a fun fighter and always comes to put on a show for the fans and I think this fight with TJ will allow him the opportunity and the opponent to do that with. I just feel that as the younger fighter TJ will be able to get the better of these exchanges.

Prediction: T.J Dillashaw by Unanimous Decision

Yoel Romero Palacio (6-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs Derek Brunson (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) 

Sam: This is an awful match up for Brunson. Though he won his last fight on the feet, Brunson is normally a wrestler who tends to smother his opponents; he is very unlikely to be able to beat the Olympic wrestler at his own game. I also think Romero has a big advantage on the feet where he is stronger, faster, more creative and generally much more athletic than the somewhat sluggish Brunson. I think Romero should have little trouble continuing his record of TKO wins in this fight.

Prediction: Yoel Romero by TKO (strikes) Round 2.

Ben: Romero is an absolute wrecking machines 6 wins, 6 knockouts!! Unfortunately for Brunson I don't see his win/ KO ratio changing as he makes it 7-7 on Wednesday night.

Prediction: Yoel Romero by KO Round 1

John Moraga (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs Dustin Ortiz (12-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) 

Sam: In what is in my opinion likely to be the FOTN, two extremely exciting flyweight prospects meet. Though bookies have Moraga down as a reasonable sized favourite I believe this fight could be a lot closer than what we might think. Ortiz looked very impressive in his UFC debut, however Moraga is a big step up in competition for him. Clearly Moraga was not ready for his title shot as he came up short against Demetrius, though credit has to be given to him for surviving till the 5th round. I think he will look to avoid Ortiz’ power shots by taking him down and looking for the submission but will ultimately win a competitive decision.

Prediction: John Moraga by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Ben: I see Moraga using his skills which earned him a title shot to win this fight. He has proved in his three fights in the UFC that he can finish fights with wins by KO and submission in the UFC. He also lasted nearly the full 5 rounds against Demetrious Johnson, although it wasn't close for most of the fight. I think in this fight we will see Moraga return to showcase why he got that shot.

Ortiz like Moraga made a big impact on his UFC debut winning by KO, beating Jose Maria Tome. I think though that the step up between Tome and Moraga may be too much although I think it certainly has the ability to be a fun fight for the fans between two flyweights who have knockout power. It's not everyday you hear that about a flyweight bout.

Prediction: John Moraga by Unanimous Decision

Sam Sicilia (12-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs Cole Miller (20-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC)

Sam: For some reason there is an awful lot of hype around Miller at the moment leading to him being the bookies favourite but I must say my lean is Sicilia here. Not only does Sam in my opinion have the better wrestling but he certainly has a huge advantage in hitting power. Historically when Miller has faced heavy handed guys he gets tagged early and – while not being finished – fights too tentatively for the remaining rounds. As long as Sicilia can deal with Miller’s sizeable reach advantage and if he does go for a takedown remains wary of Miller’s superior submission game I believe he’ll get the win here.

Prediction: Sam Sicilia by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Ben: If Sam can get inside the big reach advantage that Miller will have then he will be able to get off a few clean shots in the first round. Once he has felt the power of Sicilia he won't want to be involved in that again and back up which is where the wrestling advantage of Sicilia will come in to play as he gets the fight to the ground keeping Miller there while controlling top position with ground and pound to bring home a unanimous decision victory.

The only way I see Cole Miller winning this fight is if he manages to get the fight on the ground and repeat what he did to Andy Ogle where he didn't do much but enough to keep the fight on the floor for two rounds. I just don't see this happening.

Prediction: Sam Sicilia by Unanimous Decision

UFC Fight Night 35: Rockhold vs Philippou Preview

Kingdom MMA Previews UFC Fight Night 35

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

Wednesday night will see the UFC’s first event on home shores of the year with UFC Fight Night 35: Rockhold vs Philippou, live from Duluth, Georgia. Though this card may not on the surface look as stacked as some of the oncoming events in terms of title fights or superstar fighters, there are several matches whose outcomes will have a great effect on the divisions in question. Here is Kingdom MMA’s take on the main card’s match-ups, what to look out for and what a win will mean for the fighters involved:

Sam Sicilia (12-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs Cole Miller (20-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC)

It took just 1:42 for Sam Sicilia to put an end to his two fight skid by getting the TKO win over Godofredo Castro in Brazil, in a fight he probably needed to win to avoid being cut from the UFC. Now he will meet Cole Miller whose stock has also risen after putting a bold full-stop on a losing streak.

After Cole Miller’s win over Andy Ogle in Manchester he tried calling out huge-prospect Conor McGregor; instead he has been pitted against Sicilia, though a win here will definitely bring the towering Featherweight a step closer to the fight he asked for.

John Moraga (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs Dustin Ortiz (12-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)

Until a few days ago former flyweight title-contender John Moraga had been demoted to the Prelims on what is a fairly mediocre card. This seemed a little harsh on a fighter who survived 4 rounds with Demetrious Johnson who is now considered to be a top five p4p fighter – indeed Joseph Benavidez survived for only a minute in the cage with Mighty Mouse and it would be inconceivable to see him on the undercard. Thankfully now the well rounded lightweight has been moved up to the main card. In a division which is becoming increasingly stacked with talent Moraga needs a win to keep himself in top 10 contention.

Dustin Ortiz showed none of the Octagon jitters often shown by UFC newcomers as he displayed the knockout power which got him his place in the sport’s premier promotion with a third round TKO win over Jose Maria Tome. A bout against a man coming straight off a title-fight represents a huge step up in competition for him – if Ortiz is able to pick up a win he will doubtless be considered in the top ten 10 flyweight mix.

Yoel Romero Palacio (6-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs Derek Brunson (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC)

Yoel Romero has been impressive in the UFC, picking up both his wins in the distance via TKO. In his last fight he showed some creative striking to compliment his Olympic-wrestling pedigree. However, question marks were raised over his cardio, as well as some dangerous disregard for his opponent. For the first time in his career Romero found himself in the third round and had certainly slowed down a great deal – it is hardly surprising given his huge muscular frame. If Romero picks up another win he should be given a stab at fighting a top middleweight.

Derek Brunson last fought on the Early Prelims of the same card as Romero and was able to quickly submit athletic youngster Brian Houston after rocking him on the feet. Brunson has clear power in his striking which could be pivotal if Romero continues to showboat and drop his hands as he did in his last outing. Though Romero isn’t the biggest challenge Brunson has faced as he fought (and lost to) Jacare in Strikeforce, a win here would really put him on the map.

T.J. Dillashaw (8-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) vs Mike Easton (13-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC)

Team Alpha Male’s T.J. Dillashaw looks to get his career back on track after picking up his second career loss after a narrow split-decision went to Brazilian veteran Raphael Assuncao. If Dillashaw wishes to keep his #9 Bantamweight ranking on Sherdog he really needs the win; he will seek to do this by mixing up the heavy hands and explosive wrestling skills which have come to define Team Alpha Male fighters.

Dillashaw and Mike Easton share the dubious record of having been on the wrong side of the judges’ scorecard when fighting Raphael Assuncao, though Easton’s loss was deemed a unanimous one. His last fight was a split-decision loss to the immeasurably tough Brad Pickett. Easton, whose fight career started way back in 2003, needs a win here to avoid the dreaded 3 fight skid and probable expulsion from the UFC.

Lorenz Larkin (14-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs Brad Tavares (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC)

Hugely talented striker Lorenz Larkin will be looking to get his first UFC stoppage in this next Octagon outing. In his UFC debut Francis Carmont was able to out wrestle Larkin and ‘lay-and-pray’ on his way to an unexciting decision while in his most recent fight Larkin got a decision victory over Chris Camozzi in a fight many people believed he would be able to win in the distance. Larkin will hope to step-up his game in this co-main event context to finally pick up a KO in the UFC.

Brad Tavares will doubtless have studied Carmont’s victory over Larkin with the hope of implementing a similar game plan against the dangerous striker. Since 2012, Tavares has built up a great deal of momentum winning four out of four fights and will seek to make it five against a more difficult opponent.

Luke Rockhold (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs Costas Philippou (12-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC)

We all remember Luke Rockhold’s disappointing UFC debut where he suffered a first round highlight-reel worthy knockout to Vitor Belfort in a fight were bookies believed him to be the favourite. Rockhold is at a weird junction in his career; he is very much the forgotten man in the middleweight division as people are more excited about the likes of Jacare Souza and Tim Kennedy even though Rockhold has beaten both these Strikeforce vets. A win in this main event, particularly in impressive fashion, will have people talking about Rockhold again for the right reasons and should secure him a top-level opponent in his next fight.

Much like Lorenz Larkin, Costas Philippou is another dangerous striker to have found himself laid upon by Francis Carmont en route to a decision loss. Philippou will have to be wary as Rockhold is arguably a more versatile wrestler than Carmont and has a slick submission game to accompany it. Philippou will be looking to defend Rockhold’s takedown attempts and try to test the chin which looked so vulnerable against Belfort. Philippou, who was once an amateur boxer, is heavy handed and could certainly pull off the upset against the former Strikeforce champion. 

Kingdom MMA Awards 2013: KO of the Year

Kingdom MMA KO of the Year Award 2013: Vitor Belfort
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Everyone loves a great knockout, and 2013 was full of them.

From Mark Hunt’s jaw-breaking knockout of Stephan Struve, to Emanuel Newton’s spinning back fist KO of Mo Lawal, to Paul Daley’s uppercut finish of Romario Manoel da Silva, 2013 has been a beauty. But in the year of the head kick KO, Kingdom MMA’s knock out of the year goes to Vitor Belfort, for his spinning heel kick knockout of Luke Rockhold.

There was some great kick Knockouts in 2013, with Chinzo Michada returning to the cage with a devastating flying knee, and Uriah Hall knocking out Adam Cella with a spinning hook kick but none of these knock out were as impressive as Belfort’s due to the quality of Belfort’s opponent.

Luke Rockhold entered the UFC as the last Strikeforce middleweight champion, and as so was billed as a contender for the UFC Middleweight title. In less than 3 minutes Belfort shattered Rockhold’s UFC title aspirations and ensured Rockhold would be a highlight real forever.

Thanks for that Belfort, we enjoyed it very much!

Kingdom MMA 2013 Awards: Male Fighter of the Year

Kingdom MMA Male Fighter of the Year Award 2013: Vitor Belfort

by Ben Heather - @benheather

2013 has been a great year for MMA, so many fighters have upped their game and the quality level of MMA has improved so much at all levels. The European shows such as Cage Warriors and BAMMA have put on great shows and the fighters abilities constantly improve with every event. Then you look at the UFC and look at the level of the fighters now to those a few years ago. Its no comparison, the guys now are incredible athletes and have put on a brilliant year of fighting for us all to enjoy and now we have the hard task of picking just one fighter to call Male fighter of the year.

Anthony Pettis became the lightweight champion, Johny Hendricks believes he deserves to be UFC Welterweight champion and Chris Weidman has twice defeated Anderson Silva. Alexander Gustafsson also pushed Jon Jones all the way but couldn't quite pull off the upset but certainly put on the performance of his life. All in all it has been a great year.

The main contenders for the award were.
Vitor Belfort who rebounded from losing to Jon Jones in his last fight of 2012 to come through three fights in 2013 and finish all of them with head kicks. Next up for Vitor is a title fight with Chris Weidman in 2014.

Demetrious Johnson has dominated his division fighting the best contenders in the division and improving with every single fight. First he easily defeated John Dodson by Unanimous Decision and then he put away top contenders John Moraga and Joseph Benevidez.

But it was clear that this year there could only be one winner and that man was Vitor Belfort.

Vitor Belfort has had possibly the best year of his MMA career which is very impressive as Belfort is now 36. Belfort is always surrounded by controversy whenever he fights due to his continued use of TRT and his previous failed drugs test. However, he is using TRT within the legal limits and until it is banned (I hope) can continue to. After all, the skills he has shown this year and the fighters he has beaten can not all be down to him using TRT.

In three fights in the octagon this year Vitor Belfort has put away Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson and has done it in 10 minutes 17 seconds combined. To be able to finish the calibre of fighters he has finished in the method he has is truly amazing. He went in to both the Bisping and the Rockhold fight as the underdog even though both of those fights were in his home country.

The highlight of his year has to be the spinning back kick knockout of Luke Rockhold. The timing was perfect and the skill required to do the move was simply jaw dropping. Which is why we awarded the Knockout our Knockout of 2013.

Vitor then got revenge over Dan Henderson after losing the first fight between the pair when they fought in Pride in October 2006. This time Vitor knocked Henderson out for the first time in his 40 fight career.

People may call him a cheat or argue that he shouldn't be allowed to use TRT but the fact is he is allowed at the minute and based on his performances we award him the Kingdom MMA Male Fighter of Year 2013.

Vitor Belfort vs Lyoto Machida?

Could we see a middleweight battle between the two Brazilians?

by Tommy Strong @strong_tea



Vitor Belfort's next middleweight challenge could very much be Lyoto Machida, which has been rumoured to be a co-main event at UFC 167.

Machida (19-4) who narrowly lost his last fight to Phil Davis only a couple of weeks ago in what some people saw as a controversial result would be making his Middleweight debut if the fight gets the go ahead.

Vitor (23-10) is only looking for big fights after recently turning down a fight with Tim Kennedy. Vitor is coming off back to back wins with stunning TKO victories over Michael Bisping and more recently a devastating spinning heel kick to knockout top contender Luke Rockhold.

Interestingly the fight could take place at the MGM Arena Las Vegas on November 16th where Belfort's TRT exemption probably wouldn't be given the all clear, forcing Belfort to train and fight all 'natural'.

Machida hasn't fought at middleweight before and would be a great addition to the division, especially now as his friend and training partner Anderson Silva no longer holds the belt. Though this may well change come December when Anderson faces Weidman in a much anticipated rematch!

UFC 167 will see Welterweight champion GeorgeSt-Pierre put his belt on the line when he faces Johny Hendricks.

UFC 166 Fight Card Grows By The Hour

Boetsch vs Rockhold and Gonzaga vs Jordan added to UFC 166

by John Haigh @JohnBJayHaigh

The UFC 166 fight card booked for October 19th in Houston Texas is growing fast with two new fights added to the card.
First is a heavyweight bout between Gabriel Gonzaga and Shawn Jordan. Gonzaga (15-7) is in his second UFC tour, having won three of the four bouts since returning to the promotion at UFC 142 in January last year.
Shawn Jordan (15-4) is also on a run of a 3-1 in the Octagon, his last fight was a win over Pat Barry at UFC 161. Both fighters will be looking to make an impression on the already stacked Heavyweight division knowing that a win here could pit them against the elite of the division next time out.
Also added to the Houston fight card is Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Boetsch. Rockhold (12-2) is former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and made the move to the UFC in January when Strikeforce closed its doors. He was welcomed to the octagon by Vitor Belfort on May 18, 2013 in the main event at UFC on FX 8. He lost the fight via a brutal spinning headkick knockout in the first round, after being caught with a spinning heel kick to the face.

Tim Boestsch (16-6) comes in to this fight having lost his last two fights, before that he had been on a four fight win streak. His most recent loss was to the returning Mark Munoz at UFC 162 in July.

Both fighters could be fighting for their jobs given that there are still too many fighters on the UFC’s books so will be looking to put on the performance we all know they can and have in the past.
UFC 166 is headlined by the trilogy fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.

UFC on FX 8 Main Card Predictions

Kingdom MMA: UFC on FX 8 Main Card Predictions

by Chris Houten @KingdomMMAChris, Tommy Strong @Strong_tea and Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

On Saturday night we will see a middleweight battle with potential title implications as Vitor Belfort and Luke Rockhold fight in Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

A lot of the talk before this fight has been about Vitor fighting again outside the USA and using TRT, something which if he was to fight in the USA probably would not be approved. On top of this both Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza make their UFC debuts and Chris Camozzi gets to test his skills against a top 10 ranked opponent for the first time, all in all it makes for an interesting night of fights.

Below you will find the predictions from some of the guys at Kingdom MMA for the main card.

Vitor Belfort (22-10) #2 MW vs Luke Rockhold (10-1) #5 MW

Jack: I see this being very similar to Belfort-Bisping. If it goes past the 1st round or 2nd Rockhold should take over and have the gas tank to win a comfortable decision. Can he stay away from the Vitor flurry though. I don't think he can. When Vitor lands he hurts you. When he hurts you he moves in for the kill.

Prediction: Belfort by TKO Round 2

Tommy: Just to say from the off, this event really isn't floating my boat! As I slap my face to keep myself awake, not just because of the lack of sleep from a new born child, but mostly due to the underwhelming card.

This is a massive step up for Luke, he hasn't fought anyone with the class of Belfort before. His last win was a decision win over Tim Kennedy, this will be like day and night in calibre of fighters. I was slightly amazed to see Luke being a slight favourite for this fight, I feel he has it all to do come Saturday night.

That being said, I written off a lot of ex-Strikeforce fighters before and they have made a massive impact in the UFC already. As much as i would like to see Belfort lose , I just don't see it. Belfort for me is better in pretty much every department, if Luke can keep it at range and wait for Belfort to tire he stands a chance, though that's easier said than done. Bisping tried the same tactics and ended up TKO'd.

Prediction: Belfort by KO Round 2

Chris: Is Vitor Belfort the best middleweight in the world right now? No, Anderson Silva is, but at this point it's really hard to argue against Vitor at number 2.

In his last 4 fights be destroyed Akiyama, submitted a solid opponent in Rumble Johnson, knocked out a top 5 middleweight in Michael Bisping and came the closest anyone has come to beating Jon Jones.

His opponent Luke Rockhold is an athletic guy and as a fighter he is pretty good at everything. While he holds a win over a fighter with a similar style as Belfort in Jacare, Belfort represents Rockhold's biggest test to date, and to win this fight he will need to stick and move, avoid the big shots and berserker style Belfort employs, and drag Belfort in to the later rounds...... All that while not letting the nerves of being in the main event in his UFC debut, or the crowd get to him.

That being said i think it will all be a little too much for Rockhold, and I like Belfort here. I think the quality he has produced recently has been overshadowed by his TRT use in recent fights, and he ends this fight early, much to the pleasure of the crowd.... And god.

Prediction: Belfort by TKO Round 2

Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (17-3-1) #8 MW vs Chris Camozzi (19-5)

Jack: This is a tough fight for Camozzi. Souza on paper is better wherever the fight goes. Look for Souza to make a name for himself and put himself into contention talks

Prediction: Souza by Submission Round 1

Tommy: Disappointed that Costa Philippou had to withdraw from the fight, this would've been a great match up with Souza. Now I feel its going to be a damp squid! Souza really impressed me with his win over Ed Herman back in January.

Camozzi isn't a fighter that impresses me and I thought he was lucky to get the decision win over Nick Ring in his last fight. Souza has excellent Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and vastly improved striking which will make it a bad night for Camozzi.

Prediction: Souza by Submission Round 3

Chris: I like to think a man is most dangerous when he has nothing to lose, which will be the case for Camozzi on Saturday night. He is fighting a BJJ legend in his homeland who is better in every department.

If Camozzi pulls off the upset fair play to him, and fair play to you if you get him at the general price of 9/2, but I see this one ending in an early night for Chris Camozzi.

Prediction: Souza by Submission Round 2

Rafael Dos Anjos (18-6) #10 LW vs Evan Dunham (14-3)

Tommy: I really like this match up, this could be FOTN. I'm really struggling to pick a winner in this fight. Both are very good fighters and I favour Rafael slightly especially if he can get the fight to the ground.
You know with Dunham, he will come to fight and it will take a good performance by Rafael to get the win.

I keep changing my mind over the outcome of this fight, but I will go with my head and and not my heart pick Dos Anjos to get a narrow win.

Prediction: Dos Anjos by Submission Round 3

Jack: Dunham is tough but he's a slow starter. Always picks it up and appears in exciting match ups. This should be no different. Dos Anjos is a gamer as well and I think he has enough about him to win at least 2 of the 3 rounds.

Prediction: Dos Anjos by Decision

Chris: Put your hands up if you don't this this will be fight of the night.... yeah, didn't think there would be any. As with every Evan Dunham fight this battle has war written all over it.

This fight is pretty much a pick em to be honest but I'm siding with Dos Anjos.

I have been impressed with the radical improvements he is making between fights, and I expect him to come out more aggressive (wouldn't you if you were fighting to the sound of 15k Brazilians chanting "Tu vai morrer") and keep Dunham on the back foot most of the fight.

Prediction: Dos Anjos by Unanimous Decision

Rafael Natal (15-4-1) vs Joao Zeferino (13-4)

Tommy: Zeferino (13-4) will be making his UFC debut this weekend and not knowing much (well anything) about him he's coming into the fight on the back off a 7 fight win streak, with 9 of his 13 of wins coming via submission.

Natal himself also has a impressive win percentage of submissions. 8 of his 15 wins coming via sub. So I expect we will have a stand up battle on our hands. In that case I'm picking Natal to get a stoppage with the knowledge I have on him.

Prediction: Natal by TKO Round 2

Jack: I don't know a whole deal about Zeferino. After a bit of research he has excellent BJJ. I haven't been impressed with Natal's ufc career to date. There could be a shock on the cards here.

Prediction: Zeferino by Submission Round 2

Chris: Like Jack I can't say I'm particularly blown away by Natal either, although I do think he is reasonably well rounded, and has the still set to stop take downs and avoid submission attempts from grappler Zeferino.

Prediction: Natal by Unanimous Decision

5 UFC fights to watch in the next 6 weeks

5 Fights To Look Out For In The Near Future

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

With a break in the UFC schedule I thought I would take a look at the fights upcoming with some maybe flying under the radar. We have been spoilt lately with UFC events the last few weekends. These are my 5 must watch fights that take place over the next 6 weeks and I have tried to avoid picking the obvious matches and main events. However some main events do deserve inclusion here.

1. Junior Dos Santos v Mark Hunt
For me the co main event of the heavyweight double bill at UFC 160 is the more intriguing fight. Can Mark Hunt's fairy tale rise back up the rankings continue? Can Dos Santos get back into contention after a brutal beatdown and losing his title last time out? It's going to be great whilst it lasts either way!

2.Antonio Nogueira v Fabricio Werdum
What has Nogueira got left in the tank? This kind of fight should suit him stylistically. His boxing ability means this almost certainly will end up as jiu jitsu battle. Is Werdum the real deal and the next title contender many think he is? The 2 BJJ experts go at it in Brazil in June.

3. Gray Maynard v TJ Grant
The winner of this fight will meet Benson Henderson for the chance to win Lightweight gold. Gray Maynard is always a solid contender at the top of the division and Grant has rose very quickly with a string of not only good wins but very good performances to go with them. Can he get past his biggest test to date to get that elusive title shot?

4. Vitor Belfort v Luke Rockhold
If Belfort keeps winning in the fashion he is the UFC can't keep denying him another title shot. He's running through top contenders. Rockhold comes over from Strikeforce as the last Middleweight champion. Can he defeat Belfort and set up his own title shot? It would be hard to argue against the winner being granted a title shot whoever that might be.

5. Rashad Evans v Dan Henderson
Lets face it both men are coming off hugely disappointing losses. Henderson was supposed to fight Jon Jones for the Light Heavyweight title and instead got injured. He lost to Lyoto Machida instead in a very boring fight. An unmotivated  Rashad Evans surprisingly lost to little Nog and that's what makes this fight so exciting. Both men badly need to get back into the win column if they have serious title aspirations. Who wants it more at this stage of their career?