Fight Pastor

UFC 107 Predictions by The Fight Pastor

 

The UFC is making their Memphis debut this weekend. This was originally supposed to be the culmination of the Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans feud. After watching season ten of The Ultimate Fighter, where those two fighters bantered worse than my 9 year old twin boys, it is a bummer that Rampage decided to "retire" from fighting to pursue an "acting career." Fortunately, Rampage has finished filming the A-Team and has decided to come out of retirement. We will be able to see this fight some time next year.

The UFC replaced the TUF coaches battle with a lightweight championship fight between BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez. Overall, this is a pretty good card. That is saying a lot when you consider this is the UFC's third fight card in the last month. Anyways, diet Dr Pepper in hand, Point Break on in the back ground, here are The Fight Pastor's predictions for UFC 107. Enjoy!

Kevin Burns vs TJ Grant

This will be a pretty good fight to start the night off. Both Kevin Burns and TJ Grant like to push the action and usually have exciting brawls. Both fighters need a win to stay in the UFC. The fight will go to the ground but likely end on the feet with Burns pulling off a 2nd round TKO.

DeMarques Johnson vs Edgar Garcia

DeMarques was a favorite to win the finale on his season of TUF. Unfortunately his lack of submission defense cost him in his fight with James Wilks. Edgar Garcia is an ex-WEC fighter with a fairly well-rounded fight game. DeMarques speed is going to be the deciding factor as he wins a close 3 round decision.

Rousimar Palhares vs Lucio Linhares

I am convinced this fight is on the undercard because Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg could never pronounce either one of these guys names. This is a battle between two Brazilian submission fighters. This fight is going to the ground and someone is getting submitted. Lucio has been on a roll leading to this debut in the UFC. I think he is going to submit Rousimar by rear naked choke in round 3.

Johnny Hendricks vs Ricardo Funch

This fight pits a wrestler, Johnny Hendricks, against a jiu jitsu fighter, Ricardo Funch. Hendricks is out to prove his controversial TKO stoppage against, the popular, Amir Sadollah wasn't a fluke. Funch is hoping his UFC debut turns into a UFC career. The fight is going to the ground and is gonna be pretty boring as Hendricks tries to ground and pound Funch in his guard. Funch will try the occasional submission without success. Hendricks wins this fight because he is better on the feet. He pulls off a 3 round decision.

Matt Wiman vs Shane Nelson

Both of these Ultimate Fighter vets have fairly well-rounded MMA skills. Both of these TUF vets are also a loss or two away from ending up in another organization. This has the potential to be a fight of the night contender as both guys are desperate to maintain their minimal amount of relevancy in the sport. I am going with Matt Wiman by decision due to his strength advantage.

Alan Belcher vs Wilson Gouveia

This is an interesting fight because both Belcher and Gouveia can win by knock out or submission. If the fight goes to the ground I think Gouveia will pull this out. If the fight stays standing then Belcher will win. I don't see the fight ending early and I think Gouveia is gonna get baited into a boxing match which he will end up losing by decision.

Paul Buentello vs Stefan Struve

This fight is ending in the first round. Buentello will either knock Struve out in the first 2 minutes or Struve will withstand Buentello's initial onslaught and pull off a submission (exact like the Chase Gormley fight). I am going with youth over experience. Struve wins his 3rd straight fight with a first round submission. (Or Buentello knocks him out.)

Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida

I enjoy watching both Kenflo and Clay "the carpenter" Guida fight. Their fights are rarely boring.  I like watching Kenny Florian because his technical skill in variety of MMA disciplines is impressive. I like watching Guida because he is tenacious, never stops moving forward, and never gives up. (See his fight against Diego Sanchez for proof.)

Florian was on a roll until losing to BJ Penn. He seemed overwhelmed in that main event fight against Penn. He wasn't himself. Guida was also on a roll until he got beaten down by Diego (the fact he lasted the entire fight earned my respect!).

This is my pick for fight of the night. Guida will try to keep the fight on the ground and Florian won't care. Florian will try submission attempts and eventually get the fight back to the feet. On the feet Kenflo will hit Guida with elbows, knees, and kicks. Guida's floppy hair will get in his eyes but he will still find a way to get the fight back to the ground. He will ground and pound, Florian will try submissions and throw elbows eventually getting the fight back to the feet. This cycle will happen over and over again for three incredible rounds.

Florian will win a unanimous 3 round decision.

Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce

This has been a journey for Fitch. He was to fight Ricardo Almeida at UFC 106 (a fight he would have easily won).  But, Almeida blew out his knee. He was then scheduled to fight Thiago Alves at UFC 107 (a fight I think he would have lost). But, Alves blew out his knee. So we are left with Mike Pierce, who had recently beat Brock Larson (Larson is now out of the UFC).

I like Jon Fitch. I have met him a few times. He is a cool guy and a fighter who doesn't quit. His fights though are boring. He rarely finishes a fight. He usually spends 3 rounds punching a guy from the other guys guard.

That is exactly what will happen in this fight. Pierce is a tough guy who won't get knocked out or submitted. Fitch will end up taking him down, throwing punches from Pierce's guard, and eventually winning another boring 3 round decision.

Frank Mir vs Cheick Kongo

Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo are coming off of losses. Frank Mir had his face mutilated by Brock Lesnar at UFC 100. This is his first fight since that pummeling. I saw Mir at the recent WEC event and he looks HUGE. He has easily put on 20lbs of muscle since that fight with Lesnar. I asked him about it and he said he realized he had to gain weight to compete against the Lesnars and Carwins of the world.

That is a scary thought for Kongo. Mir has far superior skill in just about every area of his MMA game and now he is bigger and stronger. The only advantage Kongo had in this fight was his strength and power edge. That may be gone.

Kongo lost his last fight to Cain Velasquez. Velasquez was smaller and clearly not as strong but continually took Kongo down. Kongo's ground game is atrocious. He was winning the stand up battle and came close to knocking Velasquez out but he can't keep a fight on its feet.

This fight is simple to call. Mir is a better boxer than Kongo. He will frustrate Kongo on the feet. Kongo will throw a few haymakers hoping they will connect and knock Mir out. They won't and Mir will use that to take him down. On the ground, Kongo being what wrestlers refer to as a fish will get submitted. Frank Mir will win submission of the night by submitting Kongo in the 2nd round.

Diego Sanchez vs BJ Penn

I have gone back and forth on my predictions for the main event. I watched the interviews of both fighters during the TUF 10 finale and started leaning towards a Diego upset. I wasn't a fan of Diego's when he fought at welterweight. I thought he was weird and his fights were dull. Since dropping to lightweight that has been another story. He is still a little weird but his fights have been exciting. The two constants with Diego are his incredible cardio and focus. Most MMA fans know cardio and focus are BJ Penn's ONLY (occasional) weakness. Lately that hasn't been the case for Penn.

My gut says a Diego upset but I bet against Penn when he fought Kenny Florian. He manhandled Florian and made me look silly. My brain says don't you dare go against Penn again! So I am going with a BJ Penn 3rd round submission of Diego Sanchez.

So there you have them, the Fight Pastor's prophetic predictions for UFC 107! So what do you think, am I a true prophet or should I be stoned? We will find out on Saturday! If you don't have anywhere to watch the fight this Saturday you are invited to see it live at Canyon Creek Church!

The Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights (aka Season of Kimbo Slice) Post Finale Thoughts

What we learned watching The Ultimate Fighter Finale (most of which we already knew but hoped we were wrong).

• Marcus "Big Baby" Jones has a glass chin. A fighter can improve his skill by training but you are either made to take a punch or not. "Big Baby" can't take a punch. He will have a short career in the UFC.

• Matt Mitrione is the type of athlete you want to root against. He will get a few more fights and UFC fans will cheer for him to lose. The guy is just annoying to watch and I can't figure out why.

• Frankie Edgar, if it is possible, looks too small to be a light weight. Matt Veach was the much bigger fighter and took him down with ease until his cardio gave out. Edgar, may be small, but he is quite tenacious. He is probably another quality win away from facing the light weight champ. I think he is too small to win but he is close to getting a shot!

• I don't know if showing so much of Hulk Hogan helps the UFC develop credibility with the fringe viewers. If I were the UFC I would try to avoid any connection or comparison to the WWE.

• I found it ironic that a guy with the nickname of "The Southside Strangler" would lose to a STANDING rear naked choke. Mark Bocek proved to be the real "Southside Strangler!"

• No one would have thought the Kimbo Slice versus Houston Alexander fight would actually go 3 rounds. Houston Alexander danced around and used leg kicks! Kimbo actually took Houston down and dominated on the ground! I felt like I had entered some sort of weird parallel universe. Kimbo might just have a future in MMA and the UFC.

• After watching the interview with BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez I can't wait for the fight next week. I am beginning to lean towards Diego shocking the MMA world.

• I totally underestimated Jon Jones! He looked incredible! Completely dominated Matt Hamill. His 85 inch reach is going to difficult for any light heavyweight to deal with. I predicted a Matt Hamill victory so I will take the DQ win.

• Darrill Schoonover and James McSweeney have no future in the UFC.

• The coaches for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter are......(drum roll please) Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz! That will be awesome! I am definitely going to the event where the coaches fight. Liddell versus Tito 3!

• Roy Nelson has just ruined Dana White's day! Roy Nelson knocked Brendan Schaub out! Dana White is going to have to deal with "Big Country" being in the UFC for awhile. Knock out of the night.

I can't wait until the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz will be incredible entertainment.

The Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights (aka Season of Kimbo Slice) Predictions

The most unique season of The Ultimate Fighter is having its fight finale this Saturday. This season had the best ratings in the series history and also had some of the least impressive contestants. Normally, TUF introduces you to a group of up and coming fighters that most of the MMA world had yet to hear of. We watch their antics in the house, villianize some and root for others. We watch them develop as fighters throughout the season and wonder how they will perform once they reach their goal of fighting in the UFC. This season was different. This season was full of fighters we had seen fight before, or at the very least had heard of. Most of all, this season had Kimbo Slice! The backyard brawling, internet sensation whom Dana White frequently referred to as "The toughest man at the barbecue."

I found myself rooting for Kimbo only to be disappointed when he was ousted out of the competition in the 3rd episode. The UFC teased us with whether or not Kimbo would return to compete as an injury replacement but it never happened. The remainder of the season we were treated to a series of mediocre fights with contestants winning who stand little to no chance of actually competing against the UFC's top heavyweights. Does anyone actually think "Big Country" would last 60 seconds against Brock Lesnar? Or that Brendan Schaub would last through round 2 against Frank Mir? But I digress.... The highlight of the entire season was watching Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson banter back and forth. I can't imagine how huge that fight will be once they eventually face each other. I refuse to believe either of them is a good actor so they must genuinely despise each other.

The Finale is Saturday night. The UFC has put together a fairly interesting free card. So here they are, the Fight Pastor's predictions for the TUF 10 Finale (aka Kimbo Slice's first official UFC fight).

Mark Bocek vs Joe Brammer

This fight is a battle between a UFC undercard vet Mark Bocek and the octagon newcomer Joe Brammer. I have never been too impressed with Bocek and have never seen Brammer fight. Brammer does have a pretty cool nickname, The South Side Strangler. I assume you don't have a nickname like that unless you have a habit of choking opponents out. Bocek has a habit of choking or being choked. I think this will come down to a 2nd round rear naked choke with The South Side Strangler reigning victorious in his UFC debut.

John Howard vs Dennis Hallman

This is actually a pretty interesting fight. Howard is a top level boxer and Hallman is a submission whiz. Hallman is making his return to the octagon. He is most famous for submitting Matt Hughes twice back when Matt Hughes was seen as almost unbeatable. Howard, on the other hand, has fought recently in the UFC. In his last fight he beat the man with the worst nickname in MMA, Tamdan "The Barncat" McCrory. His split decision win sent The Barncat out of the UFC. This striker versus grappler battle is going to end early. John Howard knocking out Dennis Hallman in the 2nd round.

Brian Stann vs Rodney Wallace

This fight has little intrigue so I will keep it simple. Rodney Wallace, the newcomer, loses by TKO to Brian Stann, the much larger light heavyweight, in round 2.

Jon Madsen vs Justin Wren

Madsen and Wren both competed on this season of The Ultimate Fighter. Both men are superb wrestlers so there is a good chance this fight is going to the ground. Justin Wren has the better striker game and is the more well-rounded fighter. His experience and more well-rounded fight game will be enough to give him a boring 3 round decision.

Darrell Schoonover vs James McSweeney

Schoonover and McSweeney also competed on this season of TUF. Schoonover was mercilessly teased all season by Rampage Jackson. (I actually felt bad for him. Personally, I think it made Rampage look like a school yard bully.)

Schoonover ended up getting knocked out on the show by Marcus Jones. McSweeney, on the other hand, was winning his fight against "Big Country" but started showboating and Roy Nelson clocked him. It was a reminder that pride comes before a fall. His cockiness took him from the main event to the undercard. McSweeney will never make that mistake again. He wins this fight by 2nd round knock out.

Marcus Jones vs Matt Mitrione

This is the fight between my favorite competitor on the show, Marcus Jones, and my least favorite, Matt Mitrione. Both are ex-NFL players. Marcus Jones is a far better fighter than Matt Mitrione and will have little trouble submitting him in the 1st round.

Frank Edgar vs Matt Veach

This battle between lightweight contenders is probably going to be fight of the night. Frank Edgar recently beat Sean Sherk and has only lost to the stud, Gray Maynard. Matt Veach has only one fight in the octagon but it was an impressive win against Matt Grice. This will be an exciting 3 round fight with Frank Edgar's octagon experience (and boxing) helping him win the decision.

Kimbo Slice vs Houston Alexander

Lets be honest, this is the fight everyone wants to watch. It is going to be a standing brawl. It is going to end early, probably in the first round. Houston Alexander has knocked out Keith Jardine, his biggest claim to fame but has been knocked out by everyone else. Kimbo has knocked out Tank Abbott but also got KO'ed in prime time by the UFC cast off Seth Petruzelli . This season of tough made me a Kimbo fan. I badly want him to win. I am a little nervous that one of Houston's haymakers will connect on Kimbo in the first 2 minutes and knock him out. His only chance is to make it through Houston Alexanders initial onslaught and KO him towards the end of the first round. My brain says Alexander but my heart says Kimbo. It is one of those rare moments where I am in a sensitive mood. Kimbo Slice makes his UFC debut in stunning fashion by knocking out "The Assassin" Houston Alexander in the first round!

Matt Hamill vs Jon Jones

This is a great match up, striker versus grappler. Matt Hamill is a great, but boring, fighter and Jon Jones is a quick rising, undefeated light heavyweight. I want Jon Jones to win. I have met him several times, he is super cool. I just think Hamill's wrestling will ultimately decide the fight. Hamill by 3 round decision. Jon Jones is no longer undefeated.

Roy Nelson vs Brendan Schaub

The finale for TUF 10 pits the veteran, Roy Nelson, against the former NFL player, Brendan Schaub. Schaub is a great puncher but "Big Country" is a well-rounded MMA fighter. Dana White doesn't like Roy Nelson very much but unfortunately he is going to have to get use to him. "Big Country" is going to take Schaub down and lay on him with, as Rampage so eloquently put it, "his big belly." Roy Nelson smothers Brendan Schaub and wins a boring 3 round decision.

There you go, the Fight Pastor's predictions for the finale of the most popular (and most boring) season of The Ultimate Fighter to date. So what are your thoughts? Am I a prophet or am I blinded by my obsession with Kimbo?

The Ultimate Fighter Series

I have started a message series at my church, Canyon Creek Church, on the life of David called The Ultimate Fighter. Several MMA fighters have helped us introduce each message. Here is the greeting from Urijah Faber.

Here is the link to the message series, if you are interested.

The Ultimate Fighter

UFC 107 Fight Night

 

On December 12th, fight pastor and Canyon Creek Church will be hosting a live pay per view showing of UFC 107. Come watch BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez with other fight fans, live at Church! The doors will open at 6:30pm and the cost is $10.00 per person at the door.

Free tickets will be given to everyone who comes to Canyon Creek Church on Sunday, December 6th! The fight night will also be the official debut of fightpastor.com. Come watch the fights and support the official launch of Fight Pastor.

UFC 106 Aftermath: Rumble vs Koscheck

This fight (and the Ben Saunders destruction of Marcus Davis) had the most surprising outcome for me. I like Josh Koscheck but ever since he got knocked cold by Paulo Thiago have always felt he was only an above average fighter. Rumble, on the other hand, had the look of a future UFC champ. If you have ever seen him up close, he is enormous. He seriously looks like a light heavyweight. The fact that he can drop 50 lbs and fight at welterweight is down right scary. Knowing that Koscheck had been knocked out by Thiago you had to wonder what would happen once one of Rumble's haymakers connected. I assumed a KO or TKO in the second round, just not by Josh Koscheck.

The fight started with a ton of drama. Rumble apparently knees Koscheck in the head while he is down, which is illegal, and adds insult to injury by accidentally poking him in the eye. The longer Kos took to recover the more all of us in the arena were worried this was gonna end as an injury disqualification. Then they start showing the replays and it appears Johnson's knee actually hits Koscheck's arm instead of his head. So the boos start! Needless to say, Koscheck had not been a fan favorite all week.

They finally restart the fight and Koscheck immediately returns the favor by poking Anthony Johnson in the eye. The crowd immediately started booing Johnson because, at first, it appeared he was pulling a Koscheck and being overly dramatic. Then they show that replay which clearly showed Koscheck poking him in the eye. You be the judge if it was inadvertent or not, personally I am skeptical. Regardless, after the first round they were even, an eye poke a piece.

In the second round, Rumble looked tired. Koscheck, who was noticeably smaller, had no problem taking him down or hitting him standing in spite of Anthony Johnson's 5 inch reach advantage. This is the first time we have seen Rumble have any sort of trouble in a fight. It is also the first time we have seen him in a fight that lasted this long against more than a journeyman fighter. I think we all became witnesses to what happens when a fighter cuts that much weight. The are worn out and dehydrated. They lack stamina.

Once he got past the audition for a part in a Hollywood movie in the first round, Koscheck fought a great fight. It was one of the better performances I have seen from him. He thoroughly dominated the second round. He took full advantage of a worn out Anthony Johnson, took him down, and did his patented ground and pound. Eventually winning, the fight being stopped by submission due to a rear naked choke. An absolutely impressive performance and one I was surprised with.

Koscheck then turned the cheers for him into jeers by talking trash to Dan Hardy. Dan Hardy responded coolly by pretending to wipe the tears from his eyes. Classic. Kos then got booed out of the arena. Again, classic. What's next for Josh Koscheck?  Koscheck will wait for Dan Hardy to lose to GSP then he will get his chance to lose to GSP.

UFC 106 Aftermath: Tito Ortiz Thoughts

It is 48 hours since I returned from Las Vegas and the UFC 106 fights and festivities. As is every UFC event, it was a blast. Over the next several days, I will post my thoughts on the week. The thoughts are in no particular order or importance. Just the attempted ramblings of a fight fan.

Tito Ortiz was highly visible around the Mandalay Bay Hotel leading up to UFC 106. He was seen running around the casino, cutting weight. He stopped, posed for pictures, and talked to fans often. He cornered Rob McCullough at WEC 44. Tito is definitely back in the UFC. The real question is, can he still fight at the level he did when he was the light heavyweight champion? From where I was sitting Tito seemed incredibly slow in the fight. His reflexes haven't returned. He completely ran out of gas by the 3rd round. He looked like a shadow of his old self.

It is hard to imagine Tito winning a fight of any consequence at this point in his career. We will probably see him against the older guys in the division; Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, and Randy Couture. Those fights will have huge drawing power and great ratings but minimal significance in the light heavyweight division. I predict we will also see him against mediocre in talent but somewhat popular fighters like Stephan Bonner, Krystof Soszynski, or Keith Jardine. Those fights would also pull in some moderately good pay-per-view ratings for the UFC. They will also allow Tito a win or two in his return.

Unfortunately, Tito's championship days seem behind him. He is too slow to fair well against the likes of Lyoto Machida, Shogun, Rashad, Rampage, or "Lil" Nogueria. I am glad Tito is back in the major leagues but this isn't the Tito we use to know.

Tito jogging around the casino the night before weigh ins.

Tito weighing in.

Tito cornered Razor Rob at WEC 44.

UFC 106 Predictions

The UFC announced in August that Brock Lesnar would be fighting Shane Carwin at UFC 106 in Las Vegas. I was waiting patiently for the pre-sale tickets to come available and when they finally did bought 3 tickets. Me and two buddies purchased our airfare and secured our lodging at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and began the countdown to the Lesnar vs Carwin championship bout.

Things began to change quickly with this fight card. First, Mark Coleman pulls out due to a training injury. Fortunately, the UFC made it an even better fight card by replacing him with Forrest Griffin. Forrest would face Tito Ortiz in his long awaited octagon return. Then the real bad news came. Brock Lesnar had to pull out of his fight with Shane Carwin due to what was rumored to be the swine flu (later determined to be a viral infection). It was three weeks before the fight, so really, what could the UFC do. They bumped Forrest vs Tito up to the main event and added Josh Koshcheck vs Anthony Johnson.

Needless to say, my buddies and I were bummed. But, tickets had been purchased so here I sit in my hotel room in Las Vegas blogging on this Saturday's fight, which I am now excited to see live! So here they are, the Fight Pastor's predictions for UFC 106. These predictions will be short and sweet!

George Sotiropoulos vs Jason Dent

George Sotiropoulos besides having a difficult name to spell and pronounce is a fairly accomplished grappler. I have never been impressed with Jason Dent. Sotiropoulos by second round submission.

Caol Uno vs Fabricio Camoes

This is probably the least interesting fight on the card. Caol Uno hasn't won in the UFC in over 7 years and Fabricio Camoes is making his octagon debut (and I have never heard of him). I am going out on a limb with this prediction, Fabricio by 3 round decision.

Brock Larson vs Brian Foster

Brock Larson is that fighter who puts on a few incredible performances and you begin to believe he is just about ready for a title shot and then he has a terrible performance (see Mike Pierce fight). Brian Foster is 0 and 1 in the UFC. Brock Larson gets back on the winning track with a second round submission of Brian Foster. Foster, now 0 for 2, gets dropped from the UFC.

Paulo Thiago vs Jacob Volkmann

Volkmann is another UFC newcomer while Thiago's only loss is to Jon Fitch. Thiago actually knocked out Josh Koshcheck who is fighting in the co-main event. Paulo Thiago wins this by second round submission.

Kendall Grove vs Jake Rosholt

Interesting fight in that you have the popular, yet overrated, Kendall Grove fighting the unkown, yet extremely tough, Jake Rosholt. Jake Rosholt will take Grove down repeatedly. He will land a couple lucky shots that will test the suspect chin of Grove. Rosholt will ultimately win a 3 round decision.

Ben Saunders vs Marcus Davis

This should be a great fight between the two TUF veterans who are trying to return from recent losses. Saunders to Mike Swick and Davis to Dan Hardy. Dan Hardy handily beat Mike Swick last Saturday and Marcus Davis will handily beat Ben Saunders this Saturday. The Irish Hand Grenade wins a dominant 3 round decision.

Karo Parisyan vs Dustin Hazelett

I am not a fan of Karo Parisyan. I am a big fan of anyone who can throw a flying arm bar like Hazelett. Dustin Hazelett pulls off a 3 round split decision and continues moving up the welterweight ladder.

Luiz Cane vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueria

This will be a great fight between two top level light heavy weights. The smaller Nogueria makes his long awaited octagon debut. This is a tough fight for both guys and a pretty tough one to call. Top level fighters from other organizations often struggle in their UFC debuts. I am gonna go with Nogueria because of his overall MMA experience. "Little" Nogueria wins in a tough 3 round decision.

Amir Sadollah vs Phil Baroni

This should be a great battle between two guys who like to bang. Baroni, making his return to the UFC, has a chance if he can lure Amir into a brawl. If Amir is able to take Baroni down this will be over quickly. Both Baroni and Sadollah want to prove they belong in the UFC and a loss for either could lead to their quick exit. This has the potential to be fight of the night. I think Baroni is too slow for Amir. I see Amir winning this by submission in the second round (this is becoming a 2nd round submission theme).

 
Josh Koshcheck vs Anthony Johnson

This is the co-main event fight that the UFC put together 3 weeks ago. This is your stereotypical striker versus grappler fight. Koshcheck is a world class wrestler and Rumble Johnson is a great boxer. I am a huge fan of both fighters. I don't think this is a good match up for Koshcheck. He can get knocked out on occasion and that is what I believe will happen. Breaking from the 2nd round submission theme, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson by 2nd round knock out. (Now lets just hope he makes weight and can actually win knock out of the night).

Tito Ortiz vs Forrest Griffin

Their first fight ended with a disputed decision. Personally, I think Forrest should have won but that may be due to my disdain for Tito. I have gone back and forth on my prediciton for this fight. Forrest makes me nervous because his last two fights have been brutal losses. It makes you wonder if he is pyschologically ready for another tough fighter. Tito, on the other hand, hasn't fought in two years (last fight was his loss to Lyoto Machida) and he is attempting to come back from serious back surgery. One thing we know about Tito is that he comes to fight and doesn't quit. Forrest comes to fight but it sure looked like he quit in his last fight.

Forrest is going to come out throwing haymakers in the first round. If Tito can last Forrest's initial onslaught and get in a few good shots of his own, I think he will discourage Forrest and take this fight. I am going with Tito by 3 round decision.

There they are. My predictions for UFC 106. A fight card that is actually turning out to be pretty solid from top to bottom. Check my blog in the next week to see all the pictures from the fight and the fight week.

Viva Las Vegas!

UFC 105 Predictions

I am gearing up to head to Las Vegas on Tuesday for the WEC fight and UFC 106 so I am posting my predictions for UFC 105 a little late. The Manchester England card doesn't have a lot of fights that interest me but it is appearing free on Spike so I guess I can't complain. So with a diet Coke in hand and the movie Rockstar playing in the background, I now share the Fight Pastor's picks for UFC 105. For your amusement I will give you updates on Rockstar (I just watched Mark Wahlberg put on lipstick).

Andre Winner vs Rolando Delgado

The entire card is full of former The Ultimate Fighter competitors and this fight is no exception. Delgado is a freak for a 155lber. His height and reach advantage is usually enough to give him the edge. Fortunately for Andre Winner he is fairly tall for a lightweight too. I think Andre Winner will pull this one out in a fairly interesting, unfortunately we won't see, 3 round battle. (Forgot Jennifer Aniston played a band chick in this movie.)

Alexander Gustafsson vs Jared Hamman

This is probably the toughest fight of the night to call because both of these guys are UFC newcomers. All reports say that both of these guys like to stand and bang. It will probably be interesting fight. I am gonna go with Gustafsson solely because the fight takes place in his back yard. First time fighting in the UFC plus having to travel to England will probably be enough for Hamman to lose a 3 round decision. (Mark Wahlberg just got his nipple pierced.)

Paul Kelly vs Dennis Siver

This is a typical undercard fight for the UFC. Two guys that will probably not be in the UFC too much longer. Paul Kelly wins this by unanimous decision. (Mark Wahlberg is now shouting like a British rocker "Stand Up and Shout")

Nick Osipczak vs Matt Riddle

Another battle of TUF veterans. Nick is a UK guy and that gives him a slight advantage because he doesn't have to travel but I am going with Matt Riddle. Riddle hasn't stopped a fight since he was a competitor on TUF and UFC 105 won't be any different. Matt Riddle by unanimous decision. (Mark Wahlberg just got kicked out of his Steel Dragon tribute band.)

Terry Etim vs Shannon Gugerty

Terry Etim is a pretty tough fighter and I have never been impressed with Shannon Gugerty. I have a feeling this fight will end in the second round with Etim pulling off a submission victory. (Mark Wahlberg just got asked to be the new lead singer for Steel Dragon.)

Paul Taylor vs John Hathaway

This is a battle between UK welterweights. I am going with Paul Taylor. His experience will help him pull off a 2nd round TKO. (I find Mark Wahlberg's long 80's rocker hair quite disturbing.)

Ross Pearson vs Aaron Riley

This card features both winners of the UK vs USA Ultimate Fighter season. Ross Pearson was the lightweight winner. Unfortunately, his post-TUF debut is going to be a let down. Aaron Riley is a stud. I see him winning this fight by 3 round decision. (Mark Wahlberg just nailed his try out and is now officially the new lead singer for Steel Dragon. Sometimes dreams do come true.)

James Wilks vs Matt Brown

This is gonna be a pretty exciting fight. James Wilks was the welterweight winner of the UK vs USA season. Matt Brown is a tough guy who fights wars in the octagon. I like both of these guys and think this fight will be pretty exciting. I am giving the UK fighter the edge. James Wilks win his post-TUF debut by 3 round decision. (Mark Wahlberg has officially been given a rocker alias Izzy. So Izzy from here on out.)

Michael Bisbing vs Denis Kang

 Though I have met Michael Bisbing a couple times, like most MMA fans I was thrilled when Dan Henderson knocked him out. I think Bisbing is fairly overrated. That being said, Denis Kang has been absolutely unimpressive since joining the UFC. As much as it pains me, I have to go with Bisbing in this fight. He rarely stops fights, so he pulls this off with a 3 round split decision victory. (Izzy fell down the stairs in his Steel Dragon debut but like a true rocker got up and finished the set.)

Mike Swick vs Dan Hardy

I expect this to be fight of the night. Mike Swick and Dan Hardy always have exciting fights. Swick is appropriately nicknamed Quick Swick because of his lightning fast hands. Dan Hardy, who wins the award for having the worst hair in MMA, fights wars in the ring. Since dropping down to welterweight Mike Swick has been unstoppable. I see him winning this exciting fight by 2nd round TKO. He will then fight and lose (badly) to GSP in a title fight. (Izzy rocked his first official concert. Jennifer Aniston is starting to get jealous of her now famous boyfriend.)

Randy Couture vs Brandon Vera

The UFC has dubbed this fight the past versus the future. Vera will have a speed advantage over the Natural while Randy has a huge grappling advantage. I see Vera trying to keep this fight on the feet and being fairly successful in the first round. By the middle of the second round Randy will have caught up to him and will take him down. Most of the second and all of the third will be Vera getting ground and pounded. The past beats the future in a fairly entertaining 3 round decision. If Randy does happen to lose this fight, he should seriously consider retiring. (Izzy is fast becoming a star. I wonder how he will respond to his new found fame.)

UFC 105 will be here in less than 24 hours so I won't have to wait long to see if my picks were correct. What do you think? I was 8 and 2 for UFC 104. Am I going to keep up my great prediction streak or am I way off? My UFC 106 picks will be up on Monday. Check back often to see pictures from the Vegas trip next week! I will try to blog a couple times during the trip.

I am now going to watch the stunning climax of Rockstar. Will Izzy's new found fame go to his head? Will Jennifer Aniston stay with Izzy now that he is a big time rock star? Will Izzy end up in a Seattle grunge band? I am about to find out. (They just played Rock Rock Till You Drop by Def Leppard. Notice the shirt I was wearing in the Randy Couture picture.)

Brock Lesnar Curse Redux

In a previous blog I introduced the notion that I am suffering from the Brock Lesnar Curse. As I have reflected more on this concept, I felt it was worthy of a prose of its own.

I am a shameless MMA fan. I enjoy watching fights, going to fights, and talking about fights. I have had the opportunity to meet just about every major MMA fighter. Only a few have eluded my attempts to get a photo; Chuck Liddell, Rich Franklin, GSP, and Anderson Silva to name a few. Those fighters are often seen around events so I will snap them soon enough.

The white whale of MMA fandom is Brock Lesnar. He is near impossible to meet. For a large man, he keeps a very low profile. He doesn’t stay in the hotel where the fighters stay. Rarely makes public appearances. Even hardcore MMA fans haven’t been able to meet him.  But, I am cursed when it comes to meeting Lesnar. I plead my case…..

UFC 98 was suppose to the Lesnar vs Mir rematch. As soon as the fight was announced and tickets became available I purchased two. Finally, my chance to meet the freak of nature. A couple weeks later, Frank Mir comes down with an injury and the fight is postponed.  Bummer, I already bought tickets, airfare, and hotel. Luckily, Machida vs Evans replaced that fight and I was able to be an eyewitness to the beginning of the Dragon Era. But, the white whale escaped me.

UFC 100 was the card the Lesnar vs Mir fight was eventually moved to. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the fights because I had agreed to perform a wedding ceremony that same day. I went to everything in Las Vegas leading up to the fight but the white whale was no-where to be found. (He was at the weigh-ins but only briefly.)

Finally, UFC 106, Brock Lesnar was scheduled to fight Shane Carwin. It took a few days but I was able to find a couple guys who were able to make (and afford) the trip to Vegas. I bought 3 tickets to the fight, purchased airfare, and reserved our hotel room. I was almost beginning to believe this was my chance to harpoon the white whale! Two weeks ago, it happened again, Brock Lesnar, the man who seemed unbeatable, succumbed to the dreaded swine flu. The fight is being pushed back to UFC 108 on January 2^nd. Once again, I barely missed my white whale.

So now I am trying to convince my wife that all we want for Christmas are two tickets to UFC 108. Once I am actually able to catch the white whale it better be worth it! Until that happens, I am beginning to believe I have the Brock Lesnar Curse.