Evan and I make some UFC 110 quick picks

I’ve been batting around the match-ups for tonight’s UFC 110, trying to make some picks. My buddy, Evan, who trains at Toronto BJJ and knows fighting, hit me up for some thoughts, as well. Mostly he was looking for a pigeon, I think. He’s taken a dime or two off me the last two UFCs. So I hit him back for some picks. Here’s how the card shakes out for us (and yes, Evan, I’m even giving you the last word, although you may regret having written it):

Evan: I got Minotauro Nogueira just because he’s been there before and this is Cain Velasquez’s first international trip to fight, his BJJ is suspect under Dave Camarillo, and Nog’s half-guard sweep pass and top game is too stellar. However, all that being said, if Nog doesn’t show up then Cain will look really good.

Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiro – who the fuck can spell his name really! -  is the fight to watch, I think. Two really well-rounded guys who have to figure each other out. Stevenson should win but he may just walk into a knee. Man, I’m tripping over the Michael Bisbing vs. Wanderlei Silva fight – I just can’t pick. Everything in my head says to go for Bisbing: he’s been able to adapt different game plans in the past, he’s a outside striker, if only he’d learn some fucking defense and footwork, geeze! But it comes down to whats left in the tank of the Axe Murderer – is it still an Axe or is it more like a small hatchet??? I love Wanderlei, he always leaves it all in the ring but I think maybe it’s time for him to hang it up. He’s tried something new however, well it’s old but working with Rafael Cordeiro hopefully has put some air back in the sails of the old warhorse. We shall see though.

Keith Jardine over Ryan Bader. I don’t care how hard he hits I think Jardine’s length and experience will be the determining factor. Stephan Bonnar over Team Quest’s Kimura-liking Krzystof Soszynski. Mirko Cro Cop got a can to kick so that should be fun. The thing that scares me most about the card is that I’ll once again have to put up with the BS of Goldberg and Rogan, and with that it’s ALL OVER!!!

Me: I like your analysis. Everything except Bonnar taking it. I don’t see how he gets by Soszynski. Speaking of which, you can spell his name but not Sotiropoulos or whatever. And yeah, Bisping is a wildcard right now; we don’t really know what he can do, and with Wand dropping to 185 and hoping to prove something, well that’s a lot of ifs in the air.

I’m not sure about Jardine either. I like him, he fights like a drunk homeless man, which can be about as predictable as Machida at times. Other times he’s just a drunk homeless man. And Bader is no joke. Jardine throws a kick and Bader will hug it like it’s his high school sweetheart and once it’s on the ground, well, if Bader can keep it there that’s all she wrote.

Evan: That’s what’s awesome about MMA – it puts so much importance on one word, “if.” As far as Bonnar I just think he’s due. I mean it’s almost two years since he’s won so I think he’s got the stand-up to win a decision against a cardio-depleted all ‘natural’ Polish Experiment. I hope I’m right and the Polish experiment doesn’t “polish” him off! lol, I had too.