On my first viewing of UFC 93, I thought it had been a dry spell for Judo Chop worthy technique. Sure Alan Belcher's guillotine was sweet and Marcus Davis' counter-punching was tasty and Dan Henderson used his big overhand right to set up a nice takedown in the first round....but none of those moves really inspired me.

What did catch my eye was Rousimar Palhares' big slamming takedowns on Jeremy Horn. Sure Horn did a really good job of neutralizing Palhares' vaunted jiu jitsu, but he found himself flying through the air on two occasions thanks to Rousimar's use of excellent wrestling technique.

This first shot comes from the beginning of the second round. Toquinho had stunned Horn with a left hook/right hand combination which created the opportunity to shoot in for a high crotch single leg takedown. He wrapped his right arm around Horn's left thigh, put his head on the right side of Horn's gut (but keeping it close to the body to avoid a guillotine), and hooked his left arm up under Horn's crotch. Next step, elevation.

The force of the slam busted Horn's guillotine attempt. Palhares landed in Horn's guard and quickly passed to 1/2 guard.

When people say takedowns shouldn't score points in MMA. I just don't know what kind of MMA they want to see. Landing a takedown like this is the definition of controlling where the fight takes place and imposing your will on the opponent.  Plus big slams are eye candy and just the kind of action I want to see in the cage.

This second one is even prettier. At the beginning to the third round, Palhares misses with a looping right but when Horn ducks under it and fires back with a left hook, Rousimar ducks under and gets a bodylock on Horn, then slips to his back, voila, German Suplex:

Technically known as a belly to back waist lock suplex, the wrestler stands behind the opponent, grabs them around their waist, lifts them up, and falls backwards while bridging his back and legs, slamming the opponent down to the mat shoulder and upper back first. The wrestler keeps the waistlock and continues bridging with their back and legs, pinning the opponent's shoulders down against the mat. The move was innovated by Lou Thesz but named by Karl Gotch, a German wrestler.

Toquinho varied the classic suplex by releasing his body lock in mid-air, freeing his right arm and landing in side mount but the concussion and bouncing allowed Horn to quickly get to half-guard. Nevertheless, it was a showcase move that imposed his will, damaged his opponent, and put him in dominant position on the ground. This is what modern MMA is all about. Palhares is a world-class BJJ player but what we're seeing from him is pretty pretty wrestling technique explosively applied.

About the name of this feature: I chose Judo Chop because it’s an utter misnomer that is sometimes used by poorly informed MMA commentators during fights. It’s also from the Austin Powers movie. I chose it because it reflects my own lack of expertise and what this column is: my stumbling along in the dark trying to get a handle on the technical aspects of the fights. The techniques featured here will sometimes involve judo but not always. Sorry if that's confusing.

It would be hard for anyone watching this past weekend's event to ignore the prominence of the Full Tilt Poker logos.  Robert Joyner of MMA Payout discusses the company's emergence inside the octagon and the possible negative ramifications for future deals:

Full Tilt Poker made their first moves into the MMA space with a sponsorship of Randy Couture, but that may have been subsequent to a larger deal with the UFC being in the offing. The handling of approvals for Full Tilt sponsorship at UFC 92 and Fight For the Troops indicated that there was some larger force in effect as it pertained to the UFC and Full Tilt. Those that were getting deals were in a carrot and stick scenario with UFC, and others were rebuffed in getting the OK for similar deals. Full Tilt’s move into MMA and the deal with the UFC is a double edge sword. It opens up a new avenue of sponsor dollars to the fighters, one that wasn’t there before, but by virtue of the larger deal with the UFC, precludes other similar companies from entering the market (Zuffa contracts preclude fighters from having sponsors that directly compete with those of the UFC), which stifles competition ad limits the overall sponsor pool.

The addition of Full Tilt is a good sign considering the marketing cutbacks being undertaken by many companies.  The acting commissioner of the Arena Football League explains how the contraction of sponsorship dollars contributed to his league canceling their 2009 season:

"The problem is with sponsorship dollars, primarily those related directly and indirectly to the automobile and mortgage industries," he says. "The long-standing cliché is that the economy in sports is somewhat bulletproof. In our mind, it might be considered somewhat bullet-resistant, but this has been a bazooka."

Though some may disagree with how Zuffa handles sponsorship matters, the fact that they're able to add new sponsors in the current economic climate is impressive.  Increasing the number of revenue streams is of paramount importance to the growth of the UFC and, by extension, the entire sport.  Cultivating a diverse portfolio of corporate sponsors from various industries will help Zuffa maintain a steady stream of marketing revenue when certain companies and sectors of the economy experience unique financial difficulties.

Continue reading this post »

By now everyone knows that two fight of the night awards were given out at UFC 93: one was given to Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle, the other to Shogun and Mark Coleman.

The real fight of the night at UFC 93 was Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson.  It was a highly skilled and close fight between two of the best fighters in the world.  The first round started off with Henderson dominating, but Rich worked his way back to his feet and came on strong at the end of the round.  I gave the first to Henderson, but barely.

The second round was a tale of two fights.  Rich landed repeated body kicks and jabs as well as a few nice left straights.  He made the mistake of initiating the clinch, and Henderson took him down and smothered him for two minutes.  Henderson did no damage on the ground, and spent most of the time fighting off Rich's attempts at wrist control.  Upon watching it again, I scored this round a draw.

Franklin really came on strong in round 3 as Henderson started to wear down.  He again made the mistake of initiating and clinch, and as a result forfeited any chance to do significant damage.  He still convincingly won the round, and may have been able to do better if not for an eyepoke that slowed his momentum and gave Henderson a chance to recover.

There is no doubt this was the best fight of the card.  It was a classic stylistic battle between two of the sport's greatest fighters.  The idea that joint horrible performances from Shogun and Mark Coleman got the award over this fight is truly a joke.  

Overall, I scored the fight a draw, but can understand scoring it 29-28 for either guy.  I still think the UFC should move for regulatory changes that would allow for 5 round main events if both guys want it.  A five round Franklin-Henderson fight could have turned into a great fight that saved the show.  Instead, it was more like a short preview of what could have been an amazing fight. 

Now, hear me out...

While it certainly was not a "bad" night of fights I truly wonder if anyone on the card really came out of the event as a big "winner" in the eyes of the public.  For me this means getting the win, your fight making the PPV broadcast, and putting on an impressive performance.

Based on the first two criteria the potential winners would be John Hathaway, Marcus Davis, Alan Belcher, Rousimar Palhares, Mauricio Rua, and Dan Henderson.

Hathaway looked good but watching the fight it was almost more Egan looking like he had no business in the Octagon than Hathaway really impressing.  Palhares dominated a washed-up Jeremy Horn but it wasn't anything that casual fans will remember in a week.

I refuse to accept Marcus Davis' win as anything of meaning.  As I said in a few different places, the fight with Lytle was as close to a "scripted" fight as anything I've seen in a long time.  To have an agreement that you wouldn't go to the ground, pass up opportunities to take an advantagious position when the other guy ends up on his back, and high five in honor of your awesomeness every time you have the fight stood back up is just lame.

Alan Belcher pulled off an upset win but spent the majority of the fight getting bested on the feet despite his recent claims that he could beat anyone in the UFC in a muay thai bout.  He frustrated Kang with his ability to defend on the ground but in the end it seemed like Kang just sloppily fell into the choke.  Belcher did nothing to establish himself as a contender in the division and if anything I'm even more sure that Anderson Silva would destroy him.

Shogun looked awful.  I'm sorry, but he genuinely looked like an undercard fighter.  He had a gassed 44 year old in front of him for the majority of the fight and not only was he not able to put him away until just before time ran out, Shogun himself became so gassed that he was getting manhandled for the majority of the third round by the exhausted old man.  He got his hand raised, but I don't know too many people who consider him a "winner" coming out of that fight.

Finally, Dan Henderson...  Dan was another victim of the cardio monster.  You could see him fade throughout the fight and were it a five rounder I think Franklin stops him in the next round.  It wasn't though and Hendo did legitimately win on the scorecards.  He now goes on to fight Michael Bisping in a fight that I honestly think Bisping will win.  The Brit has cleaner boxing and is a very tough guy to hold down if you put him on his back.

All I'm saying is that when a guy who gassed and looked like he was just trying to get to a decision as the fight wore on is the biggest winner on the show...maybe it just wasn't a great night for the promotion.

What do you think?  Who was the big winner on the night?

Dennis Siver d. Nate Mohr via TKO (Spinning Back Kick and Punches) Round 3 3:27***
Tomasz Drwal d. Ivan Serati via TKO (Punches) Round 1 2:02
Eric Schafer d. Antonio Mendes via TKO (Punches) Round 1 3:35
Martin Kampmann d. Alexandre Barros via TKO (Punches) Round 2 3:07
John Hathaway d. Tom Egan via TKO (Elbows) Round 1 4:36
Marcus Davis d. Chris Lytle via Split Decision*
Alan Belcher d. Denis Kang via Submission (Guillotine Choke) Round 2 4:36**
Rousimar Palhares d. Jeremy Horn via Decision (Unanimous)
Mauricio Rua d. Mark Coleman via TKO (Punches) Round 3 4:36*
Dan Henderson d. Rich Franklin via Decision (Split)

* Fight(s) of the Night $40,000 Davis vs Lytle; Rua vs Coleman
** Submission of the Night $40,000 Alan Belcher
*** Knockout of the Night $40,000 Denis Siver

What Does It All Mean?

• Rich Franklin has once again failed to defeat elite competition. He has mopped the floor with the top-tier competition he's faced (Tanner, Loiseau, Hammill, Quarry) but when facing truly elite competitors: Lyoto Machida, Anderson Silva (x2) and now Dan Henderson he comes up short. Expect Franklin to stay at 205 and be given future opportunities to contend for a title.
• Dan Henderson might be too old to hold another title. He clearly dominated Franklin in the first round, less so in the second and lost the third. The fact that he was fighting at 205 means we can't blame a weight cut for his lack of conditioning. Michael Bisping might very will be able to get on his bicycle and eek out a UK decision over Henderson.
• Dana White wins again. Rich Franklin didn't want to coach TUF again and no one wanted to see him lose to Anderson Silva for a third time. Now thanks to Henderson's win, Dana has Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping to build up over a TUF season and then send the winner up against Anderson Silva.  Should Bisping beat Henderson and get the title shot, that will be a very lucrative fight in the UK market. Likewise, a Henderson vs Silva rematch will be a solid co-headliner on any card.
• Shogun Rua needs to get a better camp. Many of our commenters are sleeping on the absolutely devastating nature of Rua's back-to-back knee injuries and surgeries, but that has to have been a huge factor in his gassing in the second round against Mark Coleman. Nevertheless, if Shogun is going to have any chance to beat Chuck Liddell, he should come to America and get a state-of-the-art condition camp.
• Mark Coleman is done. This isn't really news to anyone. He was formidable for the first two minutes of round one but not formidable enough to get a TKO win. Not sure what Dana can do with Coleman going forward. I doubt the Hammer will have the sense to retire.
• Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares continue to swim upstream in the muddy middleweight waters but neither is a compelling contender. In the tradition of Patrick Cote, Thales Leites, Travis Lutter and other mediocre middleweight contenders, both fighters advance their careers but come out of the event with no buzz or mystique. I recommend they be matched up in the near future to knock at least one of them off track.
• Denis Kang....Denis....Denis....Denis...what happened?!? Kang came in looking sharp, landing sharp punches to Belcher's face, scoring takedowns at will, dominating on the ground. But after Belcher survived multiple ground assaults from Kang only to bounce back stronger, Kang was clearly frazzled. Falling into a guillotine choke was a weak way to go out but presumably better than taking a TKO beating. I've said this many many times, but if you get a man down on his back, put a beatdown on him before you go for a submission. Trying and failing to get the quick submission leaves you gassed and him feeling confident. A beat down leaves the fighter administering it ahead on more than the scorecard. I hope Kang can get a shot at redemption and re-emerge as a contender but he's going to have very little margin of error at his pay rate.
• I don't expect to see Nate Mohr or Antonio Mendes back in the Octagon. Mohr is now 1-3 against UFC competition and Mendes is 0-2. Good luck in future endeavors guys.

Be sure and join me at 3pm ET for live blogging of UFC 93. Bloody Elbow will, as always, be the place to come for fun, intelligent and reasonably civil commentary on the action.

Will Rich Franklin vs Dan Henderson be such a barn burner that it will refute those who claimed this wasn't a fight worthy of headlining a PPV?

Will Mark Coleman show the doubters that he's still a force to be reckoned with in MMA? Will Mauricio "Shogun" Rua come back from knee surgery and reclaim the form that had many regarding him as the world's best light heavyweight for almost two years running?

Ok, here we go, the broadcast has begun. Remember, no spoiling the preliminary fights if you've peeked at those results.

Chris Lytle vs Marcus Davis --  Davis bounds out to "Jump Around", draped in the Irish flag. Lytle looks confident. The Dublin crowd seems quite pumped. Big cheer for Davis. Never seen this ref before. Here we go. Lytle scores early with punches and has Davis stunned but Davis recovers. They do some hockey fighting in the cneter of the ring. Davis landing uppercuts. Lytle throwing high kicks. Davis countering on a Lytle charge. Davis tags with a left hand counter. Leg kicks from Lytle. Will be hard to score. Not sure what the football chant is. Davis throws Lytle down off a caught kick, doesn't follow him down. Lytle tags him with a right. Davis drops Lytle, but back to their feet. Lytle lands a knee, a teep. The get mutal collar ties and trade hockey punches. Lylte ends with a flurry. Very hard to score, I'll go with a 10-9 for Davis based on the drop. Good round but not epic. Round 2. Lytle coming forward. Lytle charges in and Davis covers and then flees. Davis drops him with a liver kick. Ref stands them back up. Lytle coming forward, Davis countering, circling away. Lytle is trying to corner Davis. Davis lands an elbow to the face, another body kick. Davis dodges some looping hooks and lands a jab. Exchange of punches in the clinch. Lytle is missing with bombs but Davis' counters are not landing clean either. Davis eats a straight right, lands a left. An uppercut lands as they hockey fight. Very tough to score. I'd say Lytle landed more hard shots but I'm giving it to Davis off the kick that dropped Lytle. 10-9 Marcus. Lytle's down on my score card. Round 3.  They open with a hug, then exchange blows. Davis catches another kick. Lytle trying to protect his right flank. Davis lands ANOTHER kick there. Lytle is open for a right to the head. Lytle winging bombs. Davis lands a knee. I'd like to see someone go for the kill. Lylte's right eye is swelling. Lytle lands a body shot, Davis answers with a kick/knee combo. They're trading against the cage. Davis' face is marked up. Trading to the end. Good fight not great. Could go either way. I'm going with Marcus Davis 29-28. Davis takes a split decision. Likely to be fight of the night.

Alan Belcher vs Denis Kang Kang waits in the Octagon as Belcher comes out to Johnny Cash. Rich Clementi in his corner. They're erroneously displaying the French flag on Kang's stat card. Annoying! Belcher has his hands LOW to start. Kang's landing to the head. Kang with a double leg takedown to Belcher's guard. Kang gets to 1/2 guard. Kang cradles Belcher's head, passes, Belcher turns. Kang gets side control but Belcher reattains guard. Belcher kicks Kang off, back to standing. Kang landing with head shots. Kang with another double leg to Belcher's guard. We're heading to a 10-8 round at this rate. Kang not landing anything from Belcher's guard. Kang goes for an anaconda after flirting with a d'arce choke now working a kimura. Belcher escapes. Elbows from side control, knees to the body. Kang all the way in his first UFC round. Round 2. Kang landing early, Belcher presses him against the cage, Kang tries a trip sweep, Belcher escapes. Back to the center of the cage. Another double leg by Kang. Belcher gets butterfly guard. Kang to 1/2 guard, Belcher working for a sweep, can't get it. Kang has him cradled. Kang working towards side guard. Can't pass, does some GnP. Belcher back to guard.  Miragliotta stands them back up. Belcher throwing kicks. Kang bouncing, breathing heavy, moving away. Kang goes for a double, Belcher pulls guard with a guillotine! Kang taps out! Amazing! Alan Belcher by guillotine submission. Kang disappoints again.

Jeremy Horn vs Rousimar Palhares Did Goldberg just say that Palhares' loss to Dan Henderson was a rematch? Palhares has two hard to spell names and a long hard to spell nickname. I'm cutting and pasting "Toquinho" into my browser now. Micheal Bisping draws boos from the Irish crowd. Feeling out process in the center of the ring. Toquinho throws a hook and turns it into a trip. Horn in butterfly guard. Toquinho gets his back quicly. One hook in, hammerfists landing. Move to side control, back to to back, now Horn gets full guard! Nicely played Gumby. Toquinho drops for a leg lock, Horn escapes. Horn goes for a triangle. Toquinho escapes. Back to their feet, Toquinho gets a trip. To 1/2 guard, lots of transitions, Toquinho gets Horn's back, is beating Gumby. Horn rolls for a knee, Toquinho grabs the fence. Back to the ground, Toquinho goes for a leg, fails. Round ends with Palhares on Horn's back, Horn turtled up, eating shots. 10-9 Palhares. Round 2. Palhares lands a right, moves to a single leg, turns it into a slamming takedown to 1/2 guard. Horn almost sweeps, no dice. Toquinho gets his back again, more hammerfists. This is weak match-making IMO. Horn is eating shots, tries to stand, Palhares fights it off, Horn gets a single to top position. Horn gets mount! Arm triangle attempt. Toquinho escapes. Well played by Horn. Toquinho sweeps to escape mount. Back to the feet. Toquinho shoots, gets stuffed eats a rich and a kick. Horn lands a left hook. Throws a kick and gets taken down. Toquinho in Horn's guard. Toquinho might be gassing. Horn goes for a triangle, than an omaplata. Toquinho escapes, back to 1/2 guard. Toquinho landing shots. Bell rings, Toquinho helps Horn up in a sign of respect for his game performance. I'd call it a 10-10 round due to the momentum shift and the hard shots landed standing by Horn. Toquinho was working toward a 10-8 round early on but lost his lead. Round 3 Spilled a beer there on the laptop but we're ok! Whew. Was discussing Edith's shady past. Toquinho in Horn's guard after some early scrambles. Horn goes for a triangle. Toquinho gets away and gets Horn's back. More hammerfists. Horn battles to standup, back to the ground, back to guard. Crowd is booing the ground game. Rogan is calling for a standup. Ref stands them back up. Horn pawing with jabs. Lands a high kick. Toquinho stuffs a shot, gets to Horn's 1/2 guard. Crowd boos as we head to a decision. I call it 30-28 for Palhares.  Some nice take downs from Toquinho in the highlights. The judges say it was a unanimous 30-27 decision for Palhares.

Thomas Egan vs John Hathaway One from the undercard. Hathaway stuffs a whizzer and gets on top. Egan almost fights to his feet, but Hathaway gets him back down. Hathaway dominant on the ground but Egan almost gets up. Hathaway trips him down. Hathaway with ground and pound but a game Egan gets back up. Egan's only in his fourth pro fight. Has the crowd at his back -- he's the Irishman against an Englishman in Dublin so its expected. Hathaway gets him down again, more scrambling, Hathaway starts landing elbows, Egan gives up the mount, takes a beating before the ref stops it. The crowd boos a victorious Hathaway. John Hathaway by TKO in round 1.

Mark Coleman vs Mauricio Shogun Rua Coleman comes out to AC/DC. Shogun was rocking some sort of House music. Advantage Coleman despite looking like a wizened Smeagel/Golem. Brandon Lee Hinkle and Phil Baroni in Coleman's corner -- Hammer House in full effect! Ninja backing his brother. Shogun avoids eye contact in the intro. Coleman lands a takedown but eats a knee coming in. Coleman landing some ground and pound. Shogun rolls for a knee, Coleman escapes but Shogun gets to his feet. Coleman gets another takedown quickly. Crowd chanting Shogun. Guess they don't like AC/DC. Shogun working a takedown. Shogun gets it. Coleman on his back. Shogun passes to side control quickly. No blows landed yet. Coleman's feet on the cage. Coleman gets to his feet. They're trading. Coleman is gassed. Eating leg kicks but answering with punches. Shogun with knees. Coleman shoots, fails. Coleman gives up his back but revests to get on top. Shogun back to his feet. Both men look tired. Shogun drops him with a big right hand.  Coleman works back to his feet, Shogun gets the thai plum and is working knees as the round ends. 10-9 Rua. Phil Baroni's corner advice is completely delusional. Round 2. Shogun feeding Coleman leg kicks. Coleman landing jabs. Shogun with some big punches. Coleman shoots and gets a doubleleg. Shogun back to his feet, taking no damage on the ground. Shogun with a takedown, Coleman flips him over, back to their feet. Thai plum. They trade jabs. Coleman with an uppercut. Shogun with a combination of punches. Coleman survives the thai plum again. Shogun is gassed too. They're clinching, both tired. Shogun with knees from the plum. Coleman with a takedown. They stand and Coleman staggers Shogun with a punch. Coleman gets a takedown. Shogun with an omaplata with a minute left. Shogun landing punches to Coleman's face and looking at the clock. They're stalemated with Shogun landing shots as the bell rings. Round 3 Round 3 Baroni is telling Coleman he's going to "fucking win dude". Coleman lands a jab and a body punch. Shogun gets the plum again. Coleman shoots, Shogun working for a kimura but falls to guard. Coleman to 1/2 guard, landing elbows. Shogun trying to sweep him, now working for a heel hook. Coleman escapes, puts Shogun down again. Has Rua's back, landing punches. Shogun gets back up, thows a knee to the face of a downed Coleman. Gets a warning. The knee was to the body! Bad call ref. Shogun forces Coleman to the fence and lands a flurry of shots. The ref stops it. Coleman is upset with the call. That was a brutal series of shots at the end. The uppercut was textbook. Mauricio Shogun Rua by TKO. I don't think Rua will be a force in the division anytime soon.

Dan Henderson vs Rich Franklin Here's the main event. I'm very stoked for this one. Some quick flurries on the feet. Henderson slips. Henderson gets a takedown. Has Franklin up against the cage. Pounding Rich Franklin! They're back to their feet. Franklin landing kicks to the body. Henderson goes for a collar tie to do some dirty boxing. Franklin gets away. Franklin with a superman punch, a leg kick. Franklin with a combination of punches. Hendson lands a right uppercut. Time winding down. Henderson with a below the belt kick. They tie up. Henderson is breathing heavy.I'd give it to Henderson 10-9 based on the takedown and the beating administered there. Franklin bleeding from a headbutt. Round 2 They're exchanging early. Henderson connecting with some punches and kicks. Henderson goes to tie up, Franklin counters with a knee and a punch. Franklin escapes the clinch. Henderson lunging with punches, Franklin evades. Franklin with a body kick. They clinch. Henderson gets the takedown. Franklin in guard. Some scrambling, no advantage gained. Franklin rolling for an arm bar fails, back to full guard. Henderson gets 1/2 guard, has Franklin cradled. Landing no shots but controlling position. Dan with an elbow. 10-9 Henderson. Round 3 Franklin with kicks and hooks. Lands a straight left. Henderson tries to get a takedown, fails, tries again and succeeds. In Franklin's guard. Franklin escapes! Gets Henderson's back is laying on some ground and pound. Henderson stands up. Franklin pushing him against the cage. Henderson looks tired. Back to their feet. Two minutes left. Franklin stalking. Landing body kicks. Franklin pushing Henderson to the cage. Henderson working for grips. Fraklin with knees and foot stomps. Back to standing. Franklin socring with punches and kicks. Henderson slips off a kick. Henderson hurts Franklin with a brutal eye poke. Damn. Looks accidental. Long time out. They hug. Back to it. Henderson winging rights. Bell rings. I'd give that one to Rich. My final score -- Dan Henderson 29-28. Let's see what the judges say. Two judges agree. Split decision victory for Dan Henderson.

That's it folks. We'll follow up with commentary and analysis and full results this evening.

Today on "MMA Nation" we'll be joined in studio by the grapplers who created 50/50 BJJ. Mundial, Pan Am, NAGA and Grappler's Quest champion Ryan Hall and Sombo black belt Seph Smith will be in studio for the full two hours to talk about their new school, UFC 93 and more.

The show will start just before the UFC 93 main event, so we'll be talking results AS THEY HAPPEN and for the remainder of the show.

"MMA Nation" airs every Saturday 5:00pm EST to 7:00pm EST on 106.7 WJFK. To listen live over the Internet, go to WJFK's website and click "Listen Live".

"MMA Nation" is also available by podcast on iTunes.

Number to call: 800-636-1067

Email here.

Talk to you then.

BloodyElbow.com Staff Picks for UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson. My personal picks were made last night on Sherdog's radiothon.

Rich Franklin vs Dan Henderson



Kid Nate: First off, no way are these two guys both 6'1". I am expecting to see Franklin tower over Henderson at the weigh ins and the touch of gloves and then use his reach advantage to stay outside, peppering Henderson with kicks and punches from odd angles. However, Henderson is stronger, more skilled and just plain tougher than the kinds of fighters Franklin really puts a hurting on. At some point he'll get Franklin in the clinch and if he's able to work him over there, plus get a few takedowns, he'll win the fight. This is a very hard call, but I'm going to go with my heart and pick Henderson by decision.

Brent Brookhouse:  Henderson is a guy who just rarely fights the smartest possible fight.  He has the natural talent that he beats top level guys with the bad gameplanning, but Franklin is a very sharp and very smart fighter.  It's not an easy fight to pick but I see 3 rounds of Franklin working length and keeping to his gameplan.  I don't think the chances of Henderson landing a big right are too high and I don't trust him to use his wrestling rather than try to stand and bang.  Franklin by decision.

Michael Rome:  A lot of fighters would fold after those losses to Silva, but not Rich Franklin.  He’s come back stronger than ever, and I think the Matt Hume-trained version of Rich Franklin is the best ever.  I think he fights better at 205 as well.  Henderson is extremely hard to handle in close quarters, but Rich is faster and good with angles, so I think he’ll be able to stay at a distance.  Hendo has that big right hand though, so it’s hard to make a call.  Very tough pick, but I think Rich Franklin takes it.  Franklin via decision.

Michael Fagan: I think this ends up as a brutal and grueling affair regardless of the victor. Franklin holds advantages in cardio, technical striking, and jiu jitsu while Henderson should have the better of it in the clinch, in KO power, and physical strength. I agree with the oddsmakers and have "Hollywood" as the small favorite. Dan Henderson by decision.

Cannon Jacques:  This is a difficult fight to pick.  Franklin is the better technical striker, and Henderson is the better wrestler.  Hendo has tremendous knockout power, but is wild on the feet and has a tendency to abandon a gameplan that's working (see the Anderson Silva fight).  I'm leaning toward Franklin, because I believe he'll execute an intelligent strategy.  Franklin by decision.


Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Mark Coleman



Kid Nate: Its really hard to get pumped for this fight. I'm hoping to see a return to form for Shogun, but even at his best no fighter benefited more from the PRIDE rule set than Mauricio Rua. He got away with sloppy guard work because he didn't have to worry about elbows and soccer kicks and head stomps turned a no better than average striking skill set into hell on wheels. The edge he's got is that Mark Coleman is a completely spent force. I'll be astonished if "the Hammer" has anything to show Shogun or the fans. Shogun by mercy killing in 2.

Brent Brookhouse:  Well, let us take a look.  Coleman is old, and fighting considerably lighter than he has any time even remotely considered "recent."  I don't buy Shogun as an "elite light heavyweight" in the UFC but I have got to believe that he is better than a VERY old Mark Coleman.  That being said, Coleman COULD get a takedown or two and with elbows available to him he could open a cut or maybe win a couple rounds.  I am close to picking Coleman and hoping that he is very explosive at 205 and has some good cardio while Shogun is rusty and his sloppy guard and overrated stand-up game leave enough openings for Coleman.  Actually, you know what?  Coleman by unanimous decision.  It's never too early to make the worst prediction of the year.

Michael Rome: Shogun has had a long time to recover from his last loss, and while he looked very underwhelming against Forrest, I think this is a shoe-in for Shogun.  Coleman has strength and wrestling, but it’s not enough, Shogun just has too many weapons.  Shogun via TKO, round 1.

Michael Fagan: On one end you have an aging, one-dimensional fighter who last found a legitimate and relevant victory in the 20th century. On the other, a highly decorated rising superstar who fell victim to the effects of a badly injured knee in his last outing. Oh, and they met before two years ago in a contest that ended with the senior citizen douching it up after a freak injury to his opponent. I'll take Mauricio Rua by submission, round 1.

Cannon Jacques:  If Shogun returns to the form that once had him sitting atop of the light heavyweight pecking order, he should take this one easily.  Coleman is not well-rounded and is well past his prime.  Not to mention, he's fighting at 205 instead of heavyweight which is a much better fit for him.  Rua by TKO, round 1.

Denis Kang vs. Alan Belcher



Kid Nate: I've been down on Kang ever since the PRIDE days. His vaunted 22 fight win streak was against some of the weakest competition in the MMA world. Even in PRIDE he rarely fought the toughest fighters and he just looked sloppy and listless against Akiyama and Mousasi. But he's coming off two wins, including a flash KO of Marvin "Beastman" Eastman so even I have to admit Kang is still a dangerous fighter. Belcher is thoroughly ensconced in a gatekeeper role. He just ran Ed Herman out of the UFC for all intents and purposes, we'll see if his one dimensional muy thai game is enough to beat the well-rounded Kang. I don't see it happening. Kang by decision.

Brent Brookhouse:  I'll be pulling for Belcher here but I don't see it happening.  Kang just has more variety and Belcher is a little bit risky in that he takes chances that provide openings while having a very small amount of potential reward.  Kang by decision.

Michael Rome: This is a tough fight to call.  Kang has seen better days, and Belcher has always underwhelmed, but stylistically it seems tough for Kang, who isn’t the best wrestler and doesn’t have the ability to stand with Belcher.  I still think Kang is going to pull this out, but I think Belcher is the best upset pick on this card.  Kang via decision.

Michael Fagan: Simply, Belcher lacks the refined game to test Kang. He has a very fun style to watch when he gets to go off offensively, but has very poor defensive abilities and a ground game that leaves a lot to be desired. Kang has his flaws and may not be the prospect many thought he once was, but he shouldn't have a problem with Belcher. Denis Kang by submission, round 1.

Cannon Jacques:  This fight is supposed to be a victorious introduction to UFC fans for Kang.  While Belcher is certainly no can, he should be outclassed by the more experienced Kang.  Belcher will hang tough, but Kang will just be too much.  Kang by submission, round 3.

Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle



Kid Nate: Two fighters who define the term "journeymen". Both are solid boxers with good submissions, neither is a good wrestler. They are promising a slug fest, but I'm not falling for the hype. I think Marcus Davis is the smarter fighter and has shown much more improvement in recent years than Lytle. I expect Davis to bait Lytle into a brawl, then shift gears and win on the ground. Davis by submission.

Brent Brookhouse:  At some point I have to pick something to not go to a decision, especially in today's UFC.  They're going to stand and bang because fight of the night bonuses are better than a win I guess.  Davis by TKO, round 2.

Michael Rome: These two are just going to bang it out, and Davis has the better boxing in my view.  More power, and he has a better gas tank.  Davis via KO, round 2.

Michael Fagan: If Davis and Lytle have their way, this fight will transcend the calendar year and take home "Fight of the Decade" honors. Both guys' styles probably give them tickets to UFC contracts for life. Davis has argued that the first person to take the fight to the floor is a "pussy," and Lytle has shown to disregard a distinct advantage in that department to fight a more "fan-friendly" brawling style. I worry that Lytle gets drawn into a kickboxing match because I think he can win the fight by taking advantage of his size and ground game. Here's hoping he fights smart because I'm taking Chris Lytle by decision.

Cannon Jacques:  Both combatants have billed this fight as a battle to end all battles.  It's supposed to be two men standing toe to toe and slugging it out.  For some reason, I believe this is going to be decided on the ground.  Lytle should have determined that boxing the former boxer isn't the prudent course of action.  Lytle has a variety of different skills, and definitely has an advantage over Davis on the ground.  Lytle by submission, round 3.

Rousimar Palhares vs. Jeremy Horn



Kid Nate: Jeremy Horn has looked absolutely awful in his last couple of outings. Its time for him to either focus on fighting or become a full-time coach. Horn at his best would've been too well-rounded for the utterly one dimensional (and short) Palhares, but that was a long time ago. Palhares by submission.

Brent Brookhouse:  I like Horn, but he really is eating up spots on UFC cards that could go to guys with more upside at this point.  This is the fight that should send him on his way.  Palhares by submission, round 1.

Michael Rome: Horn is just way in over his head here.  Palhares via submission, round 1.

Michael Fagan: If the UFC had an undertitle for this card it would be "Decrepit." It's hard to imagine many fighters more shot than Mark Coleman, but Horn makes a good case. With over 100 fights on his record, Horn looks worn down and seems to show up only for the paycheck. He used to be one of the better BJJ guys in the UFC, but has fallen behind the times. Horn doesn't offer enough on the feet to pose any threat, and Palhares will eventually get this fight to the ground and submit him. Rousimar Palhares by submission, round 2.

Cannon Jacques:  Palhares is a fighter on the rise despite his decision loss last time out to Dan Henderson.  Horn has a ton of experience, but is on the backside of a successful career.  Horn won't be able to sub Palhares, and I just don't see him winning a striking battle.  Palhares will eventually get this to the ground and work his wizardry.  Palhares by submission, round 2.

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