UFC 113:
Machida vs Shogun 2 Breakdown
Sorry for the delay everyone.
I’m currently working on extending my Government work contract for the remainder of the year and have been swamped with work.
I haven’t had much of a chance and was close to not being able to write this but luckily I will be attending this event and as I sit here in the back of my buddies car, making our way to Montreal from Ottawa I think I’m in store for a good one.
Saturday marks the third appearance of the UFC in Canada in the last three years with all shows being held at the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
With a fantastic debut in 2008 as GSP won the UFC welterweight championship over Matt Serra, this was followed up with an anti climactic middleweight title defence in 2009 between Anderson Silva and Thales Élites.
This year, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and Dana White have put together a strong card that should make up for last year’s less then desirable main event.
Let’s take a look at the main fights on this card.
UFC 113: Machida vs Shogun
UFC Light heavyweight Championship Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida vs Mauricio "Shogun" Rua- This is a rematch from a fight that went to a decision late last year.
Many felt that Shogun did enough to earn himself the victory but the judges felt differently and awarded Machida the victory unanimously.
Shogun has been more successful than any other of Machida's opponents and the leg kicks thrown slowed down Machida's movements drastically.
Machida has a unique style of offense that makes it very hard to adapt too in enough time to do anything about it.
This fight could easily go either way as shown in their first encounter and hopefully this leaves us with no questions in determining who is the number one light heavyweight in the UFC.
This should be a terrific and very competitive scrap and a great main event.
Prediction: Machida by Unanimous Decision
Josh "KOS" Koscheck vs Paul "SEMTEX" Daley- Dana White has said that the winner of this fight will challenge GSP for his welterweight championship and may even be a rival coach on the next season of TUF.
This fight in another one of those classic Striker vs Wrestler match ups with two of the top five welterweights in the UFC.
Daley has made a name for himself with two victories, one by tko and another by knockout over Martin Kampmann and Dustin Hazelett while Koscheck has defeated Frank Trigg and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.
Both of these guys are entertaining and know how to sell fights and this one is no different.
These two genuinely don't like one another and this fight could also be another top contender for fight of the night.
If Koscheck chooses to take this one to the ground then I'm confident he can keep Daley there and maybe pull off a submission but if he chooses to stand, he may find himself knocked out quickly.
Prediction:
Koscheck by Unanimous Decision
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs Matt Mittrione-
I can confidently say that Mittrione would never be on a main card of a Pay Per View if his opponent wasn't Kimbo.
The fact that this fight has been advertised while good fights like Davis vs Goulet and Grant vs Hendricks are on the undercard is a damn shame.
Yes Kimbo appeals to casual fans but Mittrione is one of the only fighters in the UFC who is beatable for him and that statement may be a stretch.
Kimbo is a slugger and only really knows how to throw knockout punches while Mittrione showed on the last season of TUF that he's a quitter when he tapped out to James McSweeney's soft guillotine and continuously talked of leaving the show following a fight in which he won.
If Mittrione comes in with the right mental game, then he can beat Kimbo on the ground and maybe even on the feet.
Mittrione showed a good chin against "Big Baby" Marcus Jones and even managed to put him away with punches at the beginning of the second round.
This fight is a bit of a toss up but I can assure you that this will more than likely be sloppy and hopefully not too long.
Prediction:
Kimbo by TKO
Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout vs Jeremy "Lil Heathen" Stevens- Two guys that have been on a bit of a roll as of late and always entertain the masses.
Stephens is a high school wrestler who seems to have forgotten this as he has been more comfortable standing since joining the UFC.
Sam Stout has won Fight of the Night Honours in his last two fights, both of which were victories.
I think Stout may have the edge here in the striking and with terrific takedown defence, may be able to keep this standing but if Stephens takes this one to the ground then it may be tough for Stout to get back up.
I personally like these guys and their styles and think this could easily be the FOTN eventually leading to a decision victory for one.
Prediction: Stout by Unanimous Decision
Patrick "The Predator" Cote vs Alan "The Talent" Belcher-
Another fight with two strikers, one of which is coming off two victories in a row and the other a freak accident in a title shot against middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Patrick Cote is making a return to the UFC after over a year of being sidelined following a torn ACL while taking on Silva.
Making a return after an injury such as this has to feel good for Cote but it probably feels even better knowing that you're doing it in your hometown.
No one is doing Cote any favours with his opponent as he's taking on a very game opponent in Belcher.
Belcher is a tough dude to finish and can take damage as shown in his fights with Denis Kang and Jorge Santiago and dish it back out like his fights with Kalib Starnes and Wilson Gouveia.
This fight is another close one to call as both are evenly matched with heavy hands and good chins but I believe with close to a year and a half off, it’s going to take some time for Cote to find his rhythm again and he may be in for a long night.
Prediction: Belcher by Unanimous Decision
In Other Fights
Marcus Davis vs Jonathon Goulet- Davis by KO
Michael "The Joker" Guymon vs Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida- Yoshida by Submission
Tim "The Thrashing Machine" Hague vs Joey "The Mexicutioner" Beltran-
Hague by Unanimous Decision
Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald vs John Salter- MacDonald by Submission
TJ Grant vs Johny Hendricks-
Hendricks by Unanimous Decision
"Filthy" Tom Lawlor vs Joe "El Dirte" Doerksen-
Lawlor by TKO
That's all for this week everyone and I’ll be back next week with a recap of UFC 113 and Breakdown of Strikeforce's next event.
Enjoy the fights!