UFC

UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson Saitama, Japan, Saturday/Sunday 3am till 7am (4 hour show)

Frankie Edgar v Ben Henderson - Edgar dec
Quinton Jackson v Ryan Bader - Quinton tko
Mark Hunt v Cheick Kongo - Kongo tko
Yoshihiro Akiyama v Jake Shields - Sheilds sub
Yushin Okami v Tim Boetsch - Okami sub
Hatsu Hioki v Bart Palaszewski - Hioki dec
Anthony Pettis v Joe Lauzon - Pettis dec

UFC Openweight Predictions Grand Prix

UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Frankie Edgar v Ben Henderson - One of the toughest calls ever in this fight! Toss up for me... Both lads are fantastic... Got immense respect for Frankie Edgar, he's as tough as they come with the heart of a lion, a brilliant champion but i think Henderson might shade it with 3 of the 5 rounds for a decision, could easily go the other way though - Henderson Decision
Quinton Jackson v Ryan Bader - Jackson KO
Mark Hunt v Cheick Kongo - Kongo TKO
Yoshihiro Akiyama v Jake Shields - Shields Submission
Yushin Okami v Tim Boetsch - Okami Decision
Hatsu Hioki v Bart Palaszewski - Hioki Submission
Anthony Pettis v Joe Lauzon - Pettis Decision

Went back and forth a couple of times ever since Edgar/Henderson was announced and when it came to making my prediction for it. Picked Edgar but wouldn't be at all surprised if Henderson wins. On paper it should deliver as promised, both are great fighters in the toughest division in the UFC.

UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Frankie Edgar v Ben Henderson Frankie Decision
Quinton Jackson v Ryan Bader - Jackson KO
Mark Hunt v Cheick Kongo - Kongo TKO
Yoshihiro Akiyama v Jake Shields - Akiyama dec
Yushin Okami v Tim Boetsch - Okami Decision
Hatsu Hioki v Bart Palaszewski - Palaszewski tko
Anthony Pettis v Joe Lauzon - Pettis Decision

i always under-estimate Frankie so this time i am backing him. think tdk and gnp are about right just about anything could happen though. stacked card.

Edgar v Henderson -- Edgar dec --
Jackson v Bader -- Jackson dec --
Hunt v Kongo -- Kongo tko --
Akiyama v Shields -- Shields sub --
Okami v Boetsch -- Okami dec --
Hioki v Palaszewski -- Hioki dec --
Pettis v Lauzon -- Pettis tko --

Frankie Edgar v Ben Henderson - Edgar Dec
Quinton Jackson v Ryan Bader - Jackson TKO
Mark Hunt v Cheick Kongo - Kongo TKO
Yoshihiro Akiyama v Jake Shields - Shields Sub
Yushin Okami v Tim Boetsch - Okami Dec
Hatsu Hioki v Bart Palaszewski - Hioki Dec
Anthony Pettis v Joe Lauzon - Pettis Dec

Frankie Edgar v Ben Henderson - Edgar Decision
Quinton Jackson v Ryan Bader - Jackson Decision
Mark Hunt v Cheick Kongo - Hunt TKO
Yoshihiro Akiyama v Jake Shields - Shields Decision
Yushin Okami v Tim Boetsch - Okami Decision
Hatsu Hioki v Bart Palaszewski - Hioki Decision
Anthony Pettis v Joe Lauzon - Lauzon Submission

Rampage didn't make weight, saying he had an injury early in training camp and its healed now but he was way heavier than he should have been. cut from 230 to 211 yesterday Bader gets 20% of his purse about $50,000.

UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson Saitama, Japan, ESPN 3am

Anthony Pettis v Joe Lauzon
Striking
Strikes Landed per Min. 1.82--2.15
Striking Accuracy 42%--39%
Strikes Absorbed per Min. 1.42--3.21
Defense 64%--65%
Grappling
Takedowns Average/15 min. 1.57--3.91
Takedown Accuracy 77%--48%
Takedown Defense 65%--63%
Submission Average/15 min. 1.73--4.88

Antnony Pettis 14-2 with both losses by decision, he's a bit of an alround fighter but his last 3 have gone to decision. Joe Lauzon 21-6 has deen the distance once when he lost to Sam Stout. His submission record is 17-3, 5 of his last 6 have been finished via submission 4-1.
Hatsu Hioki v Bart Palaszewski
Strikes Landed per Min. 2.4--2.81
Striking Accuracy 40%--33%
Strikes Absorbed per Min. 1.8--4.01
Defense 68%--59%
Grappling
Takedowns Average/15 min. 2.5--0.92
Takedown Accuracy 45%--31%
Takedown Defense 50%--55%
Submission Average/15 min. 0--0.18

Hatsu Hioki 25-4 fights in his second UFC fight & is on a 5 fight win streak with only 1 loss in his last 15. He's never been stopped & 6 of his 12 submissions are via choke. Bart Palaszewski 36-14 also fights in the UFC for the second time, his 36 wins consist of KO's 17-1 SUBS 11-3 with 10 losses via decision.
Yushin Okami v Tim Boetsch
Striking
Strikes Landed per Min. 2.24--2.86
Striking Accuracy 39%--51%
Strikes Absorbed per Min. 2.09--2.35
Defense 65%--62%
Grappling
Takedowns Average/15 min. 1.76--2.77
Takedown Accuracy 49%--52%
Takedown Defense 83%--53%
Submission Average/15 min. 0.61--0.74

Yushin Okami 26-6 fights for the first time since his August loss to Anderson Silva, his UFC record is 10-3 with losses to Rich Franklin, Cheal Sonnen & Silva so a good win here may put him in line for a fight with a title contender. Tim Boetsch 14-4, his loss to Phil Davis is his only loss in 7, he won his last 2 since the Davis fight so he'll be looking to dispose of Okami to earn his own title contender fight.
Yoshihiro Akiyama v Jake Shields
Striking
Strikes Landed per Min. 2.83--2.22
Striking Accuracy 39%--35%
Strikes Absorbed per Min. 3.25--1.73
Defense 59%--57%
Grappling
Takedowns Average/15 min. 2.7--3.77
Takedown Accuracy 79%--42%
Takedown Defense 100%--36%
Submission Average/15 min. 1.42--1.7

Yoshihiro Akiyama 13-4 makes his welterweight debut after losing his last 3 at middleweight. With his UFC record at 1-3 he really needs to win here or his time in the UFC may be over for the time being. 3 of his UFC fights have been Fight of the Night. Jake Shields 26-6 has also lost his last 2 after coming into the UFC on a 15 fight win streak, his 10 submission wins will be tested by Akiyama's 100% takedown defence.
Mark Hunt v Cheick Kongo
Striking
Strikes Landed per Min. 3.52--3.65
Striking Accuracy 44%--58%
Strikes Absorbed per Min. 1.85--1.44
Defense 60%--54%
Grappling
Takedowns Average/15 min. 0.76--2.5
Takedown Accuracy 60%--67%
Takedown Defense 70%--49%
Submission Average/15 min. 0.51--0.31

Mark Hunt 7-7 is a strange addition to the UFC as he came into it on the back of 5 straight losses & a 5-6 record but he's won his last 2, he's also got a 30-13 kickboxing record but his lack of a ground game along with his 6 MMA submission losses don't bode well for a fight with Kongo given Kongo will be 6inch taller & a massive 8inch reach advantage. Cheick Kongo 17-6 is still to show his full potential, with a 10-4 UFC record he should be looking at a title shot but even 6 years in the UFC he's still inconsistent, that said he's unbeaten in 4.
Quinton Jackson v Ryan Bader
Striking
Strikes Landed per Min. 3.18--2.46
Striking Accuracy 57%--35%
Strikes Absorbed per Min. 2.22--1.5
Defense 56%--76%
Grappling
Takedowns Average/15 min. 1.69--3.33
Takedown Accuracy 63%--42%
Takedown Defense 80%--0%
Submission Average/15 min. 0.14--0.42

Rampage 32-9 hasn't done himself any favours by not making weight albeit he's only lost 3 of his last 13 & is 7-3 in the UFC but his last maybe 4 performances haven't been vintage & eventhough he somehow stole a win against Lyoto Machida he's not on a good run, hopefully his return to Japan where he's 13-5 & has fought a who's who in his Pride days just might spark a return to the old Rampage, but missing weight doesn't sound good & in Bader he's fighting the type of fighter he doesn't like to face. Ryan Bader 13-2 was on a roll 12-0 untill he ran into Jon Jones & ten shockingly lost to Tito & I'm not sure who the former NCAA Division I Wrestler has a 0% takedown defence but this is a great chance to get back to where he was before his 2 losses. He's never been KO'd or lost a decision & I doubt Rampage will add to his 2 submission losses so it should be a good night for 'Darth' Bader.
Frankie Edgar v Ben Henderson
Striking
Strikes Landed per Min. 3.49--2.45
Striking Accuracy 41%--45%
Strikes Absorbed per Min. 1.88--1.13
Defense 74%--63%
Grappling
Takedowns Average/15 min. 2.9--4.1
Takedown Accuracy 36%--48%
Takedown Defense 62%--63%
Submission Average/15 min. 0.33--1.15

Frankie Edgar's 14-1 record is almost split in half by his decision loss to Gray Maynard who he's since drawn with & KO' after surprisingly beating BJ Penn twice to become the lightweight champion. Benson Henderson's many BBJ & tournament medals will no doubt put Edgars energetic more often than not decision winning style to the test here. 15-2 in his MMA career he's only lost 1 decision to Edgar's 8 wins & he's submitted 8 opponents where as Edgar has never been finished. Henderson has lost only 1 of his last 13 to Anthony Pettis.

UFC Openweight Predictions Grand Prix

Anthony Pettis v Joe Lauzon - Lauzon Decision
Hatsu Hioki v Bart Palaszewski - Hioki Submission
Yushin Okami v Tim Boetsch - Okami Decision
Yoshihiro Akiyama v Jake Shields - Shields Decision
Mark Hunt v Cheick Kongo - KongoTKO
Quinton Jackson v Ryan Bader - Bader Decision
Frankie Edgar v Ben Henderson - Henderson Decision