UFC 117
On August 7th, we are going to witness an exciting event, full of fights that should be extremely exciting. Possibly the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Anderson Silva, headlines UFC 117 with a title defense against #1 contender, Chael Sonnen. The co-main event is a rematch between John Fitch and Thiago Alvez, and the winner of that fight will likely get a title shot against George St. Pierre. The card also features the legendary Matt Hughes, going up against one of the top guys in the division, Ricardo Almeida. If that's not enough for ya, Ultimate Fighter winner, Roy "big country" Nelson, squares off against the dangerous up and coming heavyweight, Jr. Dos Santos. And fan favorite, Clay Guida will go to war with the always exciting Rafael Dos Anjos. without doubt this will be one of the most exciting cards of the year. In this article, I'm going to do my best to break some of these fights down for you, and predict a winner.
Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen-
This should be a bit more action packed than some of Silva's recent fights, because without doubt, Sonnen will be applying all types of pressure here. He has openly stated he guarentees a win, and will retire Silva. He is confident that he will be able to take Anderson down, and "pound a hole in his head". However, I'm reluctant to agree. I believe Anderson will be peppering Sonnen with punches and will get him off balance, pounce and finish this fight. Anderson's speed and footwork are going to prove too much for Sonnen, and I'm expecting a 2nd round TKO.
Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alvez-
A real battle of styles here, when Fitch's amazing wrestling is pitted against Alvez's outstanding standup. These 2 have met once before at UFC Fight Night 5, and with up kicks and punches, Fitch scored a 2nd round TKO victory. Fitch seems to think it's going to happen again, and is looking forward to a title shot afterward. I'm going to have to say he's right. His wrestling will prove to be too much for Alvez, and he will beat the pitbull again. I expect this to go to the judges though, as Fitch will grind through Alvez and win by decision. Don't be fooled, Alvez can end this by KO at any point, but given Fitch's nearly unstoppable takedown skills, and his good chin, I'm not worried about that happening.
Matt Hughes vs Ricardo Almeida
The hall of fame status Matt Hughes goes against "the big dog" in what will be a real chess match. Almeida has a chance of catching Hughes in a submission in this fight, but most likely, Hughes will prove to be too much. In Hughes' last fight against Renzo Gracie, Hughes showed great boxing, and was able to avoid going to the ground against the jiu-jitsu wizard. I expect Hughes will do the same here, and win by decision. If Matt decides to take this fight to the ground, he should be strong enough to control Almeida and stay out of trouble.
Roy Nelson vs Jr. Dos Santos
Big Country, winner of the Ultimate Fighter heavyweights, is going up against one of the best up and coming heavyweights in the decision. This fight will produce fireworks for sure. Nelson's experience gives him what you would think would be an edge here, but I'm going to put my money on JDS here. Junior has been on a tear since his October 2008 debut at UFC 90, polishing off top heavyweight contender, Fabricio Werdum. He has since went on to fight some of the toughest guys in the division, winning all but 1 of his UFC fights in the first round. Dos Santos has put away Stevan Stuve, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro-Cop, and Gilbert Yvel, with Cro-Cop being the only one escaping the first round, in a fight he tapped out due to punches in the 3rd round. Dos Santos, at 6 ft. 4, is an incredibly strong striker, and will be able to end this fight by TKO. You can't count Big Country out, but it's fair to say he will be biting off more than he can chew in this fight, for he is fighting a big, strong, striker, who will likely land a big punch in the first round, drop Nelson, and TKO him. Very fun fight to watch though.
So there you have it. UFC 117. Don't let the lack of huge names dissapoint you, because this event, aside from having Anderson Silva, and Matt Hughes, showcases your Ultimate Fighter winner, and some of the best fighter's up and coming, like Dos Anjos, and Dos Santos, as well as Almeida and Struve. And don't forget the always exciting Clay "the carpenter" Guida, who never dissapoints. Not to mention 2 top fighters lookin for a title fight in Jon Fitch vs Thiag Alvez. Top to bottom, this event has the potential to blow the roof off the building on August 7th. This is one your not going to want to miss, I can promise you that!
Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen-
This should be a bit more action packed than some of Silva's recent fights, because without doubt, Sonnen will be applying all types of pressure here. He has openly stated he guarentees a win, and will retire Silva. He is confident that he will be able to take Anderson down, and "pound a hole in his head". However, I'm reluctant to agree. I believe Anderson will be peppering Sonnen with punches and will get him off balance, pounce and finish this fight. Anderson's speed and footwork are going to prove too much for Sonnen, and I'm expecting a 2nd round TKO.
Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alvez-
A real battle of styles here, when Fitch's amazing wrestling is pitted against Alvez's outstanding standup. These 2 have met once before at UFC Fight Night 5, and with up kicks and punches, Fitch scored a 2nd round TKO victory. Fitch seems to think it's going to happen again, and is looking forward to a title shot afterward. I'm going to have to say he's right. His wrestling will prove to be too much for Alvez, and he will beat the pitbull again. I expect this to go to the judges though, as Fitch will grind through Alvez and win by decision. Don't be fooled, Alvez can end this by KO at any point, but given Fitch's nearly unstoppable takedown skills, and his good chin, I'm not worried about that happening.
Matt Hughes vs Ricardo Almeida
The hall of fame status Matt Hughes goes against "the big dog" in what will be a real chess match. Almeida has a chance of catching Hughes in a submission in this fight, but most likely, Hughes will prove to be too much. In Hughes' last fight against Renzo Gracie, Hughes showed great boxing, and was able to avoid going to the ground against the jiu-jitsu wizard. I expect Hughes will do the same here, and win by decision. If Matt decides to take this fight to the ground, he should be strong enough to control Almeida and stay out of trouble.
Roy Nelson vs Jr. Dos Santos
Big Country, winner of the Ultimate Fighter heavyweights, is going up against one of the best up and coming heavyweights in the decision. This fight will produce fireworks for sure. Nelson's experience gives him what you would think would be an edge here, but I'm going to put my money on JDS here. Junior has been on a tear since his October 2008 debut at UFC 90, polishing off top heavyweight contender, Fabricio Werdum. He has since went on to fight some of the toughest guys in the division, winning all but 1 of his UFC fights in the first round. Dos Santos has put away Stevan Stuve, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro-Cop, and Gilbert Yvel, with Cro-Cop being the only one escaping the first round, in a fight he tapped out due to punches in the 3rd round. Dos Santos, at 6 ft. 4, is an incredibly strong striker, and will be able to end this fight by TKO. You can't count Big Country out, but it's fair to say he will be biting off more than he can chew in this fight, for he is fighting a big, strong, striker, who will likely land a big punch in the first round, drop Nelson, and TKO him. Very fun fight to watch though.
So there you have it. UFC 117. Don't let the lack of huge names dissapoint you, because this event, aside from having Anderson Silva, and Matt Hughes, showcases your Ultimate Fighter winner, and some of the best fighter's up and coming, like Dos Anjos, and Dos Santos, as well as Almeida and Struve. And don't forget the always exciting Clay "the carpenter" Guida, who never dissapoints. Not to mention 2 top fighters lookin for a title fight in Jon Fitch vs Thiag Alvez. Top to bottom, this event has the potential to blow the roof off the building on August 7th. This is one your not going to want to miss, I can promise you that!
wow baby this is pretty sweet! :) I like this one better then the Jake Sheilds one for sure! lol
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