Our very own John McKiernan takes a look at UFC 80's full card and puts down the tough decisions on paper with his predictions. Check them out here. 

Main Event:  Lightweight Championship
B.J. Penn (11-4-1) vs. Joe Stevenson (28-7)

This is the first time the Lightweight division has headlined a UFC card since the division’s reemergence, and it’s not a shabby looking matchup. This ‘plan B’ comes as a result of Sean Sherk’s suspension being upheld by the CSAC, forcing the UFC to strip him of his title in order to avoid setting a nasty precedent.

For a second option or fallback plan, much worse could’ve been put together. In fact, Stevenson makes for more exciting opponent than Sherk would have been. Stevenson’s jiu-jitsu and submission game is more diverse than Sherk’s. His striking is existent, which also puts him ahead of Sherk.

B.J. Penn is a great fighter, there’s no doubting that. The worldly recognized and respected fighter is in the second stage of his career. It’s public knowledge that “The Prodigy” fought with less focus and inspiration than what is necessary to be the best. This is no longer the case. Since Penn has returned to the Octagon, he has fought and given the best of the best all they could handle. 

The split decision loss to St. Pierre was crazily close. Anybody who stands across from Georges is at a disadvantage in two departments: athleticism and size. St. Pierre is the specimen at 170 lbs. Penn nearly took the fight and displayed everything he is known for; craftiness, calm demeanor and reality-defying flexible jiu-jitsu.

The rematch with Matt Hughes was an unfortunate loss. Penn dominated the former champ over ten minutes. He out-struck Hughes, and nearly submitted the champ twice. When the third round began, Penn looked like a different fighter. It’s a memory now, but Penn did injure his ribs in the 2nd while applying the choke. If not for that injury, he wins the fight. I don’t see how a case can be made for any other result.

Jens Pulver was Penn’s first fight at 155 lbs since his return back to the weight class. I don’t even need to remind you about what happened there. But I will. A 10-8 first round, and a seamless transition into the second round that led to a RNC.

How does Stevenson stack up? I’d argue quite well, but I don’t see him winning this. Stevenson is no slouch and gets a bum rap from many, simply for being involved with TUF. The season two champ is legitimate enough to deserve the chance to be a placeholder for Sherk.
 
That being said, Stevenson doesn't do anything better than Penn does. Striking goes to Penn.  Jiu-Jitsu and submissions go to Penn (over almost anyone). Level of competition goes Penn.  Stevenson is a hard dude to finish and has won 18 of his last 20, an amazing streak, but nobody on that list is the same caliber as Penn.
 
One advantage he might have is in the cardio department. If the fight goes the full five rounds, then he might eek out a decision. I don’t see it getting that far, and expect B.J. to be wearing the belt at the end of the night.

McKiernan's Pick:  Penn, Rd. 3, Submission
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More...

Only four days following the spectacular Ultimate Fighter Finale, Zuffa once again puts on another great show on paper in World Extreme CageFighting 31. A sister promotion to the UFC, WEC has seen a resurgence in its stance in the MMA market with a television deal with Versus and supporting programming that continues to market the WEC well. The card on Wednesday night will only feed the hunger for likeness to the UFC. The event features three... count 'em three title bouts. Urijah Faber will defend the Featherweight crown against Jeff Curran, Doug "The Rhino" Marshall will defend his Light Heavyweight belt against Ariel Gandulla, and PRIDE veteran Paulo Filho, arguably ranked #2 at Middleweight, will defend his title against an able Chael Sonnen. Here's some more in-depth looks at each matchup and myself and John McKiernan weigh in our picks.

WEC Featherweight Title Bout
Urijah Faber vs. Jeff Curran

If there is one defining aspect of one fighter over another, it's experience. Curran (28-8-1) has a plethora of international and national experience in the cage. He has fought some of the best in the world, and still remains an underdog in this battle. Namely, he has recently beaten Rafael Assuncao, Wagnney Fabiano, Charles Bennett, and Antonio Carvalho all within the last 3 years. Fighters who are not slouched in the striking or ju-jitsu arena of the MMA skillset. He's taken on Matt Serra and "Kid" Yamamoto and taken them the distance. We can safely say that Curran is no stranger to high-level competition.

There is one aspect of his skillset that he lacks, and that is his ability to end fights. He is always a danger to submit his opponent, but he also has a tendency to miss holds and allow opponents to slip away from him. Stephen Ledbetter, his most recent win at WEC 29, was a perfect example of that. The question really becomes whether or not his great ju-jitsu background can counter Faber's relentless attack.

Urijah Faber (19-1) is an animal in the cage. His relentless attack has sometimes been likened to that of a Clay Guida, but he has knockout power along with a solid wresting game on the ground. The major X-factor in this fight is Faber's ability to keep the fight standing and putting the leather on Curran's face. If he can keep the fight standing, Faber will prevail. If the fight goes to the ground, Curran must avoid the devastating power that Faber can unleash on the floor.

Leland's Prediction: Urijah Faber by second round TKO

Faber is powerful, has the ability to avoid submissions, and is very strong in both his standup and ground game. Curran's ju-jitsu abilities are world-renowned, but he will have to avoid the fists of fury from Faber. I see Faber putting him out.

John's Prediction: Urijah Faber by second round TKO

Tougher fight for Faber than many expect.  Curran is well experienced with almost thirty wins.  Faber has explosive athletic ability, should look to keep this fight standing and will be able to.  The face of the 145 LB division in the U.S. gets his 20th win.

Joe's Prediction: Urijah Faber by third round TKO

Faber’s wrestling is too good, and he has shown good submission defense in the past. While Curran has great jiu-jitsu, I don’t think he’s going to be able to submit Faber. Faber will look to keep the fight standing for a bit, but then I expect him to take the fight to the mat where he’ll finish Curran with strikes sometime in the 3^rd round.
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WEC Middleweight Title Bout
Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen

Arguably the #2 ranked Middleweight in the World, Paulo Filho (15-0) made his WEC debut in winning fashion with a surprising TKO win over the veteran Joe Doerksen at WEC 29. Filho, primarily known for his ju-jitsu skills on the ground, has fought and defeated some of the best in the world in the weight class. Kazuo Misaki, Ryo Chonan, Murilo Rua, and Yuki Kondo have all fallen to Filho either by decision or by the feared armbar. Filho has some extensive ground game, but his striking has always been lacking. Sonnen will be a test in Filho's standup game to an extent, but Sonnen's ground tactics may not be able to nullify Filho.

Chael Sonnen (19-8-1) is an interesting matchup for Filho. Sonnen is known to have some great knockout power, but he's been known to fade and go the distance on multiple occassions. His one weakness against better competition has been the submission. This is where Filho may have the opportunity to win this fight if Sonnen doesn't land a big punch early. Sonnen has been racking up wins in BodogFight for the last year, and recently won at SportFight 20 up in the Northwest. There is an opponent that Sonnen has lost to convincingly 3 times that really sums up what Filho's gameplan will be, that's Jeremy Horn. Horn has defeated Sonnen three seperate times, two by submission. I wouldn't put Horn on the same level as Filho on the ground, although he is a very good grappler. It does outline a big problem in Sonnen's ground game though.

Leland's Prediction: Paulo Filho by 3rd round submission

This is an interesting fight due to the fact that Filho hasn't faced a hard-nosed wrestler in awhile, if at all. Sonnen will have power, and I think it will take Filho some time to work on the ground. Nonetheless, I believe Filho will submit him late in the bout.

John's Prediction: Paulo Filho by 2nd round submission

15-0 and Sonnen is no joke, but also not the guy to give Filho his first loss. The Brazilian is the undisputed #2 Middleweight world (possibly #1 in my mind) and has subbed a number of guys better than Sonnen. Wrestling and ju-jitsu is too good.

Joe's Prediction: Paulo Filho by 1st round submission

Filho is too strong and his grappling is too good for Sonnen. Sonnen has shown weakness in the past against fighters that have a good submission game. I think this fight will go similar to Filho’s last fight with Doerksen, but he’ll be able to finish this time with his grappling. Look for a submission, most likely an armbar, in the first round.
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WEC Light Heavyweight Title Bout
Doug Marshall vs. Ariel Gandulla

I'll make this short and sweet. Marshall (6-2) is a straight brawler. He has good knockout power and standup skills, but to be honest, I've only seen him roll on the ground once to win a fight. This fight wasn't made for a ground war, and it will certainly be a standup fight. Ultimately however, someone is going to shoot for the takedown to ground and pound their opponent or try to clip their opponent's chin and put him to the canvas for the ground and pound. Either way, strikes will end this fight.

Gandulla (4-0) isn't overly impressive in his standup or ground and pound tactics. He's more reserved than Marshall will be as Marshall seems to be overly aggressive at times. Could this be a strength? It's possible because I expect Gandulla to be taller than Marshall, and I think he'll have an easier time keeping Marshall at a distance. Does this equate to a victory for Gandulla? I'm not completely convinced, but I may go with the upset pick.

Leland's Prediction: Ariel Gandulla by TKO, 2nd round.

Marshall's striking is sloppy, and I believe Gandulla's patience can outlast the onslaught. He has some good power and the ability to elude the big blows. Marshall just isn't championship material in my eyes.

John's Prediction: Ariel Gandulla by TKO

Gandulla has proven he's tough and I see an upset.  ATT will have Ariel ready.

Joe's Prediction: Doug Marshall by TKO, 1st round.

As much as I want to pick against Doug Marshall here, I can’t. Marshall is strictly a brawler who likes to bang out his victories. I think Gandulla will be overwhelmed by Marshall’s assault and succumb to strikes early in the first round.
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Jens Pulver vs. Cub Swanson

One of the toughest fights for me to pick because I believe Jens is a class act in mixed martial arts. He's a warrior and trains just as hard as anyone out there and expects results because of it. Mainly known for his striking skills, Jens Pulver (21-8-1) has fought along side the best for a majority of his career. Most notably known for defeating BJ Penn at UFC 35 in a matchup that BJ was expected to win, Pulver went on to fight internationally against many of the best fighters in the world, although not having a whole lot of success. He was beaten by Hayato Sakurai and Takanori Gomi while fighting in PRIDE's Bushido series, and fell on hard times recently by losing to Joe Lauzon and BJ Penn in the UFC. Now, Jens will try his hand at a weight that he should have been fighting at his entire career. The featherweight in the division and around the world has recently garnered more interest and more fighters and has now allowed Jens to move down and fight legitimate competition.

Swanson (11-1) will be no easy fight for Jens Pulver. His most impressive battle as of recent was against Micah Miller at WEC 28. He showed a well-rounded skillset, great striking, some good ground tactics that enabled him to escape Miller on the ground and outlast him. He did a lot of damage once escaping holds and eventually tired Miller. Will we see this type of fight? Considering the fact that Pulver seems uninterested in heading to the mat, I would imagine a good standup war. Swanson does have a good ground game though. He has some nice takedown technique, and it could become a big problem for Pulver.

Leland's Prediction: Jens Pulver via second round TKO

Nearly everyone is picking Swanson, and I like Jens in this fight for the simple reason that he has dynamite in his hands. Swanson looks to be an easy pick, but Jens looks ultra motivated for this war. I think having 2 recent losses and coming down to his natural fighting weight will help tremendously. Look for Jens to feel out Swanson, and then attack in the second.

John's Prediction: Jens Pulver via first round KO

Coming off of two losses, one to a legend and a very devastating upset loss to Joe Lauzon, Pulver needs this win. Swanson is no cupcake, but he's never fought Pulver. All the pressure rests on Jens' shoulders, and the former champ will show he still has the hands that earned him the UFC belt.

Joe's Prediction: Jens Pulver via second round TKO

This fight is going to come down to Jens’ takedown defense. If he flops around and looks like he did against Joe Lauzon, this will be a very short night for him. However, I think Jens is truly motivated and is ready to make an impact in the 145lb weight class. He has excellent boxing and great power. I think Cub will try to stand and trade for him until he feels Jens’ power, but by then, it might be too late. Look for Jens to wear Cub down and finish him with strikes in the second round.
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Quick Hits

Brian Bowles (3-0) vs. Marcos Galvao (6-1)

Leland's Prediction: Galvao by unanimous decision

All of his fights have went the distance, showing some great cardio. He has a solid ju-jitsu background and has experience fighting some decent battles in Shooto as well. Bowles is a very green fighter, only having one fight in the WEC and two others against low-level competition that didn't present a challenge. I think Galvao will be a challenge and his ju-jitsu alone may be too much for Bowles.

John's Prediction: Galvao by unanimous decision

The Shooto veteran will make a succesful WEC debut.  Look for good jits from Galvao.

Joe's Prediction: Galvao by unanimous decision

Marcos Galvao is a Shooto veteran and possesses some good ground skills. Bowles is a green fighter, and hasn’t faced good competition so far. Galvao should win this fight on the judge’s scorecard.
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Bryan Baker (5-0) vs. Eric Shambari (7-0)

Leland's Prediction: Shambari via unanimous decision

I haven't been terribly impressed with either fighter. Baker was in trouble against Jesse Forbes and managed to reverse his luck and defeat Forbes. Schambari, on the other hand, hasn't been decisive in the WEC as far as finishing opponents goes. He has, however, continued to win against greener competition. I think both will bang, but get tired toward the middle of the fight. I think Eric can do enough early to win this one by decision.

John's Prediction: Shambari via decision

Past two opponents Art Santore and Logan Clark are solid, while giant Baker will be tested.

Joe's Prediction: Baker by second round TKO

The only fight I’ve seen of Baker was his fight with Jesse Forbes. He was getting outclassed for the most part, but managed to come from behind to pull off the victory. I think he’ll do the same against Shambari. 
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John Alessio (20-10) vs. Todd Moore (9-0)

Leland's Prediction: Alessio via first round submission

Alessio has a plethora of experience, but is susceptible to the submission himself. Most of his losses are against top competition, competition that Todd Moore hasn't seen before. I believe Alessio will be too much for him and will be a much tougher opponent than Moore's past opponents. This should be a win for Alessio.

John's Prediction: Alessio via first round submission

Alessio could be a star in the WEC on the way back after a loss to Condit. This is top level fighter, WEC will finally give the mainstream opportunity the seasoned vet has earned.  Moore is undefeated, but large increase in opponent quality here.

Joe's Prediction: Alessio via first round submission

Alessio is a well rounded fighter. He has some decent strikes, and an underrated ground game. He’s had some notable fights, particularly against Diego Sanchez and Carlos Condit. This fight should showcase some more of Alessio’s skills. Moore is undefeated, but he has yet to face any real competition. Alessio is too big of a step up for him at this point in his career. 
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Alex Karalexis (9-2) vs. Ed Ratcliff (5-0)

Leland's Prediction: Ratcliff by second round TKO

Ratcliff has a karate/grappling background as well as some decent striking ability. From what I've seen, his style is very quick and explosive, allowing him to move in for the kill and move away from the counters. I'm going to take the upset pick here.

John's Prediction: Karalexis by first round KO

This fight will have some fireworks! Alex has some real nice hands, and he's a way better fighter from the TUF series than he's given credit for.

Joe's Prediction: Karalexis by unanimous decision

Karalexis has some pretty good power, but tends to rely on his overhand right too much. He has a pretty good wrestling game and I think that’s where the difference in this fight will be. Look for Karalexis to start off striking, but he’ll eventually take the fight to the mat. I don’t think Ratcliff will have the takedown defense needed to stay off his back. Karalexis won’t finish, but it will be a dominating performance.
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Ian McCall (6-0) vs. Charlie Valencia (8-3)

Leland's Prediction: Valencia via second round TKO

Valencia actually has some power when he isn't being pummeled by some of the best in the WEC. I look for him to stop McCall's streak here.

John's Prediction: Valencia via decision

Valencia has fought two stars on this card, Faber and Swanson. Tough guy, I like him here.

Joe's Prediction: Valencia via second round TKO

I like Charlie Valencia in this fight. He has faced top flight competition, and lost, but he always brings it in each of his fights. Look for Valencia to finish this fight with strikes late in the first round or early in the second. 

The Ultimate Fighter Six Finale was a night of beginnings, and a night of endings.  The sun set on the UFC mainstay ‘Big’ John McCarthy.  Easily the most recognizable and high-profile referee the sport has seen, McCarthy officiated the main event and final match of his Hall-of-fame tenure.  In opposition to the loss of the greatest ref of all-time, The Pearl at the Palms played host to the start of Mac Danzig’s (17-4-1) days in the Octagon, a career he’ll begin as the TUF-6 winner.  Roger Huerta (20-1-1) began a new chapter in his story as well with the first of many possible wins against top-flight competition.  Following a rear-naked choke submission of Clay Guida (22-6), McCarthy raised the arm of ‘El Matador’ in victory; something it appears Big John has done for the last time.

From the opening bout the night provided excellent fights filled with action.  This installment of the TUF finals delivered where UFC 78 and the sixth season itself proved an inability to do so.  The night had decisive victories, drag-out wars, submissions and KOs; all capitalized by the sudden comeback win in the feature fight by Huerta.   The average class of fighter may not have been equal to some of the stacked PPV cards we have seen recently, but the action couldn’t have been much better; and to think…this was free, not forty bucks.

Entering the night much was made of Huerta’s lack of experience against upper-echelon competition.  For marketing purposes (they’re overt) Huerta has been pushed by the promotion in an attempt to further its appeal in the Hispanic community, specifically in our fight-loving neighbor Mexico.  Clay Guida represents as near a stylistic likeness to Huerta as there is. The major difference between the two; outside of hair-style; lies in  Guida’s track record of tough opponents. Although Guida has had mixed success against other world-class 155lbers, he has never looked outclassed. Huerta was certainly in for his toughest test yet, and he got all he could handle.

Let me say here that it looks like I’m in need of that forty bones I mentioned earlier. I bet against Huerta in tonight’s match and its time to pay up.  Through two rounds it didn’t look like the 24 year-old Minnesotan would leave the cage with his perfect UFC record intact, and I thought my money was safe.  But for the second time in six fights, a knee by Huerta all but ended a fight.  In the opening minute of the third round, Guida shot in for a takedown and was caught on the chin with the blast.  The Chicago-native was visibly rocked by the blow, staggering forward and eating glancing punches while desperately groping for a takedown.  Guida executed the takedown after a few seconds of anxious pursuit. Once on the ground Huerta was able to reverse, take Guida’s back and lock in the rear-naked choke without much resistance just 31 seconds into the final frame.

It was a sudden, sudden ending to a fight that had been dominated by ‘The Carpenter’ for ten minutes.  Huerta was on the defensive from the outset when Guida lifted the phenom onto his shoulders and planted him onto the mat.   The next nine minutes saw takedown after takedown as the seasoned vet out wrestled the younger Huerta.  More surprisingly was the visible frustration on Huerta’s face late in the second as Guida began to get the best of the action on the feet, something even Clay didn’t expect.  It was that frustration fueled by the urgency of being down two rounds to none that put away Guida in the third.

While Roger endured the toughest test of his career, Season Six’s Mac Danzig barely broke a sweat.  From the outset of the show, the 27 year old PRIDE veteran appeared head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.  Danzig was no secret to the MMA community before being selected to participate in the show.  He could have easily been traditionally added to the Zuffa stable of fighters and thrown into the mix. But more lucratively he was granted a slot on the reality show, and will now certainly boast a following as a result of the exposure.

A true lightweight (a la Joe Stevenson), Danzig overcame the glaring size advantage in the championship bout and dispatched Tommy Speer (9-2) with relatively no effort.  The two fighters couldn’t be any more different.  Danzig is a practicing vegan in L.A., Speer a dairy farmer in a Minnesota town of 800.  Despite ten fights, the brutish Speer was a relative rookie to the big scene, while the much smaller and technically sound Danzig had been tested. 

Danzig repeatedly made reference to his nerves entering the fight, but Speer was the one who looked to have a gut full of butterflies.  Predictably, he rushed Mac looking for the takedown only to have the elder fighter put Speer on his back.  Once there, it was all downhill for the pride of Elgin, MN.   Danzig smoothly secured mount and battered the larger Speer with punches and elbows until he gave up his back.  In textbook fashion, Danzig applied the rear-naked and launched his promising UFC career.

While Danzig and Huerta will receive the attention and accolades on the heels of their equally stellar performances, McCarthy is just as deserving; if not more.  The man who coined ‘Lets Get it On’ way back in 1994 (!) resigned from his p\ksition with the UFC to become an analyst for The Fight Network.   With 535 bouts officiated, Big John stands alone as an official, and is without a doubt a timeless MMA icon.  The progression the sport has undergone since UFC 2 when McCarthy made his debut is immense, and the view the former LA police officer has had throughout is unique.  I would love to see Big John write a book on his career and what he has seen; it’d be a fascinating read.  We here at MMA-Analyst would like to say thank you for being the best at your trade for over a decade and keeping the sport safe, enabling it to reach the heights it has.  We wish you the best Big John, we know you’ll be great.  The UFC will go on without you, but will never be able to replace you.

The rest of the card

The broadcast began with a rematch from this season between Ben Saunders (5-0-2) and Dan Barrera (1-1).  The Jeet-Kune-Do practicing Saunders got the best of Barrera the first time around, winning a controversial decision over the Team Hughes fighter.  Barrera took down Saunders over and over again, but the long and lanky guard of the 6’3” American Top Team fighter staved off the ground and pound of Barrera.  By the end of the match, Saunders was dominating the one-dimensional Barrera and took home a unanimous decision victory.  At his size, Saunders looks very promising.  His range on the feet is superior to anyone else in the division, and his guard looked outstanding; albeit it was against a ‘green’ Barrera.  Barrera had virtually no offense throughout, and looked to me like a Matt Hamill without explosiveness and comparable athleticism.

In the second match, George Sotiropoulos (8-2) made short work of fellow cast mate Billy Miles (2-2).  Miles charged the Australian from the bell with wild punches.  Sotiropoulos rebounded from his KO loss to Speer in the semi-finals on the show and choked out Miles by way of RNC three minutes in.   Miles just looked completely outclassed on the ground and in the fighters’ demeanor.  It was reminiscent of those desert spiders that just lay in wait and snatch their pray.

Troy Mandaloniz (3-1) put Richie Hightower (7-2) to sleep with a jab late in the first round of their bout.  The fight was a see-saw slugfest with Mandaloniz receiving as much damage as he was dishing out.  Hightower was too predictable on the feet, continuously throwing the same 1 – 2 left right combo.  The Hawaiian native timed Hightower with a jab that landed spot on the chin and followed up on the collapsed fighter with vicious hammerfists, forcing a stoppage.  Mandaloniz showed power and a good chin.  Those Hawaii boys sure can fight, can’t they?

A case could be made that the fight of the night belonged to Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) and Jared Rollins (6-4).  The two shared tension during the show, and the story-line came to a conclusion with Koppenhaver pounding out a TKO win in the third.  The fight was back and forth on both the feet and the floor.  I had Koppenhaver narrowly winning the first round with scattered GnP.  Rollins managed to cut Koppenhaver on the head with elbows that appeared to be borderline illegal (downward strike).  From then on out, the blood was effusive.  Rollins and the much younger Koppenhaver were drenched in it for the rest of the bout.  Just as Rollins appeared to seal the win with a big knee and consequent GnP, Koppenhaver combined a kimura with a sweep and reversed position.  One huge elbow and five right hands later Rollins was rendered defenseless.  Both of these guys will be back, they put on a great show.  The crowd gave a standing ‘O’ before the third round started. That pretty much ensures their return.  Again, this was a bloody match that left Koppenhaver looking like he had a cheesy fake tan, Frankie Avalon style.

Matt Arroyo (3-1) submitted John Kolosci (8-5) with an armbar in the first round.  It appeared only a matter of time before Kolosci became a submission victim for the third time in as many fights.  Arroyo slapped on four or five submission attempts before he nabbed the win.  Arroyo appears to be very talented and possibly the forgotten member of the cast. I look for him to make waves moving forward.

In the two dark matches, Roman Mitichyan (4-1) won by ankle lock over Dorian Price (7-3) in just 23 seconds and Jonathan Goulet (21-9) RNC’d Paul Georgieff (5-2) late in the first.

John McKiernan is a new contributing writer to MMA-Analyst.com. He has a unique perspective on the mixed martial arts scene in that he actually has writing ability as he is nearing a graduation date on his Journalism degree. Also unique, John is in Anchorage, Alaska and has been able to tap into the Alaska Fighting Championships from time to time. We welcome John to the writing staff and he will hopefully make our writing look better.

The sixth season the Ultimate Fighter is finally coming to a close.  The ratings for the show continue to come back down to earth, tumbling from the astronomical heights the first few seasons reached.  While the formula of the show has grown stale, the quality of the Finals has yet to be effected.  The Fertita's, Joe Silva and Dana White once again bring us a live card that follows a familiar formula: One fight of established cage veterans and a slew of prospects and fledgling athletes from the current TUF season.  The show can’t be knocked; after all it is free to cable subscribers. Past Finale's have been better than this one appears to be, but, it’s no reason not to watch; its free people!  The headline fight between the Season-six winners takes a back-seat to the match of UFC 'Golden boy ' Roger Huerta (19-1-1) and the kinetic Clay Guida (22-8).

It’s no secret that the UFC hopes to make Huerta their next big superstar within the Lightweight division.  The hype and matchmaking thus far has sought to make 'El Matador' one part De La Hoya and one part Menudo; the ideal athlete to court the Hispanic fan base.  Perhaps Silva finally heard the calls from fans to see Huerta tested, because he will be pushed by Guida on December 8th.
 
Guida's record isn't pretty by any means, especially of late.  The eight losses do jump out at you, but he's like a chef-quality meatloaf; he's much better than he appears.  'The Carpenter' is a fitting nickname for Guida and his blue-collar fighting style based on wrestling, control and a toolbox full of submissions.  In many ways, he's the perfect storm that may rain on Huerta's parade.

Almost half of Huerta’s fights have gone into the third round, and if history has holds true, El Matador will need the full fifteen minutes come fight-time. Three of his five UFC bouts lasted into the final five minutes. Huerta has shown good yet sometimes sloppy, wild stand-up.  Huerta’s hands have never shown pure KO power and the one UFC victory that ended in the 1st round was the result of an illegal knee to John Halverson’s head. Guida has shown no interest in keeping a fight on the feet. Ever. I heard he shot in for a double-leg on the doctor the moment he was born.  Don't expect to see the fight play out from anything beyond the clinch or the mat. 

Huerta has shown holes in his takedown defense and wrestling ability, inarguably losing a round to an undersized (bantamweight) Doug Evans in June at the last TUF finale.  Evans took the fight on only a few weeks notice, and had a relatively easy time putting Huerta on his back and holding him there. Guida should be able to do the same. 

The quality of the fighters Guida has beaten and narrowly lost to are of much higher caliber than anyone Huerta has tangled with.  All of Huerta’s Zuffa opponents until now made their debut against Roger.  The nerves, lack of experience and large audience won’t affect Guida in the same way.  He is battle tested. He has looked outstanding in decision losses to Gilbert Melendez, Din Thomas and Tyson Griffin.  His victory over Marcus Aurelio was nice to see; not because I dislike Aurelio but just to see Guida finally get a win for all his effort.  The guy comes hard and I think he'll overwhelm Huerta en route to a unanimous decision; unless of course Cecil Peoples is judging...then all bets are off. 
 
Although I don’t know the fighters in the Finale match-up, I'm taking Mac Danzig.  Give me Danzig over any of them.  Danzig went nearly two and a half years without a loss on the mid-major circuit before losing a disputed split-decision to Clay French. Mac is a PRIDE veteran and he was the consensus pick from the start; and I've seen nothing to make me stray from that early season conclusion. 
 
I fully expect Jonathan Goulet to exercise his UFC demons and win this time around. It may be his last opportunity to make a push in the promotion. A 2-3 record doesn’t cut it with the rest of the world knocking for an opportunity.  The TKO veteran has been a disappointment on the major stage.
 
Dan Barerra is nuttier than squirrel turds.  Jeet-Kune-Do practitioner Ben Saunders is (probably) the distant cousin of Mayhem Miller.  The sheer oddness of these two interests me, and we will finally be able to answer the age old question; 

"Who wins in a street fight? Bruce Lee or God?"  I'm leaning towards Lee. Saunders’s striking has looked pretty decent, and Barrera appeared to have little head movement during the show.  

At this stage in the game, the only match on the card that has immediate implications on it’s division is the main event between Huerta and Guida. This is a true test for Huerta, and the Minnesota born fighter will certainly launch himself into the convoluted 155lb. title picture with a victory.  Guida I believe will play the role of the spoiler, a monkey wrench thrown into the UFC hype-machine. Over fifteen fast-paced minutes ‘The Carpenter’ will nail Huerta to the mat and disrupt the division even more.