WEC 53 Preview and Predictions

WEC 53 will not only be the last WEC card of the year, but it will also be the ZUFFA owned promotion's final card ever. It was announced a couple months back that the WEC and almost all of it's fighters would be absorbed into it's parent/sister promotion, the UFC.

This process began back in 2009, when the and Middleweight and welterweight divisions were absorbed by the UFC, leaving the WEC as a stable for the lighter weight classes of lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight fighters. Currently, the UFC plans on adding the BW and FW divisions to it's lineup, which currently features Heavyweight down to Lightweight fighters. This is where things start to get interesting.

Not only does the introduction of the smaller weight classes contribute to more fast paced and exciting bouts, but it also presents new championship belts. Jose Aldo was crowned as the first UFC Featherweight Champion at UFC 123. Tonight will determine who will be dubbed the first ever UFC Bantamweight Champion, as current title holder Dominick Cruz squares off against top contender Scott Jorgensen.

The most interesting aspect of the merger in my opinion lies in the lightweight division. As it stands, the LW division is one of the deepest and most talented divisions in the UFC. Since the WEC only utilized three weight classes, they also had a large depth of fighters at LW. This means we are about to see A LOT of crazy lightweight matchups that not only will be fast paced, but will also have potential for flashy submissions and devastating knock outs.

As for the champions of the lightweight division, it gets even better. Where as the current FW and BW champions of the WEC were basically just handed a new belt that said UFC on it instead, the lightweight division will feature a 4 man tournament, with the UFC LW title on the line.

Tonight, WEC LW Champion Ben "Smooth" Henderson will defend his belt against number 1 lightweight contender Anthony "Showtime" Pettis. On January 1st, just over two weeks from now, current UFC LW Champion Frankie "The Answer" Edgar will defend his title against the only person he's ever lost to, undefeated wrestler Grey "The Bully" Maynard. It has been announced by the UFC that the winners of each of these matchups will square off in 2011 for the Undisputed UFC Light Weight Championship of the Woooooorld!

So needless to say, WEC is not holding back with their last show and really wants to put on a show as they join forces with the UFC. Since many of these guys will be featured in upcoming UFC cards next year, it would be good to tune in now and try to be familiar with a few of them, especially the champions. Without further ado, here are my preview and predictions for WEC 53: Henderson vs Pettis.

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs)

Bart Palaszewski vs Kamal Shalorus

What to Expect: Both of these guys are the type of fighters who don't really mind where the fight goes and feel comfortable fighting pretty much anywhere, though Kamal is a more decorated grappler and wrestler. Whether standing or on their back, each fighter is usually able to keep active and keep the fight interesting. The one difference between them is that "Bartimus" has much more experience than Shalorus. The Polish fighter had a long career in the IFL where he faced UFC contender Jim Miller, and is currently on a four fight win streak with one of those victories coming over Anthony Pettis, who is featured in the night's main event.

My Prediction: Look for these two to trade right of the bat. Both of them are aggressive on the feet and don't mind getting into exchanges. I see Shalorus using his superior grappling to pick up an edge on Palaszewski, grinding him against the fence and taking him down with ease. Shalorus doesn't really have the power to finish, but should be able to take a clean cut one sided decision in an exciting matchup. I'm not say Bart will just fall down and get beat on, as he is one to always put up a fight, but Shalorus seems to just have his number in this one.

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs)

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone vs Chris Horodecki (pronounced Whore-o-desky, damn Polish bastard).

What to Expect: If you've never seen either of these guys fight, then you're in for a treat. Horodecki is just 23 years old, but has been fighting since he was 18, accruing a 16-2 record over that time. He looks like a small, blond child, but the kid has some hands. Chris dominated the IFL for much of 2006 and 2007, going 8-1, including this little known about gem against Shad Lierley. In my opinion this is one of the most exciting MMA fights you'll ever see. Fuck Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar, this fight is where it's at.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2krgg_chris-horodecki-vs-shad-lierley_sport

Another bonus, it's commentated by Bas Rutten :).

So anyways, now that you know who Horodecki is, Cerrone is no walk in the park. The Cowboy is one of the more exciting fighters in the WEC. A Greg Jackson disciple, Cerrone has put on some amazing performances in the Octagon, including his bouts against Rob McCullough, Jamie Varner I & II, Krause, Ratcliff and his first bout against Ben Henderson. Cerrone is a tall and lean fighter for this division, but uses his length and power very well.

My Prediction: This fight should be an absolute war on the feet. Horodecki loves to duke it out on the feet, and Cerrone is game wherever the fight goes. Horodecki will need to use his jab to try and get inside of Cerrone's reach. While Cerrone is very exciting, he has been prone to fighting a bit wreckless in attempts at putting on an exciting performance. This is a really tough one to call. I'm going to go with Horodecki via second round knockout in this one, although Cerrone's length may be a little too much for him. I'm just hoping for an all out war from both fighters and look forward to seeing each of them fighting in the UFC.

BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION (135lbs)

UFC Bantamweight Champions on the line

Champion Dominick Cruz vs Scott Jorgensen

What to Expect: In the night's first championship bout, the 16-1 Dominick Cruz takes on the 11-3 Scott Jorgensen. Cruz, who formerly fought at featherweight, dropped down to bantam less than two years ago and has found great success in the division, utilizing his length, reach and wrestling against the somewhat smaller fighters. In this fight, he will once again hold an advantage over his opponent in each of those departments. But Jorgensen is no joke. In a division featuring Urijah Faber, Miguel Torres, Mizugaki, Brian Bowles, and others, it's not easy getting a shot the belt. Since the beginning of 2009, Jorgensen has fought seven times, going 6-1, including winning his last five. A hungry fighter, he is determined to get that belt.

My Prediction: While Jorgensen has the desire and will power to win, it still may not be enough. Cruz is a very resilient fighter. He can take a beating and give the licks right back. Due to his size and wrestling background, it is very difficult for fighters to bring the champion down. Fortunately for Jorgensen, he was a collegiate wrestler and accomplished grappler. It isn't too often that we see Cruz on his back, and don't forget that his only loss did come to Urijah Faber via submission. If Cruz is able to fend off the clinch and grappling of Jorgensen, he should have no problem using his punches to control the distance and pace of this fight. Jorgensen either needs to take this fight to the mat or Cruz will walk away with an easy decision. My money is on the latter.

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs)

WEC Lightweight Championship on the line

Ben "Smooth" Henderson vs Anthony "Showtime" Pettis

What to Expect: These guys are not only the two most exciting lightweights in the WEC, but possibly two of the most exciting lightweights in all of MMA. I'm honestly having difficulty finding the words to describe these guys. Here is a highlight of Pettis and what he does best.

Pettis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjrNqYsAMuk - you can mute this one, but just look at the destruction he lays upon people.

Bendo unfortunately doesn't really have many good highlights online, and several of them have been taken down. But he is an incredibly versatile fighter who is quick off his back and has good hands. With most of his wins coming via submission, he is always a threat to his opponents when on the mat. The bottom line is both of these guys love to fight. When you see Pettis, you can almost instantly tell that he's the type of kid who loves to throw down with someone, and is willing to engage literally anywhere the fight goes.

My Prediction: Fight of the Night, Fight of the Year, hell this could be one of the most exciting fights we'll see this decade. This one should be an absolute all out war, and I'm pulling for Pettis in this one because this kid is as exciting as they come. 3rd round TKO for Showtime.

So that about sums it up. The card airs tonite on Versus Network at either 8 or 9pm, check your local listing. While many of my predictions for this event end in decision, each of these fights should be non-stop, back and forth action from bell to bell. Also, in the event that any of the fights do end in the first round or so, there are several very interesting preliminary bouts which may be aired on the main card if there is enough time. Either way it looks to be a very exciting night of fights and a great farewell to a promotion that has been giving us quality MMA for the past 9 years. Farewell WEC, and it will be great to see all of these fighters under the UFC banner.

Hope everyone enjoyed the read, and enjoy the fights.

My Prediction:

UFC 124 Analysis + other shit

So I haven't posted anything in a while, not since UFC 123, and a lot of shit has gone down in the mean time. I'll just skip most of the introduction and get right into what we missed.

First up, Ultimate Fighter: GSP vs Koscheck Finale.

Rather than going over every fight I'll just recap the main points from the event.

-Cody McKenzie picked up another win via guillotine choke, a move which has now become his finished technique.

-Nam Phan took on Leonard Garcia, dropping a highly contested split decision to the former WEC title challenger. Many felt Phan had actually won the fight, and it's an unfortunate way to begin his UFC career.

-Up and coming welterweight Rick Story notched another win under his belt over tough competitor Johnny Hendricks. While Story still remains relatively unknown amongst casual fans, he has slowly edged himself towards the top of the division and a big name opponent surely awaits him in his next bout.

-Demian Maia was able to rely on his grappling ability to take Kendall Grove down and dominate him for three rounds en route to a decision win. It was an impressive victory for Maia although he was unable to finish his opponent. Maia remains one of the most lethal ground fighters not only in the UFC, but in all of MMA.

-Stephan Bonnar defeated Igor Pokrajec. A lot of people thought this fight would be a barn burner and that someone would get put away. It ended up being a pretty sloppy affair, with a few point deductions due to illegal strikes. Bonnar took a unanimous decision, but it's hard to see him as a relevant fighter in the LHW division.

-Budding prospect Jonathan Brookins picked up a very impressive win over a tough opponent in Michael Johnson. Brookins used a multitude of techniques in order to control Johnson on the ground. Experience was an apparent factor in this fight, but there is still a lot to look forward to from Brookins.

That basically sums up the TUF Finale. None of the fights were all that great and none of them have too much of an impact on their current division. Fighters to keep an eye on after this event would be Rick Story and Jonathan Brookins.

While all of this was going on, UFC's biggest opposition, Strikeforce, was also putting on a show. This card was headlined by Dan Henderson vs Renato "Babalu" Sobral, a rematch of a fight which happened ten years ago. Here is a quick recap of each fight.

-French prospect Ovince St. Preux dominated veteran Benji Radach for three rounds en route to a decision victory. Not many people have heard of St. Preux, but he seems like a legit force and a fighter to keep an eye on.

-HW Antonio Silva picked up a win over late-replacement Mike Kyle. Look for Silva to step in the ring with a Werdum/Fedor/Rogers/Overeem type fighter in his next appearance.

-Robbie Lawler KO'd long time veteran Matt "The Law" Lindland in the first round. Lawler continues to prove that he has lethal hands, amd he may be in line for a shot at the MW title, depending on what happens between Nick Diaz and Jason Miller.

-Paul Daley KO'd Scott Smith with a beautifully timed counter left hook. To everyone's surprise, Daley called out lightweight fighter KJ Noons, saying he would like to beat Noons before challenging champion Nick Diaz. After being kicked out of the UFC after hitting Josh Koscheck after the bell, Daley now looks to regain his status as an elite welterweight and one of the best strikers in the division.

-In the night's main event, Dan Henderson made quick work of Renato Sobral, finishing him via TKO in the first round in a style very similar to when Babalu was defeated by Gegard Mousasi. Henderson proved that although he is getting old, he still has a lot of power in his hands and still has a good few fights left in him. I personally would love to see Hendo put a beating on the overrated Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal.

While the promotion was able to put on an exciting card, Strikeforce's lack of depth is slowly becoming very apparent. The welterweight division now consists of basically just Nick Diaz and Paul Daley. The MWs are a little better with Jason Miller, Jacare, Lawler and Cung Le, but even that division is slimming. LHWs consist of Hendo, Babalu, Mousasi, King Mo, and Feijao. Unless Strikeforce is able to bring in more prospects like Tyron Woodley, they will be running the risk of having a small stable of fighters fighting the same opponents.

All in all it was an entertaining night of MMA. Strikeforce featured several exciting flash KOs, while the UFC paved the way for some great up and coming prospects. Also in December, the World MMA Awards took place. Here is a quick summary of who won each award and my take on it.

Referee of the Year
Herb Dean
John McCarthy
Dan Miragliotta
Josh Rosenthal
Mario Yamasaki
WINNER: Herb Dean

Media Source of the Year
Inside MMA
MMA Fighting
MMA Junkie
MMA Weekly
Sherdog
WINNER: MMA Junkie - MMA Junkie has a great app for smartphones as well as great reporting/writing on their website.

Best Promotion
Bellator
DREAM
Strikeforce
UFC
WEC
WINNER: UFC - Obviously

Submission of the Year
Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko, Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum
Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon, UFC 108
Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama, UFC 116
Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida, UFC 117
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen, UFC 117
WINNER: Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko, Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum

I thought most of the fights nominated were pretty lame. While Werdum's win over Fedor was a HUGE deal, the submission itself was a textbook triangle. Same with Silva. While his submission of Sonnen completed an incredible comeback, the submission itself was pretty common. I would have rather seen a flying armbar or Peruvian neck tie win.

Gym of the Year
American Kickboxing Academy
American Top Team
Black House
Greg Jackson
Wand Fight Team
WINNER: Wand Fight Team - Very surprised by this, though AKA, ATT or Jackson would take it for sure.

MMA Journalist of the Year
Conner Cordova, MMA Religion
Gareth A. Davies, The Daily Telegraph
Ariel Helwani, MMA Fighting
John Morgan, MMA Junkie
Aaron Teweles, Freelance Journalist
WINNER: Ariel Helwani, MMA Fighting
This was a given. Helwani has been doing interviews with every fighter for the past few years and is always uncovering some new bits of information for the mma world.

Coach of the Year
Rafael Cordeiro
Cesar Gracie
Greg Jackson
Shawn Tompkins
Firas Zahabi
WINNER: Greg Jackson


International Fighter of the Year
Shinya Aoki
John Hathaway
Dan Hardy
Alistair Overeem
George Sotiropoulos
WINNER: Alistair Overeem
Overeem was a runaway for this, considering Aoki, Hathaway, and Hardy all lost recently.

Ring Girl of the Year
Arianny Celeste
Rachelle Leah
Brittney Palmer
Chandella Powell
Natalie Skyy
WINNER: Arianny Celeste

Leading Man of the Year
Scott Coker
Bjorn Rebney
Michael Schiavello
Joe Silva
Dana White
WINNER: Dana White
Typical, but considering what this guy has done for the sport, it's well warranted.

Most Memorable Ring Entrance
Clay Guida
Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal
Tom Lawlor
Jason Miller
Anderson Silva
WINNER: Jason Miller


Fight of the Year
Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki, Sengoku 14
Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama, UFC 116
Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, UFC 116
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen, UFC 117
Chan Sung Jung vs. Leonard Garcia, WEC 48
WINNER: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen, UFC 117
Shocked this won. For four and a half rounds this fight sucked, then Silva pulled out a miraculous submission. Santiago - Misaki should have won. Leben - Akiyama was a slugfest capped off by a submission in the dying seconds, and Garcia - Jung was an absolute brawl.

Female Fighter of the Year
Zoila Frausto
Megumi Fujii
Sarah Kaufman
Cristiane Santos
Miesha Tate
WINNER: Cristiane Santos

Knockout of the Year
Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Nogueira, UFC 110
Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua, UFC 113
Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee, UFC 114
Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell, UFC 115
Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki, WEC 45
WINNER: Mauricio Rua over Lyoto Machida, UFC 113

Very disappointed with the nominees in this one. Sure the KO was a huge deal, but Shogun kinda clipped Machida on the side/back of the head and then landed follow up punches on the ground. Franklin's KO of Liddell is a joke. Honestly Russow shoulda won.

Breakthrough Fighter of the Year
Evan Dunham
John Hathaway
Jon Jones
Charles Oliveira
George Sotiropoulos
WINNER: Jon Jones

The Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year
Jose Aldo
Frankie Edgar
Brock Lesnar
Mauricio Rua
Anderson Silva
WINNER: Jose Aldo

So those are all the awards, pretty disappointing all in all. Was expecting to see some interesting fight choices for submission/knockout of the year, but nope. Oh well. So anyways, on to UFC 124!!

UFC 124 was the first time a UFC title was on the line since Cain Velasquez challenged Brock Lesnar for the HW title back at UFC 121 in October. This time, it was welterweight Josh Koscheck challenging kingpin Georges St. Pierre. This is how the fights went

-Thiago Alves vs John Howard

What Happened: Alves put on a Muay Thai clinic in this fight, landing punches, knees, kicks, and just about everything else he threw at Howard. Alves controlled the pace and seemed to be the quicker fighter throughout, taking an easy decision win.

What Next: Alves proved that he is still one of the most dangerous strikers in the division. While he has had problems in the past with cutting weight, he looked great in this fight and didn't seem to have any cardio issues. Thiago's next fight will hopefully come against another striker, someone like Dan Hardy, Martin Kampmann or Condit/Lytle.

As for Howard, he has now dropped two in a row and may be in a little over his head. He was able to win his first few fights by swinging wildly and connecting with heavy punches. Against more disciplined strikers, that strategy will not work. Howard needs to head back to the gym, revamp his training, or else he's in for a lot of one sided defeats like the one he suffered to Alves.

-Mac Danzig vs Joe Stevenson

What Happened: The two circled one another in the first, throwing feints and jabs to gauge their timing and distance. Danzig was able to get a hold of his timing a little bit quicker than Stevenson, as Danzig caught Joe Daddy with a counter left hook right on the jaw halfway through round 1.

What Next: Danzig looked good in this fight, and has said that he's made all sorts of changes to his training. After losing 4 of his previous 5 bouts, the win over Stevenson is huge for Danzig who now is ready to make a run in the LW division. A potential rematch against Matt Wiman could lie in Danzig's future, or bouts against Joe Lauzon or incoming WEC fighters.

As for Joe Daddy, he has now lost two in a row and settled nicely into a gatekeeper role. I wouldn't be surprised if the UFC used him as a stepping stone for incoming WEC guys.

- Jim Miller vs Charles Oliveira

What Happened: Coming into the fight as an underdog, Miller wanted to make a statement and prove that he is one of the best in the lightweight division. After rolling around with Oliveira on the ground for a minute, Miller snatched up a leg to attempt an ankle lock, before transitioning to a knee bar and forcing the 21 year old Oliveira to tap.

What Next: Miller has amassed a 19-2 record over his career, while going 8-1 inside the Octagon. His only two losses have come against Frankie Edgar and Grey Maynard, who just so happen to be challenging one another for the UFC LW Title. It has been announced that the winner of that match will face the winner of Anthony Pettis vs Ben Henderson, which takes place at WEC 53. This means Miller will either have to wait a longg time to get a title shot, or try to squeeze in another fight. Would love to see him take on Evan Dunham.

As for Oliveira, this kid is still very young and has a lot of time to rebound and get back on track. The UFC took a risk throwing him in there with someone of Miller's caliber, and now they have to bring him back up. A fight with someone like Lauzon could be very exciting.

-Stefan Struve vs Sean McCorkle

What Happened: Following some of the craziest pre-fight trash talk we've seen in a long time, Struve came in to this fight looking to silence his obnoxious foe. McCorkle was able to take the fight to the ground, where he got Struve in a kimura that looked very dangerous at one point. Struve was able to escape, and eventually swept McCorkle, winding up in full mount, and pounding away until the fight was stopped in the first round.

What Next: McCorkle remains an interesting prospect with a solid ground game for a heavyweight, and the trash talking ability to hype up almost any fight.

As for Struve, he has said he wants to continue putting on weight in attempts of becoming a bigger stronger heavyweight. He is currently 6'11 and weighs about 255, ten pounds under the limit. A possible matchup with Cheick Kongo or the winner of Frank Mir - Brendan Schaub could await Struve. This kid is still very young, and if brought up correctly could be a force in the HW division in a year or two.

-MAIN EVENT

Georges St. Pierre vs Josh Koscheck

What Happened: St Pierre dictated the pace of this fight from bell to bell using his jab and diverse striking. St Pierre broke Koscheck's orbital bone on his right eye in the first round, leaving Koscheck essentially blind out of one eye for the remainder of the fight. Koscheck was unable to land anything of significance throughout the duration of the bout, as St Pierre once again took home a decision victory.

What Next: For St Pierre, his next bout has been rumored as either being another title defense against Jake Shields, or a possible superfight against middleweight Anderson Silva. Either way, St Pierre looks unbeatable at this point in his career. He has the wrestling credentials to take down and stifle pretty much any opponent he faces. He also just showed he has the stand up to go toe to toe with almost anyone. GSP did a great job of utilizing his jab and completely shutting down Josh Koscheck.

For Koscheck, he's going to have to take some serious time off. After the fight, doctors discovered an air pocket which had built up behind Koscheck's eye during the fight. Because of this, he was placed on the no-fly list due to air pressure problems. Koscheck may be kept out of the Octagon for quite some time, but when he returns there will be a lot of potential challengers. A long rumored match against Dan Hardy could finally take place, or bouts against the many talented fighters in the UFC welterweight division (Kampmann, Condit, Lytle, Story, Pierce or even a rematch against Diego Sanchez).

So that sums up UFC 124. An exciting night of fights leaving us with a lot to ponder. Thiago Alves looked great, but can he perform like this consistently without having his weight become an issue? Has Mac Danzig finally gotten his training in order and is he ready to make a legitimate run through the LW division? Is Jim Miller really a top 3 LW, and will he be sidelined until he can receive a title shot? Struve looked good, but does he have what it takes to be an elite fighter? And honestly, as far as GSP goes, what the hell is next for this guy. He dominates everyone he fights, and it seems that almost no one can even pose a threat to him now. Hopefully Jake Shields will be a true test.

That's all for now folks. I will post again later in the week to discuss the upcoming WEC card later this week.