UFC 95 rundown

Sorry I did not do a rundown for UFC 94 I basically felt like i had too much of an emotional opinion and couldn’t really pick without a lot of bias. But with UFC 95 no such issues and so here is the Fights how they look, remember to tune in to Spike tv for the FREE replay.

SANCHEZ vs STEVENSON
In this fight its hard to think Sanchez won’t be able to do to Stevenson what he did to a much better and larger striker in Fiorivanti. Stevenson’s Gameplan will likely be to keep the fight standing to avoid the ground battle that he really hasn’t won consistantly in many of his last few fights. Unless Sanchez gets caught in a guillotine or possibly gasses i see him winning in devestating fashion.

HARDY vs MARKHAM
This fight is more for the English fans to see their hometown boy in a wild slugfest. Both Fighters have the power to KO the other but in these situations where both guys will come in with the gameplan of taking the other guys lunch, I always pick the guy with less KOs on his record. that’s Dan Hardy, a win By Hardy here i hope will set up a fight with Paul Taylor.

MARQUARDT vs GOUVIEA
I can’t help but shake the feeling that Marquardt could get KOed in this fight. But in all likelyhood Marquardt will win, due mostly to the fact that he can follow a gameplan. I feel liek Gouviea will look good maybe even win a round but get over confident or make a fatal error and that will be it. I wil say Marquardt wins by UD.

MAIA vs SONNEN
Maia will be the more deverse striker and will force Sonnen to lose his gameplan and take the fight to the ground where he will be quickly and easily submitted. Sonnen’s submission defense has always been his achilles heel. This is not a half loopy Fihlo that will stand in front of him and stalk slower not even throwing a punch. Maia sees a title shot in his future if he can pull this one off.

KOSCHECK vs THIAGO
its funny to me that Kos is on the Undercard of a fight headliner by a guy he beat. But thats the rub. Kos is fighting a UFC newcomer, NOT A CAN. Paulo Thiago is very dangerous and will probably win a few fights in the UFCs WW division. But not this one. Thiago is 10-0 with 7 wins by submission. There also isn’t a ton of tape on Thiago. I still feel liek Kos’s submission defense is a little basic but if he can keep the fight standing against Thiago he could shed the blanket reputation and become known as a full fledged power puncher. Kos By KO.

DOS SANTOS vs STRUVE
I picked against Dos Santos once, I won’t do it again. Struve is a ground fighter primarily with a pretty impressive resume, But Dos Santos is coming off a KO of the previosly un KOed Werdum which means that Dos Santos has real power. and being that he trains with Noguiera I’m guessing his jiujitsu is good. We will find out. Also if you were bettign i would put money of Struve to win, i think his chances of getting a sub here are pretty decent. But I will pick Dos Santos. Hes the real deal.

BUCHOLTZ vs ETIM
An interesting fight between 2 fighters with similar records. I will go with Etim based ont he fact that i think he has a better ground game where i think both guys seem to most gifted.

KELLY vs MANDOLONIZ
Mandoloniz better have worked his td defense or we are in for a long and boring fight. Kelly has wild striking, pretty sub standard Jiujitsu but ok wrestling and a great chin. These combine to make him a very good killer of straight strikers like Mandoloniz. He may come out like he did in the Taylor and Davis fights and give the fans a great 30 secs then get the fight to the floor where he doesn’t have the arsenal to finish the fight but can defend most submissions and grind out a decision similar to what he did with Taylor. it won’t be pretty but Barring a hard right hand from Rude Boy Kelly by decision.

CIESNOLEVICZ vs GROVE
both great fighters outside the UFC infact many were wondering when Mike would get signed by a rival org to the UFC…to fight at 205. Not Heavyweight and not on short notice. With Grove Imagine James Thompson but bigger and with a chin. lord knows if he has a ground game cuz we haven’t seen it the fights don’t last that long. My guess is that is Ciesnolevicz goal in this fight. To get the bigger man onto his back and test his ground game. If he can do that he will win. I will go with the IFL vet but i expect big things from Grove in the future.

DUNHAM vs ECKLAND
Evan Dunham is a late replacement getting the call to take on Eckland a fighter in his 3rd fight in the UFC that no one has heard of. This is likely the end of Ecklands contract if he doesn’t win so a win is paramount. I think Dunham and Eckland will be equall on the ground leaving the stand up battle to decide te fight. THat is where i believe the Swede has the advantage. Don’t be shy though about putting some money on Dunham as he has a chance to sub Per in this fight.

~ by martinwil on February 13, 2009.