UFC 88 Predictions

The UFC is back this weekend with what looks to be another entertaining card headlined by former Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell. Liddell takes on TUF 2 Heavyweight winner Rashad Evans in the main event with Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson fighting (not each other) on the undercard.

Note- Karo Parisyan has pulled out of his fight with Yoshiyuki Yoshida with an apparent back injury. The Matt Brown-Dong Hyun Kim fight has been moved up from the preliminariy card to fill up the main card.

Main Card
Rashad Evans vs Chuck Liddell
Prediction- Liddell by 1st round knockout
I really don’t see how Evans can win this fight. This isn’t what I’d call a mismatch because both fighters are contenders and are around the same level, however Evans is tailor-made for Liddell. Liddell excels at fighting wrestlers with limited stand-up who have to get the fight to the ground in order to win the fight. Liddell is what Mark Coleman is to Ground and Pound or what Royce Gracie is to BJJ in MMA for Sprawl and Brawl fighters. He keeps these wrestlers standing up with him and uses his unorthodox but extremely effective style to knock these guys out. I think Evans could last to the 2nd or 3rd round, but he’s going to get knocked out at some stage. Liddells faced far better fighters who fight like Evans in the past and handled them with ease, you couldn’t have picked a better fighter for Liddell to fight right now.

Rich Franklin vs Matt Hammill
Prediction- Franklin by 2nd round knockout
It has to be said about this UFC, the worst two matchups on the card are the two main events. The same with Evans vs Liddell, I’m not sure what Hammill can do to Franklin that he hasn’t seen before. Hammill is improving with every fight, but even with his natural size advantage he won’t be able to handle Franklin. Franklin will pick him apart on their feet until he knocks him out. Hammill might get a takedown or two but he won’t do much damage while he’s there and Franklin may even submit him from his back. Hammill has a long way to go before I see him as anything but just a wrestler. Franklin by knockout.

Dan Henderson vs Rousimar Palhares
Prediction- Henderson by 2nd round knockout
I’m a little nervous about this fight. I’m a big Henderson fan and Palhares is a dangerous guy who might just match-up badly for Dan. Palhares has top notch submission wrestling skills but thats really where it ends for him. Henderson is a two-time Olympic wrestler with heavy hands and good submission defence. However, Henderson has this annoying habbit of giving his opponent the takedown instead of keeping it standing and utilising his boxing. It’s got him in trouble in the past and it could get him in trouble this weekend. I think he’ll be too smart and too strong in this fight and he’ll catch Palhares with a big right hand at some stage and put him to sleep. I won’t be in the least bit surprised if Palhares wins by submission though. If you were going to bet on an upset this weekend, this would be the fight to put your money on. I’m playing it safe and picking Henderson.

Martin Kampmann vs Nate Marquadt
Prediction- Kampmann on points
This is a good match-up. I really can’t think of better opponents for either of these guys right now. Kampmann needs a win over a big name middleweight and Marquadt needs a good win to bounce back from his disappointing loss to Thales Leites. I think both of these guys will cancel each other out on the ground, but I give the edge to Marquadt because he has better wrestling. I give Kampmann a big edge if the fights stays standing up and I think he’ll pick Nate apart to take the decision should be be able to avoid the takedown. I’ll be very susprised if this fight ends before the final bell.

Matt Brown vs Dong Hyun Kim
Prediction- Brown by 2nd round knockout
Matt Brown and Dong Hyun Kim get their chance to shine on the main card thanks to Karo Parisyan pulling out of his fight with Yoshida. I like Brown to win this fight, he’s a little pitbull in there and I think he’ll overwhelm Kim in this fight and knock him out. Its a tough one to call though because both guys are untested at this level and I wouldn’t be surprised if Kim submits him. I think this will be fight of the night.

Preliminary Card
Kurt Pellegrino vs Thiago Tavares
Prediction- Pellegrino on points
Pellegrino’s wrestling advantage will be the deciding factor in this fight. Both guys are well schooled enough to be able to avoid being submitted and both guys are fairly useless standing up. Pellegrino will control the top position and grind out a unanimous decision.

Jason Lambert vs Jason MacDonald
Prediction- MacDonald on points
Lambert makes his middleweight debut against Jasom MacDonald (who fought and lost on the last UFC card). I think Lambert will struggle in this fight because of all the weight he’ll have had to cut, not to mention he’s been knocked out in his last two fights. MacDonald will outwork a fatugued Lambert in the second half of the fight to take a close points win.

Tim Boetsch vs Mike Patt
Prediction- Boetsch by 1st round knockout
I don’t know a whole lot about Patt so I’m predicting out of my arse a little here.

Roan Carneiro vs Ryo Chonan
Prediction- Carneiro on points
After blue belt Kevin Burns tapped him out, I think Carneiro will be in tremendous shape for this fight with the intentions of putting that performance behind him. Chonan will make a fight of it as usual, but Carneiro will be too skilled and win a fight that will take place mostly on the ground by a wide decision.