Nate Marquardt is one of the most underrated fighters in MMA and Demian Maia is probably the best jujitsu practitioner in MMA. Plus Couture vs Coleman is interesting because it is the first time two UFC Hall of Famers fighting which has never happened before.
While there is no title being defended I still think this card is going to provide fans with an exciting night of fights.
Now for the predictions:
Randy “The Natural” Couture (17-10-0) vs Mark “The Hammer” Coleman (16-9-0)
This is a really important fight for Couture. Not in terms of his legacy or putting himself in line for a title shot but for the sake of my respect. If Randy Couture does not finish Mark Coleman then I will no longer be a fan of his and can no longer support him. How do you not finish Coleman who gases 45 seconds into fights and looks like a 65 year old man?
Couture is in far better shape than Coleman and will tire him out quickly by forcing him against the cage and clinching. He did it to Brandon Vera, Gabriel Gonzaga and Tim Sylvia and now he will do it to Mark “The Geriatric” Coleman.
Both these guys are wrestlers with a boxing background. Couture is in greater shape and has shown a resiliency that Coleman has not. I see no way in which Coleman wins this fight and it will no doubt be an embarrassing way to end a career.
Tangent: How bad is Stephan Bonnar that he lost to Coleman? Seriously. Coleman has looked terrible in all his fights since coming back and yet he schooled Bonnar for 3 rounds. Bonnar needs to be kicked out of the UFC based on that performance alone.
Prediction: Couture via TKO (if this goes to decision I am off the Couture bandwagon)
Nate “The Great” Marquardt (32-8-2) vs Chael Sonnen (25-10-1)
I know I already said it but I am going to say it again, Nate Marquardt is the most underrated fighter in the UFC. He has only lost twice in the Octagon (one to Anderson Silva and once to Thales Leites which was a bullshit decision and he only lost cause he got deducted a point). He is a well rounded fighter with no real weaknesses and if he wins this fight he will get another shot at Silva.
Chael Sonnen on the other hand is a bitch. His fights are usually pretty boring and he does not deserve a title shot, which he will get if he beats Marquardt. He is 2-1 in the UFC with both wins coming via decision and his 1 loss coming via submission to Demian Maia. I hope he gets knocked out tonight by Marquardt so people can finally realize how good Nate is and how deserving he is of a title shot.
Obviously I am biased with this pick as I am a huge Marquardt fan but I think it is a pick with some logic behind it. Marquardt can win in a number of different ways and will be more than Sonnen can handle tonight. Also the common opponent for these two fighters is Maia. Sonnen was submitted by Maia while Marquardt knocked him out in 21 seconds. This fight should be a no-brainer.
Prediction: Marquardt via TKO
Mike “Quick” Swick (14-3-0) vs Paulo Thiago (12-1-0)
Mike Swick is coming off a huge loss to Dan Hardy that would have given him a title shot as GSP. Now he has to start the long road back up the ladder against Thiago.
Swick is a dangerous fighter because he is so fast. His punches come from all angles and at blinding speed and his guillotine is one of the best in the business. Lately he has been working on his ground game so it will be interesting to see if he tries to utilize that to beat Thiago.
I have no faith in Paulo Thiago. He is 1-1 in the UFC and his only win was due to a flukey punch against an over-aggressive Josh Koscheck. Were those 2 to fight 100 times I think Thiago would win once. Thiago is a pretty boring fighter as well preferring to drag fights out and try and impose his will on his opponent rather than finishing. The same can’t be said for Swick who knows that exciting finishes win over the fans.
I like Mike Swick in this fight because he is a well rounded fighter who will be hungry for a win after the loss to Hardy. Thiago has yet to show me anything special and until he does I refuse to pick him.
Prediction: Swick via Submission
Demian Maia (11-1-0) vs Dan Miller ( 11-2-0, 1 NC)
Dan Miller is one of those fighters that everybody misjudges because of his record. He is 11-2 in his MMA career and 3-1 in the UFC. His 3 wins were against Rob Kimmons, Matt Horwich, and Jake Rosholt. When your signature win is against Jake Rosholt you have a problem.
Maia on the other hand has wins over Ed Herman, Jason McDonald, Sonnen and Nate Quarry. His jujitsu is unparalleled in the UFC and his record would have been perfect if not for running into Marquardt. Needless to say he is a dangerous fighter.
Miller prides himself on his jujitsu but he is clearly overmatched in this fight and will be lucky to make it out of the 1st round.
Prediction: Maia via Submission
Matt “The Terror” Serra (16-6-0) vs Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (19-7-0)
Talk about washed up. Trigg vs Serra might be one of the most irrelevant fights in UFC history. This will definitively be the time I use to go take a dump because I could care less who wins.
I can`t believe I am going to write this but I like Matt Serra in this fight. He has solid submissions and he showed in his fight against GSP that he does pack some power in those T-rex arms. Will anything come of a win over Frank Trigg? I doubt it but at least it will give Serra some confidence.
As for Trigg there is no more telling stat other than this, he hasn`t won a fight in the UFC since 2004. He is 2-4 in his UFC career and does more trash talking than he should. Hopefully he will lose and then realize he has no business in the UFC and will go back to his night job at McDonalds...mmmm McDonalds.
Prediction: Serra via Submission
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