The Offcial MC UFC 91 Predictions

See full predictions below

PRELIM FIGHTS
-Lightweight:  Jorge Gurgel vs. Aaron Riley 
WINNER:  Gurgel
-Lightweight:  Alvin Robinson vs. Mark Bocek
WINNER:  Bocek
-Lightweight:  Jeremy Stephens vs. Rafael dos Anjos
WINNER:  Stephens
-Welterweight:  Matt Brown vs. Ryan Thomas
WINNER:  Brown

MAIN CARD
-Welterweight:  Dustin Hazlett vs. Tamden McCrory
This should be a very interesting fight.  Hazlett has looked very impressive in the UFC thus far, he's long and lean, and he's a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.  The guy is very tough to beat, and his most recent victory over Josh Burkman was tremendous.  I've only seen a few of McCrory's fights, and he's a weird looking guy but he gets it done.  This has the chance to be the sleeper fight of the night, but Hazlett's ground game is too good.  The guy is a future champion, mark my words.
WINNER:  Dustin Hazlett

-Middleweight:  Damian Maia vs. Nate Quarry
Quarry is a game fighter, tough and gutsy but Maia is one of the future stars in the UFC.  He is an absolute submission machine on the ground, and is undefeated.  Quarry will try to bang and do whatever he can to stay off the ground.  But he won't.  Maia takes this and he could be the true heir to Anderson Silva in the 185 division.
WINNER:  Damian Maia

-Heavyweight:  Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks
Gonzaga burst into the main event by nearly kicking Mirko Cro Cop's head off in one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history, and was seen as a dominate potential champion before he ran into Randy Couture at UFC 74.  Since the Couture fight, Gonzaga is 1-1.  He's a vicious striker and physically imposing at over 260 lbs on fight day.  This will be Hendricks's UFC debut, and he's a fighter  a lot like Randy Couture, who dominated Napao.  Hendricks is big, he's a wrestler, and a striker.  I expect Hendricks to do what Jesus dos Santos did last month and shake up the heavyweight division by knocking off contender in his debut.  I fully expect Hendricks to take Gonzaga down, push him up against the cage, and ground n' pound a TKO win just like Couture did.
WINNER:  Josh Hendricks

-Lightweight:  Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson
This fight will be the fight of the night, and I am reeeeeally looking forward too it.  Since losing his title shot to Sean Sherk KenFlo has won five straight fights, most impressivley dominating UFC-favorite Roger Huerta at UFC 87.  This was a risky move by Florian, who's win over Huerta may have been enough to give him a title shot.  But with 155 champ BJ Penn moving up to 170 to fight Goerges St-Pierre, the division is on hold.  Joe Daddy is a compact powerful 155 and loves to get the fight on the ground and lock in the guillotine choke.  But he was completely destroyed by BJ Penn last winter and has only fought once since then.  Yet Florian has the reach advantage, the ability to cut him the way Penn did, and has improved in every fight he's been in since the Sherk lose.  Stevenson is tough as nails, but I believe its Florian's time.  Dana White announced this was an official #1 contender's match so the winner gets a title shot at Penn or for a vacant title should BJ beat GSP.  I expect Florian to keep Stevenson away with his reach advantage, wearing him out standing up and then finishing the fight with ground n' pound.  This will go three rounds, though.
WINNER:  Kenny Florian

-Heavyweight Title:  Randy Couture (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
Everything seems to favor Lesnar.  Couture is 45, hasn't fought in 17 months, and has litigation that has distracted him.  Lesnar is younger, faster, bigger, and stronger.  He just got finished moping the mat with Heath Herring.  He matches well with Couture because he too is a wrestler and despite his size he moves around the octagon like a point guard.  But something in my conscience keeps nagging at me.  Couture has fought every single type of fighter has has won title upon title.  His last two victories, over monsters Gonzaga and Tim Sylvia, where impressive in their sheer dominance.  He's perhaps the smartest man in MMA, he can game plan and find holes in his opponents nobody else can.  But then I went back and watched Couture against Chuck Liddell.  Some say Couture has problems with big guys, but I think he has problems getting hit.  Couture has a bit of a weak chin in my opinion.  If you watch the fights he's won, he gets inside in the clinch, dirty boxes, then gets a takedown and pound on his opponents.  But when someone catches him he goes down.  Chuck Liddell knocked him out twice, Pedro Rizzo knocked him out, and so did Ricco Rodriguez.  If Lesnar can use his wrestling and power in reverse and is able to catch Couture early with typewriter-sized fists, like he did with Herring, he will win.  Lesnar has the reach advantage.  So I think Lesnar wins this the same way Liddle, Rizzo, and Ricco beat him - by striking.  Brock's game plan with be to use his power and wreslting to stay up and trade bombs with Couture, then take him down at will.  I think its the end of the line for the Natural.
WINNER, and NEW UFC Heavyweight Champ:  Brock Lesnar.

Comments

[TTNY]

Where do you watch these locally Chris? I'm typically out of town during a broadcast so I'm hoping to find a sports bar or the like to watch it at.

Thanks!

[Chris]

Hooters in Chantilly shows them for free, but I also like going to Champs in Reston - but they have a $5 cover.

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