Eddie Sanchez v Colin Robinson
It's a hard matchup for anybody to come in and face a UFC veteran, but Eddie Sanchez is one of the hardest matchups a guy can have for his debut.
Eddie Sanchez has only had two fights in the UFC and has a record of 1-1. He won his debut over Mario Neto with a KO in the seconds round. He intimidated Neto the first round and even though Sanchez was the underdog in the fight (he took the fight on short notice as well), his heavy hands and superior striking seemed to worry Neto. Obviously, there was something the worry about.
Eddie Sanchez's seconds fight was against the worlds #2 heavyweight and marquee striker Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic. To come into a fight with CroCop with fewer than 10 fights under your belt is a huge disadvantage and so, even though Sanchez was destroyed in the first round, it wasn't a bad guy for him to lose to. After all, if you are going to lose, it might as well be to the best.
I am seeing Eddie's typical brand of stalking striking until he swings hard and puts Robinson to sleep.
My pick: Eddie Sanchez by KO in Round 2.
Rory Singer v Jason MacDonald
Rory Singer is a veteran of the Ultimate Fighter television show, but, honestly, I don't think the title fits him. Rory lost to Ed Herman in the second round of the 3rd TUF seasons Middleweight tournament and, for some reason, the UFC decided to bring him back and give him a contract.
Jason MacDonald has recently made a career out of beating up TUF veterans. MacDonald came to the UFC and in impressive back to back victories he submitted Ed Herman (who, as I said, beat Rory on Season 3) and Chris Leben (also a TUF veteran) to work his way into title contention. Though MacDonald's loss to Rich Franklin set him back, he is in position to beat another TUF vet and get back into the mix.
Because Rory lost to Ed Herman via submission (an area of the game where we already know MacDonald is much better than either of them) I have a hard time believing that Singer is going to be able to keep this fight off of the ground.
My pick: Jason MacDonald via Submission in Round 2
Tyson Griffin v Clay Guida
Tyson Griffin holds a UFC record of 1-1, with an impressive win over British fighter David Lee in the first round by submission and a tough loss to Frankie Edgar. Griffin recently suffered his first career loss at the hands of Edgar, so it is impossible to know how he will bounce back. However, I think that his return to the octagon will be an exciting one and the small, thick wrestling style will be very hard for alot of his opponents to handle.
His opponents is Clay Guida an accomplished submission fighter with a good record in the octagon. Guida is a very strong 155 pounds, almost as strong as Griffin, so it will be interesting to see how well he holds off Griffin's strong fast brand of wrestling or if he chooses to work from the guard.
This fight rests heavily on Griffin, because it all really depends if he comes back angry and hungry for a win or if he is still reliving the loss to Edgar. My hope is that Griffin will bounce back and bring an impressive showing to put himself back in Lightweight title contention.
My Pick: Griffin by TKO in the First Round.
Forrest Griffin v Hector Ramirez
Forrest Griffin is a fun fighter to watch. He is the winner of the first TUF show and, though he lost recently to Keith Jardine, he is ready to be back in the octagon. He likes to mix it up and he has a decent ground game. However, expect him to try to keep the fight standing and don't be surprised if he eats alot of punches. Forrest Griffin just doesn't care.
Hector Ramirez is a very tough opponent with a good all around game and heavy hands but, in my opinion, he is just the UFC's way of getting Griffin back on his feet after the dissappointing loss to Jardine.
My Pick: Forrest Griffin by KO or TKO in Round 1.
Rich Franklin v Yushin Okami
Rich Franklin, former UFC middleweight champion, is one of the greatest fighters in the world at 185 pounds. He's strong, he's smart and he's not afraid of taking some hits. Make no mistake, Franklin is huge at 185, and even though he had a tough loss to current Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva a little while ago, he bounced back with a big TKO victory of Jason MacDonald, a rare competitor who is almost a match for Franklin's height and build.
Yushin Okami has won alot, but he hasn't really beaten anyone impressive. He has put himself in title contention by dominating undercards and the lower half of the main card. It is a hard transition to the competition that you get in the main event, especially against someone who has held that Middleweight belt and knows what it takes to get there. Any time that Okami steps in the cage he rolls over his opponent, but Franklin isn't the kind of opponent that Okami can easily take down and maintain a top position over.
I see Okami having a very hard time with Rich's wrestling and being overwhelmed by Rich's very impressive boxing skills.
My Pick: Rich Franklin by KO in round 2.
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