The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 Finale event on June 21st is starting to take shape with four more additional bouts announced today by the UFC. Spencer Fisher will take on Jeremy Stephens in a lightweight bout while Jeremy Horn will try to once again defeat Dean Lister in a rematch from their King of the Cage 31 bout back in 2003. Drew McFedries will try to knockout Marvin “Beastman” Eastman, and Josh Burkman takes on jiu-jitsu fighter Dustin Hazelett. Although these fights don’t exactly have that excitement surrounding them as we have seen from the Ultimate Fight Night cards and past TUF Finales, there are some battles here that could determine where these fighters are at right now.

Spencer Fisher vs. Jeremy Stephens

On paper, this could be another scrappy war for Spencer Fisher. Both Stephens and Fisher are standup fighters with some decent ground and pound abilities, but can also show the submission game when the chance is available. While Fisher is beginning to maintain a role as a gatekeeper to the mid-echelon talent of the lightweight division, Stephens is beginning to work his way up in the division. He’s 2-1 in the UFC with his lone loss to Din Thomas at UFC 71, and Fisher will be a step up in competition for him. Fisher should be able to use his experience, striking, and overall toughness to pull out a win, but Stephens has a shot with good power in the standup.

Jeremy Horn vs. Dean Lister

A lot of fans are making a fuss about this fight due to the rematch aspect of this fight, but Horn vs. Lister could prove to bore fans who want to see a standup fight. Lister hasn’t been impressive in his stints in the UFC, and “Gumby” has hard times in his last two battles. Nonetheless, Horn is a veteran of the sport and has the submission skills on the ground to defeat a guy like Lister. It could be a grappling chess match on the ground, and I’m always game to see those fights unfold.

Drew McFedries vs. Marvin Eastman

Eastman is known for his appearance, but he certainly hasn’t used it to knock opponents out in the past. At 15-7-1 with 9 wins via decision, the perception that Eastman can flat out strike may be a farce. McFedries, on the other hand, is a power striker that uses his heavy hands to put opponents out. He’s coming off a tough loss to Patrick Cote, but his power alone can change the tide of a fight in no time. Can Eastman avoid the blow for the entire fight if it goes to decision? Will McFedries have the gas this time around? Not a bad battle to add to this free card.

Josh Burkman vs. Dustin Hazelett

I’m definitely not convinced that Josh Burkman can beat up on Dustin Hazelett. Hazelett showed some improved standup in his fight with Josh Koscheck, but Hazelett’s artwork comes from the jiu-jitsu ground game. He has very slick technical grappling skills that can easily overwhelm anyone in his guard. Burkman’s standup needs to improve significantly before I can believe he’s a presence in the division. Looping haymakers don’t win fights unless your opponent walks into one. Let’s hope this one turns out to be a decent scrap, but it could end quickly if Hazelett gets it to the ground.

Yesterday was an exciting day for MMA fans everywhere. Tim Sylvia had reportedly signed on to fight PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko on July 19 at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, but reports are now coming out of Russia that contradict the previous report from Sherdog’s Greg Savage… big surprise. Fedor’s manager, Vadim Finkelstein, states on the M-1 Mixfight website:

“At the moment we can’t certainly say the bout will take place come July because the contract is not signed,” Finkelstein is quoted as saying on the website M1Mixfight.com. “However, the both parties are involved in the negotiation process and we are about to break the finishing tape although we haven’t come to an agreement concerning every detail as of yet”

Great, some more obstacles to bull through in order to make this fight happen is exactly what made other fights disintegrate. The quote makes it sound as if they are close to a deal which begs the question as to how much money was thrown Fedor’s way. I highly doubt they gave him the $2 million dollar contract, but it could have been close. Hopefully we will see this deal come through.

Kimbo vs. Thompson to be announced this week

Moving to the other end of the spectrum of quality matchups, Kimbo Slice will officially be announced to take on James Thompson later this week according to NBCSports.com. Sam Caplan reported recently that Thompson was the frontrunner to take on the street brawling Kimbo, and it’s definitely a smart move for EliteXC to feature this fight on CBS.

It may not be a quality matchup, but it will give the viewership tuning in a sense of what Kimbo does… knock people out! Thompson possesses one of the weakest chins in the MMA game today, and the light switch flips off once he gets tagged by a couple blows from most of his opponents. His matchup with Kimbo should be no different, but you never know what to expect from Thompson.

Kendall Grove vs. Evan Tanner

Evan confirmed on his website that he will in fact be taking on TUF winner Kendall Grove over the summer. On paper, the matchup is intriguing because Tanner’s history and quality of opponents far outweighs Grove’s record. Grove has been weak chinned in his recent fights, but he still possesses some range, a large reach, and a formidable height for him to use in all facets of the fight. 

I think this fight comes down to Evan Tanner’s abilities to pound out Grove. Can he get through the length of Grove? If so, he could easily expose Grove’s chin to a crushing blow to end it. Regardless of my assessment, it should still be a tough fight to call at this point. We’ll see how Evan does with the training.

Burkman vs. Hazelett confirmed for June 21

Josh Burkman will reportedly take on Dustin Hazelett in June according to MMAWeekly.com. I’m not high on Josh Burkman’s style of fighting, but he could spell trouble for Hazelett if he can maintain top control on the ground without getting submitted. Hazelett is a very slick grappler, one of the better grapplers in the UFC, and he has smooth transitions from guard to a submission position. I’ve been impressed by his jiu-jitsu skills, and I don’t see a reason why he can’t win this one. The only real threat is Burkman’s strikes, which are looping, slow, and very easy to spot.

Ben Saunders vs. Jared Rollins at UFC 86

Looks like the UFC is rewarding Rollins for a great fight against Koppenhaver with matchup in the Octagon. Saunders has some abilities to avoid the ground and pound, and his length will definitely cause some problems for Rollins. Also, Saunders is training out of American Top Team, which will likely increase his skills substantially by the time we see him at UFC 86.

Only a mere 4 days after an exciting UFC 80 in England, the UFC heads back into the United States and invades The Pearl in Las Vegas, Nevada for Ultimate Fight Night 12. The main event will feature Mike Swick, recently dropping down and beginning a new career at Welterweight, and Josh Burkman who will be trying to secure an impressive victory to get back on track. Also on the card will be Canadian Patrick “The Predator” Cote vs. heavy handed Drew McFedries, trash talking Nate Diaz vs. Alvin “Kid” Robinson, Kurt Pellegrino vs. Alberto Crane, Thiago Tavares vs. Michihiro Omigawa, and four other fights featuring TUF alumni. Let's take a brief look at each battle, and we'll give you our predictions.

Mike “Quick” Swick vs. Josh Burkman

This will be Mike Swick's first mixed martial arts bout at 170 pounds. After a stint on the original Ultimate Fighter reality show, he dropped down to Middleweight with some success, but ran into a roadblock in Yushin Okami at UFC 69. Swick decided it was time to stay away from the upper-echelon of the Middleweight elite and drop down for a better chance at using his hands against the Welterweight's top competition. Swick will have a firm test in Josh Burkman in his first bout.

Burkman hasn't been exactly impressive in his performances. He narrowly defeated Forrest Petz at UFC 77, looked silly trying to land haymakers against Karo Parisyan, and won decisions against Chad Reiner and Josh Neer after losing to Jon Fitch in dominating fashion.

Stylistically, Burkman doesn't offer much as far as finishing opponents. His standup has lacked technical prowess in many of his bouts, and simply throwing huge haymakers will not earn him a big win. Swick, on the other hand, has a good amount of finishes in his MMA career. He has some heavy hands, but with better competition comes closer bouts. He wasn't able to overcome Okami's power, but Burkman definitely doesn't offer anything near what Okami was bringing.

Personally, I think Burkman's performance against Parisyan was the epitome of what he offers. He tried to hard to put Karo out with the big haymaker and not enough time trying to control him to the canvas. Karo has unbelievable skill, but I grew tiresome of seeing Burkman simply loop huge, slow haymakers that Karo dodged easily. Swick should have an easy time avoiding those blows. He'll also be taller, and a bigger Welterweight since he will be cutting from a much higher weight.

Leland's Prediction: Mike Swick via TKO, Round 2

This is Swick’s first fight at welterweight. He will have an enormous reach advantage on Burkman, and will use that advantage to avoid the ground. Look for Swick to pepper Burkman from the outside and he may even have a chance at the infamous Swickatine if Burkman takes an ill-timed shot. Swick will control the pace of the fight from start to finish and won’t give Burkman any breathing room.

Joe’s Prediction: Mike Swick, unanimous decision
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Patrick “The Predator” Cote vs. Drew McFedries

This is definitely one of the more even matchups of the evening. Cote is the more experienced fighter sporting an 11-4 record with big wins over Scott Smith, Kendall Grove, and Jason MacDonald. Cote is all-around well skilled fighter who has shown some power in his hands recently, but he's more of a battler along the fence with his clinch work and ground game.

McFedries is an interesting prospect. He's what many consider to be a Robbie Lawler type of puncher. He has huge power that he's shown in the past, but he's also been criticized for his cardio. He currently holds a 6-2 record, recently coming off a horrible staph infection that caused him to pull out of his last fight. There's no doubt that McFedries will be looking to drill Cote.

Will that happen? It's a possibility, but I see it as the only way McFedries can win this one. Cote is more well-rounded, has better clinch work and can do some damage on the ground where McFedries hasn't shown much of any type of defense. McFedries is also low in the gas tank, which could prove to be his Achilles Heel.

Leland's Prediction: Patrick Cote via TKO, Round 2

This is going to be a tough test for Cote. He has shown in the past, particularly against Leben, that he has a strong chin. Look for McFedries to test it early and often. I think eventually McFedries’ power will overwhelm Cote and he’ll finish him with strikes.

Joe’s Prediction: Drew McFedries, TKO, Round 2
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Main Event: Middleweight Championship Bout
Rich Franklin vs. Anderson Silva

I will spare you the history lesson on both fighters. Silva is a devastating Muay Thai striker. He absolutely obliterated Franklin in their first bout. Although I believe Franklin didn't realize the caliber of striking that Silva possessed in the first matchup, Silva's standup is unbelievably effective. His great range and reach allow him to stay away from counters while he picks opponents apart. He has great kicks and his knees complement his clinches perfectly. His height is an unfair advantage for him at Middleweight along with his Muay Thai. Along with his standup, his ground game is supposedly improving significantly and he does have a black belt in ju-jitsu from the great “Minotauro”. His long legs would definitely make it difficult for opponents in his guard as he would have multiple options to try to submit opponents. You can really make a case that he is becoming the complete fighter.

Franklin is coming off two straight wins in a run to regain the title. He absolutely crushed Jason MacDonald, but won a very boring and drawn out battle with Yushin Okami. Franklin trains with Jorge Gurgel in ju-jitsu and possesses a brown belt. He is primarily known for his standup skills and from his style, looks to always want to go for the knockout and ground and pound in his battles. Interestingly enough, Franklin has only lost twice in his entire career. Once to Silva and again to Lyoto Machida. He looks to keep on winning and retain the belt in this very tough title bout at UFC 77. This is also the last fight on his contract, so coming out on top could definitely be financially great for him.

As cliché as my analysis will sound, it's what I think. Anderson Silva is a dominant fighter in both aspects of the game. In the words of Joe Rogan, his striking is INSAAANNNEEE. His range and height are huge factors in his game. He can stay at range and still throw with power. Once he tags an opponent, he moves in quickly for the kill. Clinches are almost impossible to break once he sinks them in as we saw during the first Franklin bout. If you've seen some of Silva's other battles before he came to the UFC, he pulled off some amazing things in many of them. He straight elbowed Tony Fryklund while standing with him and knocked him out cold with one of the quickest standing elbow blows I've ever seen. His only big loss was to Ryo Chonan. Ask anybody out there what one of the most unbelievable comebacks in MMA are. Chonan vs. Silva is probably on their list. Chonan pulled off a flying scissor kick to heel hook after he was literally being demolished by Silva's standup. The one thing Chonan exploited was Silva's long legs. Chonan used a surprise move that is rarely used to catch him off guard. Franklin should somehow gain wisdom from that battle. He needs to surprise Silva in some manner during this fight. The only way I see this going down as an upset is if Franklin can catch Silva with a punch and proceed to blast him to the ground and pound him out immediately. If Franklin lets this battle go for too long, he runs the risk of dropping his hands or getting desperate and making mistakes. You do not want to make mistakes against a guy like Anderson Silva. With all of that said, it's obvious who my pick is. Anderson Silva, second round TKO/KO.

Tim Sylvia vs. Brandon Vera

This is a tough fight for me to analyze due to the fact that I am not a fan of Tim Sylvia. No, I don't have any problems with him personally, but I was very put off by his performances in the past. The “Maniac” out of MFS in Iowa has put up a 23-3 record in his MMA career with notable wins over Andrei Arlovski and Jeff Monson recently. He's primarily a standup fighter that uses his immense size to overpower people and trap them. He does have a fairly tough chin and has went to decision against guys who have a superior ground game but were unable to finish him. This will be a good test to see where Tim currently is.

Vera is coming off a long layoff after a dispute with the UFC over his contract. He stated that his manager wasn't telling him some of the things the UFC was saying to him and offering him. After canning his manager, he has re-signed a contract and we now have the possibility of seeing him in title contention fairly quickly with the leaving of Randy Couture.

Brandon is primarily a Muay Thai striker with a good wrestling and submission grappling game on the ground. He has a dominating style and is very quick to take his opponents out. He has faced some of the better competition and still remains undefeated. His most notable wins are over Assuerio Silva, Frank Mir, and Justin Eilers. If you haven't seen some of Brandon Vera's fights, do so. He's one of the best up and coming heavyweights out there.

In my best Frank Trigg impression - “Here's the thing...” I'm not a big believer in all the hype that Tim Sylvia is going to come out guns blazing and hungrier than ever because he wants to regain the title. Sure, the dominating Couture is out of the picture for now but that simply does not expunge the fact that Sylvia is solely focused on striking. I have said in the past that MMA is moving so quickly, guys are learning multiple martial arts, and ground fighting and standup are both equally important. Sylvia would have to show me some kind of miracle step in his game for me to ever consider him beating someone as top caliber as Vera. Sylvia could potentially knockout Vera and his size isn't something to laugh about, it can help him win. But Vera has taken on behemoths before and if he studied the Randy Couture fight, he knows it's easily possible to cut down the tree that is Tim Sylvia. I have a feeling that Vera will come out and stand with Sylvia for a bit. If he can't seem to get inside on Sylvia and land some strikes, I see this fight going down to the canvas quickly. Instead of predicting a decision, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Vera will end this fight by submission in the second round.

Yushin Okami vs. Jason MacDonald

A bout that will probably determine who fights for the title next, it looks to actually be fairly intriguing to this writer. MacDonald is currently 19-8 with only one loss in his last 8 fights. That loss being to Rich Franklin. MacDonald is currently fighting out of Jackson Fighting Systems. MacDonald has a background in ju-jitsu, but possesses a decent standup game. He likes to throw the leg kicks at times to cut opponents down, but loves to throw the punch to shoot combination to take opponents down. Interesting because I feel Okami will be looking to do the exact same thing.

Yushin Okami is a veteran to the game of MMA. He currently has a record of 20-4, with his only recent loss coming from Rich Franklin. In the matchup, Okami nearly submitted Franklin late in the third round, but Franklin escaped amazingly. Okami was impressive in the third round, but it was far too late for Okami to overcome the first two rounds he lost.

Okami has some decent power in his hands, but his main strength is his wrestling ability. He is able to really impose his will against opponents, working in the clinch, and taking them down. MacDonald has had some unimpressive showings in the past. His battle with Starnes awhile back showed that even a lankier guy like Starnes can easily take down MacDonald. MacDonald will undoubtedly have huge problems with Okami's power and size. Look for Okami to win by submission in the second round, but don't count out a decision here.

Eric Schafer vs. Stephan Bonnar

Schafer is a mainly a ju-jitsu fighter with some decent standup skills. He has some decent Muay Thai skills from the looks of his previous fights. He shoots pretty quickly and can catch opponents off guard rather quickly. He lost his last fight against Michael Bisping at UFC 66, but had rattled off 4 straight wins previously. Schafer's ground experience may be tough for Bonnar to handle, but Bonnar's size may be rather hard for Schafer to takedown.

Bonnar was the runner-up in the first TUF season. He's currently 10-4, only losing to notable names like Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, and Lyoto Machida. He's been criticized for not being able to finish opponents, but did come out blazing after his suspension for steroids against Mike Nickels. His recent move to Las Vegas to join Xtreme Couture gym will also bode well for his success. He should have a solid gameplan and a very tough opponent to defeat. Bonnar has a durable chin that can take a lot of damage as well.

This is an interesting fight because Bonnar isn't exactly the finisher that many other fighters in the division are. Are we on the verge of seeing a different Stephan Bonnar? I think we may be, especially after changing gyms. Schafer, although a decent grappler, will have a tough time taking down a big guy like Bonnar. Bonnar also has some fairly decent grappling of his own. I think we may see a surprise here and Bonnar finishing this fight by submission. I'll take second round. It's a stretch, but either way, I believe Bonnar will win this bout.

Josh Burkman vs. Forrest Petz

Exact same records, exact same weight, exact same height, that's the line on the fight. Both fighters come in at 19-4, according to the UFC. I have Burkman at 8-4 by the Fight Finder. But leaving that out of the conversation, Burkman is a Team Quest fighter who has some solid wrestling skills, but has seemed to focus on working huge haymakers lately. He's most recognizable due to his stint on TUF Season 2. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Burkman since his fight against Karo. I will say that I understand his decision to try to stand against Karo because he did have much more power and wanted to avoid his judo skills. Fact is, he loops almost everything he throws and it was fairly easy for Karo to avoid most of those shots.

Petz is currently 13-4, different from the UFC.com record as always. He recently defeated Luigi Fiorvanti at UFC Fight Night 10 by unanimous decision. It was by far his best win to date. Stylistically, Petz and Burkman match up well as far as standup goes. Both have great power, but Petz definitely has an advantage as far as technique goes. If anybody watched the Karo Parisyan matchup, Burkman's looping punches weren't fooling anyone. Petz may have power and standup, but Burkman does have a respectable wrestling game that he absolutely needs to use in this fight.

I believe this battle will come down to striking vs. wrestling. Unless Burkman is living under a rock, he should realize that Petz isn't that great on the ground. Burkman doesn't have a reach advantage or any type of real range fighting, so he will have to avoid taking a huge hit when trying to get inside. I think Burkman will be looking for redemption from his fight against Parisyan. He gassed in the middle of the fight and should have great cardio considering the guys he trains with at Team Quest. Along with a great gameplan, Burkman should have the skills to take out Petz. It could be a great brawl if they both decide to stand though. I'll take Burkman by decision.

Kalib Starnes vs. Alan Belcher

For me, Starnes has been a bit of a surprise. Most notably known for his stint on the Ultimate Fighter 3 series, he won a decision victory over Chris Leben at UFC 71 after dropping a hard fought battle to Yushin Okami at UFC 64. His real knock has been his cardio game, but overall he has had some decent battles with some mid-tier fighters. Starnes overall is a very good ju-jitsu practitioner who usually is able to stick to a solid gameplan. He also has some underrated power in his fists, although he sometimes sits hesitant when up against a powerful wrestler. With an 8-1 record and his only loss to Yushin Okami, he stands to gain a step up if he can get past Belcher.

Alan Belcher comes straight out of the deep south in Biloxi, Mississippi. He's currently 10-3 with 4 solid fights in the UFC to his credit. In his debut in the UFC, he took a tough decision loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 62, but regained his footing with a knockout of Jorge Santiago in the third round of their bout via a head kick. He came back looking to prove himself, but was beaten by Kendall Grove at UFC 69. UFC 71 proved to be a gain as he choked out Sean Salmon inside a minute. Alan seems to be a guy that could be a gateway between the low-tier and mid-tier fighters in the Middleweight division. To be fair to Belcher, both losses were taken on extremely short notice.

Belcher is primarily a Muay Thai and ju-jitsu fighter. Early in his career, he was known for showing some brutal knockout power, but has recently become a choke artist with the better competitive fights he has taken. This should be a fairly decent matchup considering both fighters have some decent power along with good ground tactics. Both of these guys will be looking to stand for a bit, but I believe Starnes will try to take down Belcher if he can get close enough. Belcher will be a bigger Middleweight since he did fight at Light Heavyweight at one point. Starnes has never been a large fighter, but he is rather tall. Belcher also equals his height though. This is a much tougher fight to predict than I really thought. It's really a matter of who shows up with a good gameplan. I want to pick Belcher, but I think Starnes is the more calculated fighter. He's very meticulous in his game, and I think he may have the patience to beat Belcher. Starnes by second round submission.

Jorge Gurgel vs. Alvin Robinson

Let me first start off by admitting that Alvin Robinson was my sleeper pick in his last fight. I thought Robinson would come out and handle Kenny Florian. I was wrong. But I wasn’t completely wrong. Robinson did come out of the gate and throw Florian around a bit, but Florian’s much improved ground tactics proved way too much for Robinson. Robinson isn’t a slouch on the ground either. He’s a brown belt in ju-jitsu and trains under Royce Gracie. Robinson (8-2) doesn’t have really any impressive wins on his record, but he does have a very aggressive style of fighting. He loves to rush opponents and pummel them into the clinch, enabling him to put them to the ground. His tenacity really allows him to cause his opponent to make a lot of mistakes and allows Robinson to get the back of a lot of his opponents and choke them out. Will that happen in this fight?

Jorge Gurgel is currently 11-2 with his most recent wins over Diego Saraiva and Danny Abbadi. If you can remember his last battle at UFC 73, which earned the Fight of the Night award, Gurgel won the scrappy fight by decision, but suffered a broken jaw and had some internal bleeding. Obviously, the guy can take a beating and keep on going. Aside from his toughness and cardio, Gurgel is notably a Brazilian ju-jitsu black belt with 9 of his wins coming by submission. Since facing stiffer competition, he hasn’t had the luck in the submission aspect as he has in the past.

This is one of the tougher bouts to pick. Although Gurgel has the BJJ background, so does Alvin Robinson. Gurgel hasn’t been able to pull off a submission win in awhile, and his BJJ skills aren’t spectacularly better than Robinson’s skills. Robinson also has some very aggressive “bulldoggish” skill. He seems to run at guys and just pounce on them. Gurgel is very tough though, and he has some great cardio. We have yet to see if Robinson’s cardio is up to Gurgel’s conditioning. Gurgel is a bigger 155'er than many of the other fighters in the division. He also loves to standup, but has great ju-jitsu to fall back on. Add in his granite chin and you have a pretty complete fighter that needs to work on his standup to really be dominant. Don't count out Robinson though, he's very explosive. To be honest, Gurgel isn't a finisher and he lacks the straight knockout power it takes to beat someone like Robinson. Robinson goes for the knockout or submission fairly quickly and he tries to end fights. I'm going to take Robinson as my sleeper pick, surprise 2nd round TKO/KO.

Demian Maia vs. Ryan Jensen

Demian is a newcomer to the UFC hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil. He’s primarily a submission grappler with a background in ju-jitsu. He has a record of 5-0 in mixed martial arts and is fairly new to the cage, but he isn’t new to grappling… at all. The winner of the 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club’s Submission Grappling Championship at 77-87kg, Maia has plenty of credibility on the mat. Along with his ju-jitsu, he also has a background in karate. He brings in a much needed danger in the Middleweight Division, but he is still fairly new to the MMA game. Even with that said, his ground game is good enough to win most bouts without the need for an extensive standup game.

Jensen is recently coming off a loss to Thales Leites at UFC 74. After Lutter withdrew from the fight due to injury, Jensen was faced with a significant challenge in up-n-comer Leites. Jensen is mainly known for his solid grappling abilities, but isn’t significantly better than anyone in that facet of the game. He has standard striking, but was unable to nullify Leites’s ground game in their bout. Jensen does have some notable wins over Rob Kimmons and our favorite TUF Fighter, Marlon Sims. I don’t see Jensen’s luck turning in this fight. Demian, although fairly new to the cage, should easily be able to pick apart Jensen on the ground. I’m going to stretch it and say that Maia will win in the first round by submission.

Matt Grice vs. Jason Black

A classic matchup of two wrestlers with extensive backgrounds, this battle should prove to be an interesting ground battle. Black, known for his unique mutton chops facial hair, is a veteran to the mixed martial arts scene. He sports an impressive 21-3-1 record with stints in PRIDE: Bushido events, Extreme Challenge, and recently made an appearance at UFC Fight Night 10, in which he dropped a tough loss to Thiago Tavares. Black trains with the Miletich Martial Arts with a great background in wrestling. He has fought some of the best in the world, most notably Shinya Aoki at PRIDE Bushido 12. He has problems against opponents who have extensive ju-jitsu backgrounds, but his own wrestling abilities make him dangerous on the ground.

Matt Grice is fairly new to the sport of mixed martial arts. A product of Oklahoma wrestling, he won the state championship four years straight. To get a sense of how hard that is, he was winning a championship when he was a freshman! His most recent fight was against Terry Etim at UFC 70, in which he dominated Etim for the first four minutes of the bout. Thirty seconds later, Etim managed to pull of a guillotine choke that ended the fight, amazing the English crowd. Although Grice lost, he showed great potential. He had no problems taking down Etim, and his ground and pound was fairly accurate. Fans should look forward to seeing this wrestling prodigy work the cage

With that said, it may seem I’m pro-Grice in this bout. I liked the way he handled Etim, but Etim didn’t have a wrestling background and his takedown defense was horrible. That won’t be the case in this fight. Both fighters are accomplished wrestlers with a good amount of power to boot. Grice won’t have an easy time taking Black down and simply pounding him. Stylistically, they match up for a ground war. Black’s experience is a definite factor here. He has over seven years of solid MMA experience and has fought a few great fighters out there. I don’t anticipate a knockout by Grice either, unless he has simply improved is standup a lot. I give this one to Black by a chokeout, second or third round. I wouldn’t put this past going to a decision though.

Final thoughts

It doesn't look to be an impressive card, but I am excited to see how Franklin does. He could potentially surprise all of us, as well as Sylvia. Vera and Silva should both win, but both Sylvia and Franklin may have some determination and improved training to aid their bounce back to the title. I'm looking forward to possibly seeing Robinson upset Gurgel, although I think Gurgel's granite chin and cardio will see him to a win. There are definitely some undercard battles that will be interesting. It looks to be a decent card and for any MMA fan, will satisfy your hunger for a bit.

Wikipedia, OnTheMat.com Interviews, and Fight Finder at Sherdog.com were all used to obtain background information on each fighter along with Google.