By Dwight Wakabayashi
UFC 161 Winnipeg will mark the first time that The Ultimate Fighting Championships has ever held an event in Winnipeg, Manitoba and fans in western Canada are in for a wild treat. The show will be headlined by two veteran superstars of the sport as Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans will fight to stay right in the thick of the light heavyweight title picture.
Injuries have caused some shifts and removals from the originally planned card, but the event is still stacked to the brim with Canadian and elite level UFC talent. Alexis Davis is set to become the first Canadian female to ever compete in the UFC, and “Big Country” Roy Nelson always brings the heat when he enters the Octagon.
Here is my complete main card preview with predictions for every fight
Dan Henderson (29-9) vs. Rashad Evans (17-3 -1) – light heavyweight
This is a match up for the ages as two different eras of MMA superstars are represented here. 42-year-old fighting legend Dan Henderson is still kicking ass and taking names and he will look to add Evans to his stacked list of victims in his career. This could possibly be Henderson’s last chance at securing another shot at the light heavyweight title before he rides off into the sunset of his career. Evans is in a similar spot as he must defeat Henderson if he wants another shot at the title before his possible move down to the middleweight division.
Both men bring elite wrestling to the table and that element of the fight could very well be a wash leaving other skills as the key to victory for both men. Evans is faster, and speed equals power so Henderson can’t hesitate to initiate or he will be behind all night and end up chasing Evans for points. Henderson does have a raw power edge and must do damage early to slow Evans down for success later in the fight. The closer this battle is fought, the better it may be for Henderson, and it is never a question that the older guy comes to fight. The question mark in this fight is which Evans will show up.
Evans via decision
Roy Nelson (19-7) vs. Stipe Miocic (9-1) – heavyweight
Roy Nelson has been brought in to the card to add some excitement and star power following the loss of the Rua-Nogueira fight and will fight Stipe Miocic on short notice. Nelson knocked out Cheick Kongo in April for his third first-round knockout win in a row. Nelson’s deadly right hand took out Dave Herman and Matt Mitrione before Kongo and Nelson is making his case for a future shot at the heavyweight title. The underrated and underappreciated big man has faced the best of the best of heavyweights for the last four years now, and will not be denied if he keeps knocking them out.
Miocic is a tough customer himself, although a little undersized at heavyweight and he is coming off the first loss of his professional career. Miocic was knocked out by Stefan Struve last September, and must avoid suffering that fate again if he wants to remain relevant in the division. Miocic is very good everywhere but not as good as Nelson, and he must stick and move all night if he wants to pull out a victory.
Nelson via TKO, Round 2
Ryan Jimmo (17-2) vs. Igor Pokrajac (25-9) – light heavyweight
Edmonton light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo will be looking for a bounce back at 161 when he takes on tough Croat Igor Pokrajac. Jimmo lost a decision to James TeHuna in February, in which he hurt TeHuna early in the fight, but was unable to finish him before fading out and losing in the end. Jimmo has excellent technical striking and the accuracy to repeatedly hit his target but he must improve his efficiency when he goes in for the kill. If this is a strict stand up battle, I like Jimmo to take home the win.
Pokrajac is a powerful striker in his own right, who is coming in with two losses in a row, although the last one was overturned to a No Contest as his opponent Joey Beltran tested positive after the fight. Pokrajac loves a war, and will look to fight this fight exactly how TeHuna did to defeat the Canadian.
Jimmo via decision
Alexis Davis (13-5) vs. Rosi Sexton (13-2) – women’s bantamweight
Port Colbourne, Ontario’s Alexis Davis will make history at UFC 161 as the first Canadian woman to compete in the UFC Octagon. Davis will face British female fighting legend Rosi Sexton for a possible chance to climb up to the number one contender position for the women’s title. Davis will be looking to make it three wins in a row since losing to fellow Canadian Sarah Kaufman in March 2012. Davis is a wizard on the ground and as long as she outworks the veteran Sexton, she should get the win.
Davis via submission, Round 2
Pat Barry (14-4) vs. Shawn Jordan (8-5) – heavyweight
Two compact and powerful heavyweights will be looking to put together a win streak when Pat Barry and Shawn Jordan tangle at the MTS Centre. The ultra-popular and entertaining Barry has never won two in a row in the UFC, and has been stalled on the south side of the contenders because of it. Jordan is a newcomer to the UFC and has two wins and a loss, with his last win a TKO over Mike Russow.
This fight has been strategically picked to open up the event with crazy fireworks, as once the bell sounds, these two will head straight to the middle of the cage and start trading blows. Don’t miss it.
Barry via TKO, Round 1
