UFC 117 - Silva vs. Sonnen Preview and Predictions

The second UFC event in August kicks off this Saturday night in California, with a very impressive fight card that should have fans very excited. A Middleweight title fight headlines the card as legendary Anderson Silva takes on challenger Chael Sonnen. A welterweight rematch involving Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves, as well as a heavyweight fight between Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson to determine the next contender for the title complete a impressive fight card. Let's preview the main card fights and look into predictions:

UFC 117 - Silva vs. Sonnen

 Oracle Arena,
Oakland, California, United States 

Anderson Silva  vs. Chael Sonnen  

Jon Fitch  vs. Thiago Alves  

Clay Guida vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida
Junior dos Santos  vs. Roy Nelson
Dustin Hazelett vs. Rick Story
Phil Davis vs. Rodney Wallace
Johny Hendricks vs. Charlie Brenneman
Stefan Struve vs. Christian Morecraft
Tim Boetsch vs. Todd Brown
Ben Saunders vs. Dennis Hallman

  

Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos

Junior Dos Santos comes into this fight riding a very impressive six fight win streak, with Cigano finishing all six opponents. The impressive win streak includes victories over Stefan Struve, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Filipovic, Fabricio (the Fedor beater) Werdum and Gilbert Yvel. Dos Santos sports a fantastic skill set, and his best weapon is his amazing stand up. He has very heavy hands, very quick boxing and the ability to finish just about anyone.

VS

Roy "Big Country" Nelson

If you have ever seen Roy Nelson, you understand where exactly his nickname came from. His surprisingly un-athletic looking body seems to clash with the idea that he is an MMA fighter (and a successful one at that). Looking past how Nelson looks, he carries a lot of power in his hands, and is a competitive grappler. His two fights in the UFC so far were both KO victories over the likes of Stefan Struve and Brendan Schuab.Nelson might not have the gas tank that some fighters have but his weight advantage can be helpful from the top position.

Analysis: Both Dos Santos and Nelson have the power to knock out most MMA fighters, but against each other, Dos Santos has the advantage of faster hands,better boxing and counter punching. Both fighters have the obvious puncher's chance but it seems more likely that Dos Santos will overwhelm Nelson sometime in the fight.

Prediction: Junior Dos Santos 2nd Round TKO

Matt Hughes

 Matt Hughes, one of the greatest veterans of the sport, rides a two fight win streak into this bout, with wins over Renzo Gracie and Matt Serra. Despite his last two victories, Hughes is not as dominant as he once was. He sports a excellent 44 - 7 record, but is probably closer to retiring then ever. His signature slams are long gone, and his take downs have looked lack luster as of late. Hughes is a two time Welterweight champion and sports the kind of experience few other fights have earned.

VS

Ricardo Almeida

Ricardo Almeida sports a 3 fight win streak coming into this match, with wins over Kendall Grove and Matt Brown. Almeida is a very successful BJJ practitioner and wrestler with good take-downs and top game. This is Almeida's second stint in the octagon and a win over Hughes could give him some big name recognition on his way up towards the title.

Analysis: Hughes is one of the best Welterweight fighters of all time, but clearly his best years are behind him at this point. The fight is not impossible for him to win, but it is highly likely he will fall victim to Almeida's wrestling and BJJ Saturday night.

Prediction: Ricardo Almeida 2nd Round Submission

Clay "The Carpenter" Guida

Clay Guida is coming into this bout with a victory in his last fight over Shannon Gugerty, but being 1 - 2 in his last 3 UFC fights. Guida has the advantage of having cardio superior to most MMA fighters, and can keep a ferocious pace throughout the entire fight. he employs a ground and pound style that takes advantage of his good top control, cardio and explosiveness. He also has a very solid chin, and has never been finished via TKO or KO in his career.

VS

 Rafael Dos Anjos

Rafael Dos Anjos comes into Saturday night's fight with a 3 fight win streak in the octagon. His grappling and BJJ are excellent (BJJ Black Belt) and he has won half his fights by submission and has never been submitted.He won submission of the night in his last victory by arm bar over Terry Etim. A win over Guida would likely help Dos Anjos climb up the lightweight division.

Analysis: Guida has the cardio and chin to force any fighter to wear out and go the distance, but he loses some of his advantage to Dos Anjos because of his superb BJJ and grappling. Guida will look to take Dos Anjos down and control and pound him, but could easily fall prey to the black belt Brazilian fighter.

Prediction: Rafael Dos Anjos 3rd Round Submission

Jon Fitch

Jon Fitch is a superior force in the lightweight division and rides a four fight win streak into his rematch with Thiago Alves.The only downfall of Fitch's win streak, maybe only according to fans, is that they all were decision wins.He holds tremendous wrestling ability, but lacks a superb stand-up or finishing power of other fighters.He beat Thiago in their first fight, thought that was four years ago.

VS

 Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves

Thiago Alves last fought in 2009 when he challenged GSP for the Welterweight title, losing a unanimous decision. He has vicious power, winning 10 of his fights by (T)KO, including finishing opponents Chris Lytle(won fight of the night) ,Matt Hughes (won knock out of the night), and Karo Parisyan. He has good take down defense, cardio, and the ability to finish any opponent.

Analysis: Jon Fitch is a great MMA fighter, and uses his specific strategy to neutralize opponents and grind out wins, but this might not work on Alves. The Pitbull's stand up is far better than that of Fitch, and his TDD has improved vastly since the last time they fought.

Prediction: Thiago Alves 2nd Round TKO

Anderson "The Spider" Silva

Anderson Silva is one of the best fighters to ever come into the UFC, if not the best. He is undefeated in the octagon, and is the longest reigning champion in the promotion's history. He has defeated numerous talented fighters such as Rich Franklin (twice), Chris Leben, Forrest Griffin, and Dan Henderson. He has amazing striking ability and some of the best counter punching in the business and has won knock out of the night and fight of the night twice each. As of late though, he has seemed a little complacent in the cage, even forcing Dana White to reprimand Silva harshly in his last fight, telling him that if he repeated such a performance, he would be cut from the promotion.

 VS

Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen is currently the #2 Middleweight in the UFC and is stepping up to fight Anderson Silva for the belt this Saturday night. Sonnen rides a three fight win streak into the title match, with victories over Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami, and Dan Miller. Sonnen is also the only fighter ever to defeat Paulo Filho, a former WEC Middleweight champion. Sonnen employs superior wrestling in his fights (NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon), and a good top game. In the months leading up to the fight, Sonnen has been incredibly open about his views of the fight and Anderson Silva, letting immense amounts of trash talk fly.

Analysis: Realistically, Silva is leagues above Sonnen in ability (though Silva is leagues above everyone), and will most likely take this fight easily. But Sonnen does provide an interesting match up in that his wrestling is very good, and time and time again the key to beating Silva is believed to be taking him to the mat and controlling him for the fights entirety. Sonnen has the wrestling to take him down and keep him there, but he lacks the stand up to mess around much on the feet, and is also very susceptible to submissions.Big money would be put on Silva's head, but with Silva's complacency and  desire for octagon dance-offs, Sonnen's hilarious and ridiculous trash talk and being the underdog of the ages; I'm going to bite the bullet and believe the impossible.

Prediction: Chael Sonnen Unanimous Decision

Results to follow event

5 Runningbacks Looking for Big Numbers in 2010

The NFL is approaching very quickly, and every running back in the league, is yet again looking to run for as much yards and touchdowns as humanly possible, break all the records, and become the next Barry Sanders. Let's look at a few big dogs to look for come the 2010 season:

Chris Johnson

 This is the easiest pick of them all, Chris Johnson was just phenomenal last year, coming right to the precipice of breaking the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season (CJ ran for 2006 yards in 2009). In 2009, CJ had a fantastic 5.6 yard per carry average, over 500 yards receiving, he was nearly unstoppable. His athletic ability mixed in with unheard of speed, and elusiveness made him the best running back in the league last year and certainly sets him up to retain that title in 2010. CJ hopes a repeat performance of his over two thousand yard season can put him up for a Most Valuable Player award (he didn't receive one vote for MVP last year). What's disappointing is even with this dominating performance, the Titans were still 8 - 8 last year. 

 Maurice Jones-Drew

 

Maurice Jones-Drew was an elite fantasy back last year, ending up 4th overall in yards and 2nd in touchdowns, all while being on a pretty anemic Jaguars offensive unit. Don't expect his numbers to plummet this season though as Jones-Drew will no doubt produce similar numbers this season.

 Adrian Peterson

Peterson's numbers may have dropped from 2008 to 2009, but his touchdowns nearly doubled. The lowest production he's ever had in his 3 short years in the NFL was his rookie season in which he ran for over 1300 yards (while only starting nine games). Peterson is the player that in his rookie season, broke the all time NFL record for most rushing yards in a game (Peterson ran for 296). He is always dangerous, always turning small plays into highlight reel moments, and will be near the top of most every draft board.

Cedric Benson

 

Cedric Benson played his best season of his career last year, looking great in his second year with the Bengals rushing for over 1200 yards. If that wasn't enough, Benson is in a contract year, and history has shown that players put up some of their best statistics during this period to ensure that they get big financial rewards. The additions of Terrell Owens, Antonio Bryant and Jermaine Gresham lend a lot of help the the Bengals passing attack, balancing out the offense and freeing up defenders from hounding Benson.

Ray Rice

 Ray Rice ran for over 1300 yards last year, but their are a few reasons why he could see even more production this year. With the additions of Donte Stallworth and Anquan Boldin to help the Ravens offense evolve, it will balance out their previous run heavy game plan, allowing Ray Rice to get better coverages. And with only a few years under his belt, he is still a young player and as he gains experiences, his awareness will improve.

Four NFL Teams That Could Elevate Their Status in 2010

The upcoming 2010 season looks to be an exciting year in football. Every year a team or two rises from the levels of mediocrity or atrociousness and surprises the league and the fans by rising to the challenge and showing everyone that their team is better then previously believed. Let's look at a few teams that might surprise us in 2010:

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders went a mediocre 5 - 11 last year, largely in part due to the cancer that was JaMarcus Russell. Looking forward to 2010, Russell is gone, Oakland has a viable QB option in Jason Campbell, and rare promising season looms near. Their passing defense was top ten last year, and with the additions of rookie Rolando McClain and free agent John Henderson among others, the defense might continue taking steps in the right direction. As far as the offense is concerned, it was atrocious last year, though Jason Campbell's addition alone doubles its potential. His ability to properly lead this squad, have team mates trust in him, and actually complete passes put him leagues above his joke of a predecessor. Louis Murphy has emerged as a viable option for Campbell and Chaz Schilens shows flashes of the same talent. The key here is if Heyward-Bey can improve enough to be a part of this offense and help them succeed.

Detroit Lions

As a two win team, it's pretty easy to surpass the expectations of most fans. But now more then ever there is real hope for the Lions, as they are slowly amassing talented players. Matthew Stafford is still young, but he looks he will be a very capable QB once he gets all the odds and ends evened out. He has the fortune of having one of the best wide receivers in the league already on his team, and the addition of Nate Burleson will only add another viable option to the passing game. Also, in the run game, the Lions drafted Jahvid Best, one of the most talented running backs in the draft. Between Best and Kevin Smith, their backfield should look pretty good come start of the season. On the defensive side, the rookie Ndamukong Suh, a ferocious defensive tackle, and off season additions Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Dre Bly could help bolster the defense.

Seattle Seahawks

 Seattle gets on this list partially because they have such a weak division, that their ability to succeed is a little easier then most. As of late, they have not looked very promising. Hasselbeck is getting older, and it seems he will soon pass the torch to quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (if they have as much faith in him as we are led to believe). The offense has potential though with talented wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh already on the team and the additions of rookie WR Golden Tate and big offensive tackle Russell Okung to bolster the line. The addition of Safety Earl Thomas is a solid boost to the defensive unit.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have been up and down the past few seasons, but their level of talent remains very real. What will surprise people most is their ability to clash with and possibly win the division over a very good Jets team. The running back corp (when healthy) is one of the best in the league, made up of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams (they were 4th in the league rushing last year). They have the ability to be a run heavy offense and have great sucess this way. The biggest questions come from their passing game and defense. If Chad Henne can step up, continue to improve, and manage the game as well as Chad Pennington did recently, then this team can do great things. Luckily for Henne, Miami managed to snag one of the best wide receivers in the league in Brandon Marshall. This signing is HUGE for Miami's offense as it presents a go to guy and #1  big play WR for Henne right away. The defense is going to have to support them though (they were 22nd overall last year), and the rookie selection Jared Odrick and signing of Karlos Dansby should help their cause immensely.

Five NFL Teams To Beat In 2010

 The NFL season is right around the corner, and its impossible to know from here how everything is going to turn out, but at this point there are a number of big teams to beat during the upcoming season. lets start the analysis:

1. New Orleans Saints

 Obviously the Super Bowl champs are always the easiest pick for teams to beat in the next season, and surely the saints do not falter from that logic, and should be just as dangerous as they were in 2009. This is a team, with a fantastic offense and opportunistic defense with rare talent for a second trip to the Super Bowl in 2 years. Look for every team on their schedule to want to add them as a trophy victory in 2010.

2. Indianapolis Colts

 The Colts may have lost the Super Bowl last year to a very capable New Orleans team, but the Colts talent has far from diminished going into this new season. Going undefeated through the first fourteen games last season before reverting to their subs in the final games, their talent will only be bolstered by the return of WR Anthony Gonzalez, DB Bob Sanders and Bill Polian's highly respected draft choices.

3. Green Bay Packers

 The Packers fell short of winning the division last year, getting stuck with wild card as Minnesota grabbed the division, but in 2010 the Pack should only improve. Aaron Rodgers continues to improve dramatically all the time, and with a solid WR corp and defense this team will be at the top of the NFC come the end of the season.

4. Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota makes the list primarily if Favre returns for another season with the purple people eaters. Without him, the team is still talented, but lack of any substantial QB depth makes them drop quite a bit. With Favre on the team (and without Peterson fumbles) this is a very Super Bowl capable team. We saw them make the NFC championship last year but fall short to the eventual Champs. If their defense gets the help it needs then the the Vikings will remain one of the NFCs (and NFL's) biggest juggernauts.

5. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens only went a uninspiring 9 - 7 last season, but it was not a good indication of their level of talent. They're lack of a true passing game hurt them immensely, and kept them from greatness even though they ranked third overall in defense and fifth overall in rushing the ball. With the additions of Dante Stallworth and Anquan Boldin, the Ravens passing attack should look a lot better, and if it rivals their other sides of the game, they will be fearsome.

UFC Live On Versus 2: Jones vs. Matyushenko Results and Analysis

It was an interesting night of fights Sunday at the San Diego Sports Arena, during the UFC's second stint providing a free event via the Versus channel. The bout between Jones and Matyushenko did not disappoint and headlined a night of intense mixed martial arts. Lets's look at the results, the analysis of each fight and if the predictions held any truth:

Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi VS Tyson Griffin

 Result: Takanori Gomi came into the octagon with a purpose, and that purpose was fulfilled a minute into the fight when Gomi throws a mean right that drops Griffin to the mat, where Gomi punched him out until the ref intervened.

Analysis: Gomi's first fight in the UFC against Florian was lackluster, but this second fight is a good a bounce back as any. Tyson Griffin has never been stopped until now, and Gomi made it look easy, decking Griffin and putting him away early in the first round. Gomi could be on his way up the UFC ladder.

Takanori Gomi Victory by 1st Round Knock Out

Jake Ellenberger VS John "Doomsday" Howard

Result: Ellenberger used excellent takedowns along with some vicious elbows to put away John Howard midway through the 3rd round. The TKO was a doctor stoppage, a big elbow (possibly breaking or fracturing Howard's orbital bone) caused Howard's left eye to swell shut.

Analysis: Ellenberger looked impressive against the heavy handed Howard, and neutralized him for most of the match. He could be a dominant force in the division if he continues to fight like he did sunday night. 

Jake Ellenberger Victory by 3rd Round TKO

Yushin "Thunder" Okami VS Mark "The Philippine Wrecking Machine" Munoz

Result:Yushin Okami earned a big victory over a very credible foe in Mark Munoz on Sunday night. The decision was close, but Okami did enough to sway the judges in his favor at the end of the night. Okami's striking was superior that night and his sprawl neutralized Munoz.

Analysis: Munoz, a great wrestler with superb takedowns as well as ground and pound, looked very sub par versus Yushin Okami. Okami defended just about every single one of Munoz's takedown attempts and outpointed him in the standup. It was a very disappointing fight for the up and coming Munoz.

Yushin Okami Victory by Split Decision

Jon "Bones" Jones VS Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko

Result: Jon Jones continues time and time again to impress fans and fighters alike, and sunday night was no different when he ran through Matyushenko. Not even 2 minutes into the round, Jones takes Matyushenko to the mat, moves into position for a crucifix, and starts raining at least a dozen clean elbows to the head before the ref intervenes.

Analysis: Vladimir Matyushenko is no pushover, yet Jones won finished him easily, almost too easily. If anyone has any doubts left about Bones, it's probably along the lines of what would happen when he's not winning a fight so effortlessly? At this point I'm sure his next fight will be someone much higher up the rankings, and I'm excited to see how Jones performs in that test. Really, the only disappointment that could be said of this fight, was that Jones finished the fight too early and we didn't get to see as much of his crazy striking. 

Jon Jones Victory by 1st Round TKO

Total Prediction Record for UFC Live On Versus 2 : 1 - 3