Dublin will rock Saturday with a big-time main event, a rematch filled with bad blood, and the long-awaited UFC debut of one of Canada's most talented fighters.
UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson will be the UFC's first pay-per-view of 2009. The event is being held at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland, so with the time change, the actual pay-per-view start time is 3 p.m. ET, as opposed to the regular 10 p.m. ET broadcast launch.
UFC 93 is headlined by a light-heavyweight tilt, with a co-main event rematch filled with bad blood, as well as the long-awaited UFC debut of one of Canada's most talented fighters.
Main Event
Light-heavyweight bout: Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson
The winner will secure himself a coaching spot opposite Michael Bisping, for Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter. While Franklin is the more technical striker, Henderson packs more power in his punches.
Henderson's wrestling and clinch game is superior to Franklin's and will be another determining factor for the former Pride champion. Both men have been in their fair share of wars, but I look for Henderson to dominate the former UFC middleweight champion, en route to earning a unanimous judges' decision.
Co-Main Event
Light-heavyweight bout: Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio Rua
Three years ago during their first bout under the Pride banner, Shogun's arm was broken while defending a Coleman takedown. The referee halted the bout just 0:49 seconds in, but it appeared as if Coleman still wanted to continue the fight against the fallen Brazilian.
The aftermath was akin to a pro-wrestling spectacle. Both camps entered the ring and a melee ensued, with Coleman at one point standing on Wanderlei Silva's neck. Since then, Shogun has begged for a rematch with the UFC Hall of Famer and he finally gets his chance to avenge what he believes was not a true loss.
Coleman's gas tank has failed him during the latter stages of his career while Rua will be looking to make a huge statement in this bout. The former consensus world No. 1 light-heavyweight will likely have his way with Coleman immediately after the legend's stamina runs dry. I look for Rua to submit the "Godfather of ground and pound" late in the first round.
Main Card
Middleweight bout: Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang
It's been a long time coming, but Canadian Denis Kang will finally wage war in the Octagon. His opponent boasts a great pedigree in Muay Thai, but Kang possesses the full package. Belcher will likely go in for a quick knockout, but look for Kang to take this fight to the ground and submit him in the first round.
Welterweight bout: Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle
Due to the pre-hype from both fighters that they are looking to have an all-out stand-up war, this bout is an early candidate for "Fight of the Night" honours. Both guys have a history of trading bombs with chins and hearts to match their fighting spirits. Will this fight go down to the ground? I say it eventually does, but I cannot see either man submitting the other. Look for Davis to win a split decision in front of Ireland's faithful and a land he calls his "second home."
Middleweight bout: Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares
Palhares is coming off a tough decision loss to Dan Henderson while Horn is coming off two straight losses by guillotine in the UFC. This trend will likely continue for the journeyman of MMA, as Palhares' submission game is one of the best in the UFC. Look for a Palhares leg lock submission, midway through the first round.
Preliminary Card
Welterweight bout: Martin Kampmann vs. Alexandre Barros
Kampmann will be making is welterweight debut against Barros, who is making his UFC debut after being a professional fighter for the past ten years. "Baixinho" has spent most of his career fighting in Brazil, but has fought in the U.S. before, most notably against Matt Hughes and Aaron Riley. While he did lose both of those fights early in his career, he is currently riding a nine-fight win streak into the Octagon.
This streak will come to an end on Saturday night as Kampmann will likely be too much to handle for the Brazilian. Kampann has KO power in both hands and legs and will likely punish Barros for three straight rounds. Barros has proven he can go the distance, so look for the never-say-die Brazilian spirit to be tested by Kampmann as he walks away with a unanimous judges' decision.
Light-heavyweight bout: Eric Schafer vs. Antonio Mendes
Mendes' last fight vs. Thiago Silva was a brutal one. He tagged the undefeated star and nearly shocked all of us in attendance as many thought Silva was done. Unfortunately for Mendes, Silva proved to be too much. In Eric Schafer, it will be interesting to see if Mendes can replicate that striking power and put his submission skills to the test against a solid grappler.
Look for this one to go the distance and for Mendes to make a name for himself by winning the decision.
Light-heavyweight bout: Tomasz Drwal vs. Ivan Serati
It's an all-European battle in this bout, as Poland's Tomasz Drwal takes on Italy's Ivan Serati. History has shown us that both fighters like to stand and bang, and if it goes down to the ground, rear naked chokes are what both guys look for.
My money is on Drwal, who is a highly touted fighter within many MMA circles, to take out the UFC debuting Italian by TKO in Round 2.
Welterweight bout: Thomas Egan vs. John Hathaway
It's a battle of undefeated fighters, as Ireland's Thomas Egan takes on Britain's John Hathaway. Rest assured that this fight will likely be the one that raises the roof at the 02 arena in Dublin, but unfortunately for the Irish faithful, they may not be happy with the result. While both fighters are fairly young, Hathaway has proven his mettle and will likely be too much to handle for Egan. Look for a TKO by Hathaway midway through the second round.
Lightweight bout: Nate Mohr vs. Dennis Siver
American Nate Mohr is 1-2 in the Octagon while German Denis Siver is 1-3. Both fighters are obviously on the cusp here, so one more loss and they may be cut altogether. Both guys have fought some tough wars but have yet to prove they can take their game to the next level. All of Mohr's five losses have come via submission while in Siver's six losses, four have come from submission. Looks to be a stand-up battle in this one but their styles of fighting may cancel each other out to effectively bring on a three-round judges' decision. Siver looks to have the upper hand in this one, but it's anyone's fight.
