Let me see if I got this right -- UFC's light heavyweight champion, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is fighting Pride's 205-pound champion, Dan Henderson, in a unification bout on Saturday and they're giving it away for free?
Thank you, UFC.
For those of you who like the striking aspect of mixed martial arts, this card is for you. With Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Michael Bisping and former boxer Marcus Davis on the card, someone's leaving London with welts.
So let's break down the main card at UFC 75:
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Dan Henderson -- Unification bout
Dan Henderson / Photo courtesy of UFC
Both guys are explosive enough to end this one fast -- But I don't think that's going to happen. True, Henderson (22-5, 2-0 UFC) is a two-time Olympic wrester, but Rampage's wrestling plus his raw strength cannot be overlooked. Plus, since Rampage (27-6, 2-0) has taken Juanito Ibarra on as his standup coach, the champ's punches and footwork have been crisper. I think this fight attempts to stay on its feet, but has its moments on the ground. This one will be a five-round classic with many near finishes, but I see Henderson grinding out a split decision for both belts.
Matt Hamill vs. Michael Bisping
There's no denying that Matt Hamill is a phenomenal wrester. But this isn't a dual meet, this is mixed martial arts. Michael Bisping (14-0, 3-0) is one of the most athletic light heavyweights around; his striking arsenal is refined and his ground game is legit. If Hamill (5-0, 3-0) hasn't been improving his standup since he was on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter with Bisping, then this could be a night of failed shot attempts. Hamill finally gets his takedown in the second round, but Bisping survives and earns the third-round TKO victory in front of his home crowd.
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Cheick Kongo
This looks like the perfect matchup for Cro Cop. Kongo (20-3-1, 3-1), an intimidating presence at 6-4, 240, is a standup fighter. Even though he lost his last match on a head kick from Gabriel Gonzaga, Cro Cop (22-5-2, 1-1) is still one of the nastiest strikers in the world. Like Georges St. Pierre losing to Matt Serra, maybe this was the wake-up call that Cro Cop needed to realize that at this level of this sport, you have to take everyone seriously. This match could easily turn into a kickboxing match that Cro Cop should get the better of. Cro Cop wins by KO/TKO in the second round.
Marcus Davis vs. Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor (8-1, 1-0) is fighting in front of his home crowd. But he's also fighting in front of Marcus Davis. Davis (17-4, 4-1) has rattled off four consecutive victories since losing to Melvin Guillard in 2005. One of the most interesting facts about Davis' UFC career -- even though he's a former professional boxer, half of his UFC wins have come from submission. Davis wins by second-round TKO.
Houston Alexander vs. Alessio Sakara
The MGM Grand had Houston Alexander as a 3 1/2-to-1 underdog before his match against Keith Jardine at UFC 71. And after Alexander (7-1, 1-0) ran through Jardine like he did, good luck getting that line again. Seeing that match first hand made me realize that Alexander wasn't brought in to lose. In the simplest of terms -- that dude can fight. Sakara (15-5-1, 2-2) is a good boxer, but Alexander might be too much for him. Alexander wins by first-round TKO.
Fightin' Words readers...what are your predictions for these UFC 75 matches?
Comments (1)
Good call on the top of the card. Bisping/Hamill was a coin toss. Bisping looks bound for 185, no? After watching Hamill's standup sucess in the first round I cannot imagine the Count standing up to Rampage, Lidell, Henderson etc. Kongo mauled Cro Cop, but I doubt he'd last more than 2 rounds against a heavyweight with a ground game. The Irish Hand Gernade was awesome, what an exciting fight.