UFC 114 is just around the corner. Not the most exciting card we've ever seen but it defintely still has a few dandy fights. In my last foray into UFC picks I finished a measily 5 and 6 for UFC 113. But in the fight game anything around 500 is usually pretty good. We'll see if we can't improve for UFC 114…
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs Rashad "Sugar" Evans – UFC fans have waited almost a year for this very anticipated match-up in the main event. The winner between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad "Sugar" Evans will get a title shot against Shogun Rua for the light heavyweight strap. Rampage taking a short break from the UFC the last 6 months to try his hand at acting doing the role of B.A. Baracus in A-Team. So Rashad will be looking to "Pity The Fool" on Saturday night. The two fighters have had a hate on for each other since the taping of the Ultimate Fighter Season 10 last summer. While Rampage was pretending to beat people on on A-Team Rashad scored a unanimous decision in handing Thiago Silva just his 2nd career loss. Will Evans make B.A. look more like Murdoch ? Considering its been more than 14 months since Rampage's last fight I'm taking Evans in a 3 round brawl.
Michael Bisping vs Dan Miller – Bisping bounced back from the highlight reel knock out at the hands of Dan Henderson with a win over Canadian Denis Kang but then lost a 3 round decision to Wanderlei Silva. Miller has lost 2 straight and thats soon to be 3 when Bisping takes care of him with a 3rd round TKO.
Todd Duffee vs Mike Russow – This is a battle of 2 red hot fighters. Duffee is undefeated with a 6 & 0 record in his MMA career. Russow has won 8 in a row but most of those wins came over inferior opponents. Duffee won his UFC debut in just 7 seconds to set the UFC record for quickest stoppage. This one will last longer than 7 seconds but not by much. Duffee 1st round Knock Out.
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Jason Brilz vs Antonio Rogeiro Nogueira – "Little Nog" looked like a force to be reckon with in winning his UFC debut last Novemeber. And its hard to believe Brilz will put up much of a fight. Nog by first round submission.
Diego Sanchez vs John Hathaway – Sanchez has been taken down a few notches since his loss to BJ Penn in his first title fight. But he'll be hungry to prove that his first 23 wins were no fluke. Hathaway an Englishman is a perfect 12 and 0 but all but one of his wins have come against fellow Brits. Sanchez will be his first legitamate North American test. I'm going with crazy Sanchez in a 2nd round TKO.
Amir Sadollah vs Dong Hyun Kim – This fight will be on Free TV as SPIKE once again broadcasts the undercard. Kim is 3 and 0 with 1 no contest in the UFC but Sadollah has been a wrecking ball in recent fights. I'm taking the former Ultimate Fighter winner Sadollah in a 3 round unanimous decision.
Efrain Escudero vs Dan Lauzon – The other fight on cable sees another Ultimate Fighter winner enter the octagon. Escudero was riding a 13 fight win streak until Evan Dunham caught him in an arm bar in his last fight in January. Dan is the younger brother of the much more talented Joe Lauzon. At 22 Dan is known to be a slacker in the gym and last week his training team essentially dumped him. Unsatisfied with Lauzon's commitment to training, his 2 coaches and his brother told him they wouldn't corner him in his fight if there wasn’t improvement. Joe said his brother fell short so both of his coaches and his brother all decided not to travel to Dan's fight, making him an even bigger underdog than he already was. Escudero will punish Lauzon in quick fashion…and win by rear naked choke in Round 1.
Undercard
Melvin Guillard vs Waylon Lowe – After losing both his main event fights Guillard has now been relegated to the undercard. I've never been his biggest fan but Lowe is making his UFC debut so I'm giving the nod to Guillard by TKO.
Luiz Cane vs Cyrille Diabate – Daibate is also making his UFC debut but the difference is he's a veteran fighter of 23 matches including a stint in PRIDE. This will be another close fight and I've waffled back and forth on this one. But I'm gonna take Cane.
Aaron Riley vs Joe Brammer – Go with Riley who has at least fought a few household names.
Ryan Jensen vs Jesse Forbes – Jensen has lost to some big name guys while Forbes has beaten a lot of no namers. They've taken two completely different paths but Jensen should get the decision.
Have something to say about my picks ? Have your own say in the comments section and tell me who you like to win on Saturday night. Good Luck !
Russ Hobson
Global Winnipeg
UPDATE
UFC 114 turned out to be a pretty competitive card. I'm still convinced that Brilz got robbed of a win by the judges against Nogueira. But regardless I finished 7 & 4 for the night in my predictions. Check back before UFC 115 for more.
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