The Ultimate Fighting Championship will close out 2012 with the UFC 155 fight card set for Dec. 29, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Here are my predictions for UFC 155 “Dos Santos vs Velasquez 2”
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| UFC.COM |
Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez
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| UFC.COM |
Dos Santos only needed 64 seconds to dethrone Velasquez at “UFC on Fox and the Brazilian seems confident he’ll emerge victorious once again. The UFC on FOX clash remains the only career loss for Velasquez, who ransacked Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva earlier this year to earn his rematch.” Cain claims an ACL injury hindered his performance at UFC on Fox, and he vows to retrieve his belt on Dec. 29. Velasquez had been out of action for a year when their first contest took place. With ring rust historically taking its toll on even the best of fighters, it would be unfair to suggest that Cain was at his peak. The second time around, ring rust isn’t an issue. Both fighters are healthy and Cain is more determined than ever.
JDS won their last encounter via knockout, so I have to give him the advantage in the striking department. Cain’s best bet would be to take the fight to the ground like he did against Brock & Bigfoot, but that’s easier said than done. Junior’s takedown defense is no joke, so putting him on his back and keeping him there won’t be an easy task. Cain should be able to make it more of a contest this time around, but the odds still seem to favor dos Santos. And while dos Santos’s biggest strength corresponds to Velasquez’s biggest weakness, I have no idea if Velasquez will be able to use his best asset – his takedowns and wrestling prowess – to neutralize the game of dos Santos. Again, dos Santos has never been taken down and held down in an MMA fight JDS says he has great ground game & ju-jitsu but nobody could ever taken him down to actually test his theory.
It’s possible that Velasquez will succeed where others have failed, and find a way to take JDS down and control him on the ground. It’s also possible that Velasquez can hit dos Santos in the right spot with a power punch, and win by knockout. But if he is able to accomplish either of those things, he’ll be the first. Until a fighter manages to show that there is a hole in the game of dos Santos, I have to pick him to win.
Prediction: Dos Santos wins via TKO.
JDS won their last encounter via knockout, so I have to give him the advantage in the striking department. Cain’s best bet would be to take the fight to the ground like he did against Brock & Bigfoot, but that’s easier said than done. Junior’s takedown defense is no joke, so putting him on his back and keeping him there won’t be an easy task. Cain should be able to make it more of a contest this time around, but the odds still seem to favor dos Santos. And while dos Santos’s biggest strength corresponds to Velasquez’s biggest weakness, I have no idea if Velasquez will be able to use his best asset – his takedowns and wrestling prowess – to neutralize the game of dos Santos. Again, dos Santos has never been taken down and held down in an MMA fight JDS says he has great ground game & ju-jitsu but nobody could ever taken him down to actually test his theory.
It’s possible that Velasquez will succeed where others have failed, and find a way to take JDS down and control him on the ground. It’s also possible that Velasquez can hit dos Santos in the right spot with a power punch, and win by knockout. But if he is able to accomplish either of those things, he’ll be the first. Until a fighter manages to show that there is a hole in the game of dos Santos, I have to pick him to win.
Prediction: Dos Santos wins via TKO.
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| UFC.COM |
Joe Lauzon vs. Jim Miller
Both men will try to take a step closer to the lightweight title when they collide at UFC 155 With an incredible 30 submission wins between them, these are two of the most respected ground technicians at 155 pounds. Jim Miller comes into this fight as a late replacement for Gray Maynard, who was forced from the fight due to a knee injury. Lauzon has 11 Fight Night bonuses to his credit, which is only one behind all-time leader Anderson Silva.
Lauzon is coming off an impressive victory against Jamie Varner, while Miller is coming off the worst performance of his career in a loss to Nate Diaz, but he’ll have his hands full against Miller. Lauzon is very aggressive, and his fights rarely go to decision, but sometimes, his aggression works against him. That was the case in his UFC 123 fight against George Sotiropoulos, where Lauzon faded before being submitted in the second round.
I don’t think Lauzon’s aggression will work against Jim Miller as his ability to defend submissions should be a great asset here. Usually, when Lauzon wins, it’s when he can take a dominant position on the ground early, use strikes to force the opponent into a mistake, and submit him. That’s not happening against Miller, a very tough fighter who is very hard to submit. Sure, Diaz did it, but he did it with a relentless attack over most of two rounds; Lauzon is usually breathing very heavily by the end of the second round.
Lauzon isn’t worried about being an underdog. His wins against Melvin Guillard and Jens Pulver both came at a time where oddsmakers were betting against the Massachusetts native. Lauzon might put together a series of strikes and submission techniques that finish Miller early. However, Jim Miller is a dangerous man I think it’s a lot more likely that Miller calmly weathers an early storm, and controls most of the fight with superior striking and grappling.
Lauzon had a hard time dealing with Varner’s wrestling during his last outing Miller should be able to smother Lauzon with his wrestling as well, and I expect him to emerge victorious.
Lauzon is coming off an impressive victory against Jamie Varner, while Miller is coming off the worst performance of his career in a loss to Nate Diaz, but he’ll have his hands full against Miller. Lauzon is very aggressive, and his fights rarely go to decision, but sometimes, his aggression works against him. That was the case in his UFC 123 fight against George Sotiropoulos, where Lauzon faded before being submitted in the second round.
I don’t think Lauzon’s aggression will work against Jim Miller as his ability to defend submissions should be a great asset here. Usually, when Lauzon wins, it’s when he can take a dominant position on the ground early, use strikes to force the opponent into a mistake, and submit him. That’s not happening against Miller, a very tough fighter who is very hard to submit. Sure, Diaz did it, but he did it with a relentless attack over most of two rounds; Lauzon is usually breathing very heavily by the end of the second round.
Lauzon isn’t worried about being an underdog. His wins against Melvin Guillard and Jens Pulver both came at a time where oddsmakers were betting against the Massachusetts native. Lauzon might put together a series of strikes and submission techniques that finish Miller early. However, Jim Miller is a dangerous man I think it’s a lot more likely that Miller calmly weathers an early storm, and controls most of the fight with superior striking and grappling.
Lauzon had a hard time dealing with Varner’s wrestling during his last outing Miller should be able to smother Lauzon with his wrestling as well, and I expect him to emerge victorious.
Prediction: Miller wins via Decision or KO
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| fighters.com |
Tim Boetsch vs. Constantinos Philippou
Boetsch was originally scheduled to face Chris Weidman at UFC 155, but the latter pulled out due to a torn labrum. Philippou is filling in for teammate Chris Weidman, and it’ll be his toughest test in the UFC so far. Tim Boestch might find himself ranked in the Top Five of the middleweight division, but he has hardly earned the respect of odds makers. While the line is nearly even in the matchup between Boetsch and Serra/Longo-trained Costa Philippou Both men are currently on four-fight win streaks, but Boetsch has faced tougher opponents in the past. Philippou’s wins have all been close. He won a split decision against Jorge Rivera, and competitive unanimous decisions against Court McGee and Riki Fukuda.
Boetsch isn’t the most polished striker, but he can be effective coz he has a solid wrestling background, and he hits harder than Philippou does. If the fight goes the distance, I think it will be close, but I favor Boetsch.
Philippou might have a slight advantage in the striking department, but Boetsch’s strength and wrestling skills should guide him to victory.
Boetsch isn’t the most polished striker, but he can be effective coz he has a solid wrestling background, and he hits harder than Philippou does. If the fight goes the distance, I think it will be close, but I favor Boetsch.
Philippou might have a slight advantage in the striking department, but Boetsch’s strength and wrestling skills should guide him to victory.
Prediction: Boetsch wins via decision
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| UFC.COM |
Alan Belcher vs. Yushin Okami
Both men met a while back at UFC 62, and Okami was the better man. However, a lot has changed since then. Belcher is currently on a tear, stopping three of his last four opponents in the first round. His BJJ looked awesome during his last outing against Rousimar Palhares, and he should be able to deal with Okami’s wrestling a lot better this time around.
Yushin Okami has fought his way into title contention and tumbled down the mountain when given his opportunity to thrive. Additionally, he has little to prove, as he is fighting a man he has already defeated.The world-class skills of Belcher have led to wins in four consecutive fights, and that streak would be seven were it not for poor judging at UFC 100. Belcher is the better striker, and he should be able to pick Okami apart while standing. In mid-2010, Belcher suffered a detached retina that left his vision blurred and career in doubt. With his sight returned, “the Talent” isn’t taking his second chance for granted as he continues to get better with every appearance.
It should be a competitive fight, but I’m leaning towards “The Talent.” When skills are nearly equal, heart and determination will typically determine who gets his nose across the finish line first.
Yushin Okami has fought his way into title contention and tumbled down the mountain when given his opportunity to thrive. Additionally, he has little to prove, as he is fighting a man he has already defeated.The world-class skills of Belcher have led to wins in four consecutive fights, and that streak would be seven were it not for poor judging at UFC 100. Belcher is the better striker, and he should be able to pick Okami apart while standing. In mid-2010, Belcher suffered a detached retina that left his vision blurred and career in doubt. With his sight returned, “the Talent” isn’t taking his second chance for granted as he continues to get better with every appearance.
It should be a competitive fight, but I’m leaning towards “The Talent.” When skills are nearly equal, heart and determination will typically determine who gets his nose across the finish line first.
Prediction: Belcher wins via TKO
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| UFC.COM |
Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson
Leben has been a bit inconsistent lately, but he couldn’t have asked for a better opponent than Brunson who’ll be making his UFC debut. Brunson got knocked out during his last outing, so it’s easy to imagine what would happen if Leben puts his hands on him. I don’t think Brunson’s grappling is good enough to consistently take Leben down and keep him on his back. Chris Leben has some of the best takedown defense in the middleweight division, so this fight is likely to be contested on the feet, so it’s only a matter of time before Brunson runs into trouble. A lot of people like Derek Brunson and think he can be a good middleweight in the UFC. I don’t see it. Brunson’s wins are against fighters like Nate James and Lumumba Sayers – fighters who are decent, but probably not worthy of the UFC. Most damning is that Brunson was knocked out in his last fight by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza the BJJ specialist, a fighter who previously had no wins by knockout in 18 fights. Combine Leben’s incredible power with the fact that Brunson recently suffered his first knockout loss and you’ve got a recipe for hesitance in the cage. If Souza can knock out Brunson, so can Chris Leben.
While this isn’t the best stretch of The Crippler’s career, he is still a big-show veteran who has encountered and bested many fighters like Brunson in the past. On the other hand, Brunson is 0-2 against MMA notables who has yet to prove himself on a major stage.
While this isn’t the best stretch of The Crippler’s career, he is still a big-show veteran who has encountered and bested many fighters like Brunson in the past. On the other hand, Brunson is 0-2 against MMA notables who has yet to prove himself on a major stage.
Prediction: Leben wins via KO.
Prelims:
Brad Pickett defeats Eddie Wineland
Erik Perez defeats Byron Bloodworth
Melvin Guillard defeats Jamie Varner
Michael Johnson defeats Myles Jury
Todd Duffee defeats Philip De Fries
John Moraga defeats Chris Cariaso
Max Holloway defeats Leonard Garcia
UFC will be ending 2012 a year filled with lots of up & down on a high note with UFC 155 & will try to make 2013 a remarkable & much awaited year to come for the sport of MMA.
Sumit Uniyal
@sutg_jpr (twitter)
wishing all the readers happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays.
(upcoming article:- most impactful moments of 2012)
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