The wait is over as UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 is finally here.
A jam-packed card with international talent is in store for all, topped up with two title fights and one super-fight that is being hailed as a grudge match for the ages.
Here are my predictions for all of the fights and the keys to victories for each combatant.
Light Heavyweight Title Fight - Forrest Griffin (16-4-0) Vs. "Sugar" Rashad Evans (17-0-1)
The main event for the card pits current champion Forrest Griffin's relentless pace and rhythm against Rashad Evans' footwork and wrestling. Griffin will need to push the pace but keep his hands up whenever he is in close. Evans has proven to be a patient head hunter, waiting for the right moment to explode with a knockout punch or kick.
If this fight turns into a war of attrition, Griffin should have the edge. He is a warrior in every sense of the word so Evans will have to keep his distance while picking away with power. His superior wrestling should dictate when and where the battles will take place so I look for him to frustrate Griffin into making a key mistake, which will cost him the title.
Prediction: Rashad Evans via TKO in round four
Interim Heavyweight Title Fight - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) vs. Frank Mir (11-3)
The co-main event at UFC 92 pits interim champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir with the victor not only being rewarded with a nice belt around his waist, but a shot at current UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
Mir's bone-crushing submissions may be a concern here, but I do not believe he has anything up his jiu-jitsu sleeve that Nogueira hasn't seen before. Nogueira has been through so many MMA wars that many are considering Mir just another day at the office for the interim champ.
Mir has a great chance at winning this fight but he will have to do it early. Nogueira is a notoriously slow starter so if Mir can work his magic inside the first two minutes, he should be able to silence his critics. On paper, Nogueira is a better striker and better ground fighter with the one key ingredient being his cardio. He never gets tired.
As Mir has stated before, Nogueira is akin to a human robot; he keeps coming forward no matter what happens. His pace is monotonous with one clear goal: take the fight to the ground and lock in one of his legendary submissions.
Prediction: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by submission in round three.
C.B. "The Doberman" Dollaway (8-2) vs. Mike "The Master of Disaster" Massenzio (11-2)
All the pressure is on C.B. Dollaway in this fight. It's as if he is always one fight away from being cut from the UFC, but after his last victory via Peruvian neck tie, his lifeline was extended rather than sliced. He has all the skills in the world, but at times, can appear overconfident in his positioning on the ground.
Massenzio will be looking to capitalize on these errors so do not be surprised if we see multiple armbar attempts. Dollaway knows this full well as his losses to Amir Sodollah have paved the way for a road to victory for Massenzio, but I believe Dollaway will bait his opponent into a beat down.
Prediction: C.B. Dollaway via TKO in round two.
Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1) vs. Quinton Jackson (28-7)
It is the grudge match of all grudge matches; a third fight to cap off an epic trilogy born in the Pride organization from The Land of the Rising Sun. Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson's first two bouts are what legends are made of. Two warriors went to war, full out, until there is only one man standing. In both of those bouts, that man was Wanderlei Silva.
The man they call "The Axe Murderer" has no love lost for "Rampage" and once that bell rings, you will see what I mean. His goal will be simple, and that is to make one final example of Jackson, proving once and for all, that he owns him. It started with a shove at the weigh-ins and will ignite in the Octagon on Saturday night.
Jackson will need to stay away and avoid brawling with the Brazilian. I believe he needs to get inside, clinch and work for either a takedown or a big slam. Jackson needs to frustrate Silva into making a mistake so he can capitalize with his powerful ground and pound. If he can be patient enough and not get baited into a slugfest, he can win a solid judges' decision.
My money is on Silva's mental edge and once he lands a few big punches and kicks to Jackson's noggin, the former light heavyweight champion will succumb to the pressure and begin to retreat. This is one of the worst things to do against Silva, as it will only spell the beginning of the end.
Prediction: Wanderlei Silva KO in the third round.
Cheick Kongo (22-4-1) vs. Mostapha Al Turk (6-3)
Kongo is upset he has yet to be considered for a title shot. With that being said, he is hoping to use Al Turk has target practice at UFC 92. Al Turk is a tough cookie, but will crumble once he feels Kongo's power.
Prediction: Cheick Kongo via KO in round 1.
Yushin "Thunder" Okami (23-4) vs. Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister (11-5)
Okami is back in the octagon after breaking his hand in July. This poses a huge risk when a fighter returns to MMA as the four ounce gloves do little to protect brittle hands. If Okami's hand breaks early on in the fight, he will look to use his wrestling to take Lister down to the ground. This could be a bad thing for the Japanese MMA veteran.
Lister is a ground wizard and will welcome the opportunity to lock in one of his many world class submissions onto his Japanese foe. I've seen Lister grapple first hand and his ground game is some of the best in the business. He can easily be considered the American Damien Maia.
I smell a bit of a slow paced fight here has Okami's submission defence is solid and his positioning when he is on top is reminiscent of a human blanket. If he can keep his limbs in check, he should be fine; if not, Lister will most likely be taking something home with him.
Prediction: Yushin Okami via unanimous judge's decision
Antoni Hardonk (7-4) vs. Mike "The Juggernaut" Wessel (8-1)
Hardonk has something to prove in this fight; he wants to be considered a contender in the heavyweight division and needs an overwhelming performance to do so. Wessel will come out guns a blazing so look for Hardonk to chop away with leg kicks and solid punching combinations.
Prediction: Antoni Hardonk via KO in round 1
Matt "The Hammer" Hamill (6-2) vs. Reese "Riptide" Andy (7-2)
Hamill has been spending some quality time with Renzo Gracie, to not only work on his submission game, but especially his defence. While Andy's submission game isn't something to write home about, he does have two victories via rear naked choke.
Andy is comfortable standing and on the ground, but I believe he is no match for Hamill's strength and wrestling. Hamill will likely overpower his opponent and dominate him from beginning to end.
Prediction: Matt Hamill via TKO in round three.
Ryo "Piranha" Chonan (15-8) vs. "Bad" Brad Blackburn (13-9-1)
Something tells me the UFC is banking on a Chonan victory as they are looking to make some serious headway in Japan, sometime in 2009. Chonan build himself quite the name in his native Japan so a matchup against Brad Blackburn was most likely made to showcase Chonan's versatility.
Blackburn fought for me in 2004 and was victorious with a 14 second knockout. This guy loves to bang away but is just as comfortable on the mat. Chonan has a habit of always looking like he is in trouble, but somehow finds a way to sneak out a victory.
Just ask Anderson Silva about the beating he gave Chonan, which ended up with Silva tapping out to a flying scissor heal hook. If it's not a submission, then it is a decision, as 13 of Chonan's fights have gone to the judges scorecards, with eight of them being victories.
Prediction: Ryo Chonan via unanimous judge's decision.
Dan "The Viking" Evensen (10-3-0) vs. Pat "HD" Barry (3-0-0)
There's a good chance Dan Evensen is not proud of his UFC debut. At UFC 87, Evensen took on Cheick Kongo, trying to overwhelm the French heavyweight with an aggressive style of attack. In doing so, he found himself flat on the mat after being dropped by some brutal striking from Kongo.
Barry's inexperience may get the best of him in this fight. This will only be his fourth professional MMA fight, and it's under the bright lights of the UFC. That's a lot of pressure for the 29-year old to handle, especially when one considers the infamous UFC rookie jinx.
None of Barry's fight's have gone more than one round and with Evensen's aggressive style, fans can expect fireworks in the opening fight at UFC 92. This has the makings of a huge slugfest and when that happens, it's anyone's fight. Do you favour experience or do you favour undefeated raw talent?
Prediction: Dan Evensen via KO in round one
