UFC 82 will be an event to remember, or a borefest of decisions, it’s hard to say what’s going to happen in many of the bouts on the card. Many fans are claiming some huge lopsided victories while many others are seeing decisions galore litter the event’s results as we head into Saturday night. Hopefully, we won’t see another Strikeforce at the Dome card. Here’s our picks for UFC 82.

Main Event: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson
At Stake: UFC Middleweight Title

People are starting to call this a pick’em fight, and I’d have to agree. This is one of the toughest fights to mull over due to the stylistic matchup between the two, but also due to the historical dominance of both fighters.

Silva has simply crushed everything in his path. He made Rich Franklin into a rag doll, and simply used his Muay Thai skillset to strike with him, close the distance, clinch, and then set up massive head shots with his knees. That gameplan will have to change if he wants to defeat Dan Henderson.

Henderson’s strength in this fight will be his wrestling. Greco-Roman control will be the key to getting Silva to the floor where Henderson should be able to crush him, but there are problems. First and foremost, Henderson doesn’t exactly wrestle when he needs to. He likes to brawl and showed it at times against “Rampage” Jackson. Secondly, his wrestling isn’t as good as many make it out to be. Sure, he’s an Olympian, but he was sloppy in many of his PRIDE bouts when it came to controlling his opponent. He can’t let that happen against a surgeon like Silva. Nonetheless, he has two big powerful hands to fall back on if he’s in trouble. The potential for a knockout win from either fighter is very high.

I’ve battled with who to pick in this fight for days, and honestly, it doesn’t matter. They are very even in regards to how their skills compete with one another. A BJJ Black Belt with surgical Muay Thai striking against an Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler with heavy hands is a classic matchup that should provide a spectacular main event. Who will win?

I’m going to have to go with Anderson Silva. I was a supporter of the whole idea behind Henderson winning this fight. He has better wrestling; therefore he can get the takedown and pound on Silva. I understand that point. My only problem is that I can only see Henderson ending this fight in the standup, and Silva has reach, awesome power for having such big reach, and he is a surgeon on his feet with his strikes. He can wear down Henderson with punches, and then move in for the kill. People know Henderson can ward off the clinch, but can he do it while he’s wobbly… most fighters can’t. To sum it up, I’m taking Silva because I think he has more tools to end this fight.

Leland’s Prediction: Anderson Silva via TKO/KO, Round 2

The person who wins this fight is the person who can impose their will on their opponent. This is as close to a pick ‘em fight as there has been in recent events, but I like Henderson’s chances against Silva. Henderson has the advantage because of this reason: he can keep Silva guessing. Silva knows that Henderson can take him down, and I assure you, Dan will be using his feints a lot. Imagine dropping his head down and faking a takedown, but instead, he throws that huge overhand right. The thing that scares me about Henderson is that he tends to get into brawls. He abandons his wrestling and will choose to stand and trade instead. I don’t think he’ll make that mistake against Silva. I think Henderson will be able to impose his will and dominate Silva inside the clinch with his Greco-roman ability, and he’ll earn a stoppage via strikes late in the fight.

Joe's Prediction: Dan Henderson via TKO/KO, Round 3

Cheick Kongo vs. Heath Herring

This is another tough fight on the event’s card to predict. Herring has a career that spans a decade, and in that time, he’s managed to win 16 of his bouts by submission. Many fans don’t associate Herring with a submission game, but I think that’s exactly what he’ll be looking to do in this matchup.

Kongo will likely try to use his bread and butter, Muay Thai, to defeat Herring along the cage. It’s been working for him in his two most recent wins, but it hasn’t led him to a finishing win that we would come to expect from such a large and powerful fighter.

Both fighters have weaknesses and strengths, but I think Herring has the distinct advantage in this matchup. His ground skills will undoubtedly come into play, and even though he isn’t the best grappler on the planet, Kongo’s ground game looked non-existent even in the short stint that he was on the ground against Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic. It won’t be an easy task, and Kongo may very well prove that he’s trained hard for this fight, but I’ll go with Heath.

Leland’s Prediction: Heath Herring via submission, Round 2

In my eyes, this is Herring’s fight to lose. Herring doesn’t have great wrestling, but Kongo has a very weak takedown defense. It shouldn’t be a problem for Herring to get Kongo to the mat. From there, I think you’ll see a scramble where Herring catches Kongo in a choke, most likely the anaconda choke.

Joe's Prediction: Heath Herring via submission, Round 2   

Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner

Tanner is an unknown in this matchup. He’s recently comeback from alcohol addiction and a stint on the road as he traveled the world seeking out a new life. Now, he’s came back to the UFC to prove himself once again in the cage, and it couldn’t have been at a better time. The UFC’s middleweight division has suffered the talent sting. Tanner’s arrival along with other developments has helped bring the division’s talent pool up to speed.

So, what does Tanner bring to the table? He’s mainly a freestyle fighter with a wrestling background, but he has a submission game in his bag of tools as well. The triangle choke is a significant part of that back submission game from the guard. He has some power in his hands that he used to effectively ground and pound his opponents as well. Can he actually stand up to Okami’s power though?

In my mind, I don’t think he can. Tanner is coming off a long layoff from the sport, and Okami is no easy task, especially for your first fight back in the cage. Okami is known for his massive power at 185, great wrestling, and the ability to smother you with strikes. He’s not known as a finisher, but he will lay a smackdown on you for three rounds to take the win. I think that’s exactly what he does here.

Leland’s Prediction: Yushin Okami via unanimous decision

This is Evan Tanner’s long awaited return to the Octagon; however, I think Okami is going to spoil that return. Okami has a good wrestling base, and utilizes good top control. He isn’t over aggressive, and he patiently waits for an opening. I think he’ll be able to dictate where this fight goes and beat Tanner for three solid rounds. Tanner’s best hope is to keep the fight standing and try to out strike Okami. Tanner may also find success if he’s able to put Okami on his back. However, I don’t see that happening. I hope I’m wrong, because I really want to see Tanner succeed after all of his trials and tribulations.

Joe's Prediction: Yushin Okami via unanimous decision 

Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson

Originally, Akihiro Gono was supposed to fight Fitch for a potential number one contender spot, but an injury has kept Gono out of this matchup. Now, newcomer Chris Wilson will take on the surging 15-2 Jon Fitch. Wilson has some heavy credentials, and an unbelievable training camp that will present some big problems for Fitch in this fight.

Wilson is an excellent wrestler, and he has a team full of excellent wrestlers to tap from. Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland, and Chael Sonnen to name a few Olympic calibers guys who will be helping Wilson prepare for Fitch’s takedowns. He also has some good hands and striking, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can knock off Fitch’s streak.

Fitch’s game is well-rounded, but his bread and butter in some of his recent battles has been taking down his opponent and pounding him. Can he maintain that strategy against a good wrestler in Wilson? I don’t think the UFC brought Wilson in to be easy, but I think Fitch should win this.

Leland’s Prediction: Jon Fitch via unanimous decision

This is going to be an interesting fight. Wilson has show to have a solid wrestling base and that’s what Fitch uses to control his opponents. I think Fitch has the better all-around game, but I think Wilson is going to present a tougher challenge than most people are expecting. I think this fight could be a back-and-forth battle between to solid fighters. I expect Fitch to wear Wilson down with strikes and eventually working him to the mat for a submission finish late in the fight. 

Joe’s Prediction: Jon Fitch via submission, Round 3

Alessio Sakara vs. Chris Leben

Sakara hasn’t been overly impressive during his stint with the UFC. He was defeated by Dean Lister and Drew McFedries at UFC 60 and UFC 65 respectively and recently took a shelling from Houston Alexander at UFC 75. His main weakness has been his gameplan. Although he’s a strong boxer and striker, he has managed to walk into heavier hands than his own with the intention of outstriking his opponent. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done that. His win over James Lee isn’t an indicator that he has woken up either. Lee’s back problem easily helped Sakara defeat him.

Leben, on the other hand, looks like he has awoken from the dead. After dropping a decision to Kalib Starnes at UFC 71 and being submitted by Jason MacDonald at UFC 66, Leben looked to be on his way out of the UFC. His newfound base camp in Hawaii and a much better workout regiment can be attributed to his recent success over Terry Martin. Leben showed an iron chin, good power, and quick hands. He also showed that he can still throw a deadly knockout blow late in the fight, and has the stamina to last.

Stylistically, both fighters match up well. It should be a standup war that looks to be pretty even. Sakara’s boxing skills may become a factor, but Leben’s heavy hands could put Alessio’s chin to the test early. Leben’s chin was granite against Martin, and I expect more of the same if he comes to the fight in shape as he did at UFN 11. I’ll take a chance on Leben coming back in shape.

Leland’s Prediction: Chris Leben via TKO/KO, Round 2

This fight is going to be a stand-up war. While I think Sakara has the better technical boxing, he doesn’t have the power or chin that Leben has. Leben has shown his durability in the past, specifically against Terry Martin and Jorge Santiago. He was clearly rocked in both fights, but managed to come from behind and pull out the KO win. I expect Leben to test the chin of Sakara early and often, and he’ll be put to sleep sometime late in round 1. 

Joe's Prediction: Chris Leben via TKO/KO, Round 1

Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O’Brien

Arlovski’s dark match hits the undercard at UFC 82. The matchup between Arlovski and O’Brien is Arlovski’s final fight on his contract, and he’s expected to seek offers from other organizations for his services. It should be interesting, but the fight seems like a borefest. O’Brien has publicly stated that his best chance of winning is by putting Arlovski down to the mat and maintaining top control throughout the fight. Unfortunately for him, that could prove to be a tough challenge if he gets pummeled by Andrei’s surgical striking. I’ll take Arlovski based on O’Brien’s willingness to not want to finish this fight.

Leland’s Prediction: Andrei Arlovski via TKO/KO, Round 1

This is the classic striker vs. wrestler match-up at its finest. Arlovski has shown in the past that his ground game could be an issue. He was finished from strikes after being mounted by Ricco Rodriguez early in his UFC career. The thing that’s going to be tough for O’Brien is he’s going to have to get close enough to Arlovski to take him down. Arlovski is very elusive and has good technical boxing, but he sometimes over uses his feints. This is a hard fight for me to pick, because I think O’Brien is fully capable of laying on Arlovski for 3 rounds. I’m still going to pick Arlovski but I wouldn’t be surprised to see O’Brien pull off the upset.

Joe’s Prediction: Andrei Arlovski via TKO/KO, Round 2

Quick Hits

Cummo vs. Fioravanti: Hmmm, the guy who drinks his own urine or the Fioravanti… tough decisions must be made. I’ll take Cummo slightly due to his reach and size. He’s also very tough to knockout, which is where Fioravanti will want to take this fight. I think Cummo can outlast him. Leland: Cummo via decision I like this match making by Joe Silva. Cummo has some decent hands, some pretty good power, and has a pretty impressive ground game. Fioravanti has looked less than impressive since dropping to 170. Cummo has never been finished in a fight, and I don’t think Fioravanti possesses the skills to be the first to do that. I think Cummo will unload some strikes on Luigi and finish him off with a rear naked choke. Joe: Cummo via submission, Round 2

Koscheck vs. Hazelett:  I’m a fan of Dustin Hazelett, but I don’t know if he has the power to stop Koscheck from putting him to the floor and maintaining control. Koscheck has unbelievable wrestling credentials coupled with some strong control on the ground. He should be able to neutralize Hazelett and pound him out. Leland: Koscheck via TKO, Round 3 Koscheck has shown throughout his UFC career that he has some of the best wrestling in MMA. He also has a very underrated submission defense. Even St. Pierre couldn’t finish a Kimura on him when he had dominant position. Hazelett has good submissions and always manages to catch guys in submissions during transitions. This is a scary fight for Koscheck, but I think he’ll be up to the challenge. Plus, this is the last fight on his contract, so he’ll be looking to make a statement. Joe: Koscheck via decision

Sanchez vs. Bielkheden:  There should be some interest in this fight. It’s Bielkheden’s debut in the UFC, and he’s no joke. He has a plethora of experience and is a member of Brazilian Top Team, one of Brazil’s better MMA camps. His jiu-jitsu will be very good along with some good wrestling and striking power. Sanchez should be able to neutralize David though with his equally good jiu-jitsu, and his power should overcome Bielkheden on the ground. Leland: Sanchez via decision Diego has a very good submission game, and some pretty decent hands. I haven’t seen a lot of tape on Bielkheden, but I consider Diego to be in the top 10 in the welterweight division. I think he’ll put on a dominating performance and get back to his winning ways. Joe: Sanchez via submission, Round 1

Halverson vs. Gurgel: This one is a bit tough due to Gurgel’s terrible performances as of late. Can he actually bring out a win for his hometown crowd? I think he may be able to beat Halverson, who was really only ever brought to the UFC to lose to Huerta. Leland: Gurgel via submission, Round 2 Halverson is best remembered by the controversial knee he ate from Roger Huerta. He pretty much gave up after Huerta landed a knee and the fight was stopped shortly after that. Halverson is going to put Gurgel on his back, and it’s going to be interesting to see if Gurgel uses the same forehead defense he did when Alvin Robinson put him on his back. Gurgel has good jiu-jitsu, and he may be able to catch Halverson on his back. I think that’s the most likely scenario.  Joe: Gurgel via submission, Round 2