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Im a huge Frankie Edgar fan and this Championship fight is going to be exciting.
Jose Aldo is the king of the division, but he hasn’t faced anyone that is well rounded as Edgar. I actually see Edgar getting the win via decision.
My picks:
Frankie Edgar beats Jose Aldo
Rasad Evans beats Antonio Rogerio Noguiera
Alistair Overeem beats Antonio Silva
Jon Fitch beats Demian Maia
Joseph Benavidez beats Ian Mccall
Jacob Volkmann beats Bobby Green
Evan Dunham beats Gleison Tibau
UFC is back in Brazil and this time Jose Aldo will be defending his title against rising star, Chad Mendes. Mendes, undefeated, will try to do something his team mate, Urijah Faber, was unable to do by defeating the champion Jose Aldo. This fight is a classic striker vs wrestler matchup and it’ll be interesting how the fight unfolds. Aldo has been destroying his opponents with his striking and he hasn’t had a chance to use this grappling skills, so Mendes may give him that opportunity. If the fight goes to the ground Aldo will need more than just a decent ground game as Mendes is a legit collegiate wrestler with a wealth of experience.
As good as Mendes is this will be his toughest fight of his career. Aldo is a dangerous striker with excellent takedown defense. Mendes will need to take a page out of Kenny Florian’s game plan when he fought against Aldo. He’ll need to stuff Aldo against the cage and utilize dirty boxing and take him to the ground when he gets the chance. Giving Aldo any distance will just let him utilize his explosive striking. I’m rooting for Mendes, but it’s hard to see him pull a win over the Brazilian champion.
My Picks:
Jose Aldo beats Chad Mendes
Vitor Belfort beats Anthony Johnson
Rousimar Palhares beats Mike Messenzio
Edson Barboza beats Terry Etim
Sam Stout beats Thiago Tavares
Ednaldo Oliveira beats Gaberiel Gonzaga
Mike Pyle beats Ricardo Funch
Yuri Alcantara beats Michihiro Omigawa
Two titles are on the line. Frankie Edgar will be defending his Lightweight title against Gray Maynard in a rematch that ended in a controversial draw in their last bout. And Jose Aldo will try to retain his title against the veteran Kenny Florian whose been trying to capture a title of his own the past few years.
Edgar vs. Maynard
This will be their third fight against each other with Maynard holding a win over Edgar in their first fight. In their last fight, Maynard was so close to finishing the fight in the first round, but Edgar was able to weather the storm and took control of the fight to even it up on the score card.
Expect Maynard to come into this fight with a controlled game plan. He will use is physical strength and wrestling to control his opponent. He’ll want to take the fight to the ground and wear the New Jersey native down. But it won’t be easy as Edgar’s foot movement and quick hands will be the deciding factor of this fight. If Edgar can keep the fight on the feet, he will retain the title. Both are good wrestlers and in the end I see Edgar fending off Maynard’s takedowns and utilize his quickness to keep Maynard at bay and score points with this hands.
Aldo vs. Florian
Aldo has dominated all his opponents since he debuted in the WEC. Since holding the Featherweight title he looked untouchable. In his last fight against Mark Hominick, Aldo seemed to exposed a weaknesses. It was his cardio. Some were saying Aldo had an injury that forced him to make a big weight cut right before the fight, but who knows?
Florian has made an unprecedented move by dropping to a fourth weight class. He was able to prove that he belongs in the division by beating a tough and top contender, Diego Nunes. Florian will be Aldo’s toughest opponent yet. Well-rounded with tons of experience Florian will force the Champion to bring his A-Game.
I’m excited for this fight as Aldo is one of the most explosive fighters in MMA. His striking is phenomenal and his team mates say his ground game is just as good. We haven’t seen it yet as he has not have the opportunities to use it in the octagon. I believe Florian’s striking is good too, but not at the level that Aldo has displayed. I expect Florian to use his reach advantage, but when the opportunities are there he will try to stifle Aldo by keeping him up against the cage. Keeping the fight in tight quarters where Florian can use his knees and elbows is key to scoring points and maintain control. It’s out in the middle of the octagon is where Aldo can blast those big leg kicks and crushing knees. I see Florian struggling to control the Brazilian phenom. Aldo will be just too fast and powerful in the striking game.
My Picks:
Frankie Edgar beats Gray Maynard
Jose Aldo beats Kenny Florian
Chael Sonnen beats Brian Stann
Nam Phan beats Leonard Garcia
Melvin Guillard beats Joe Lauzon
Demian Maia beats Jorge Santiago
Jeremy Stephens beats Anthony Pettis
Zhang Tiequan beats Darren Elkins
Eric Schafer beats Aaron Simpson
Georges St. Pierre vs Jake Shields
Georges St. Pierre is back defending his title again. This time he’s up against a fighter, Jake Shields, who is relatively new to UFC, but is a veteran of the sport who holds titles in two different organizations. Shield’s impressive win streak and his recent win over Martin Kampmann quickly catapulted him into title contention.
A fight with Georges St. Pierre is no walk-in-the-park for anyone. He has proved time and time again that he can beat any opponent at their own game. He beats grapplers with grappling and strikers with striking. GSP is a great fighter because he fights smart. He exposes weaknesses and capitalizes on his opponents mistakes.
Many UFC fans don’t know much about Jake Shields, but he is one of the top welterweight and middleweight fighter in the division. Shields is a very dangerous fighter and his Brazilian Jujitsu is almost unmatched in any division. With a winning streak that spans more than five years he is looking to add another win and another title to his resume. But to be the Welterweight Champ he’ll need to put GSP on his back, a job many opponents have rarely done, and implement his Jujitsu. Shields will need to constantly attack with submission attempts and maintain control whether he’s on top or bottom and hope for the Canadian Champion make a mistake. In the end its a very difficult task for Shields and I don’t see George St. Pierre’s belt leaving him any time soon.
Jose Aldo vs Mark Hominick
Jose Aldo has been on a tear in the Featherweight division. Since stepping into the cage in WEC he has destroyed every opponent with ease and looks to be unstoppable. Many are clamoring Aldo to make a jump up to the Lightweight division where he could be challenged. But Mark Hominick believes he has what it takes to stop the Brazilian Featherweight Champ. Like Aldo, Hominick has great striking which will provide a very interesting fight. But unlike Aldo, Hominick hasn’t displayed the strength and killer instinct that has made Jose Aldo the champion. Overall this should be an exciting fight to watch as Hominick will be Aldo’s first opponent who striking ability equals to his.
My Picks:
Georges St. Pierre beats Jake Shields
Jose Aldo beats Mark Hominick
Lyoto Machida beats Randy Couture
Jason Brilz beats Vladimir Matyushenko
Jake Ellenberger beats Sean Pierson
Jason McDonald beats Ryan Jensen
Nate Diaz beats Rory MacDonald