DANA WHITE WON’T BE HAPPY AFTER READING
Oklahoma City, OK– I admit that the UFC is in an awkward spot ever since heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar fell ill, as they know it will be hard to push a pay-per-view card without a major fight, they also wouldn’t want to put on two free UFC events in back to back weeks. They are very aware of keeping their product at a high value and to offer this free could cheapen their product. That being said save your money and read about it the next day; or find a sports bar or social gathering where you can catch it with a $5.00 cover or less.
LESNAR WORTH 1.5 MILLION BUYS NOW?
As hinted at above, UFC 106 was originally going to be headlined by Brock Lesnar defending his crown against undefeated Shane Carwin; that was until Lesnar fell ill from a hole in his intestines. Now, the co main event has been bumped up to headline the event as Tito Ortiz, Huntington Beach, CA (15-6-1, 8 KOs, 2 SUBs) makes his return to the cage after a year and a half absence. He will be up against Forrest Griffin, Athens, GA (16-6, 3 KOs, 7 SUBs) in a rematch of their April 2006 battle in which Ortiz won a disputed split decision.
TITO TO DO WHAT TITO DOES BEST!
Assuming Ortiz doesn’t have too much rust on him from his layoff, he should be able to employ his favorite strategy of ground and pound and end up taking a decision or late stoppage. Griffin has been in a lot of battles since they first met and has been mentally and physically softened up.
In the first bout of the undercard, Josh Koscheck, Buffalo, NY (13-4, 4 KOs, 4 SUBs) will take on Anthony Johnson, Los Angeles, CA (8-2, 6 KOs). This should be a very interesting battle as both are phenomenal athletes with explosive offenses. Hopefully this affair will turn into a fire fight and not a clash of styles. I will go with Koscheck by decision.
DON’T GET CONFUSED BY THE BROTHERS
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (17-3, 4 KOs, 6 SUBs) will make his UFC debut when he faces fellow Brazilian Luis Arthur Cane, Sao Paulo, Brazil (10-1, 8 KOs, 1 SUB). Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is the brother of heavyweight contender Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. This bout will probably come down to who makes a mistake first, or who can capitalize on a mistake first. My pick goes with Nogueira by Submission.
Next up, Dustin Hazelett, Cincinnati, OH (12-4, 1 KO, 9 SUBs) will take on Armenian Judo specialist, Karo Parisyan, North Hollywood, CA (18-5, 9 SUBs). Both of these guys are very technical and sometimes overlooked. I think Karo has the strength advantage here and I expect him to use his Judo very effectively against Hazelett. I see Karo walking away with a decision here.
Rounding out the scheduled televised PPV card, Ultimate Fighter season eight winner Amir Sadollah, Glen Allen, CA (1-1, 1 SUB) will take on the exciting and out spoken Phil Baroni, Long Island, NY (13-11, 9 KOs, 2 SUBs). I was surprised to see Baroni back on the UFC roster, but he does generate excitement and may still have something left in the tank. Baroni is .500 in his last 10 fights, but if he doesn’t gas early, he will probably catch Amir with his heavy hands. Baroni takes a TKO win in this one. Don’t forget some of the prelims will be free on Spike TV before the live PPV card begins!
OFF PPV & POSSIBLE SPIKE TV FIGHTS
Marcus Davis, Bangor, ME (16-5, 5 KOs, 8 SUBs) vs. Ben Saunders, Orlando, FL (7-1-2, 3 KOs, 3 SUBs)
Paulo Thiago, Brasilia, Brazil (11-1, 2 KOs, 7 SUBs) vs. Jacob Volkmann, Brooklyn Center, MN (9-0, 6 SUBs)
Kendall Grove, Maui, Hawaii (10-6, 2 KOs, 6 SUBs) vs. Jake Rosholt, Sand Point, Idaho (6-1, 4 KOs, 2 SUBs)
Brock Larson, Brainerd, MN (26-3, 5 KOs, 18 SUBs) vs. Brian Foster, Granite City, OK (12-4, 7 KOs, 5 SUBs)
Caol Uno, Kanagawa, Japan (25-12-4, 2 KOs, 13 SUBs) vs. Fabricio Camoes, Curitiba, Brazil (10-4, 2 KOs, 6 SUBs)
George Sotiropoulos, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (10-2, 1 KO, 6 SUBs) vs.Jason Dent, Cincinnati, OH (19-9, 4 KOs, 15 SUBs)
Matthew Grizzle