Cheaters never win. But thieves can prosper - and apparently gain some
international exposure in the process.

After shocking many MMA fans with his brazen thiefdom during a
pay-per-view broadcast this past weekend, UFC 115's mystery hat-stealer
earned a spot on this week's ESPN-SportsCenter's "Not Top 10" list.

At UFC 115, the same fan swiped hats off both Ben Rothwell and Paulo
Thiago - and nearly swiped another off Martin Kampmann - during their
walkouts to the cage.

Following a vicious first-round knockout of MMA legend Chuck Liddell at this past weekend's UFC 115 event, headliner Rich Franklin today joins MMAjunkie.com Radio to discuss the victory and his future at light heavyweight.

UFC welterweight contender Martin Kampmann also joins the show to discuss his equally impressive win over Paulo Thiago.

MMAjunkie.com Radio airs live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. Listen to and watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

Fights, not fighters, are what make MMA events entertaining. You can stack a card with high quality fighters but there is no guarantee that this will make for enjoyable fights.

UFC 115 came in for heavy criticism from people who were unhappy at the lack of top class talent on display. What the main card of UFC 115 might have lacked in top ranked fighters though it more than made up for with a series of spectacular fights.

Local lad Rory Macdonald got the action off to the best possible start by picking Carlos Condit apart for two rounds to open up an insurmountable lead on the scorecards. The Canadian crowd were delighted and nothing short of a third stoppage would have suffice for Condit.

An uncharacteristically animated Greg Jackson sent Condit out for the third and final round telling him that, quite simply, he needed to go to war. Condit took Jackson’s words to heart and set about dominating Macdonald with a brutal display of ground and pound.

With a healthy two round lead presumably under his belt Macdonald only needed to survive this onslaught until the final bell to claim a decision victory. With less than seven seconds remaining and Condit raining down a barrage of unanswered blows the referee stepped in for a dramatic yet highly unpopular stoppage.

It was no more than Condit deserved for an inspiring comeback and tellingly there were absolutely no complaints from his vanquished opponent. This was one of those rare fights were both fighters were able to enhance their reputations and deservedly claimed fight of the night honors.

Next up were the heavyweights and Ben Rothwell and Gilbert Yvel were involved in a back and forth war which surpassed expectations despite an anti climactic third round. Rothwell went at Yvel from the opening bell and set a surprisingly fast pace for a heavyweight. Yvel fought back and was battering Rothwell by the time the bell rang.

Both fighters were already fatigued when round two began but Rothwell was able to take Yvel down and keep him there, although without doing any real damage. When Yvel was able to reverse the position he was far more effective and although Rothwell spent the majority of the round in a dominant position Yvel did far more damage.

Bereft of all energy both fighters came to a virtual stand still in the third round. Rothwell was once again able to secure a dominant position and this time Yvel was unable to escape, spending almost the entire round pinned to the floor. Rothwell was understandably awarded the decision although either of the first two rounds could conceivably have gone to Yvel.

Martin Kampmann showed that he is a serious welterweight contender by defeating Paulo Thiago with an extremely technical display. Thiago was consistently beaten to the punch by some crisp striking and Kampmann appeared on the verge of submitting the BJJ black belt on a couple of occasions. Kampmann is slowly working his way up the welterweight ladder and is probably only one more win away from a title shot.

Crocop vs Barry had all the makings of a classic and it did not disappoint. Barry enjoyed the better of the early exchanges and dropped Crocop with two hard right hands. Crocop seemed surprisingly reluctant to throw his legendary left kick preferring instead to use some unorthodox side kicks and spinning heel kicks. A stand up exchange towards the end of the round was enjoyed by both fighters so much that they shared a premature embrace but this was Barry’s round and Crocop’s face was badly swollen at the end of it.

UFC fans have been waiting to see the Crocop who laid waste to Pride’s heavyweight division inside the octagon and in round two they finally got to see him. Barry was unable to pull the trigger and Crocop showed good versatility to take Barry down and emphatically win the round.

By round three the real Mirko Crocop was ready to stand up. He chased Barry across the Octagon while picking him off with a selection of punches in a performance reminiscent of his Pride days. Once again Crocop was able to take Barry down and this time he secured a rear naked choke for a dramatic submission win.

After such an entertaining build up expectations were high going into the main event and it did not disappoint. Much was made of Liddell’s superior preparation and he showed that even aged 40 he is still able to evolve as a fighter with some vicious kicks, one of which probably broke Franklin’s arm.

At one point Liddell even successfully executed an unlikely take down but he seemed in a hurry to finish the fight and his impatience was to cost him. As the round drew to an end he chased Franklin down and pinned him against the cage, landing a sharp elbow. Liddell lunged forward looking to finish the fight and ran straight into a right hand from Franklin which knocked him out cold.

It was a huge win for Franklin and demonstrates that he is still a force in the light heavyweight division. For Liddell this surely marks the end of a glorious career but the iceman can feel proud that at least he went out on his shield.

Throughout his four-year UFC career, welterweight Martin Kampmann has often been labeled a Danish kickboxer.

Despite six submission wins to Kampmann's credit, perhaps no fight better showcased his now-well-rounded game than Saturday's unanimous-decision win over Paulo Thiago.

UFC president Dana White, in fact, said Kampmann was able to do something no one else has: make Thiago uncomfortable on his feet.

If tonight was the last time we see UFC legend Chuck Liddell wage war in the Octagon, the former UFC light heavyweight champion has absolutely nothing to hang his head about.

“The Iceman” may have come up on the short end of the stick in this evening’s clash with UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, but Liddell showed flashes of brilliance in his bout with the revitalized Franklin and never appeared out of the fight until the final 2 or 3 seconds of the contest. Although Liddell managed to score a surprising takedown midway through the opening round, the story of the fight was the popular duo trading punches and kicks for the bulk of the 205 lb. scrap. With just seconds remaining in he first round it appeared as though Liddell had Franklin on the run, scoring with a barrage of punches and elbows on the feet, before Franklin landed a devastating straight right hand that dropped the beloved 12-year UFC veteran to the canvas in a heap.

Liddell and Franklin went to war tonight in the the main event of UFC 115 this evening in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

After the fight Franklin revealed that he had suffered a paralyzing injury in the early moments of round one.

“Early in the fight when Chuck threw that right kick to my body, I could feel it click and I knew my left arm was broken,” revealed Franklin following the war between legends.

When asked what was next on his agenda Franklin  was quick to stake his claim in the 205 pound division, leaving no doubt as to what weight class he hopes to compete at in the future.

“I’m here at 205 now and if my next fight is at 205, that’s where I’ll be,” said Franklin. ”I want to make a run for the title.”

Although we may have seen the final chapter play out in the career of one mixed martial arts legend, fans were also treated to the beginning of a new chapter for another.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic showed the heart of a champion this evening after being badly battered on separate occasions in the first round of his heavyweight clash with fellow heavyweight knockout artist Pat Barry, coming back to stop the fellow K-1 veteran with a succession of punches on the feet which progressed into some good old fashioned ground and pound before a rear-naked choke signaled the violent end of the electrifying battle between the two late in the third and final round.

Carlos Condit has a long history of rallying back from the brink of defeat and this evening was no exception. “The Natural Born Killer” dug deep in his welterweight clash with the previously undefeated hometown favorite Rory Macdonald, turning the tide in the third round after clearly losing the first two rounds to stop the hard-hitting Canadian prospect with just 7 seconds remaining in the bout.

Macdonald mixed his takedowns with his striking game beautifully for the first two rounds between the two before Condit came out with a sense of purpose in the third and finished the 20-year-old “Waterboy” with a vicious volley of unanswered ground and pound.

“It was a just stoppage,” said Macdonald following the back-and-forth battle. ”He kicked my ass.

“He was hurting me from the start. He hurt me with the first punch he landed and it was all downhill from there.”

Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann put up arguably the most impressive performance of his career against the extremely dangerous Paulo Thiagoin a hard fought three round unanimous decision victory. Kampmann surprised many by dominating the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt at his own game on the ground as well as on the feet for nearly every moment of the 15 minutes contested between the two.

The victory was the second in a row for Kampmann, who improved his UFC record to an extremely impressive 8-2 and his career record to 17-3 with the one-sided beating of Thiago.

A full set of results from UFC 115 are listed below:

Mike Pyle def. Jesse Lennox via technical submission (triangle choke) - Round 3, 4:44

Claude Patrick def. Ricardo Funch via submission (guillotine choke)- Round 2, 1:48

James Wilks def. Peter Sobotta via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Mario Miranda def. David Loiseau via TKO – Round 2, 4:07

Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:45

Evan Dunham def. Tyson Griffin via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Carlos Condit def. Rory Macdonald via TKO – Round 3, 4:53

Ben Rothwell def. Gilbert Yvel via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Martin Kampmann def. Paulo Thiago via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Pat Barry via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 4:30

Rich Franklin def. Chuck Liddell via knockout – Round 1, 4:55

Tonight’s latest action from inside the octagon, “UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin” will take place at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The first preliminary bout will kick off at approximately 7:30 PM EST (4:30 PM PST), fans get to watch two prelim fights live on Spike TV at 9 PM EST (6 PM PST), with the live pay-per-view card beginning at 10 PM EST (7 PM PST).

The main event has former UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin squaring off, while former PRIDE champ Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic takes on heavyweight Pat Barry in the co-main event.

Fans watching Spike TV will see two lightweight bouts featuring Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman and Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin.

The MMA News will provide live result updates for tonight’s event and as always we’ll be keeping the “Live Quick Results” off the main page. To view the full Quick Results click

Main Card (Pay-per-view)

Light heavyweight: Rich Franklin def. Chuck Liddell via KO (punch) – R1 4:55
Heavyweight: Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Patrick Barry via submission (rear naked choke) – R3, 4:30
Welterweight: Martin Kampmann def. Paulo Thiago via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Heavyweight: Ben Rothwell def. Gilbert Yvel via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-28, 29-28)
Welterweight: Carlos Condit def. Rory MacDonald via TKO (strikes) – R3, 4:53

Preliminary Card (Spike TV)

Lightweight: Evan Dunham def. Tyson Griffin via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Lightweight: Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig via submission (guillotine choke) – R1, 1:45

Preliminary Card

Middleweight: Mario Miranda def. David Loiseau via TKO (Strikes) – R2, 4:07
Welterweight: James Wilks def. Peter Sobotta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-28, 30-27)
Welterweight: Claude Patrick def. Ricardo Funch via submission (guillotine choke) – R2, 1:48
Welterweight: Mike Pyle def. Jesse Lennox via technical submission (triangle chole) – R3, 4:44

Once again it’s on and FiveOuncesofPain.com will be here all evening to make sure you keep up to date with all of the live results and happenings from tonight’s “UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin” event.

UFC 115 will take place from the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

FiveOuncesofPain.com’s coverage will kick off right around 7:30 pm ET (4:30 pm PT) when the first pair of fighters touch gloves. The prelims on Spike TV are scheduled for 9:00 pm ET (6:00 pm PT), and the main card is slated to begin on pay-per-view at 10:00 pm ET (7:00 pm PT).

Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell will be squaring off with Rich “Ace” Franklin in a battle of fan favorites and former champions in the main event of the evening, while fellow heavyweight knockout specialists Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Pat Barry will go at it in the co-headliner.

Enjoy The fights! Results are below…

Mike Pyle def. Jesse Lennox via technical submission (triangle choke) - Round 3, 4:44

Claude Patrick def. Ricardo Funch via submission (guillotine choke)- Round 2, 1:48

James Wilks def. Peter Sobotta via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Mario Miranda def. David Loiseau via TKO – Round 2, 4:07

Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:45

Evan Dunham def. Tyson Griffin via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Carlos Condit def. Rory Macdonald via TKO – Round 3, 4:53

Ben Rothwell def. Gilbert Yvel via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Martin Kampmann def. Paulo Thiago via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Pat Barry via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 4:30

Rich Franklin def. Chuck Liddell via knockout – Round 1, 4:55

Like true professionals, every fighter taking part in this evening’s UFC 115 event succesfully made their contracted weight limits.

The weigh-ins took place from the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – the same venue this evening’s event will take place.

Set to headline the card is a bout between former UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin that promises to deliver, along with a co-headliner between to of the most dangerous heavyweight strikers in the history of the sport, former K-1 veterans Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Pat Barry.

A full set of the weigh-in results from the event are below:

Rich Franklin (205) vs. Chuck Liddell (205)

Patrick Barry (248) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (235)

Ben Rothwell (264) vs. Gilbert Yvel (242)

Carlos Condit (170) vs. Rory MacDonald (170)

Martin Kampmann (170) vs. Paulo Thiago (170)

Evan Dunham (155) vs. Tyson Griffin (154)

Mac Danzig (156) vs. Matt Wiman (156)

David Loiseau (185) vs. Mario Miranda (186)

Peter Sobotta (171) vs. James Wilks (170)

Ricardo Funch (170) vs. Claude Patrick (170)

Jesse Lennox (170) vs. Mike Pyle (170)

UFC 115 Liddel vs. Franklin has a main card packed with what appear to be five guaranteed crowd pleasing bouts as all 10 combatants on the PPV card have a history of finishing their fights in dramatic fashion.

We start with the Quick Hit Predictions for the undercard and then on to the five main televised bouts.

Non-Televised Matches

Mario Miranda over David Loiseau
Ricardo Funch over Claude Patrick
Mike Pyle over Jesse Lennox
James Wilks over Peter Sobotta

Spike TV Matches

Matt Wiman over Mac Danzig
Tyson Griffin over Evan Dunham

Welterweight Bout: Carlos Condit (24-5) vs. Rory MacDonald (10-0).

Condit enters his third UFC bout after being on both ends of a split decision in his previous two fights. MacDonald is entering the Octagon for the second time after picking up a submission win in his UFC debut.

Before entering the UFC, Condit had won five straight fights in the WEC and was that promotion’s 170-pound champion before the division folded and was absorbed into the UFC.

MacDonald is hungry and looking to take the next step in his career.

I’m sensing a trend in Condit’s UFC fights though.

Prediction: Condit over MacDonald by decision.

Heavyweight Match: Ben Rothwell (30-7) vs. Gilbert Yvel (36-14-1, 1 NC)

Do not expect anything other than a brawl in this one. Both these guys want to stand and fire away until one of them falls.

Yvel is more famous for hitting guys in the groin from his days in Japan. Rothwell was one of the top heavyweight fighters not in the UFC for a couple of years.

Prediction: Rothwell over Yvel by knockout.

Welterweight bout: Paulo Thiago (13-1-0) vs. Martin Kampmann (16-3-0)

What we have here is the next couple of guys trying to solidify their place in line after the upcoming Welterweight title fight between Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck.

Thiago comes in having won two in a row and three of his four UFC fights. Kampmann has won three out of his last five outings.

Thiago owns a KO win over Koscheck. Kampmann is 3-1 since dropping to 170 from middleweight.

Prediction: Kampmann over Thiago by technical knockout.

Heavyweight Bout: Mirko Cro Cop (26-7-2, 1 NC) vs. Pat Barry (5-1-0)

Two well-traveled kickboxers will meet and don’t make any bets on this one going to the floor for a submission finish.

Cro Cop has more head-kick knockouts on his resume than any 10 fighters anyone can name put together. Barry has ended fights with some of the most vicious leg kicks ever seen.

Cro Cop’s resume is a who’s who of MMA. Barry is taking a definite step up in competition by facing a sure-fire future Hall of Famer.

Cro Cop heads in to this fight with a 2-1 record since returning to the UFC in June 2009. Cro Cop is 3-3 overall in the UFC.

Barry is also 2-1 in his only three fights in the promotion.

Official prediction: Cro Cop over Barry by TKO.

Light-Heavyweight bout: Chuck Liddell (21-7-0) vs. Rich Franklin (27-5-0, 1 NC)

It’s been 14 months since Chuck “THE ICEMAN” Liddell was knocked out by Mauricio Rua in Montreal. It’s been six months since Rich “ACE” Franklin was stopped by Vitor Belfort in Dallas.

Both are certified legends in the sport. Liddell was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last July. Franklin is pretty much waiting on the call to the hall.

Liddell is a headhunter. Franklin is a technical/strategic fighter who has a few KOs on his highlight reel.

Liddell circles around the perimeter of the cage like a shark and draws fighters into range of his lethal punches. Franklin will break you down with kicks and strikes before he puts you on your back to pound you out.

I think ring rust is real. So who has more?

Official Prediction: Franklin over Liddell by decision.

Until Next Time

I’m Q
CYA

“Words are important, I thank you for hearing my words.” George Carlin RIP.

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