The time has come. Off the Mat has been waiting for this moment since it’s creation back in the fall of 2010. The UFC hits mainstream television and what better fight to do it than Junior Dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez. We hope this event erases the last brands attempt to hit mainstream television, EliteXC: Primetime. That event was terrible and CBS will probably never invest their time in MMA ever again because of that.
Bernard Oliver: The Five Star General
Jeremy Hurtt: The Guru Sage
Jon Urcuyo: The Surgical Statistician
Brett Rorie : The Charismatic Youngblood
DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
When it comes to the battle of former TUF alums, the key in this fight will be where the fight is. Johnson really should have the advantage everywhere on the ground. Harvison needs to keep this fight standing at all possible, but then I am still not sure Johnson is still the better striker. If DaMarques plays it smart he will go out and wrestle Harvison, which is the weakest part of Clay’s game.
Prediction: Johnson via, 3rd round Submission
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
A featherweight war is to be expected when these two step into the Octagon. Both men are very well rounded, and have the ability to win the fight. Both men are coming off extremely impressive wins, Lamas, a brutal Head kick TKO of talented Matt Grice. While Swanson won a hard fought Split Decision over the always tough Mackens Semerzier. In this fight the one key thing is that Cub really struggles against the higher level competition in the featherweight division. (Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, and Jens Pulver at the time) From everything I have seen of Lamas, I believe he is one of the elite level fighters due to his explosive hands, and great wrestling background.
Prediction: Lamas via, Unanimous Decision
Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
What a fight ladies and gentlemen!!!! Both of these featherweights are 2-0 in the UFC and have looked remarkable in their past fights. If you have not seen Garza’s past two fights you absolutely have too. Garza won the first the of two fights when he landed a beautiful flying knee to experience vet Fredson Paixao face. While the second, was a textbook flying triangle, yes flying triangle, against Yves Jabouin that left me speechless. Poirier wins are not as flashy, but have come against bigger names. All Poirier did in his debut was defeat then current #1 contender Josh Grispi, while Grispi has fallen off a bit, that is still a huge win for Poirier. Along with that, his last fight against Jason “Shotgun” Young was a great back and forth battle that showed Dustin’s improved standup. Garza is a come from behind specialist who usually starts off sluggish, but sooner or later finds a way to finish off the fight, but this by far is his biggest test, and a sluggish start would not be as easy to turn around.
Prediction: Poirier via, Unanimous Decision
Clay Guida vs Ben Henderson
This prediction to me is simple, Guida is a lifetime gatekeeper who puts on tremendous fights, but cannot ever beat the extremely talented. Henderson is one of those extremely talented fighters. With a lightweight title shot possibly on the line though, still expect a frantic non-stop pace.
Prediction: Henderson via, 2nd round TKO
UFC Heavyweight Title Bout: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos
If you think this fight will be just two out of shape slow heavyweights just throwing punches, then you are wrong. In this fight we have two of the best conditioned athletes not only in the Heavyweight division, but the entire UFC. It is a classic battle between the speed and timing of Velazquez boxing and wrestling, going up against the powerful and crisp boxing and jiu-jitsu of Dos Santos. The interesting thing is this fight is, will we see Dos Santos on his back for the first time in the UFC? Junior has never been taken down, but with the All-American wrestler Velasquez on the other side of the cage, there is a great possibility of this happening. While Dos Santos is a Brown Belt, you never know how someone will react until they are on their back. Expect this fight to depend on Velasquez making sure Dos Santos does not land that fight ending shot, if he does, expect a big night for Velasquez.
Prediction: Cain Velasquez via, 4th round TKO