Saturday, March 19, 2011

UFC 128 Preview

UFC 128 actually looks to be a decent event developing. It has 3 fights I'm really looking forward to and one that really fascinates me (to see what Shalorus does with the new test of Jim Miller and the big stage of the UFC).
Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Maurício Rua (19-4) (c) vs. Jon Jones (12-1)
This is a main event to trump all main events. "Bones" Jones is on fire and has a rocket strapped to him that will propel him out of the galaxy. Bones has one loss in his last 5. And it was a DQ. Shogun is 3 for his last 5. Bones has a greater variety in his wins. Shogun is legendary with victories over Chuck Liddell, Little Nog, Alistair Overeem. Bones looks like he joins the ranks of the Spider & GSP in the pound-for-pound rankings. I'm going with Bones.
Winner: Jones
Bantamweight bout: Urijah Faber (24-4) vs. Eddie Wineland (18-6-1)
Faber is one of the UFC's newest stars, mostly because he was one of WEC's biggest stars. I think this is mostly a stage to showcase one of their biggest stars. Wineland has 4 wins in a row. Faber is 3 of his last 5. Other than that, this fight is pretty much a wash. I know the UFC wants Faber to win because he's their golden boy. But all signs I see point to Wineland taking an upset.
Winner: Wineland
Lightweight bout: Jim Miller (19-2) vs. Kamal Shalorus (7-0-2)
Shalorus is a man you know has some interesting stories. Born in Iran, later granted British citizenship, the guy has lived quite a life. Jim Miller has 6 wins in a row. Shalorus has never lost, but has never fought in the UFC. I really want Shalorus to win, but my gut says to go with Miller. He has more experience on the bigger stage.
Winner: Miller
Heavyweight bout: Mirko Filipović (28-8-2, 1 NC) vs. Brendan Schaub (7-1)
This is perhaps the biggest fight of Schaub's career. After defeating Gabriel Gonzaga, Schaub is rising to a higher caliber in Cro Cop. This is a man that has been the main event on Pay-Per-Views and is a living legend in MMA. If Schaub defeats Cro Cop, he might be looking at Mir or even the loser of Lesnar-Dos Santos. (I'm just speculating.) Schaub is one of the hottest up-and-comers and Cro Cop becomes his next victim.
Winner: Schaub
Middleweight bout: Nate Marquardt (30-10-2) vs. Dan Miller (14-4, 1 NC)
I once predicted Nate "The Great" would be a stepping stone. I'm not making that mistake again. Nate is 3 of his last 5. While Dan is 2 of his last 5, the two wins are his most recent fights. I'd give him the momentum edge. Nate has more experience and is a bigger name, so there might be a little more of an intimidation factor there. I learned my lesson. Always bet on great.
Winner: Marquardt
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