The fighter weigh-ins for UFC 90 were held at the Chicago theatre, a much smaller venue than the usual arena-type the UFC is accustomed to. The crowd and atmosphere felt far more subdued compared to the typical boisterous crowds in other cities, and considering this was Chicago’s first-ever UFC event, I was expecting more from the fans.
Having been to a variety of UFC events across North America, it becomes apparent which fighters are loved and which ones are loathed; in the case of Josh Koscheck, it doesn’t matter what city he is in, he always gets booed.
The first fighters to weigh in were Pete Sell (170 pounds) and Josh Burkman (173). Yes, Burkman was over the limit allowed for welterweights, but returned an hour later and was successful in his second attempt. Normally I would say this would affect a fighter’s cardio for his fight, but Burkman is a machine and I see him defeating Sell in the third round via TKO.
Next up were former American Top Team teammates Marcus Aurelio (156) and Hermes Franca (156) who have been talking a fair bit of trash leading up to this bout. Aurelio has not lived up to the hype since joining the UFC and I see this trend continuing. Look for Franca to control the pace of the fight, knocking out his former instructor, late in the second round.
In what will be a fun-filled middleweight bout, Matt Horwich (186) takes on Dan Miller (185) in a battle of former IFL veterans. Horwich fought for me on two occasions and is by far the most interesting character I have met in mixed martial arts. He has a great ground game and an improving striking arsenal, so for Miller’s sake, all he has to do is keep the fight standing and he should win via TKO in the third round.
Shannon Gugerty (156), a protégé of grappling wizard Dean Lister’s camp, is scheduled to make his UFC debut against Spencer Fisher (155), a veteran of the organization. Look for Gugerty to suffer the Octagon rookie jinx while Fisher overwhelms him into a first-round TKO loss.
Drew McFedries (186) is taking his fight vs. Thales Leites (186) on short notice. If Leites can withstand the early onslaught, McFedries will gas out and tap out, late in the second round.
The pay-per-view card will start off with Gray Maynard (155) taking on Rich Clementi (156) in a lightweight candidate for fight of the night. While Clementi is not great at anything, he has a way of beating fighters by exploiting whatever weaknesses they have in their game. That being said, he will stuff the majority of Maynard’s takedowns while punishing him with his vicious southpaw stance. I see a unanimous judges’ decision for Clementi.
In a bout where both fighters will be looking at a mirror image of themselves, Tyson Griffin (155) will face former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (156). This fight will be an all-out war and I give the edge to the experienced Sherk, but not by much. I see a split decision for the former champ but not an easy one, as Griffin will push Sherk to the limit.
Junior Dos Santos (234) is coming in to this bout vs. Fabricio Werdum (256) as an underrated prospect with next to no promotion. He has knockout power and is a strong heavyweight who can surprise Werdum. Look for Werdum to win a unanimous decision but take a beating in the process.
Once again, Josh Koscheck (170) was booed by the fans, but surprisingly, so did his opponent Thiago Alves (171). Koscheck is taking this fight on two weeks’ notice, replacing Diego Sanchez who suffered an injury. Koscheck will have his hands full and I believe Alves will get the better of him midway through the third round, knocking out the TUF 1 veteran in shocking fashion.
In the main event, Canadian Patrick Cote (183) will take on Anderson Silva (184) for the UFC middleweight championship. Silva received a semi-standing ovation from the crowd while Cote’s Canadian faithful obliged with their voices. On paper, Silva should be able to beat Cote in all aspects of the game, but one weakness he does have is his takedown defence.
If Cote can take Silva down to the ground, keep his arms and neck out of danger, he can eat away precious seconds by controlling the champ with some ground and pound. By doing so, he may be able to win the majority of rounds, but if he chooses to engage with the Brazilian, I do not like his chances. I see Silva winning this fight, but look for Cote to take him for a scary ride prior to being announced the victor.
