UFC 147: Silva vs Franklin II-

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

Rich Frankin vs. Wanderlei Silva-

I thought the first fight between these 2 was really close and if Silva would have pushed the pace in the 3rd round he could have won the fight. I think Wand will want to get a victory at all costs in his homeland. With Franklin not fighting in over a year and fighting in hostile territory there is a good chance that Silva will gain the upper hand in here. I think this fight turns into a slugfest and Silva puts him away in round 2.

Silva via KO round 2

Cezar "Mutante" Ferreira vs. Sergio "Serginho" Moraes ("TUF: Brazil" middleweight final)-

Moraes is talented on the ground but lacks in the stand up department. Ferreira on the other hand is a KO puncher with decent ground game. I think Ferreira will connect with a big shot early and finish Moraes early.

Ferreira via KO round 1

Rony "Jason" Mariano Bezerra vs. Godofredo "Pepey" de Oliveira ("TUF: Brazil" featherweight final)-

This fight should turn into a Jiu Jitsu match from the start and I believe that Rony will have the advantage on the ground and even on the feet if he chooses to keep it standing.

Rony via TKO round 2

Mike Russow vs. Fabricio Werdum-

Russow has some good skills on the ground but he does not even compare to the talent level of Werdum. Werdum should hold the advantage in this fight. This fight will end up on the ground and Werdum will lock in a submission in round 2.

Werdum via Sub round2

Yuri Alcantara vs. Hacran Dias-

This fight should be a good one between 2 guys that have the talent to be forces in the 145lb division for years to come. At this point in their careers I think Alcantara holds the upper hand and will push the pace to earn a decision victory.

Alcantara via Decision

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)

Rodrigo Damm vs. Anistavio "Gasparzinho" Medeiros-

Damm had seemingly hit a lull in his career losing 4 out of the last 5 before entering TUF Brazil. I believe that the show launched a resurgence and he should be able to win this one.

Damm via Decision

Francisco "Massaranduba" Drinaldo vs. Delson "Pe de Chumbo" Heleno-

This should be a good fight. Heleno has faced the tougher competition and I think he should be able to edge out a decision after controlling the fight.

Heleno via Decision

John "Macapa" Teixeira vs. Hugo "Wolverine" Viana-

Even though I would like to see Hug Wolverine win this fight I think that Macapa has all the tools to win. This fight will go to the ground and Macapa should be able to lock in a submission ini the 2nd.

Macapa via Sub Round 2

Leonardo "Macarrao" Mafra Teixeira vs. Thiago de Oliveira Perpetuo-

This fight should be a quick one, someone is going out in round 1 here. Personally I think Teixeira will be the winner as he catches him early.

Teixeira via KO round 1

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

Marcos Vinicius "Vina" Borges Pancini vs. Wagner "Galeto" Campos-

Vina likes to finish fights and this fight should set up for that. I look for these two to trade punches early on where Vina will rock Galeto and finish the fight in round one via sub.

Vina via sub round 1

Felipe Arantes vs. Milton Vieira-

Arantes shouldn't have a problem keeping this fight standing and staying away from Vieira's only winning chance, the ground. 

Arantes via Decision

UFC of Fox 4: Guida vs. Maynard-

MAIN CARD (FX)
Clay Guida vs. Gray Maynard-
Maynard will come out early and try to go for the kill much like he did vs Edgar. Guida has a great chin so he will be firing back and turn this match into a sprint. In a battle of cardio I see Maynard being gassed in the second round and that will allow Guida to gain the upper hand and win the later 3 rounds.
Guida via Decision

Spencer Fisher vs. Sam Stout-
Finally after 5 years these men get their rubber match, unfortunately they are both heading into the twilights of their careers. Fisher has lost 4 of his last 5 and Stout has not looked very impressive in his last few. I see this fight playing out with the two men engaging in some exciting back and forth before Stout taking control and winning a decision.
Stout via Decision

Brian Ebersole vs. T.J. Waldburger-
Ebersole has been surprisingly impressive in his stint in the Octagon. He has beaten some pretty good competition and shows a wide variety of skills that make him a threat to any style competitor. I see him taking Waldburger down, avoiding submissions and being awarded a decision victory.
Ebersole via Decision

Ross Pearson vs. Cub Swanson-
This fight would have potential for fight of the night if it weren't for being on the same card as Guida vs Maynard. I see Cub having the most well rounded skill set. With that mixed with the speed advantage he should have over Pearson, I see him causing a lot of problems for Pearson in this fight. Pearson is a tough guy therefore I don't think that Cub will be able to finish the fight, I am going with Cub via Decision.
Cub Swanson via Decision

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)
Hatsu Hioki vs. Ricardo Lamas-
Lamas has looked good lately but I do not feel that he has the skill set to deal with the type of fight that Hioki will bring to the table. Hioki will use his world class experience to control Lamas, bring him to the floor and impose his will grinding out a decision.
Hioki via Decision

C.J. Keith vs. Ramsey Nijem-
C.J. Kieth's record looks good on paper but many of his victories vs lackluster competition. Nijem should be able to out wrestle Keith and eventually lock up a submission late in round 1
Nijem via sub round 1

Brock Jardine vs. Rick Story-
Story looks to get back on a winning path here but is given a fighter in Jardine that may be an up and coming talent in the future. However, this fight should go Story's way as he will be able to get his career on track as he finishes via TKO in round 2.
Story via TKO round2

Joey Gambino vs. Steven Siler-
If this fight goes to the ground Gambino will be in a good spot. However Siler showed that he turned a corner in his career last fight vs Miller. I look for Siler to keep his distance and outpoint Gambino en route to a Decision victory.
Siler via Decision

Matt Brown vs. Luis Ramos-
Every time I count Brown out he proves me wrong, so it is hard to pick against him in this contest. Ramos on the other hand lacked defense against Eric Silva in their fight and was put away quickly. I think that Brown will be able to keep this fight standing and exploit that hole in Ramos' stand up.
Brown via Ko round 2

Chis Camozzi vs. Nick Catone-
Catone hasn't faught in over a year but the UFC has given him a fairly easy return fight in Camozzi. Camozzi has been unimpressive in his last few fights and Catone should be able to take him down control him to earn a decision victory.
Catone via Decision

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Ricardo Funch vs. Dan Miller-
This is an easy fight for Miller, look for him to take this fight to the ground at will and get his record back on track with a dominant decision victory
Miller via Decision

Dustin Pague vs. Ken Stone-
Pague should be able to impose his will in this fight and continue his winning ways.Pague via submission round 2

Bellator 71-

MAIN CARD (MTV2)

Chris Davis vs. Travis Wiuff - light-heavyweight-tourney opening round-

This fight will not be the most exciting of fights, I see Wiuff controlling this fight and making it ugly. Wiuff should try to push Davis against the cage and work some takedowns to seal a unanimous decision

Wiuff via UD

Zelg Galesic vs. Attila Vegh - light-heavyweight-tourney opening round-

This fight is interesting, it could either serve as a break out party for Vegh or work to put Galesic back into the realm of relevance. If this fight stays on the feet Galesic will pick him apart and finish it early, if Vegh gets this fight to the ground it is his to lose. That being said I think Galesic has the experience to keep this standing and finish the fight in the 2nd.

Galesic via TKO round 2

Richard Hale vs. Beau Tribolet - light-heavyweight-tourney opening round-

This should be a good fight here, I really enjoy watching Hale fight and think that he has a bright future in the sport. Tribolet comes in looking like an up and coming talent in his own right. I think Hale gets the better of him on the feet and finishes the fight.

Hale via TKO round 1

Roy Boughton vs. Emanuel Newton - light-heavyweight-tourney opening round-

This should be a really close fight between to mid-level competitors. Both have a decent skill set and have faced some good competition. I see this one going back and forth with Newton edging out a very close decision.

Newton via close decision

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike.com)

Brett Rogers vs. Kevin Asplund- 

I am of the belief that since Rogers loss to Fedor his heart has not been in the sport. This fight he is put up against a former training partner and a man whose wife almost burned down his house in Asplund. Asplund has heavy hand similar to Rogers but I believe he has a better chin. This fight should be fireworks, don't blink.

Asplund via KO round 1

My Journey to becoming an MMA Judge

Ever since the days of the UFC 1 I have been enamored with the sport of Mixed Martial Arts but it wasn't until UFC 60 Gracie vs. Hughes when I completely fell in love with the sport. My dad and I made the 600 mile trek to the Staples Center and spent $2000 on the pair of ringside tickets. I truly had the time of my life and upon returning home I went to the local gym where I began training. I trained in the disciplines of Jiu Jitsu and Kick boxing for a few years as well as trained Judo at the local community college. I never really planned on doing anything with this knowledge of the sport, I spent my time training essentially for the thrilling aspect. I haven't missed a UFC PPV or event since UFC 60 and any event that has been relatively close from the big organizations I have made it there live.

Last June I quit my job at a leading bio-tech company to go back to school in hopes of becoming a teacher. Having an extensive amount of newfound free time on my hands I began to frequent the message boards and MMA forums. One day while on the forums I ran across a thread discussing how bad MMA judges were and how we needed to have people that knew what they were looking at judging fights. Not really expecting much I google searched "how to become an MMA judge" and I was led to Big John McCarthy's website. While on his website I noticed that he was having a judging class at his gym in Valencia in about a month. I had my wife fax off the paperwork, I paid the fees and booked my hotel room. I researched a little more about the course to find out what we were expected to know for the course and what we were going to be tested on. One aspect that I focused on was the rule book, I knew a fair amount of it but I also knew there were little forgotten aspects that I needed to familiarize myself with. The night before I set out for my training I read the rulebook out loud while recording it onto my iPhone because I planned on listening to it on repeat for the 6 hour drive that I was facing.

I made the trip, got to my hotel and made sure to get a good night's rest because I the first day of class was 8 hours of instruction. Upon getting to Big John's Ultimate Training Academy I noticed all the unique memorabilia that lined the walls of the academy, as I was taking it all in Big John called all of the class into the classroom he had in the upstairs area of his gym. He gave an introduction, told some stories and then let us know the dreadful news that his course only has a pass rate of about 20%. The first day we watched fight after fight, scoring them and discussing why we scored each in a certain way. He gave us tips on what to look for and told us stories from his experiences. We were then passed off to one of his students who drilled techniques with us because we were going to be tested on 112 unique techniques that were used in the cage. At the end of the day I went back to my hotel, called my wife and told her about how much information that I needed to retain for the test the following day. She assured me that I would be fine and helped me study by testing my on the rule book and having me explain techniques. 

The next day the class showed up, asked a ton of questions and had a recap of what we were going to be tested on later that day. After a lunch break in which I had no desire to eat at all we collected back into the classroom and when the test was set to begin. The first part of the test was the techniques portion, we had 10 seconds to view each video clip and 10 seconds to write each technique. For this portion there were 112 questions and we needed to get 90% of them write in order to pass. Having an extensive amount of knowledge in this area it seems on the surface to be easy but with the added pressure and lack of time given I tended to second guess myself a lot. After this portion we were all sent out of the room while Big John graded this portion of the test. Talking with some of my other classmates we all felt that we had failed by this time and knowing I had a 6 hours drive ahead of me I actually thought about leaving and hitting the road back home.  About 10 minutes later he called us in for the rules portion of the test, this portion also required a 90% to pass and consisted of roughly 85 questions. Lucky for me my study technique I utilized on the drive down worked greatly as I could recall the rulebook word for word when the test was given. We were then given another break and 10 minutes after we came back for the final portion of the test, judging a fight. This fight was a really close back and forth fight which made it really difficult to score for 5 rounds. We were told that it would be an automatic fail if we scored the fight for the wrong fighter.

After the tests were added up Big John had certificates printed up and announced that only 2 of the 8 class members were successful in passing the course. After nearly having an anxiety attack Big John announced that I passed and received the highest score in the class (96% total). I was given a certificate from Big John McCarthy signifying that we met his standards on what a judge should know before judging a fight. We stuck around after the class and talked to Big John for a while. He began to tell me that he told his wife the night before that he thought that I would pass the course based off of answers I was giving and some of the questions I had been asking. Then he gave me and the other guy some advice on how to get our amateur license and who to contact. 

After the 6 hour drive home I went with my family to dinner and celebrated. The next morning I contacted CAMO, the licensing body for amateur MMA in the state of California and applied for my license. After faxing over my certificate from Big John's class I was awarded my license and 2 weeks later I was asked to judge my first event. Overall my experience was amazing, the class was worth the price of admission just hear all of the stories Big John has over the years and as far as judging goes I now make some side money getting paid to sit ringside and enjoy a night of fights.

Kenny Florian- Hall of Fame?

With the retirement of Kenny Florian many people on the forums and podcasts have discussed whether or not Kenny Florian's career is Hall of Fame worthy. For me to give my take on this topic I first must look as to who are the legends that have already previously been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Currently there are 8 talents/pioneers of the sport that have receive the ultimate honor of this lifetime achievement; Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Chuck Liddell, Charles "Mask" Lewis, Matt Hughes, Royce Gracie, Randy Couture and Mark Coleman. To go along with this list, Tito Ortiz will also be inducted early next month to round the list off to 9.

How exactly would Kenny Florian fare in comparison to this list?
Florian has fought 20 fights adding up to a record of 14-6 with 17 of those fights coming inside the UFC Octagon where he went 12-5. Florian was a finalist in season one of the ultimate fighter, losing only to Diego Sanchez. He fought for the UFC Lightweight Championship twice losing to Sean Sherk and BJ Penn, he also fought for the UFC Featherweight Championship losing to Jose Aldo. KenFlo is the only fighter in UFC history to compete in 4 different weight classes as well as the only fighter in UFC history to fight 3 times for a UFC belt and have nothing to show for it. He has one fight of the night one time and submission of the night once as well.

All these stats are great and make for a successful career but I hold the Hall of Fame in any sports as something that is sacred and something that requires greatness to justify a person's place within that realm. If you look at the current roster of the Hall of Fame you see the pioneers of this sport and the who's who list of people that made MMA/UFC what it is today. Personally I do not consider Kenny Florian's career to be on a level plane with any of the members listed. The Hall of Fame is supposed to be the glorification of the best fighters in the history of the sport therefore, I cannot seem to find any justification how someone can be inducted if they were not even the best fighter in their weight class at any given point in their career. In an individual sport a person should not even be considered for a spot in the Hall of Fame if they could not even win a championship in their career.

UFC on FX 3 breakdown

My guest post on: http://www.gamedayinsiders.com/tylers-free-ufc-on-fx-3-complete-card-breakdown/ 

MAIN CARD (FX)

Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall-

This fight is interesting because the first fight between these two competitors was action-packed throughout the fifteen minute duration of the contest. What was obvious even from an untrained eye was that Johnson held an advantage in the striking department using his speed to move in and out whereas McCall held the advantage once the two men locked up. The first two rounds seen Johnson work his game by using his boxing, however in the third round either Johnson completely gassed or McCall had figured out a hole in his game. That is the question in this fight because if McCall has figured out a hole it is his fight to lose on Friday night. I believe that to be the case and McCall will turn their second fight into more a a wrestling match where he will see himself on the winning side of a decision.

McCall via Dec

Charlie Brenneman vs. Erick Silva-

I am excited for this fight because Erick Silva is the next big thing in the 170lb division. Aside from a DQ loss in his last fight to Carlo Prater, Silva has been an impressive talent since coming to the UFC. He earned a kick KO victory in his first UFC fight and everyone thought he had his second quick KO when it was ruled that he threw punches to the back of the head. Brenneman on the other hand comes into this fight with a clear cut game plan, take this fight to the ground at all costs. I expect Brenneman to try to turn this fight into a wrestling match from the opening bell, however with nothing to offer in terms of stand-up and no real threat of ground and pound it will only be a matter of time before Silva lands a knee to the jaw and puts Brenneman to sleep.

Silva via KO Round 1

Josh Neer vs. Mike Pyle-

This fight is between two veterans with a ton of experience in the cage. There is one of two ways this fight can go, either Neer rushes out from the start and controls this fight on his feet and exploits the holes in Pyle's stand up or Pyle takes this fight to the ground as Neer comes forward and locks in a submission or grinds out a decision. I think that Neer will rush forward and try to set a fast pace and look for and early knockout but Pyle will put him on his back and will grind out a 3 round decision victory.

Pyle via UD

Scott Jorgensen vs. Eddie Wineland-

This will be a hard fought fight and I expect it to be close throughout. Wineland is coming off a series of injuries including a head on car wreck. That time off that he has had may unfortunately come into play here in a fight that will most likely go the distance. Wineland holds the advantage on the feet and Jorgensen is the better wrestler. I expect them to split the first two rounds and then Wineland's time off come into play in the 3rd round as he gasses slightly to allow Jorgensen to pull out a very close decision.

Jorgensen via close Dec

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)

Mike Pierce vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha-

If Pierce chooses to use his wrestling to take this fight to the ground it will be a short night for him as Rocha is very dangerous from all positions on the ground. His best advantage is to keep the fight standing where he holds the advantage in striking power. I think he will take Rocha to the ground and will end up getting caught in a submission in round 2.

Rocha via Sub round 2

Seth Baczynski vs. Lance Benoist-

This fight could be a fight that will serve as a break out party for Benoist. Benoist looked strong in his first UFC fight vs Matt Riddle but lacked cardio once the fight was taken into the later rounds. I look for him to fix that problem in the future because he won't need it here as he locks up a submission victory in round 2.

Benoist via Sub round 2

Leonard Garcia vs. Matt Grice-

I suspect this fight was made by the UFC to give a win to one of their most exciting fighters Leonard Garcia. Garcia is exciting in almost every fight he is in however that does not translate into notches in the win column. Grice lacks the skill level to compete with the likes of Garcia having lost to lesser talent during his stint in the UFC. Look for Garcia justify his place in the UFC by finishing Grice early.

Garcia vía KO round 1

Dustin Pague vs. Jared Papazian-

With this fight likely being the last in the UFC for the loser look for these men to throw down from the opening bell. Pague will look to get this fight to the ground but he will find trouble in doing so as Papazian keeps the fight standing and gets the better of Pague on his feet for the decision victory.

Papzian via Dec

Tim Means vs. Justin Salas-

This fight is between two prospects in the division. Tim Means is a tall 155'r and will pose a big threat here for Salas who will look to close the range and try for a takedown. Means has good wrestling defense and a ton of power which will ultimately lead him to a KO victory.

Means via KO round 1

Caio Magalhaes vs. Buddy Roberts-

Ciao should try to get this fight to the ground early and often because he is outclassed by Roberts in the stand-up department. I think that Roberts will be able to use his strength to thwart off Caio's takedown attempts in route to a decision victory.

Roberts via Dec

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

Bernardo Magalhaes vs. Henry Martinez-

This fight should be a relatively easy win for Martinez. Magalhaes has been unimpressive despite his 11-2 record. This should serve as his last fight in the UFC as Martinez drops back down to his normal weight class and will have a district advantage in all aspects of this fight.

Martinez via Sub round 2

Jake Hecht vs. Sean Pierson-

Pierson has faced the better competition since joining the UFC and that should serve him well in this fight as he faces a fighter in Hecht who is similarly skilled. This fight should be close throughout with Pierson edging out a decision victory.

Pierson via Dec

What to take away from the Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale

Let me start off by saying congrats to Mike Chiesa. That guy seems like a great guy and showed a tremendous amount of heart through all of his adversity. I was thoroughly impressed by his performance last night and he proved to be a high level talent on the ground in the realm of MMA.

On the undercard 3 talents that stuck out were Joe Proctor, Sam Sicillia and Miles Jury. Going into the Proctor fight I figured Proctor had the advantage on the ground but as it turns out his stand up is legit as well and he should be a name to watch in the future. Sam Sicillia was my pick to win season 15 from the start so going into last night I wanted him to have a good showing. Sam is an exciting fighter and I figure he will be involved in some wars in the near future. However there are some holes in his game that he needs to fix before moving to the upper echelon of the division. Sam needs to work on his cardio and needs to work on dropping his hands when involved in a brawl. Miles Jury looked good in his fight as well and should be an up and comer for the next few years, hopefully the UFC will take it slow with him and give him time to develop his all around game.

Now to the main card, as previous mentioned the heart of Chiesa was reaffirmed on the big stage and we learned that Kampmann doesn't really start fighting until he is busted up. I still have not been truly impressed with Lawrence, I think that in his mind he believes that he is better than he actually is. The KO kick was the highlight of that fight and was an awesome kick but the fight up until that point was lackluster. The Holloway/Schilling fight would have been better served as an undercard fight, this should be Schillings last fight in the octagon. And the last take away from the fights last night would be Charles Oliveira. This man looked impressive in this fight, he is an good talent that is a threat both standing and on the ground. I look forward to seeing what is next for him.

For those of you following my predictions. Last night I went 8-2 with the only 2 losses coming in the last 2 fights of the night.

The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale Breakdown

MAIN CARD (FX)

Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann-

Ellenberger should be able to control this fight from the start with his takedowns and even though Kampmann's ground game has been much improved as of late he faces an opponent that has great top game control. Kampmann is a tough fighter and even though Ellenberger has a lot of power I do not see him stopping Kampmann. Ellenberger should dominate the action early en route to a UD.

Ellennerger via UD

Mike Chiesa vs. Al Iaquinta ("TUF: Live" tourney finale)-

This is a fight in which I will be cheering for Chiesa because of his back story and he is seemingly an all around good guy. However, this fight should be a very one-sided contest. Iaquinta will dictate the pace by throwing the crisper strikes and avoiding Chiesa's takedown attempts. Iaquinta should be well ahead in this fight until he earns a TKO victory early in round 2.

Iaquinta via TKO round 2

Jonathan Brookins vs. Charles Oliveira-

This fight is interesting because Brookins has the skill set to dictate the location of this fight but I think that he is out classes in all areas of this fight. I believe Brookins will start out by trying to keep this fight standing until he realizes he is outclassed on the feet. He will then shoot in for a takedown and that will be his demise in this fight as Oliveira will soon after lock in a submission late in round 1.

Oliveira via Sub Round 1

Max Holloway vs. Pat Schilling-

Both of these fighters looked horrible in their first fight in the UFC so we should get a contest in which both of them want to make a statement. That being said Holloway is a far superior fighter in the stand up department and will need to thwart off the relentless takedown attempts that will be coming from Schilling. If Schilling gets this fight to the ground it will be a long night for Holloway. I predict that Holloway will have enough wrestling talent to keep the fight standing where he can score enough points to earn a decision victory.

Holloway via UD

Justin Lawrence vs. John Cofer-

I have never been a fan of Justin Lawrence and felt that he was way overrated on the Ultimate Fighter. However, this fight is a fight that is set up for him. Cofer is not a top level fighter on the ground and his submission game is not a daunting task to overcome, therefore Lawrence should be able to keep this fight standing and earn a KO victory late in round 1.

Lawrence via KO round 1

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)

Daron Cruickshank vs. Chris Tickle-

I feel Tickle is overrated and Cruickshank possesses the better striking/ all around game. Look for a KO in round 1.

Cruickshank via KO round 1

Myles Jury vs. Chris Saunders-
Jury will set a pace that will be too much for Saunders to handle and will see Jury end this fight in round 2 via TKO.


Jury via TKO round 2

Cristiano Marcello vs. Sam Sicilia-
Both of these fighters have the talent to make waves in the UFC but this contest should be Sicilia's to lose. He will keep this fight standing and land a KO blow midway through round 1.


Sicilia via KO round 1


Jeremy Larsen vs. Joe Proctor-
Proctor should be able to get this fight to the ground early and from there it will only be a matter of time before he sinks in a submission.


Proctor vis Sub round 1

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
John Albert vs. Erik Perez-
Albert is a very aggressive fighter and that should work to Perez's advantage as he locks in a submission victory in round 1.


Perez vía Sub round 1