Although this isn’t what I would call a “stacked” card, there are definitely some good matchups. Most importantly, the card is to benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund which provides services to military personnel who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. Even in this tough economic time, make the extra effort to donate to this cause if you can.
Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Koscheck is coming off of an October loss to the now number one welterweight contender, Thiago Alves. He took the fight with two weeks notice and kept this fight on his schedule too. Yoshidas last 9 fights have ended with him winning in the first or second round. This should definitely be a very good fight. I see Koscheck taking down Yoshida with his wrestling and controlling him for the win.
Koscheck by unanimous decision
Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet
Swick’s last win was a decision over Marcus Davis who had, at the time, won 11 fights in a row. Goulet has won his last three fights and has previously been considered one of the best fighters in Canada. There’s no question that this will be a tough fight for Swick, but I finally see him making his mark in the welterweight division with this one.
Swick by 3rd round TKO
Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hassan
Cantwell’s last fight won him the WEC light heavyweight title. Since then, the WEC has decided to drop that weight class and has moved some of their fighters to the UFC. Cantwell’s only loss was to Brian Stann, the guy he beat for the title. Al-Hassan has an undefeated record but hasn’t faced anyone that I am familiar with. I’m going with Cantwell on this one as I don’t know anything about his opponent that would make me believe he can win.
Cantwell by 2nd round KO
Tim Credeur vs. Nate Loughran
This is a great matchup. Both these guys are submission specialists with Loughran coming in undefeated. Credeur was a star on The Ultimate Fighter last season and Loughran started his UFC career with a win in July. I think the edge here goes to Credeur who has shown some power in his hands and has the edge in experience and competition. Nonetheless, I think this will be a close fight.
Credeur by unanimous decision
Frank Edgar vs. Matt Wiman
Edgar is an excellent fighter, having beaten Hermes Franca and Spencer Fisher on either side of a loss to Gray Maynard. His wrestling is his strength. Wiman is on a 4 fight win streak and is quickly becoming a lightweight contender. His last win, a KO of Thiago Tavares, proved that he has what it takes to compete with the best in this sport. I think this will be a tough fight for both guys, but I think Wiman will be able to stop Edgar’s takedowns enough to score a victory with his impressive stand-up game.
Wiman by 3rd round TKO
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Brodie Farber
Fioravanti is a tough guy who likes to stand and bang. He has fought some big name fighters, but has mostly lost to them. Farber had the misfortune of fighting Rory Markham in his UFC debut and lost by a highlight reel head kick. I think Fioravanti takes this fight by experience unless Farber can take him down, which I don’t think will happen.
Fioravanti by 3rd would KO.
Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees
Both these guys lost their UFC debut in their last fight. Bruno is more well-rounded, while Rees prefers submissions. If Rees can take the fight to the ground, he wins, but if Bruno keeps it standing, the fight will be his. Other than that, I think this fight is a toss-up.
Bruno by split decision
Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff
This is another very evenly matched fight. Saunders has a couple of good wins in the UFC. Wolff is making his UFC debut and mostly takes his wins to decision. The only real difference I see is that Saunders finishes more fight and won’t have first-time UFC jitters.
Saunders by unanimous decision
Corey Hill vs. Dale Hartt
Both these guys are coming off of a loss. I definitely think that Hartt is the better fighter, but Hill’s height as a lightweight could pose some problems. I think that Hartt will try to get underneath Hill to take him down and work for a submission on his ridiculously long limbs. If they stand for long however, Hill’s reach will certainly take over the stand-up. In the end though, I see Hartt coming out the victor in this one.
Hartt by 3rd round submission
Eddie Sanchez vs. Justin McCully
Frankly, I haven’t been impressed with either of these guys yet. Both do have some solid wins, but not the type of wins that make you believe that they can ever be contenders in the heavyweight division. Sanchez likes to knock people out and McCully like to submit people. I believe that Sanchez will be able to impose the striking game on McCully and win a lackluster fight.
Sanchez by unanimous decision
