UFC 127 Preview

Since I have been blogging about UFC, I don't think I've ever seen a card I have been so unenthusiastic about. I'm definitely not paying for this, and I may even watch the Ring of Honor iPPV rather than this. It's not the main event so much as the undercard that bores me to tears (aside from Noke-Camozzi).

Welterweight bout: B.J. Penn (16-7-1) vs. Jon Fitch (23-3)

So we have the legendary BJ Penn taking on Jon Fitch. Penn gets the hunger here, as he has won three of his last 5. And those two losses are at the hands of the same person: the current champion who beat Penn, Frankie Edgar. I'm sure Penn would love his redemption against Edgar for the trilogy. Fitch has fought in 8 straight decisions, losing 1. I always am going to favor a fighter who can win by submission or KO more than decision. The only caveat is that Penn's last two losses were both decisions.

Winner: Penn

Middleweight bout: Michael Bisping (20-3) vs. Jorge Rivera (19-7)

I make no mystery about my personal disdain for Michael Bisping. I think he's the worst human being in MMA. It does not mean he isn't a good fighter, which makes me hate him so much more because I have to admit he's good. I like Jorge Rivera, a military man who has very crazy eyes. Rivera does actually have the momentum winning 4 of his last 5, as opposed to Bisping's 3. The numbers say to go with Rivera, but I'm going to go with Bisping as long as he's still Michael Bisping.

Winner: Bisping

Lightweight bout: George Sotiropoulos (14-2) vs. Dennis Siver (17-7)

Sotiropoulos is getting the rare chance to fight a UFC fight in his home nation. He will have the hometown advantage & the better win/loss record. He also has the momentum with 8 wins in a row. Siver is 6 for his last 7. What I like about Siver is that he has a wider range of victories than the Aussie.

Winner: Siver

Welterweight bout: Chris Lytle (30-17-5) vs. Brian Ebersole (46-14-1)

This should be a pretty interesting fight. These are two well-experienced veterans. Ebersole has fought 62 MMA fights in 30 years. What had you done by the time you were 30? (Here's a hint for me: I hadn't fought in 62 MMA fights.) How do you pick a winner here? My pick will be Lytle based on more fights in the higher caliber stage.

Winner: Lytle

Middleweight bout: Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Chris Camozzi (14-3)

This fight will be hard for me to be unbiased, so bear with me. I'm a big Camozzi fan, mostly for being a follower of Team Darius, and one that I introduced him to. I also like Kyle Noke from their season on The Ultimate Fighter together. Both are coming off 4-fight win streaks. I'm going to go with Noke because he's fighting in his home country.

Winner: Noke