Sweet 16 Preview Part 2

Today's Games:

#12 Oregon (28-8, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. #1 Louisville (31-5, 14-4 Big East) @ 7:15 on CBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Oregon: Defeated #5 Oklahoma State 68-55 and #4 Saint Louis 74-57
Louisville: Defeated #16 North Carolina A&T 79-48 and #8 Colorado State 82-56

Louisville has had many ups and downs all season long and they got hot at the right point in the season. Oregon came into the tournament without receiving much respect from the selection committee. The entire PAC-12 was shafted with their spots and most of the conference has overachieved thus far in the tournament. Whether or not the Ducks will stop or even slow down one player on Louisville will likely decide whether or not they are going back to Oregon tomorrow.

That one player Oregon should be worrying about is point guard Peyton Siva. Siva has been hot and cold all season and the Cardinals record reflects his overall play. His play towards the end of the season as well as during the Big East Tournament is why Louisville ended up with the number one overall seed in the tournament. As long as he plays well the Cardinals should keep advancing.

My Prediction: #1 Louisville win 80-69

#4 Michigan (28-7, 12-6 Big Ten) vs. #1 Kansas (31-5, 14-4 Big 12) @ 7:37 on TBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Michigan: Defeated #13 South Dakota State 71-56 and #5 Virginia Commonwealth 78-53
Kansas: Defeated #16 Western Kentucky 64-57 and #8 North Carolina 70-58

I picked the Jayhawks to win the national championship early on in the season and stuck with that pick for the tournament. The more and more I watch Michigan play, the more and more I think there might be an upset tonight. The Wolverines have two sons of former NBA players in Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr. and along with Trey Burke the three present a lot of problems for opposing teams.

If the Jayhawks are going to win this game and possibly advance even further in the tournament they are going to need Ben McLemore to step it up on the offensive end. He's been one of the best players in the country all season and has disappeared so far in the tournament. In the first two games of the tournament he only has 13 combined points while not making a shot from the field during the round of 32 game against North Carolina.

Jeff Withey has been consistent all season so you can expect the big-man to get you close to a double double every game to go along with his ability to guard the rim. In the last two games Withey has 12 blocks and has made it so opposing teams aren't getting easy buckets around the rim. If Michigan is going to get past Kansas they are going to have to get Withey in foul trouble early so he's not as much of a factor. This game should be the game to watch on Friday night and the winner will likely move on to the Final Four.

My Prediction: #1 Kansas win 69-66

#3 Michigan State (27-8, 13-5 Big Ten) vs. #2 Duke (29-5, 14-4 ACC) @ 9:45 on CBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Michigan State: Defeated #14 Valparaiso 65-54 and #6 Memphis 70-48
Duke: Defeated #15 Albany 73-61 and #7 Creighton 66-50

Michigan State vs. Duke just looks so awesome on paper. These teams are arguably two of the best 10 teams of the last 25 years. Coach K and Tom Izzo are two of the greatest college coaches in the history of the sport both could use another championship to add to their trophy cases.

The Blue Devils are led by Seth Curry, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee. Duke has played much better since Kelly has returned and could possibly make a run to the championship as long as everyone stays healthy. Michigan State is one of the most well-rounded teams in the tournament and receives double digit scoring from four players in Keith Appling, Gary Harris, Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix. They are also one of the best defensive teams in the country.

I'm expecting this game to go back and forth for the full 40 minutes. The coaches will more than likely even each other out as they are easily two of the best five coaches in the nation today. I'm expecting either Kelly or Plumlee to be they key player in this game. The Spartans should be able to keep Curry in check and the Blue Devils will need one of their bigs to step up and carry the load. Duke should win this game, but I'm definitely not ruling out any Tom Izzo led team in March.

My Prediction: #2 Duke win 68-66

#15 Florida Gulf Coast (26-10, 13-5 A-Sun) vs. #3 Florida (28-7, 14-4 SEC) @ 9:57 on TBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Florida Gulf Coast: Defeated #2 Georgetown 78-68 and #7 San Diego State 81-71
Florida: Defeated #14 Northwestern State 79-47 and #11 Minnesota 78-64

Before this year's tournament started I had no idea that Florida Gulf Coast was a real university. It really sounds like one of those fake schools that movies make up. After two upset performances over Georgetown and San Diego State it is now apparent that this team is for real. Now the small Florida school will have to play against a team that they are all so familiar with.

The Florida Gators have been playing scary good up to this point. This team is starting to remind me of the team that won it all in 2006 and repeated in 2007. I'm not saying they are as good as them, or that any of their players will end up being Joakim Noah or Al Horford, I'm just saying the way they are getting hot at the right time in the season makes me think they could get past Kansas or Michigan after FGCU.

As great as it is to see a Cinderella team progress in the tournament I just don't think FGCU will be able to keep this up. If they were playing against any other team I'd give them a better chance, but I think the Gators will be out to prove they are the best team in Florida, including Miami.

My Prediction: #3 Florida win 77-68

Sweet 16 Preview Part 1

Tonight's Games:

#3 Marquette (25-8, 14-4 Big East) vs. #2 Miami (FL) (29-6, 15-3 ACC) @ 7:15 on CBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Marquette: Defeated #14 Davidson 59-58 and #6 Butler 74-72
Miami: Defeated #15 Pacific 78-49 and #7 Illinois 63-59

Both teams were on the verge of elimination over the weekend with Marquette struggling in both of their games and Miami having trouble with Illinois. I don't think Marquette is as good as their record says they are. Outside of Vander Blue I'm not impressed with any of Marquette's other players. They would have been eliminated in the round of 64 if it hadn't been for Blue's late bucket against a Davidson team that let him get right to the basket.

I think the small-big combo of Shane Larkin and Kenny Kadji will be too much for the Golden Eagles to handle. The son of the former Cincinatti Reds great has made a name for himself all season and has helped give his school's basketball program the much needed attention it received all season. This game should be close for a majority of the game, but I think towards the end Miami will pull away with Vander Blue not being able to carry his team on his shoulders for a third game in the tourney.

My Prediction: #2 Miami (FL) win 70-62

#6 Arizona (27-7, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. #2 Ohio State (28-7, 13-5 Big Ten) @ 7:47 on TBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Arizona: Defeated #11 Belmont 81-64 and #14 Harvard 74-51
Ohio State: Defeated #15 Iona 95-70 and #10 Iowa State 78-75

Arizona has played very impressively this entire tournament and am really starting to worry about picking Ohio State in the Final Four. Arizona and the rest of the Pac-12 have played well the entire tournament as a slap in the face to the NCAA Selection Committee. This is definitely the marquee match-up of the West bracket as whichever team comes out of this game will be the favorite in their Elite 8 game on Saturday.

As well as Arizona has been playing I just think Ohio State is the better team. Deshaun Thomas will likely lead the Buckeyes in scoring as he has done all season, but I'm expecting the play of the pesky Aaron Craft to be the game-changer. Craft had a huge game for Ohio State in the round of 32 as he hit the game-winner with less than a second left on the clock. Craft has come up big all season on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. If the Buckeyes are to advance it will be because of him.

My Prediction: #2 Ohio State win 83-79

#4 Syracuse (28-9, 11-7 Big East) vs. #1 Indiana (29-6, 14-4 Big Ten) @ 9:45 on CBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Syracuse: Defeated #13 Montana 81-34 and #12 California 66-60
Indiana: Defeated # 16 James Madison 83-62 and #9 Temple 58-52

A couple of months ago this game could have looked like a possible championship match-up. If not for the Orange struggling in the later part of the season in the always strong Big East that still could have happened. A lot of the attention about Syracuse's team this surrounded point guard Michael Carter-Williams this season with C.J. Fair in the shadows. Fair in my opinion has been the Orange's best player all season and always seems to make the big basket when necessary. Carter-Williams might be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft in June, but as far as the most important player to this Syracuse team it's definitely C.J. Fair.

The big three of Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo and Christian Watford are why Indiana contended all season. Zeller and Oladipo have gotten most of the attention while Watford has taken a backseat. Oladipo and Zeller are two of the best players in the country this season and a potential match-up with Kansas in the Final Four could be huge. Match-ups between Zeller and Jeff Withey as well as Oladipo and Ben McLemore would really help determine who the the best big man and best guard in nation currently are.

Oladipo has been the Hoosiers lockdown defender all season and has usually ended up guarding the other teams best guard. With him having his hands full with Carter-Williams and Triche I think Zeller will have to step up on the offensive end if the Hoosiers are going to be victorious. This and Kansas-Michigan game will likely be the two to watch the next two days. This one will be close but I'm not picking against Jimmy Chitwood yet.

My Prediction: #1 Indiana win 75-73

#13 La Salle (24-9, 11-5 Atlantic 10) vs. #9 Wichita State (28-8, 12-6 MVC) @ 10:17 on TBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
La Salle: Defeated #4 Kansas State 63-61 and #12 Ole Miss 76-74
Wichita State: Defeated #8 Pittsburgh 73-55 and #1 Gonzaga 76-70

The people that decide when games will be airing on television knew what they were doing with this match-up. It is definitely by far the least sexy game of the week which is why the game is the last to air on Thursday night. Neither team is likely to be in most people's sweet 16 so most people will likely avoid watching this game tonight. Nothing against either team, but even in the press conferences yesterday players on both teams didn't know where the other school was located.

Both teams have played impressively thus far in the tournament. Neither team had dominant seasons in their conferences with La Salle earning one of the last at-large bids for the tournament and Wichita State failing to stay consistent in a rather weak conference this season. I figured both teams would've been knocked out in the first round and am shocked to see them both here in the sweet 16. I've seen very little of both but Wichita State has been more impressive up to this point. I'm expecting the Shockers to advance.

My Prediction: #9 Wichita State win 74-70

NCAA Tourney Round of 64 Day 1 Preview

Today should be considered a national holiday. This is one of the only times of the year that it is completely acceptable to gamble with friends, family and coworkers and most of America takes advantage of it. It's sad how I'd rather watch the Selection Sunday process every year than deal with most other sports. The actual selection show has become just as important as the games due to where teams end up being seeded.

All throughout the this year's tournament I'll be giving my predictions on each of the games in what I hope will be a more successful year than last year for me. The four games that have already been played this week are now considered Round 1 so I'll be referring to this round as just the Round of 64 to make it easier. I don't have any huge upsets for today's games, but look back tomorrow as I feel a couple of high seeds will be going home. Here are today's picks.

Thursday's Games:

#14 Valparaiso (26-7, 13-3 Horizon) vs. #3 Michigan State (25-8, 13-5 BIG 10) @ 12:15 on CBS

The Spartans didn't get any help from the selection committee this year. If they had been thrown in in the West bracket I might have had them actually making it to the Final Four. Instead they are stuck having to play both Louisville and Duke before reaching the Final Four. Today's game shouldn't be too hard for Michigan State as they will be the bigger and more physical team. Valpo will play a decent game but will not have enough as they go against one of the BIG 10 powerhouses.

My Prediction: #3 Michigan State win 73-58

#11 Bucknell (28-5, 12-2 Patriot) vs. #6 Butler (26-8, 11-5 Atlantic 10) @ 12:40 on TRU TV

Bucknell and Butler both come from small conferences and every year seem to see them in the tournament come March. I think Butler will be the better team today, but can they get past a possible match-up with Marquette in the Round of 32?

My Prediction: #6 Butler win 68-61

#9 Wichita State (26-8, 12-6 MWC) vs. #8 Pittsburgh (24-8, 12-6 Big East) @ 1:40 on TBS

Pittsburgh has always been one of those teams that seems to underachieve when they are in the spotlight. I'm thinking that without the added pressure of a high seed this year that they are going to make some noise and possibly move on to the Sweet 16 past Gonzaga. The Panthers should take down the Shockers today.

My Prediction: #8 Pittsburgh win 67-60

#13 New Mexico State (24-10, 14-4 WAC) vs. #4 Saint Louis (27-6, 13-3 Atlantic 10) @ 2:10 on TNT

A lot of ESPN's analysts have been high on Saint Louis for the tournament this year. Former head coach Rick Majerus had to step down due to medical reasons before the Billikens season started and later died of heart failure in December. The Billikens played well all season in their coaches absence and will likely continue that today.

My Prediction: #4 Saint Louis win 71-59

#11 Saint Mary's (28-6, 14-2 WCC) vs. #6 Memphis (30-4, 16-0 Conference USA) @ 2:45 on CBS

The Memphis Tigers aren't the same team that they once were when John Calipari coached there, but they had an excellent year in Conference USA. The Saint Mary's Gaels had to win their play-in game on Tuesday night to get there and that win will likely be there only win.

My Prediction: #6 Memphis win 66-64

#14 Davidson (26-7, 17-1 Southern) vs. #3 Marquette (23-8, 14-4 Big East) @ 3:10 on TRU TV

The Golden Eagles of Marquette didn't seem to get a lot of attention this year even though they finished going 14-4 in conference. Vander Blue will be leading the Golden Eagles today as they will likely get the win over the Davidson Wildcats. As good as Davidson might be, they just don't have another Steph Curry suiting up every game.

My Prediction: #3 Marquette win 69-54

#16 Southern (23-9, 15-3 SWAC) vs. #1 Gonzaga (31-2, 16-0 WCC) @ 4:10 on TBS

The Zags have had their greatest season in school history up to this point in earning a number one seed and being ranked first in the nation for the first time in school history. They coasted through the WCC and should be victorious by a large margin today.

My Prediction: #1 Gonzaga win 80-57

#12 Oregon (26-8, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. #5 Oklahoma State (24-8, 13-5 Big 12) @ 4:40 on TNT

The Pac-12 didn't get any love this year from the selection committee as Oregon was left with a very low 12 seed. They should have been in the 8 or 9 range at least and will likely not have enough to beat the five seed Oklahoma State. Freshman guard Marcus Smart will likely decide how this game ends. Smart has been the Cowboys' best player all season and if they are going to progress it will be because of him.

My Prediction: #5 Oklahoma State win 72-69

#16 North Carolina A&T (20-16, 8-8 MEAC) vs. #1 Louisville (29-5, 14-4 Big East) @ 6:50 on TBS

No 16 seed has ever defeated a 1 seed in tournament history and I don't expect it to happen today. NC A&T would likely not beat any team from the Big East Conference so I'm expecting Peyton Siva and the Cardinals to walk right through them today. This game should be over by halftime.

My Prediction: #1 Louisville win 78-54

#13 South Dakota State (25-9, 13-3 Summit) vs. #4 Michigan (26-7, 12-6 BIG 10) @ 7:15 on CBS

Nate Wolters had a terrific year for the Jackrabbits this year and could have helped them walk away with an upset had they had an easier opponent. The Wolverines have been one of the best teams all year and should be able to slow down Wolters enough avoid the upset.

My Prediction: #4 Michigan win 72-65

#11 Belmont (26-6, 14-2 OVC) vs. #6 Arizona (25-7, 12-6 Pac-12) @ 7:20 on TNT

The Wildcats have been trying to regain the prominence they once had while Lute Olson was manning the sideline and today will be a step in the right direction for them. Belmont have had a successful season, but they will struggle playing with the larger Wildcats.

My Prediction: #6 Arizona win 70-59

#12 California (20-11, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. #5 UNLV (25-9, 10-6 MWC) @ 7:27 on TRU TV

The Running Rebels were one of the best teams in the late 80s and early 90s and haven't been able reach those heights ever since. California didn't have a great season in a weak Pac-12 so I'm going with UNLV in this one.

My Prediction: #5 UNLV win 70-67

#9 Missouri (23-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. #8 Colorado State (25-8, 11-5 MWC) @ 9:20 on TBS

The Missouri Tigers enjoyed limited success in moving to the SEC this year. Colorado State had a very good season in the MWC and this game appears to be a toss up. I'm giving the slight advantage to the Tigers as they had to play in a deeper SEC.

My Prediction: #9 Missouri win 65-64

#12 Akron (26-6, 14-2 MAC) vs. #5 VCU (26-8, 12-4 Atlantic 10) @ 9:45 on CBS

The VCU Rams went from being in the play-in game to the Final Four in 2011 and haven't been overlooked ever since. Coach Shaka Smart has done a lot with a small school that most didn't really know prior to his four years as head coach. This could be the last season we see Smart behind the VCU bench as other schools could try to persuade him to leave the Rams. I'm expecting them to make easy work of the 12 seed Akron Zips.

My Prediction: #5 VCU win 68-63

#14 Harvard (19-9, 11-3 Ivy League) vs. #3 New Mexico (29-5, 13-3 MWC) @ 9:50 on TNT

Harvard might have the smartest basketball team in the tournament, but they definitely aren't one of the best. They will rely on a four-guard lineup that will likely struggle against the Lobos. New Mexico finished first in the MWC this year in what has started to look like a promising basketball conference. Expect the Lobos to win by double digits.

My Prediction: #3 New Mexico win 74-62

#13 Montana (25-6, 19-1 Big Sky) vs. #4 Syracuse (26-9, 11-7 Big East) @ 9:57 on TRU TV

The last game of the night features the Syracuse Orange who could be on upset alert. As much as I dislike the Orange I just don't see them going out this early in the tournament. Between Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Triche they should have enough to slow down Montana. The Orange should win a close game as they never seem to make it easy for themselves.

My Prediction: #4 Syracuse win 69-66

UFC 158: GSP vs. Diaz Review

UFC 158 was headlined by a Welterweight Championship fight between Georges St-Pierre and  Nick Diaz. GSP and Diaz have had many issues with one another with both bad mouthing each other through the press and social media. Most believe that Diaz wasn't worthy of the title shot as he had just lost to Condit, but due to the bad blood and GSP wanting the fight the UFC made it happen. This card also featured two other welterweight fights that featured three guys currently in the top 10 of the division. The rest of the card was rather weak as it was a very top-heavy card.


UFC 158 Review:

Main Card on PPV:

Welterweight Championship: Georges St-Pierre (24-2) (Champion) vs. Nick Diaz (26-9, 1 NC)

Georges St-Pierre defeated Carlos Condit by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45).

Watching GSP is like watching the Klitschko brothers in boxing. They aren't going to have a fight of the year candidate because they stick to using their strengths so much so that they don't really let themselves get in trouble. Instead of really laying it out there they play it safe and continue to win fights that leave people wanting more. GSP is definitely the king at 170, there's no doubting that, whether or not GSP can defeat Anderson Silva at 185 though is to be seen.

There's no doubt in my mind that GSP bettered Diaz in tonight's fight. GSP used what in my opinion is the best wrestling in MMA to never really let Diaz do enough in the fight. Whenever Diaz would land a few successful strikes GSP would get the fight back to the ground and regain control of the fight. I had it 50-45 just like all three of the judges, but it wasn't an all out domination like most 50-45 decisions look.

At this point I'm really done with watching GSP fight. He's not going to finish anybody as his seven of his last eight fights have gone the entire 25 minutes except for his fight against B.J. Penn. The fight with Penn would likely have ended in another GSP win via decision had Penn been able to come out for the fifth round.

GSP has two options right now for his next fight in my opinion. Wait to fight Anderson Silva if he is victorious after the Chris Weidman fight this summer or defend his championship against Johny Hendricks. Hendricks has proven that he is the #1 contender to GSP's belt. I have wanted to see the GSP-Anderson fight for a couple of years now and think this is the best time to do it. If the UFC decides to have GSP defend it against Hendricks and do the superfight at the end of the year or at the Super Bowl card next February I'm okay with the wait as long as the fight finally happens.

As for Diaz, he is talking about possibly going into retirement which I doubt will actually happen. He's a top 10 welterweight and should continue fighting. The fight that makes a lot of sense to me is for him to rematch Robbie Lawler, whom he fought way back at UFC 47 in which he was the victor by knockout. Lawler is a top 10 welterweight after defeating Koscheck, and with a win over Lawler could be close once again to a title shot at GSP.

Up next for St-Pierre: Anderson Silva Superfight/Hendricks
Up next for Diaz: Robbie Lawler Rematch

Welterweight: Johny Hendricks (15-1) vs. Carlos Condit (28-7)

Johny Hendricks defeated Carlos Condit via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

If Condit would have been able to stop a couple of those takedowns he would have won the fight. Condit's lack of takedown defense hurt him in the GSP fight and has now hurt him against Hendricks. Condit did a hell of a lot more damage in the fight than Hendricks, but Hendricks had control for most of it which was what won him the fight.

Condit was able to use very good kickboxing and Muay Thai on the feet and was definitely the much better striker. Hendricks' wrestling was very impressive and could be on par with that of the current champion. If Hendricks is going to beat GSP he's going to have to work on his stand-up game a lot. He won't be able to take GSP down at will so he will have to stand with him for a good amount of it where GSP currently has the advantage.

Hendricks has to be wondering when he will ever get his title shot. If it is going to happen he will likely have to fight GSP at some point over the summer as all signs are pointing to a GSP-Anderson fight within the next year. If Hendricks has to wait until after the Anderson-GSP fight then he could be looking at more than a year off in between fights which is a lot of time off before fighting for the championship against a guy that has been untouchable as of late. If Hendricks has to wait for his title shot I think he should be smart and stay active. I think a fight between him and Ellenberger makes the most sense. As for Condit, I think he should rematch Rory MacDonald. That was the fight that was originally supposed to happen tonight and I think the rematch would be good for both guys careers.

Up next for Hendricks: St-Pierre/Ellenberger
Up next for Condit: Rory MacDonald Rematch


Welterweight: Jake Ellenberger (29-6) vs. Nate Marquardt (32-12-2)

Jake Ellenberger defeated Nate Marquardt via KO (punches) at 3:00 of round 1.

From the looks of it, it appears Marquardt could be done in the UFC and might be headed towards possible retirement. He didn't look all that good and was dropped pretty easily by Ellenberger. Ellenberger landed a lot more successfully and seemed to have a lot more power than Marquardt. Ellenberger put together a good combination that led to the end of the fight, dropping Marquardt to the mat and then finishing him once he was down there with punches. It was a good stoppage by the referee and good performance by Ellenberger.

As I mentioned earlier I think Ellenberger should fight Hendricks if Hendricks doesn't get the immediate title shot. The fight could be used as a #1 contender fight even though Hendricks is currently the #1 contender. If Hendricks fights GSP right away then I would like to see Ellenberger fight Demian Maia. Both guys are top 10 welterweights that are very close to earning a title shot within the next year. Due to all of the recent cuts in the UFC I wouldn't be surprised if Marquardt was let go after losing in his return to the UFC.

Up next for Ellenberger: Demian Maia/Hendricks
Up next for Marquardt: Probably cut by UFC

UFC 158: GSP vs. Diaz Preview

UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz is live on PPV tonight coming from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Georges St-Pierre is defending the UFC Welterweight Championship against the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, Nick Diaz. There are also two other welterweight fights at the top of the card including Johny Hendricks vs. Carlos Condit which could end up determining the number one contender, and Jake Ellenberger vs. Nate Marquardt. The rest of the fight card is really weak with them focusing a lot of the promotion around the title fight and not much else on the prelims or even bottom two fights of the main card. The first two fights being aired on the PPV are fights that might not have even been aired on some prelim specials on FX. The Mike Ricci-Colin Fletcher fight might be the worst fight to actually air on PPV in a long time.


UFC 158 Preview:

Main Card on PPV:

Welterweight Championship: Georges St-Pierre (23-2) (Champion) vs. Nick Diaz (26-8, 1 NC)

This fight has been talked about now for over three years and it is finally happening tonight. When Diaz won the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship it looked as if he was the biggest challenge for GSP outside of the UFC and when he eventually made his arrival the two would fight for the championship to determine who was the best guy at 170.

Diaz went unbeaten while champion in Strikeforce as he successfully defended the title against K.J. Noons, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos and Paul Daley before coming over to the UFC. Diaz also defeated Hayato "Mach" Sakurai in DREAM during that time span. When Diaz first came to the UFC he was to meet GSP for the championship, but he failed to show up for media appearances and had the title fight taken away from him. When he defeated BJ Penn he was reawarded a title shot against the champion, GSP. Heading into the fight with GSP, the champion would eventually suffer an injury which led to Diaz fighting Carlos Condit for the interim title. In the interim title fight Condit came out victorious with Diaz testing positive for marijuana. Diaz was suspended for a year due to marijuana and is making his return to action tonight against the champion in a fight that he was waited so long for.

GSP has been the undisputed UFC Welterweight Champion now for almost five straight years. The champion hasn't tasted defeat since being upset by Matt Serra at UFC 69 which happened almost six years ago. As champion GSP has defeated Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck, Jake Shields and Carlos Condit, with some arguing that he may even be the pound-for-pound champion in all of MMA. In my opinion GSP is the second best fighter in all of MMA right now behind only the UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. A potential fight between GSP and Silva might come to fruition later this year if GSP is able to defeat Diaz and possibly Hendricks with Silva having to defeat Chris Weidman later this year.

I have been wanting to see this fight now for a long time now. Diaz is one of the only top welterweights left for GSP to defend his title against with Johny Hendricks being the only other guy that might be deserving of a title shot with a win tonight. I see this fight being fought all over the Octagon. On the feet Diaz will have the boxing advantage but GSP will have the all-around striking advantage as he utilizes kickboxing and Muay Thai as well. On the ground GSP will have the wrestling advantage with Diaz having the jiu-jitsu advantage. I see this fight being relatively even with the main question being, will either guy be able to finish the other? I don't think either guy will be able to knock the other one out, but I'm thinking that GSP might get too comfortable on the ground and eventually get caught with a submission in one of the later rounds. These guys will more than likely put on an absolute war because of the hatred between the two.

My Prediction: Diaz wins via submission (round 3).

Welterweight: Johny Hendricks (14-1) vs. Carlos Condit (28-6)

Hendricks is fighting for the chance to earn his title shot against the winner of GSP-Diaz. Hendricks only has one loss in his professional career to Rick Story and is currently on a five-fight win streak. Outside of that loss he has wins over Amir Sadollah, Mike Pierce, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Martin Kampmann. His current win streak has been very impressive with three knockout victories over some of the best fighters in the 170 pound division.

Condit is making his first appearance since losing the to GSP back in November when the two fought for the undisputed UFC Welterweight Championship. Even if Condit were victorious tonight I doubt he would get an immediate title shot and will likely have to win at least one or two more fights before he gets that opportunity again. The former interim UFC Champion has defeated Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy, Dong-Hyun Kim and Nick Diaz since coming to the UFC from the WEC where he was also champion.

While Hendricks has proven himself to be one of the best guys at 170, I'm not sure if he's one of the top three guys in the division. I think GSP, Diaz and the guy he's fighting tonight, Condit, are all one tier ahead of him right now. The reason behind that is that I believe those three are well-rounded fighters where the rest of the division has weaknesses in their techniques. I'm expecting Condit to use his grappling game as well as his kickboxing to pull off the win tonight and move closer to a rematch with either GSP or Diaz.

My Prediction: Condit wins via TKO (round 2).

Welterweight: Jake Ellenberger (28-6) vs. Nate Marquardt (32-11-2)

The last main fight of the night is between two guys that have come so close to being at the top, with each of them falling short when getting close. Ellenberger was about to get a title shot against GSP, but was knocked out by Martin Kampmann two fights ago. Marquardt lost to Anderson Silva for the middleweight championship over five years ago and could have come over to the UFC as the Strikeforce Welterweight Champion had he not overlooked Tarec Saffiedine.

Since coming to the UFC Ellenberger has only lost twice and has beaten some very quality opponents in Jake Shields, Diego Sanchez and Jay Hieron. Marquardt has been a fighter that hasn't really put together a huge win streak in his career as he has struggled with consistency. While in the UFC he has wins over Jeremy Horn, Martin Kampmann, Demian Maia and Rousimar Palhares.

I think in tonight's fight that Marquardt might have a lot of trouble with Ellenberger. Marquardt hasn't been someone that has gotten finished often in his career with only three defeats in 45 fights coming by either knockout or submission so I'm expecting this fight to go to a decision. Ellenberger will likely be the stronger and faster fighter of the two as Marquardt is on the wrong side of 30. I'm expecting Ellenberger to use his boxing and wrestling to win while not giving Marquardt many good opportunities.

My Prediction: Ellenberger wins via unanimous decision.

Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Preview Part 2

There are four games this week being played. The only game that seems to be out of reach is the Bayern Munich-Arsenal game as Bayern hold a two-goal lead and will be home in their match. The match that I think will be the biggest this week is the AC Milan-Barcelona clash on Tuesday.

The games being played this week and last are the second legs of the round of 16. The winners of this round will advance on to the quarterfinals in the first week of April. As bad as I am at picking almost every other sport, I'm currently ranked 27th on ESPN's Champions League pick'em so I'm hoping my picks continue to go in that direction.

Tuesday's Games:

AC Milan @ Barcelona (Aggregate: Milan 2-0)

In this first leg between the two AC Milan came out and shocked most of the world by defeating Barcelona 2-0. Without Mario Balotelli for the Champions League they were still able to score two goals against arguably the best team in the world at this point. Milan's goals came from Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari who have given Milan the two-goal lead going in to the second leg.

Barcelona will be playing a very offensive game today as they are already trailing two goals due to the aggregate. They will likely need to score at least three goals if they are going to win today due to them not scoring any goals as the away side in the first leg. I'm expecting Milan to play a very defensive game which scares me. They will likely be playing with two defensive midfielders in hopes of keeping Lionel Messi and the rest of the Barcelona attack from getting a lot of looks today.

I think it is inevitable that Barcelona will come out scoring. Milan was able to stop them from scoring in the first game and I just don't see them being able to do that again. Whether or not Milan is able to add a goal of their own today will be what decides everything. If Milan can score at least one goal that would mean that Barcelona would need to score four for the win. My guess is Milan get at least one today and keep Barcelona from scoring more than three and advancing due to the away goal rule.

My prediction: Barcelona win 3-1 (Aggregate:Draw 3-3) (Milan advance on away goals)

Galatasaray @ Schalke 04 (Aggregate: Draw 1-1)

The first match ended in a draw between the two with Jermaine Jones scoring for Schalke and Burak Yilmaz scoring for Galatasaray. This game isn't getting as much coverage as the other game of the day due to the other two clubs being two of the biggest in the world, but each of these teams can be a real threat due to their guys up front.

Schalke's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Galatasaray's Didier Drogba both didn't score a goal during the first leg and I'm guessing both of them will be giving each other's defense some trouble in this game. The addition of Drogba and Wesley Sneijder in the recent transfer window has greatly strengthened the Turkish side and this is a time where their added leadership and play need to be high if they are going to advance.

I'm expecting a couple of goals to be scored in this game. I think both teams will be playing offensively due to the aggregate being tied at ones. Whether or not Galatasaray will be able to score multiple goals is what will decide this game because of the away goal rule. I'm guessing Schalke will return home though and outplay Galatasaray on their field today.

My prediction: Schalke win 2-1 (Aggregate: Schalke win 3-2)

Wednesday's Games:

Arsenal @ Bayern Munich (Aggregate: Bayern 3-1)

The first game saw Bayern come to London and completely outplay Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Bayern had two goals in the first half from Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller with Lukas Podolski bringing it closer in the second half with a goal of his own for Arsenal. It was when Mario Mandzukic added a third goal for Bayern that the match-up between these two teams appeared over.

Today Arsenal will have to pull off a miracle. If they are going to win this game they are going to need to score at least three goals as the away side just as Bayern did in the first leg. Manuel Neuer is in my opinion the best goalkeeper in the world at this point. I'm highly doubting that Neuer will give up any more than two goals at any point so the likelihood of Arsenal pulling that off isn't likely going to happen. Not only that but I just think Bayern are the much better team than Arsenal and I'm expecting them to win at home.

My prediction: Bayern win 2-1 (Aggregate: Bayern win 5-2)

FC Porto @ Malaga (Aggregate: Porto 1-0)

In the first game between the two sides I thought that the play of Joao Moutinho would be what would shift the game for the Portuguese side. 10 minutes into the second half and Moutinho scored the only goal of the game that will now be heading for the second leg between the two teams on Wednesday.

If Malaga is going to win this game they are going to have to play a much better game than they did the first time around. They only had two shots on goal for an entire 90 minutes and only had possession of the ball for only 37 percent of the game. The player to watch in this game will be Isco for Malaga. If they are going to advance it's going to be because of him. He's going to need to help Malaga get a goal or two if they have any hopes of making it on to the next round.

My prediction: Draw 1-1 (Aggregate: Porto win 2-1)

Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Review Part 1

There were four games played this week from teams all over Europe. The one game that got all of the attention though in this week of Champions League games was the Manchester United at Real Madrid match where Cristiano Ronaldo was making his return to Old Trafford.

Each of the games that was played this week were the second legs of the round of 16. The winners of this round have all moved on to the quarterfinals that will be played in a little less than a month. As of right now I'm currently ranked 27th on ESPN's Champions League Pick'Em.

Tuesday's Games:

Real Madrid @ Manchester United - Madrid win 2-1 (AGG: Madrid win 3-2)

It's sad how all anyone will talk about in this game is the red card that was given to Nani. All that should have been given at that point was a yellow card. A red was just too much. I thought that the game was very close up until the red card was given and thought that the game could have gone either way. Once the red card was given I thought that Madrid would be able to take this game and they did just that.

The own goal that Sergio Ramos let in was awful and to see a player of his caliber make such a bonehead play I really thought Madrid were done at that point. The goals by Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 66th and 69th minutes put the game out of reach for Man U. Once those two were scored the home team had to score at least two more while playing down a man in 20 minutes and that just wasn't going to happen.

It's sad how a game that was so good will be remembered for a bad call by a referee but in the end as a Madrid fan I'm happy with the outcome. In my opinion Madrid made some great substitutions with each of them really helping their side. Kaka, Modric and Pepe all did their part when coming on for Madrid late in the game.

My player of the match though was goalkeeper Diego Lopez for Real Madrid. He made seven saves and if it wasn't for the own goal would've had the clean sheet. I wasn't a fan of him going to the ground at the end of the game to waste time, but in the absence of captain Iker Casillas I think Diego Lopez did a great job and should get a lot of credit in Madrid moving on. You could argue for Modric or Ronaldo for scoring the goals, but I think it was the goalkeeping by Diego Lopez that was really the key in keeping the game close.

I think Madrid have to be one of the favorites to win the Champions League at this point. Barcelona could be knocked out next week so it will probably come down to Madrid and Bayern Munich winning it all.

Shakhtar Donetsk @ Borussia Dortmund - Dortmund win 3-0 (AGG: Dortmund win 5-2)

This game wasn't televised live and it didn't seem like it had to be. I expected Dortmund to come out and score multiple goals on Shakhtar but I wasn't expecting them to completely dominate the entire game the way that the did. Three goals from Felipe Santana, Mario Gotze and Jacub Blaszczykowski were just way too much for the away side that went scoreless.

I hadn't really heard of Shakhtar before this because they play in Ukraine so they should be happy with the fact that they got this far in the tournament. Dortmund are now on to the quarterfinals where they will probably be the underdog against whoever they are playing. A possible Dortmund-Bayern match-up between the two best German teams in the quarterfinals could be huge.

Wednesday's Games:

Valencia @ Paris Saint-Germain - Draw 1-1 (AGG: PSG win 3-2)

This wasn't the most exciting game of the week by any means. PSG came into this game with the lead and a draw would have sent them on to the next round. They came out playing a very defensive game to make sure that they left the game with the win. When Jonas scored the first goal of the game in the 55th minute for Valencia, it was only then that PSG started to press the action in fear of possibly giving up another goal which would have possibly ended with Valencia moving on to the next round.

Ezequiel Lavezzi scored an equalizer though 10 minutes after the scoring started to even up the game for PSG which would be the end of the scoring for the day. Valencia were able to secure possession for almost two-thirds of the entire game, but were unable to get any really good chances with only three shots on target of the eight that the team took. PSG will be moving on to the next round and with the return of Ibrahimovic for the quarterfinals could have their sights on moving even further in the tournament.

Celtic @ Juventus - Juventus win 2-0 (AGG: Juventus win 5-0)

I didn't expect Celtic to come into this game and somehow pull off one of the biggest comebacks in recent history and move on to the next round and Juventus made sure that it didn't happen. Juventus scored two goals and held Celtic scoreless for the entire 90 minutes. Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella did the scoring for Juventus, while Gianluigi Buffon had a very good game in goal for the home team making five saves and not letting anything by him.

Juventus are on to the quarterfinals with a very good showing in the round of 16. Celtic were definitely not one of the best teams left in the tournament, but the way that Juventus outplayed them in the two games really gives them hope at possibly winning this entire tournament. I don't know if they are going to have enough scoring to beat Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the later rounds, but they have showed that they are one of the best defensive teams in Europe and with Buffon in back should be able to keep any game close going forward.

Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Preview Part 1

There are four games this week in the Champions League, but only one of them is really drawing any attention at this point. In the other three games being played of the week the home teams are all favored to move on to the quarterfinals, but it's all about the other game, Manchester United vs. Real Madrid.

The games being played this week and next are the second legs of the round of 16. The winners of this round will advance on to the quarterfinals in the first week of April. As bad as I am at picking almost every other sport, I'm currently ranked 84th on ESPN's Champions League pick'em so I'm hoping my picks continue to go in that direction.

Tuesday's Games:

Real Madrid @ Manchester United (Aggregate: Draw 1-1)

While watching the first leg a couple of weeks ago all I could keep thinking was, how many goals will each of these teams end up with? At the end there was only two goals scored in the entire 90 minutes with each team scoring one apiece. The amount of great looks that each team had I was in disbelief that the game ended with such a low score.

My player to watch in this game has to be Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is making his return to Old Trafford as the enemy for the first time since leaving the Red Devils in 2009. In the first leg Ronaldo was successful in scoring and did so without celebrating afterwards in a show of respect to his former club. His goal helped tie the game up for Madrid after Danny Welbeck's goal 10 minutes earlier. The final 60 minutes of the game went goalless as both teams goalkeepers and defense kept either team from getting a real clean look.

With the aggregate currently tied at 1:1 I am expecting a very similar game to the first one, just with more goals. I could see Manchester United playing a more defensive game with Real Madrid playing a more offensive game in this one. Man U already have the one away goal and if they were able to keep Madrid scoreless would advance to the next round. If Madrid are able to score two-plus goals, chances are that they will be the team moving on.

My prediction: Madrid win 3-2 (AGG: Madrid 4-3)

Shakhtar Donetsk @ Borussia Dortmund (Aggregate: Draw 2-2)

The first game between these two teams had four goals scored between the two teams evenly with two apiece. Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels did the scoring for Dortmund with Darijo Srna and Douglas Costa adding the goals for Shakhtar.

With Dortmund returning home for the second leg they are the favorites to win this game. I think they will be able to score multiples goals and keep Shakhtar scoreless. Marco Reus and Mario Gotze both were goalless for Dortmund in the first leg and I doubt they will both remain scoreless in this one. Gotze is my player to watch in this game as he could be using this stage to get his name out there even more with the possibility of a potential move to a bigger club during the summer.

My prediction: Dortmund win 2-0 (AGG: Dortmund 4-2)

Wednesday's Games:

Valencia @ Paris Saint-Germain (Aggregate: PSG 2-1)

With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo getting all of the love for being the best players in the world Zlatan Ibrahimovic is currently showing France and the rest of the world why PSG was so smart to buy him from AC Milan over the summer. In 33 games this year Ibrahimovic has managed to score 28 goals while playing for a new team in a country he had never played in before. Ibrahimovic will not be playing in this game for PSG, however as he was sent off at the end of the game with a red card.

While Ibrahimovic is such an important player for PSG, I just don't think Valencia will be able to beat them even without Ibrahimovic on the pitch. The first leg saw goals come from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore for PSG with Adil Rami adding one for Valencia.

I wouldn't be surprised if PSG played David Beckham in this game. Beckham's experience in big games could be a huge help to the French side and without Zlatan up front they could probably use the leadership that Beck would bring. My player to watch in this game is Lucas Moura. Lucas has recently joined PSG during the winter transfer session and will likely give Valencia fits all evening. I'm expecting the same score as the first leg in this one.

My prediction: PSG win 2-1 (AGG: PSG 4-2)

Celtic @ Juventus (Aggregate: Juventus 3-0)

This game couldn't be any more over before it started than it already is. Juventus managed to score three goals in the first game on the road and would have been the favorite when returning home for the second leg anyways. Alessandro Matri, Claudio Marchisio and Mirko Vucinic did the scoring for the Italian side the first time around which leaves this game almost 100 percent out of reach for Celtic.

I'm guessing that Juventus won't put their best team on the pitch tomorrow because they are almost guaranteed to be moving on to the next round at this point so I'm expecting this game to be much closer than the first. I actually wouldn't be surprised if Celtic came out and drew Juventus or even won the game, but I still think Juventus will manage to win this game no matter who they put on the field. My player to watch is Gianluigi Buffon. Buffon will likely be in goal and as long as he doesn't have the worst game of his career come Wednesday his side should move on.

My prediction: Juventus win 2-1 (AGG: Juventus 5-1)

UFC on Fuel TV 8: Silva vs. Stann Preview

This Saturday night Wanderlei Silva and Brian Stann will headline a light heavyweight fight at UFC on Fuel TV 8. This event is coming live from Japan where many fighters will be making their returns to the country where they became popular while fighting in PrideFC, DreamFC or Sengoku.

UFC on Fuel TV 8 Preview:

Main Card on Fuel TV:

Light Heavyweight: Wanderlei Silva (34-12-1) vs. Brian Stann (12-5)

"The Axe Murderer" is arguably one of the five greatest fighters to ever set foot in the ring or cage. The guys that he has beaten and things he has accomplished are legendary. He was the first Pride Middleweight Champion, he won the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix and he was a semi-finalist in both the 2005 Pride Middleweight and the 2006 Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix. He has beaten Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba three times, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson twice, Ricardo Arona, Michael Bisping and Cung Le just to name a few. Silva was a legend in the now-defunct PrideFC and is making his first return to the place where he was once champion for over five years.

The guy that will be across the Octagon from him tonight is a guy that posses very similar striking power with his hands. Stann is a former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion and former marine who goes by the nickname "All-American." His career hasn't run as long as Silva's but he has beaten an alright list of fighters as well. Some of the guys that Stann has beaten include Steve Cantwell twice, Chris Leben, Jorge Santiago and Alessio Sakara.

I'm very excited for this fight as I'm willing to bet that there's no way this fight goes the full five rounds. Silva has managed to win by knockout 24 times in his career with Stann winning nine of his by knockout. Both of these guys are going to stand with each other and I'm guessing that it won't last long. The key for this fight is where the action occurs. If it turns into a boxing fight then Stann has a chance at winning but if Silva is able to use his Muay Thai style and land some knees and kicks he will come out the victor.

My Prediction: Silva wins via KO (round 1).

Heavyweight: Mark Hunt (8-7) vs. Stefan Struve (25-5)

Hunt is coming in to this fight on a three-fight winning streak over Chris Tuchscherer, Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo. He's a decorated kickboxing competitor outside of fighting MMA and was once one of the best heavyweights in the world while fighting for PrideFC. Outside of his current win streak he also holds notable wins over two of the greatest fighters ever in Wanderlei Silva and Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic.

His opponent is a giant in Stefan Struve. Struve stands at about 7 feet tall and is the tallest fighter in the UFC today. He has been able to use his size to his advantage in most of his fights and is coming in to this one on a four-fight win streak. He has defeated the likes of Paul Buentello, Pat Barry, Dave Herman, Lavar Johnson and Stipe Miocic in his career.

The main key to this fight is where it ends up. If it stays standing expect Hunt to knock Struve out. If it goes to the ground expect Struve to submit Hunt. Hunt and Struve have each only had one fight in their careers go the distance so don't expect this one to end up on the judges cards.

My Prediction: Hunt wins via KO (round 1).

Catchweight (158 lbs): Takanori Gomi (34-8) vs. Diego Sanchez (23-5)

Sanchez is coming in to this fight a little heavy as he weighed two pounds over the limit during yesterday's weigh-in. He has spent most of his career going back and forth between welterweight and lightweight and hasn't been able to win the big one when given the chance. Sanchez is a fighter that would extremely benefit from the UFC adding another weight class in between lightweight and welterweight as he is too small at 170 and struggles to make it down to 155. Sanchez holds wins in his career over some of the best fighters in the world at both 155 and 170 including Jorge Santiago, Kenny Florian, Nick Diaz, Karo Parisyan, Clay Guida, Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann.

Gomi is making his return to his native country for the second time since joining the UFC. He was once the number one lightweight in the world while champion of PrideFC and is currently on a two-fight win streak. While fighting all over the world he holds notable wins over Ralph Gracie, Jens Pulver, Luiz Azeredo twice, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, Marcus Aurelio and Tyson Griffin. His win over Gracie was the fastest knockout in the history of PrideFC which only lasted six seconds.

Usually when fighters come in to fights not at the weight limit they tend to gas early. Unless Sanchez is able to end the fight in the first round I don't think he will be able to win this one. I know he has great cardio, but he can't be in the best shape if he struggled so poorly to get to weight. I'm expecting this fight to stay standing with Gomi ending it in the second round.

My Prediction: Gomi wins via KO (round 2).

Middleweight: Yushin Okami (28-7) vs. Hector Lombard (32-3-1)

Okami is a fighter that for the majority of his career has been a very boring fighter. He tends to use his great wrestling to get position but when he gets top position very rarely does he actually look to finish the fight. He holds notable wins over Alan Belcher twice, Mike Swick, Evan Tanner, Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt.

Lombard is the exact opposite of Okami. Only seven of his 32 wins have gone the distance as he tries to finish most of his fights. He is the former Bellator FC Middleweight Champion who went almost six years without losing a fight during his career. He holds notable wins over James Te-Huna, Brian Ebersole, Alexander Shlemenko, Trevor Prangley and Rousimar Palhares.

I think that this fight has two ways of it going. Either Lombard ends the fight early or Okami is able to use his size and wrestling to win a decision. Lombard usually puts it all out on the line early in fights so I wouldn't be surprised if Okami was able to win a boring decision.

My Prediction: Lombard wins via TKO (round 1).

Featherweight: Mizuto Hirota (14-5-1) vs. Rani Yahya (17-7)

In what is the least "sexy" of the fights on tonight's main card this fight is really a toss up. Hirota is dropping down to featherweight for the first time in his career in what is likely a good career move for him. Hirota fought the majority of his career in his native Japan fighting in Shooto, DEEP and Sengoku and will be making his return home. He holds notable wins over Mitsuhiro Ishida, Satoru Kitaoka and Katsunori Kikuno.

Yahya has spent the majority of his career fighting under the ZUFFA umbrella in both WEC and UFC and will be looking to add on to his most recent win over Josh Grispi. Yahya also holds wins over Mark Hominick, Eddie Wineland and Mike Brown while fighting at both bantamweight and featherweight in his career.

Yahya will likely be trying to win by submission as 15 of his 17 wins have come by it with only two coming by decision. Hirota will be trying to win the fight the other way as he has never won a fight by submission in his career. I'm expecting Hirota to try and neutralize Yahya's ground game and use his new size advantage at featherweight to his advantage.

My Prediction: Hirota wins via unanimous decision.

Welterweight: Dong Hyun Kim (16-2-1) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-4-1)

Dong Hyun Kim is basically the welterweight version of Yushin Okami. He's just as boring and rarely does he end his fights. Kim most recently defeated Paulo Thiago and also has wins over Amir Sadollah and Nate Diaz.

Bahadurzada is a very explosive kickboxer who has also won a few of his fights by submission. Very rarely does he put on a boring fight and his most recent win was also over Paulo Thiago. Bahadurzada is currently on a seven-fight win streak and hasn't lost in over four years. He holds wins over Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos and John Alessio in his time prior to coming to the UFC.

I see this fight the same as I do the Okami-Lombard fight. Bahadurzada will likely end the fight in the first or second rounds or Kim will likely win a decision. If Kim is unable to get Bahadurzada to the ground he could end up knocked out and on the floor just as early as Paulo Thiago found out in his fight against Bahadurzada.

My Prediction: Bahadurzada wins via KO (round 2).


Preliminary Card on Facebook:

Middleweight: Riki Fukuda (19-6) vs. Brad Tavares (9-1)

My Prediction: Tavares wins via unanimous decision.

Bantamweight: Takeya Mizugaki (16-7-2) vs. Bryan Caraway (17-5)

My Prediction: Caraway wins via submission (round 3).

Lightweight: Cristiano Marcello (13-4) vs. Kazuki Tokudome (11-3-1)

My Prediction: Marcello wins via submission (round 1).

Bantamweight: Alex Caceres (8-5) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (11-6)

My Prediction: Caceres wins via unanimous decision.

Welterweight: Marcelo Guimaraes (8-0-1) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (10-3-1)

My Prediction: Guimaraes wins via unanimous decision.