Rarely are fans privileged enough to see a pair of UFC icons and former promotional champions step into the Octagon and duke it out. June 12th will mark such an occasion, as Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin are squared away to tap gloves and make history at the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Also set to face off are affable heavyweight Pat Barry and PRIDE legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic in a bout that is certain to leave viewers’ knees and shinbones aching from the multitude of kicks destined to be thrown. Additionally, the card features Paulo Thiago attempting to lockdown a top contendership spot in the welterweight division against Martin Kampmann and a number of other match-ups with a great deal of entertainment potential like Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham, Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald, and Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel.

Before I get into the actual “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…

PRELIMINARY CARD

Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

This fight has a “loser leaves town” feel to it, especially in the case of Pyle, so I expect both men to leave it all in the cage on Saturday night and open up the show properly in the process. Pyle is a better grappler with Lennox being the superior striker so the winner should ultimately come down to which of the two will be able to dictate where the fight takes place. I favor Pyle in that equation based on his experience and training partners at Xtreme Couture. He should be well-prepared for anything Lennox brings and have little problem taking him down, if for no other reason to grind out a decision.

Winner – Mike Pyle via Decision

Claude Patrick vs. Ricardo Funch

Patrick should have a ton of support from his fellow Canadians in his UFC debut and will likely send them home happy when things are said and done against Funch. He’s on a ten-fight winning streak with eight of his dubyas coming in the first frame. Funch has been relatively inactive for the last few years, competing only three times since the start of 2008, and will have to rely on Patrick to keep things standing in order to have a decent shot at emerging victor. While Patrick may be known for his submissions he’s also gone three full rounds with the hard-hitting Drew McFedries and has two first-round TKOs on his record as well. I think he’ll be able to go toe-to-toe with Funch if necessary while having a significant advantage on the ground (not to mention a stout guillotine he can use if Funch attempts to shoot in).

Winner – Claude Patrick via Submission Round 1

James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta

This match-up clearly caters to the international audience brought on by the show’s location as Wilks is originally from England and Sobotta from Germany. Wilks is obviously the bigger name based on winning his division on the ninth season of the Ultimate Fighter but fans shouldn’t discount Sobotta simply because they’ve never heard of him. The 23-year old has a fairly balanced attack and was able to go a full fifteen minutes against respectable veteran Paul Taylor in his UFC debut last June. I’m a bit wary of his year-long hiatus from competition but then again Wilks hasn’t stepped foot in the Octagon since November 2009 so it’s not as if he’s in a much better position where activity is concerned. All that being said, I think Wilks’ stand-up is good enough to bang with Sobotta and his submissions are somewhat slicker so I expect him to get back on the winning track this Saturday.

Winner – James Wilks via Submission Round 2

David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda

I doubt I’m alone in my excitement regarding Loiseau’s return to the UFC. Though he may not have panned out to be quite the fighter people felt he was 4-5 years ago, “The Crow” is still entertaining to watch and one of the sport’s classier characters. He’s shown an ability to hang with any opponent regardless of their specialty and should be more motivated than ever to get his first win in the Octagon since the late, great Evan Tanner in October 2005. Miranda has solid striking but I don’t think it’s as powerful or diverse as Loiseau’s and he definitely doesn’t have the jiujitsu to finish things on the ground.

Winner – David Loiseau via TKO Round 2

Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman

I have high hopes for this bout in terms of entertainment value. Danzig and Wiman can both bring it in the ring, are experienced competitors, and should be enticed by the proposition of stringing together consecutive wins after each losing a few in a row. I think Danzig’s grappling is better, as is his boxing, but Wiman is more of a threat in terms of kicks and knees. However, I also believe they’re comparable enough that a finishing performance is unlikely. Look for them to constantly engage, even drawing a few “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowd, but don’t expect a knockout or submission. In the end I believe Danzig’s overall technique is better and as such he’ll be able to defend on his feet, then take Wiman down and control him long enough in each round to earn the decision win.

Winner – Mac Danzig via Decision

Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham

In this week’s Grappling with Issues I listed this bout as having potential for the biggest upset of the evening for a few reasons. My reasoning is as follows:

“Griffin has struggled to finish opponents in the Octagon, so he leaves a lot of time for his foes to slip in and steal bouts (Sean Sherk and Frank Edgar clearly being the best examples based on their actual success against the Xtreme Couture OG). Dunham is a solid grappler with nice hands and reminds me a bit of a 5′10, stronger, paler version of the 5′6 Griffin. It was hard not to be impressed by his submission of Efrain Escudero at Fight Night 20 last January, and he’s undefeated ten fights into his career, so I won’t be surprised if he walks away with a decision win against Griffin. However, I think a lot of fans will be and I don’t just mean the Zuffa Zombies out there.”

I’m not 100% positive Dunham will win, but there is one thing I am certain of – if either man finishes the other I will be utterly shocked. They’re fairly familiar with each other based on their shared choice of training center and even if they weren’t flying Xtreme Couture’s flag both are relatively skilled in every facet of the game.

Winner – Evan Dunham via Decision

MAIN CARD

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald

This is by far the most important fight of Condit’s career and that includes his title run in World Extreme Cagefighting. He entered the UFC 14-months ago with a ton of hype behind him, much of it deserved in my opinion, but has been disappointing for the most part since. He’s 1-1 with two split decisions against respectable fighters but hasn’t been close to the same dominating force he was in WEC. A second loss in the Octagon won’t destroy his reputation, especially to an undefeated opponent like the 20-year old MacDonald, but it will definitely bump him a number of spots down the world’s collective rankings and have people questioning whether or not Condit will ever live up to the potential most saw in him. MacDonald, a Canadian, will want to please the crowd in Vancouver, and is facing the biggest “name” in his career, so I suspect he’ll have trained his ass off and won’t be afraid to let it all hang out in the cage. Condit is also fearless in his approach to Mixed Martial Arts, so don’t be surprised if this ends up being a “Fight of the Night” contender. MacDonald can strike and grapple, as can Condit (with an edge in both categories), so I expect there to be a number of evenly matched flurries on their feet and on the mat with the former WEC Welterweight Champion getting the best of his less-experienced adversary enough times to win the judges’ favor.

Winner – Carlos Condit via Decision

Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel

Without a doubt Rothwell will attempt to take Yvel down from the opening bell and work his mat-based attacks in hopes of either ground-and-pounding him or procuring a choke hold. “The Hurricane” has 31 TKOs in 36 career wins, and Rothwell has been rocked a few times over the years, so obviously Yvel’s best bet is to throw strikes while fending off takedown attempts. However, Rothwell is a solid wrestler who can also strike in addition to having above-average submissions for a heavyweight. He should be able to control most of the match’s positions, so unless the Dutchman lands a big shot early in the fight I don’t think “Big Ben” will have a hard time coming away victorious and possibly even end Yvel’s recent run in the UFC as a result.

Winner – Ben Rothwell via TKO Round 3

Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann

I don’t think people are giving Kampmann enough credit in this bout where he chances of success are concerned. Keep in mind his only losses have been by way of knockout while the only strike-based TKO of Thiago’s career came in his shocking upset of Josh Koscheck. Additionally, the Brazilian special forces operative owes eight of his thirteen wins to submissions while the “Hitman” has yet to tap out in nineteen professional fights. Kampmann is well-versed on the ground and is a legitimate striker as well. Both men faced Jacob Volkmann in the last year and where Thiago won a decision the Dane submitted Volkmann in the first round. I’m not a fan of “MMAth” but there’s definitely something to be said when the bouts being compared came in such close proximity to each other (less than 2 months apart). Thiago vs. Kampmann should be a hotly contested fight and is one of the many match-ups on the card worthy of a proverbial coin-flip when it comes to picking a winner. However, the more I think about it the more I feel Kampmann will open some eyes on Saturday night so I’m going to simply put my money where my keyboard-stroking fingers are and say…

Winner – Martin Kampmann via Decision

Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic

I know I’m supposed to be unbiased as a journalist but in full disclosure I have to say Barry is one of my favorite fighters based on both in-ring style and overall character. Fortunately, objectivity won’t need to be shelved in this instance, as I think “Cro Cop” is also an outstanding individual with a list of accomplishments worth respecting and a terrific personality rarely associated with him based on the seriousness with which he approaches fighting. It’s a tough match-up to pick based on their in-ring similarities and knockout power each produces. One kick to the head or a series of shots to the thigh/midsection could end the night for either man, while jiujitsu and wrestling are almost certainly going to be thrown out of the cage-door before it closes and the action begins. I believe Barry will win based on age/athleticism as long as he doesn’t become too emotionally involved in the fight, and thereby distracted, based on his admiration of Filipovic. He’s faster and fresher than “Cro Cop”, and in that regard I think he’ll be first to the punch and ultimately shed a few tears in front of the camera before heading home to his momma.

Winner – Pat Barry via TKO Round 1

Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

I can see this fight going a number of ways though of course none of them involve submissions. Neither fighter will have to worry about clinching or getting taken down and worked on unless deciding to sneak in a shot or two with hopes of winning a particular round in the mind of a ringside judge. Both men appear to have questionable chins and have made their living with strikes so expect that to be the target of choice for each. However, Franklin mixes in kicks with a great deal of success and would be wise to do so against the “Iceman”. If he stays active, opting for more lateral than forward movement, he has a good chance of taking home a decision or eventually catching Chuck on the button. However, if he spends more than a few seconds exchanging blows at any point or makes the mistake of rushing in there’s a good chance he’ll be put to sleep.

Winner – Chuck Liddell via TKO Round 2

UFC middleweight fighter Gerrald Harris (15-2) finally has an opponent for UFC 116.

Harris was previously named to the event without an opponent will now face Renzo Gracie fighter Dave Branch (6-0) on the unbroadcasted preliminary card.

UFC 116 will take place on July 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be headlined by a UFC heavyweight unification title bout between champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Shane Carwin.

Harris has won his last nine fights including his past two UFC bouts against Mario Miranda and John Salter. This will be his first UFC pay-per-view fight as his wins over Miranda and Salter took place at UFC Fight Night events.

The “TUF 7″ cast member has won 7 victories via T(KO) and 5 by submission. He also earned the “Knockout of the Night” bonus against Salter at UFN 20 after earning the TKO win in the third round.

Undefeated Renzo Gracie fighter, Branch, has yet to lose and carries a 6-0 record into the octagon when he makes his UFC debut against Harris. None of his six opponents have been able to carry the fight into the third round, with Branch earning 3 submission and 3 T(KO) victories.

HT: MMAWeekly.com

After missing the chance to fight at UFC 113 in Montreal this weekend, David Loiseau (19-9) will get his moment to fight on Canadian soil at UFC 115 against Mario Miranda (9-1).

UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin will take place on June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The bout between Loiseau and Miranda will take place on the preliminary card.

Loiseau had been a late replacement for an injured Nick Catone at UFC 113, and was to fight in front of his hometown of Montreal, but failed to receive his license in time and was replaced by another Canadian, Jason MacDonald in the bout against John Salter.

The delay in licensing was due to an open investigation into the sale of the XMMA, a Quebec based mma promotion Loiseau once owned part of, to a group of individuals who are being investigated by the authorities.

Loiseau has eight bouts under the UFC banner going 4-4 over the past seven years. He earned a victory over Chester Post at a MFL 2 Battleground event last February in his last match. In his last UFC appearance, at UFC 97, Loiseau lost a unanimous decision to Ed Herman at the April 2009 event.

Miranda made his UFC debut in his last fight against Gerald Harris, losing the first fight of his career by TKO at UFN 21. The Brazilian almost earned a spot on “The Ultimate Fighter 11″ but instead earned a contract with the UFC.

UFC 115 now appears as follows:

Main Card

- Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
- Patrick Barry vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
- Martin Kampmann vs. Paulo Thiago
- Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
- Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin

Preliminary Card

- Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
- Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
- David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
- Peter Sobotta vs. James Wilks
- Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
- Jesse Lennox vs. Mike Pyle

After missing the chance to fight at UFC 113 in Montreal this weekend, David Loiseau (19-9) will get his moment to fight on Canadian soil at UFC 115 against Mario Miranda (9-1).

UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin will take place on June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The bout between Loiseau and Miranda will take place on the preliminary card.

Loiseau had been a late replacement for an injured Nick Catone at UFC 113, and was to fight in front of his hometown of Montreal, but failed to receive his license in time and was replaced by another Canadian, Jason MacDonald in the bout against John Salter.

The delay in licensing was due to an open investigation into the sale of the XMMA, a Quebec based mma promotion Loiseau once owned part of, to a group of individuals who are being investigated by the authorities.

Loiseau has eight bouts under the UFC banner going 4-4 over the past seven years. He earned a victory over Chester Post at a MFL 2 Battleground event last February in his last match. In his last UFC appearance, at UFC 97, Loiseau lost a unanimous decision to Ed Herman at the April 2009 event.

Miranda made his UFC debut in his last fight against Gerald Harris, losing the first fight of his career by TKO at UFN 21. The Brazilian almost earned a spot on “The Ultimate Fighter 11″ but instead earned a contract with the UFC.

UFC 115 now appears as follows:

Main Card

- Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
- Patrick Barry vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
- Martin Kampmann vs. Paulo Thiago
- Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
- Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin

Preliminary Card

- Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
- Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
- David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
- Peter Sobotta vs. James Wilks
- Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
- Jesse Lennox vs. Mike Pyle

"The Crow" is now official for "UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin."

Less than one day after reports surfaced that David Loiseau would once again fight in the UFC, the promotion today
officially announced that the Canadian will indeed face Mario Miranda at the event.

Loiseau and Miranda meet on the evening's un-aired preliminary card.

A midleweight bout between striking specialist David Loiseau and fast rising Brazilian Mario Miranda is expected to take place during UFC 115.

The pair are expected to throw down from Loiseau’s backyard in Vancouver, Canada on June 12 from the GM Place according to a recent report from Vancouver’s News1130 Radio.

Loiseau recently bounced back from a UFC 97 unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Ed Herman with a first round TKO over Chester Post during an MFL event in February, while Miranda had put together a sparkling record of 11-0 before his UFC debut in March where he was TKO’d by Gerald Harris in the opening round.

UFC 115 is set to feature match-ups such as Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Pat Barry and more.

Frustrated following his failed bid to make the Brazilian national wrestling team that would travel to the 2000 Summer Olympics, Mario Miranda decided he needed major change in his life.

So Miranda left Brazil, moved to the U.S., and soon made the transition from wrestling to mixed martial arts.

Given his background in Brazilian jiu jitsu, he quickly took to the new sport, and the undefeated fighter and recent UFC signee has now earned a date with Gerald Harris at next month's UFC Fight Night 21 event.

Jacob McClintock

As we venture forth into a new decade with the coming of 2010, there’s no better time than right now to take a close look at the cream of the crop talent that is poised to make a significant impact on the landscape of mixed martial arts in the years to follow.

Come along as FiveOuncesofPain.com gives you dozens, upon dozens of reasons to get excited about the future of this passion driven sport we have come to understand and love.

So make sure to etch these names in your head and don’t say we didn’t tell you so.

Tyron Woodley: A Big 12 champion and two-time All American wrestler out of the University of Missouri, Woodley has trained with some of the best in the business at the American Kickboxing Academy and American Top Team while stringing together an unblemished record of 5-0 with 5 submissions to his credit.

Josh Grispi: With a record of 13-1, Grispi’s sole professional defeat in his still developing career could easily be chalked up to inexperience as the just eighteen year old fighter out of Plympton, Massachusetts was caught in a first round heel hook before going on a berserker rampage in his next nine bouts, stringing together consecutive wins with notable victories over the likes of Mark Hominick, Micah Miller and Jens Pulver.

Patricio Pitbull: Patricio is a 145 pound Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt known for finishing his bouts with dazzling head kicks and flying knees, much like another fellow Brazilian that currently occupies the featherweight throne in the WEC. Pitbull will put his undefeated 12-0 record to the test in 2010 when he enters the Bellator featherweight tournament.

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal: At just six wins into his still developing career, Mo has found himself in the unique position of being one prospect that has been thrust into contender status due to the lack of opposition in the paper thin Strikeforce 205 pound division, when the only fight he’s had with the promotion has been at heavyweight. A top level wrestler with a knockout punch to back it up, Lawal promises to be a force to reckon with at both heavyweight and light heavyweight for many years to come.

Mario Miranda: A four-time Brazilian Champion in both Freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, the thirty year old Miranda came to the United States from his native Rio de Janeiro, Brazil a decade ago and has been working with Matt Hume at AMC in Seattle, Washington ever since. The results have been impressive as Mario has compiled an undefeated record of 9-0 in the light heavyweight division, with only two of his bouts making it to the judges.

Steve Abas: Abas is a four-time NCAA All American wrestler, along with being a three-time NCAA champion at 125 pounds. Also a silver medalist in freestyle wrestling during the 2004 Olympic Games, Abas is currently training out of The Arena in San Diego, California alongside Diego Sanchez and others, and plans to make his professional mixed martial arts debut in the near future.

Bryan Baker: Nicknamed “The Beast” for good reason, Baker currently boasts an impressive record of 11-1 with seven finishes to his credit, and his sole defeat coming at the hanbds of Chael Sonnen via hard fought unanimous decision.This Team Wildman fighter is currently under contract with the MFC.

Jacob McClintock: While extremely talented on the feet as well as on the ground, McClintock’s greatest asset is something you just can’t teach: A natural, god given fighter’s instinct. Training out of Arizona Combat Sports with a brown belt in Braziian Jiu-Jitsu, “Tick Tock” holds an unblemished record of 6-0 while finishing four of his bouts by either KO or TKO, and the other two via submission.

Karl Amoussou: The crazy thing about Amoussou is that he’s widely respected as a lethal knockout artist, and seven of his eleven wins have come by way of submission. “Pyscho” is dangerous no matter where the fight ends up, but he has been led to the hornet’s nest in his Strikeforce debut where Trevor Prangley is poised to make an example out of this up and comer with plenty of room to develop.

Jon Jones: Jones barely deserves to make this list due to his prior impressive performances in the UFC, but there’s no denying the seemingly unlimited potential of this 22 year old phenom. A win over Vera during the first UFC on Versus event would springboard “Bones” into the title picture overnight.