Mixed Martial B0nes

Trouble comes in threes people and this month is NO exception. We’ve got major events from the UFC, WEC and EliteXC all happening within a week of each other. UFC 84 is scheduled for Saturday, May 24th. The UFC as well as UFC 84 has lived up to its name “Ill Will” for sure. What with Tito Ortiz doing battle with Dana White taking up all the news. And, Oh yeah, how about Chris Leben violating his parole by getting a DUI and then turning himself into jail? Luckily he wasn’t scheduled to fight in this one. “Ill” is certainly the operative word here. Let’s see what we’ve got…

Thiago Silva(11-0-0) Vs. Antonio Mendes(14-2-0) Here we have two very very tough customers squaring off in the Octagon. I’ll have to give Silva the edge here as Mendes is debuting in the UFC in this event. They both have impressive records but going from a small pond to the big sea is probably the experience that Mendes will have. Silva in 2.

Tito Ortiz(16-5-1) Vs. Lyoto Machida(12-0-0) Ortiz has had it with the UFC and this will be his last fight in the organization… until both he and Dana figure out that they can make more money being mad at each other together than if they we’re happy and apart. Machida is riding quite a win streak. His last fight in the UFC was a somewhat surprising win in UFC 79:Nemesis over Soko who’s fighting the undercard. I’m thinking the fading Ortiz will find his second wind and choke out Lyoto in the 3rd.

Wilson Gouveia(10-4-0) Vs. Goran Reljic(7-0-0) Here is another newcomer with a stellar record going against a salty UFC veteran. This seems to be the theme of this event. I guess, after Dana’s housecleaning this year, the stable had to be refilled with more fighters. I’m going out on a limb here and will predict a shocker win by Reljic over Gouveia in the 1st. Stranger things have happened!

Wanderlei Silva(31-8-1) Vs. Keith Jardine(13-4-1) It’s the “Axe Murderer” versus “The Dean of Mean.” Wanderlei didn’t have quite the fight he expected in UFC79 versus Chuck Liddell i.e. he lost! His days in the fight game are coming to a close so a few wins here and there would probably help his pocketbook as well as his street cred back in Brazil. He didn’t draw a cupcake in Jardine. He has earned his reputation by putting the hurt on both Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin. I thought Wanderlei was going to handle Chuck in UFC79. I was wrong. Well, maybe this time I’ll be right when I say: Silva in 3 by decision.

BJ Penn(13-4-1) Vs. Sean Sherk(35-2-1) This is the main event of the evening and for good reason. BJ, “The Progidy” has proven himself to be one recently in UFC80. Sherk proved himself last in UFC73. Although he also proved to be hopped up on performance enhancing drugs. It was a long battle for him to get reinstated to the UFC. In the mean time BJ has just been piling on the wins and training like a madman. I think Sherk will put up a good fight but then say “night night” once Penn puts a rear naked choke on him and the tappity tappity starts to happen in the 3rd.

This is one big and stacked event. The full fight card really is packed with great fighters and fights. It makes me wonder why on earth some of these fights aren’t on the main card. Oh well, at least if these fights don’t live up to the hype, there will be two more next week to calm our fears or make them worse. Trouble *does* come in threes!

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We’ve gone through the undercard of UFC79 so now it’s time to see what the main card holds for us. We have the two obvious fights in Liddell v. Silva and Hughes v. GSP but there are others fighting on Saturday that have put themselves on the line for us.

This figures to be a great group of various battles. Where they start and how they end will be as unique as the men stepping into the octagon. OK, let’s cut the deck and deal out some of these aces!

• Soa Palelei vs. Eddie Sanchez will most likely be a short bout as Palelei hasn’t fought a live match in over three years. Sanchez has mixed it up with the likes of Cro Cop and Colin Robinson this year. The interesting thing about this match is the size of the two fighters: 265 lbs. At this weight, look for someone’s (sorry Soa!) eyes to roll to the back of their head at the end of the match.
• Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard will most likely be the most tension filled one of the night. Each of these guys hate every one of the 155 lbs. of the other. This will be a classic standup (Melvin) vs submission (Rich) fight. Someone’s going to get decked and I’m thinking Guillard will be the one to go down.
• Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Sokoudjou is a match featuring a wildman(Sokoudjou) against a veteran(Machida). Sokoudjou has become one the most exciting 205 pounders in the UFC in a very short time. Machida has fought at this level for a long time and will pull out the stops to confuse Sokoudjou. Having seen Sokoudjou in action makes me think he will come out on top for this one.
• Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva… OMFG!! This is the match that everyone is paying $40 on PPV for. What more can be said about this matchup other than, “Shut up and fight!” Liddell the standup/ground and pounder will have as much as he can take in Silva. I am a Chuck fan. I have Chuck teeshirts. Chuck is on my Tivo favorites… wait for it… wait for it… BUT I somehow think this will end badly for him. Silva has a pedigree a step above Liddell. I’m crossing my fingers for the Iceman but the AxeMurderer has so much game that he may end Chuck’s reign in the UFC at the top.
• Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre is one heck of a substitution for Hughes vs. Serra. They have both fought each other and they both have wins against each other. The winner faces Matt Serra for the Welterweight Title. This is just the “Interim” title fight. I have mixed feelings about this fight as the real bout was supposed to be Serra vs. Hughes. If Hughes lays an egg, the title shot will go to GSP. If GSP wins the title, TUF fans get the shaft. Any way, this is a premium match up and to predict this one is a toss up. I’ll go with Hughes. Somehow I think he will submit GSP and preserve his title shot. As a Newbie and a TUF fan I’m really hoping for this!