Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber
Back in 2007, Faber was the first, and only, man to beat Cruz. Not only that, but he did so decisively, in the first 98 seconds. Granted, Cruz has improved his game greatly since then, but I believe Faber still has a strong advantage on the ground. Cruz may pull off a decision if he keeps the fight standing, but I find it unlikely.
Faber by submission, round 2
Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben
Not only is Silva getting on in years, but he is coming into this fight with a year and a half of ring rust. More than likely, we will not be seeing the same Silva from his prime, and his striking will likely suffer quite a bit from ring rust. However, Leben was never on the same level as the likes of Silva, and even now it would be quite a shock to see him win. Leben’s style, although interesting, does play to Silva’s strengths, somewhat offsetting that ring rust.
Silva by KO, round 3
Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader
Dana White has already announced that Ortiz is out of the UFC with a loss here, and it seems very likely. Tito Ortiz hasn’t won a fight since 2006 against Frank Shamrock. It’s obvious here that Tito is not in his prime any more, and Bader is just entering his prime. The only question is if this fight’s only purpose is to drop Ortiz and pump up Bader’s record.
Bader by TKO, round 2
Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Condit has been an up and coming fighter, coming into serious contention as a title contender lately, with a notable win over Dan Hardy. However, Condit will need a ton of takedown defense work to be able to out maneuver Kim. Kim’s style is set up perfectly to take Condit down and control him on the ground, which seems likely.
Kim by split decision
Dennis Silver vs. Matt Wiman
This will be an interesting fight, with both fighters looking to move up in an already crowded weight class. Both fighters have been on winning streaks lately, so I’d expect this to go to a decision. Wiman has excellent ground skills, and could get a submission, however Silver has even better takedown defense, so look for this fight to stay standing.
Silver by unanimous decision
Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller
Guillard via TKO, round 2
George Sotiropoulos vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Dos Anjos via Unanimous Decision
