It's fight week everyone, so once again I present to you my take on what I think will go down during this week's big event. Cain Velasquez, fresh off of his domination of Junior Dos Santos will look to make his first succesful UFC Heavyweight title defense. Standing across from him is a rather "big" problem with 6 foot 5 Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva who looks to get redemption from his lopsided TKO loss to the champ in his octagon debut last year. Speaking of the former champ, Junior Dos Santos looks to get back on championship track as he will look to utilize his unrivaled boxing against a man who also posesses some deadly knockout power himself; Mark Hunt. Also on the main card; Glover Teixeira looks to keep his 18 fight win streak alive as he goes up against Austrailian knockout artist James Te-Huna. Gray Maynard and TJ Grant look to do battle to determine who will be the next in line for a title shot in the UFC's stacked lightweight division. And Donald Cerrone looks to rebound from his TKO loss to Anthony Pettis earlier this year as he welcomes KJ Noons to the octagon. Ladies and gentlemen... this is your UFC 160 prediction thread!
Hello Wrestling Punks nation, I'm Alex Cochrane as always sharing with you my predictions for this Saturday's big event. Cain Velasquez is without a doubt one of the biggest names in the UFC heavyweight division, he is a two time UFC heavyweight champion AND he also holds the highest significant strike accuracy out of anybody in the UFC.. and he's a heavyweight. With an unrivaled gas tank proven in his last fight against Junior Dos Santos, I believe I can say that Cain Velasquez may very well be the one to rule over the UFC's heavyweight division. But one thing he has not done has defended the title, and he will have a newly reinvented challenge to do so. After dominated in his UFC debut to Velasquez last May, Antonio Silva quickly proved he was just as hungry for the gold with back to back knockout wins over the previously undefeated Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem. One year later, he's next in line for a title shot and looks to get a win and revenge from that night that left a bad taste in his mouth. There's a lot at stake for this one, so expect nothing less than fireworks. In the co main event, the former champ Junior Dos Santos is out to reclaim his championship and he takes his first step by going one on one with heavy handed Mark Hunt. Other fights on the main card include Glover Teixeira who fresh off his destruction of Rampage Jackson wants to add James Te Huna to his list of victims and extend his win steak to 19. Gray Maynard returns from a lengthy layoff to battle a fire-hot TJ Grant who looked absolutely devastating in his last fight against Matt Wiman. And Donald Cerrone looks to climb the ladder back to the top of the lightweight division, but first he has to get past the debuting KJ Noons. It's live, it's on Pay Per View, it's UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Bigfoot 2! Let's take a look at who I believe will come out on top of Saturday's big event.
Heavyweight (220-265 lbs) Championship: Cain Velasquez Vs Antonio Silva
This is the second time that these two have been setup to face each other. After the Strikeforce heavyweight division folded, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva was signed by the UFC and was signed onto face Roy Nelson originally. However, after Frank Mir pulled out of his originally scheduled bout with Cain Velasquez, Cain was left without an opponent... leaving Bigfoot Silva (who was originally scheduled to fight Roy Nelson) to fill in. Cain dominated from the opening bell and defeated Antonio Silva via TKO at 3:36 in the first round in a lop sided bloodbath. Afterwards, Cain was immediately awarded a title shot while Silva was left to claw his way back to the top, and as Cain reclaimed championship gold from Junior dos Santos Silva turned in two stunning peformances knocking out previously undefeated Travis Browne and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. Now the stage is set for these two to do battle once again, and this time I believe the gameplan will be a little different. Given his last performance against JDS, we now know that Cain can withstand the championship rounds and it'll be interesting to see how he works this one to play. I personally believe that the result will be the same as the first fight, Silva has had a horrible time responding with pressure from both Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier. I believe Cain's relenteless pace will be the deciding factor in this which will lead to a TKO late in the second round.
Winner: Cain Velasquez via KO/TKO in Rd. 2
Heavyweight (220-265 lbs) Bout: Junior dos Santos Vs Mark Hunt
A matchup between two of the heaviest handed fighters in the heavyweight division are the key ingredients of the co main event. Out of 26 wins between the two, both Junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt have a combined total of 18 wins by knockout, ensuring that this one is going to be a for sure slug fest. Junior is looking to get back on track after losing the UFC heavyweight championship to Cain Velasquez where as Mark Hunt is looking to finally make a name for himself at the top of the division so this one is definitely gonna be a fight of the night candidate. Neither one has much credentials when it comes to grappling, and considering that 6 of his losses have come by way of submission, I'm assuming Hunt will keep this off the ground leading to this one being practically a boxing match. Also keep in mind Junior's top level takedown defense (when he's not grabbing the fence) will be a dictating factor where Junior will use his technical superiority to dominate Mark Hunt over three rounds with speed, power, and reach. His boxing is easily the best in the division but I also believe he'll have a hard time finishing him in this case.
Winner: Junior dos Santos by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Light Heavyweight (205 lbs) Bout: Glover Teixiera Vs James Te Huna
Glover Teixeira is on a career high at the moment, his most recent destruction of Quinton Rampage Jackson has put him amongst the elite of the UFC's light heavyweight division and a win on this night will undoubtingly put him within the top 10. Standing across from him is New Zealand's own James Te Huna, a fighter who has looked strong himself with his 5-1 UFC record and whose lone loss in the UFC came from the hands of Alexander Gustaffson. This will be an interesting fight to say the least, James Te Huna has had some strong point in his fights and it'll be interesting to see how this one goes out. However, Glover is an absolute killer and with his ability to take people down and ground and pound them, I guarentee that this one will be an early ground stoppages for perhaps one of the biggest prospects of the UFC's Light Heavyweight division.
Winner: Glover Teixeira by KO/TKO in Rd. 1
Lightweight (155 lbs) Bout: Gray Maynard Vs TJ Grant
A lightweight title shot hangs in the balance of this one and if you know anything about how packed that division is.. you know it's gonna be a barn burner. TJ Grant has found major success after dropping down to lightweight and picking up four straight wins in the process. He has also defeated big names in the division such as Evan Dunham and Matt Wiman along the way which has lead him to this encounter. Gray Maynard is returning for his first fight in 11 months since injuring his knee last November and is looking to stay in it keeping in mind that his last win over Clay Guida was least than impressive so he'll definitely be looking to keep himself alive in this one. TJ Grant presents a unique challenge to Gray so it'll be interesting to see where this one goes, with that being said.. I believe Maynard's superior wrestling ability will be the key to this one who will walk away with a lopsided unanimous decision.
Winner: Gray Maynard by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Lightweight (155 lbs) Bout: Donald Cerrone Vs KJ Noons
We got a hell of a way to open up this one, Donald Cerrone is definitely looking to make an impact coming off of his loss to Anthony Pettis earlier this year and he's got a tough challenge to do so. KJ Noons has defeated a hefty list of competition including Nick Diaz and Billy Evangelista and is looking to add Donald Cerrone to that list of tough names. I imagine that this contest will be contested mostly on the feet seeing as both men have backgrounds in kickboxing, so needless to say this one will definitely be one to keep tuned into. Eventually I imagine it will touch the ground where Donald Cerrone excels at given evidence from his 14 career wins by submission and end up taking Noon's back and choking him out. I'm not gonna go too far into explanation on this one, but that's my call.
Winner: Donald Cerrone by Submission in Rd. 2
Well everyone, that concludes my edition of the UFC 160 predictions and what a card it is. Feel free to leave your predictions because as always I'd love to read them myself!
Hello Wrestling Punks nation, I'm Alex Cochrane as always sharing with you my predictions for this Saturday's big event. Cain Velasquez is without a doubt one of the biggest names in the UFC heavyweight division, he is a two time UFC heavyweight champion AND he also holds the highest significant strike accuracy out of anybody in the UFC.. and he's a heavyweight. With an unrivaled gas tank proven in his last fight against Junior Dos Santos, I believe I can say that Cain Velasquez may very well be the one to rule over the UFC's heavyweight division. But one thing he has not done has defended the title, and he will have a newly reinvented challenge to do so. After dominated in his UFC debut to Velasquez last May, Antonio Silva quickly proved he was just as hungry for the gold with back to back knockout wins over the previously undefeated Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem. One year later, he's next in line for a title shot and looks to get a win and revenge from that night that left a bad taste in his mouth. There's a lot at stake for this one, so expect nothing less than fireworks. In the co main event, the former champ Junior Dos Santos is out to reclaim his championship and he takes his first step by going one on one with heavy handed Mark Hunt. Other fights on the main card include Glover Teixeira who fresh off his destruction of Rampage Jackson wants to add James Te Huna to his list of victims and extend his win steak to 19. Gray Maynard returns from a lengthy layoff to battle a fire-hot TJ Grant who looked absolutely devastating in his last fight against Matt Wiman. And Donald Cerrone looks to climb the ladder back to the top of the lightweight division, but first he has to get past the debuting KJ Noons. It's live, it's on Pay Per View, it's UFC 160: Velasquez Vs Bigfoot 2! Let's take a look at who I believe will come out on top of Saturday's big event.
Heavyweight (220-265 lbs) Championship: Cain Velasquez Vs Antonio Silva
This is the second time that these two have been setup to face each other. After the Strikeforce heavyweight division folded, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva was signed by the UFC and was signed onto face Roy Nelson originally. However, after Frank Mir pulled out of his originally scheduled bout with Cain Velasquez, Cain was left without an opponent... leaving Bigfoot Silva (who was originally scheduled to fight Roy Nelson) to fill in. Cain dominated from the opening bell and defeated Antonio Silva via TKO at 3:36 in the first round in a lop sided bloodbath. Afterwards, Cain was immediately awarded a title shot while Silva was left to claw his way back to the top, and as Cain reclaimed championship gold from Junior dos Santos Silva turned in two stunning peformances knocking out previously undefeated Travis Browne and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. Now the stage is set for these two to do battle once again, and this time I believe the gameplan will be a little different. Given his last performance against JDS, we now know that Cain can withstand the championship rounds and it'll be interesting to see how he works this one to play. I personally believe that the result will be the same as the first fight, Silva has had a horrible time responding with pressure from both Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier. I believe Cain's relenteless pace will be the deciding factor in this which will lead to a TKO late in the second round.
Winner: Cain Velasquez via KO/TKO in Rd. 2
Heavyweight (220-265 lbs) Bout: Junior dos Santos Vs Mark Hunt
A matchup between two of the heaviest handed fighters in the heavyweight division are the key ingredients of the co main event. Out of 26 wins between the two, both Junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt have a combined total of 18 wins by knockout, ensuring that this one is going to be a for sure slug fest. Junior is looking to get back on track after losing the UFC heavyweight championship to Cain Velasquez where as Mark Hunt is looking to finally make a name for himself at the top of the division so this one is definitely gonna be a fight of the night candidate. Neither one has much credentials when it comes to grappling, and considering that 6 of his losses have come by way of submission, I'm assuming Hunt will keep this off the ground leading to this one being practically a boxing match. Also keep in mind Junior's top level takedown defense (when he's not grabbing the fence) will be a dictating factor where Junior will use his technical superiority to dominate Mark Hunt over three rounds with speed, power, and reach. His boxing is easily the best in the division but I also believe he'll have a hard time finishing him in this case.
Winner: Junior dos Santos by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Light Heavyweight (205 lbs) Bout: Glover Teixiera Vs James Te Huna
Glover Teixeira is on a career high at the moment, his most recent destruction of Quinton Rampage Jackson has put him amongst the elite of the UFC's light heavyweight division and a win on this night will undoubtingly put him within the top 10. Standing across from him is New Zealand's own James Te Huna, a fighter who has looked strong himself with his 5-1 UFC record and whose lone loss in the UFC came from the hands of Alexander Gustaffson. This will be an interesting fight to say the least, James Te Huna has had some strong point in his fights and it'll be interesting to see how this one goes out. However, Glover is an absolute killer and with his ability to take people down and ground and pound them, I guarentee that this one will be an early ground stoppages for perhaps one of the biggest prospects of the UFC's Light Heavyweight division.
Winner: Glover Teixeira by KO/TKO in Rd. 1
Lightweight (155 lbs) Bout: Gray Maynard Vs TJ Grant
A lightweight title shot hangs in the balance of this one and if you know anything about how packed that division is.. you know it's gonna be a barn burner. TJ Grant has found major success after dropping down to lightweight and picking up four straight wins in the process. He has also defeated big names in the division such as Evan Dunham and Matt Wiman along the way which has lead him to this encounter. Gray Maynard is returning for his first fight in 11 months since injuring his knee last November and is looking to stay in it keeping in mind that his last win over Clay Guida was least than impressive so he'll definitely be looking to keep himself alive in this one. TJ Grant presents a unique challenge to Gray so it'll be interesting to see where this one goes, with that being said.. I believe Maynard's superior wrestling ability will be the key to this one who will walk away with a lopsided unanimous decision.
Winner: Gray Maynard by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Lightweight (155 lbs) Bout: Donald Cerrone Vs KJ Noons
We got a hell of a way to open up this one, Donald Cerrone is definitely looking to make an impact coming off of his loss to Anthony Pettis earlier this year and he's got a tough challenge to do so. KJ Noons has defeated a hefty list of competition including Nick Diaz and Billy Evangelista and is looking to add Donald Cerrone to that list of tough names. I imagine that this contest will be contested mostly on the feet seeing as both men have backgrounds in kickboxing, so needless to say this one will definitely be one to keep tuned into. Eventually I imagine it will touch the ground where Donald Cerrone excels at given evidence from his 14 career wins by submission and end up taking Noon's back and choking him out. I'm not gonna go too far into explanation on this one, but that's my call.
Winner: Donald Cerrone by Submission in Rd. 2
Well everyone, that concludes my edition of the UFC 160 predictions and what a card it is. Feel free to leave your predictions because as always I'd love to read them myself!