UFC 106 predictions
Date: 2009-11-19 00:00:00
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/292873-ufc-106-...
Submitted By: Fight Videos
So here we are, just days removed from UFC 105 and days away from UFC 106. Throw in the Strikeforce card featuring Brett Rogers and Fedor Emelianenko on Nov. 7, and this will be the third straight week that MMA fans have had a major show to watch. December doesn't slow down either, as Strikeforce will feature the return of Cung Le on Dec. 19. The UFC will run The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale on Dec. 5, followed by UFC 107 airing just a week later. Last but not least, we close out a great year with WEC 45, which will run head-to-head with Strikeforce on Dec. 19. On to my main card predictions. Karo Parisyan vs. Dustin Hazelett: Welterweight Both men are coming off long layoffs, so expect some cage rust early on in the bout. Parisyan has been inactive since the end of January. He defeated Dong Hyun Kim, but that decision was later overturned because of a failed drug test. The past few years have not been kind to "The Heat." He was diagnosed with an anxiety order, knocked out by Thiago Alves, and forced to withdraw from a bout at UFC 88 the day before because of a back ailment. Hazelett's layoff was caused by a knee injury he incurred while training for a bout with Ben Saunders that was scheduled for UFC 96. The "Submission Wizard" is one of the UFC's brightest young fighters and will be looking to capture an unprecedented third submission-of-the-night bonus. On top of the two bonuses he has captured for his stunning submissions, he was also awarded a fight-of-the-night bonus against Josh Burkman at The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale. Parisyan was at one time the No. 1 contender and was scheduled to face Matt Hughes until he was sidelined with an injury. He never regained that status and has been up and down ever since. Hazelett is young, hungry, and fearless. This will be Parisyan's third fight in the last two years. For "McLovin," it will be his fourth, which leads me to believe the bout will be somewhat sloppy. I'm going with the youngster here. Hazelett via unanimous decision Phil Baroni vs. Amir Sadollah - Welterweight: Yeah, the NY Bad Ass is back in the UFC! Does anyone really care? I know I don't, and I am usually very loyal to NY fighters and athletes. All of his drama and childlike antics have helped hide the fact that he is just not that good of a fighter. Yes, he does have power in both hands and could knock out anyone with one punch, but other than that, what does he have? Sadollah is another guy whose personality has helped hide the fact that he is not a great fighter. I realize it's way too early in his career to judge him just yet, but he just seems too timid to be a successful mixed martial artist. Maybe training with Xtreme Couture will help him, but I really don't see him going very far. This fight is really simple: If Sadollah can hang around and get the bout into the second round, he will win. Baroni is notorious for his poor cardio. He usually gasses somewhere around the middle of the first round. He will look to rush Sadollah and land one of his trademark knockout blows. I flipped a coin. Baroni by first round knockout . Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Luis Cane - Light Heavyweight: Welcome to the jungle, 'Lil Nog!!! Minotauro's twin brother makes his octagon debut against a fellow Brazilian who hits hard and who is looking to use 'Lil Nog as a stepping stone toward a title shot. Cane is on a three-fight win streak and has looked very impressive during his tenure in the UFC. A high-profile win against a fighter of Nogueira's caliber will put Cane one step closer to the top. Nogueira is an impressive 17-3; he has beaten Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem (twice), Kazushi Sakuraba and Vladimir Matyushenko. Much like his twin brother, Nogueira possesses solid boxing skills and is a terror on the ground. This is an opportunity for him to make a huge splash in a crowded and talented light heavyweight division. Cane has serious power and has shown that he has a solid chin. He is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu but nowhere near the level of Nogueira. Cane's only loss was by disqualification and 'Lil Nog has only been finished once in three career losses. I see Cane becoming the second man to finish him on Saturday night. Fighting in the cage is much different than a ring, and Cane will use it to his advantage by punishing Nogueira against the fence.
