NBA: What to Expect From The 2008-2009 San Antonio Spurs

(Four out of the five Spurs pictured above are still at the core of an aging, but experienced Spurs team.)

Tim Duncan. Manu Ginobili. Tony Parker. Bruce Bowen. Uh, Fabricio Oberto? Kurt Thomas maybe?

This looks to be the starting lineup for the San Antonio Spurs at the beginning of the 09' NBA season. But is this lineup alone with a less stacked bench than prior years ready for a run at the championship?

Starters such as Ginobili and Duncan look to carry the team as usual into the playoff stretch this year, much like the prior years when the Spurs have dominated. However, unlike the past few years, the team looks a little weak where they have always been strong...in their bench.

With uncertainties in remaining free agents Michael Finley, and Damon Stoudamire, it looks like the Spurs need to make a few moves during the offseason to be once again in line to go deep into the playoffs.

The Western Conference has shown itself to be a very tough conference, with some of the better teams being left out of the playoff picture. If the Spurs aren't careful, they could be on the outside looking in this season.

With hardly any free agents worth while left on the market, it seems as though the Spurs will have to go young, or make a move via trades to improve a team that is rapidly aging.

The Spurs for years have been left without a dominant force down low besides Tim Duncan since the "Twin Tower" dynasty ended when David Robinson retired. It may be time to usher in a new era with France center Ian Mahinmi.

Is it possible the Spurs run at playoff greatness may be coming to a close? Not if Coach Gregg Popovich has anything to say about it.

Regardless of their roster, expect the 08-09 Spurs to remain competitive with an experienced starting five.

Andre Igoudala Hits Jackpot With New Sixers Contract

Andre Iguodala has 80 million reasons to be pumping his fists.

Iguodala signed a six-year deal worth a reported $80 million Tuesday night, according to ESPN.

This deal solidifies Iguodala as the main priority in Philadelphia, with the 76ers centering their team around him. Considering the addition of Elton Brand and a young core adding to the team's depth, the 76ers may be playoff-bound this upcoming season.

Iguodala has been by far the leader for the 76ers since the trade of the other "A.I.," Allen Iverson, back years ago. He was first on the team last year in scoring (19.9 PPG), third in rebounding (5.4 RPG), and second in assists (4.8 APG).

With the addition of Brand, the development of young stars like Thaddeus Young, and Marreese Speights, and the consistency of Andre Miller, the 76ers may only need to make a few moves this year to end up in serious playoff contention.

Regardless of what the 76ers plan on doing from here on out, Iguodala seems to be the man in Philly.

He's going to need some help from others if they plan on doing any damage to an ever growing Eastern Conference; with the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Cleveland Cavaliers all seeming to be playoff locks even prior to the regular season tipping off.

Since he is now being paid like a big-time player, he will have the same pressure as other stars around the league. Will he be able to handle it? Only time will tell. Until then, he can relax at his vacation house, while he watches the money truck back into the front yard.

Super Bowl XLIII: Could Be A Patriotic Rodeo...

Even though preseason has yet to begin in the NFL, rumors of potential Super Bowl match ups are already swirling amidst football nation. The consensus? Don't expect the Giants to repeat.

Though last year's Super Bowl had everything a sports fan could want, from drama to hype, domination to nail biter, this year may be a little different; this year may very well be the year of the favorite.

In the AFC, speculation suggests there seems to be a notable newcomer to the ranks of the playoffs this season, with the Browns very possibly making it into the playoff picture. Other teams such as the Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Chargers and Jags seem very determined, and well set up to make a run at a championship (don't worry fans of the Bills, Texans, Titans and Ravens, or any other team for that fact, this is just speculation).

In the NFC, not as much certainty can be said for the playoffs, though teams such as Dallas New York and possibly Green Bay all being front runners for a spot. The remaining three spots look to be up for grab. With a wacky other two divisions, it's a tough call but Arizona and New Orleans may be the favorites in the two remaining divisions. The last possible team to make it in should by all means be the Minnesota Vikings. They are much improved from prior years.

However, with all that being said, my personal prediction for the upcoming year's Super Bowl is the Dallas Cowboys versus the New England Patriots, and it ought to be a good one.

Tony Romo and Tom Brady are two of the best QB's in the NFL, and their supporting casts are some of the best. With two very good defenses, and some questions to be answered on both sides, this should be a good finale to a good year, should these two teams meet.

I'd love to hear what everyone's predictions are for the upcoming year. What will be the best record? What team should we be on the lookout for? Who do you believe will play in the Super Bowl? Lets hear it!

NHL Sightings: Watch Out For the 08-09 Bruins

With plenty of time left until the beginning of the 2008-2009 NHL season, there are already many teams to keep an eye on. One such team is the Boston Bruins.

Less than a few months removed from a devastating and typical ending to the Bruins season, changes have been made and hope has been renewed.

With the recent additions of Michael Ryder and Martin St. Pierre, the team looks to accomplish something they have not done since the 1998-1999 season: make it past the first round of the playoffs.

They'll get some help from returning center Patrice Bergeron, who missed 72 games last season with a devastating injury suffered at the hands of Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Randy Jones.
The Bruins had moments last season when they looked like the type of team that would be underestimated come playoff time, and could prove worthy of a Stanley Cup.

However, those moments were few and far between, and it showed in their first-round exit, after a grueling seven-game series with the rival Montreal Canadiens. Yet, if the Bruins could take anything away from the series it would be the performance of their young stars.

Youngsters such as David Krecji, Milan Lucic, Dennis Wideman, and Phil Kessel proved useful down the stretch, coming up with key plays and goals at important times.
Add a consistent 28-year-old winger looking to come off a down year in Michael Ryder, a resurgent captain in Patrice Bergeron, and two or three solid lines to go with a decent defensive core, and you have a team that may shock many NHL fans this upcoming year.

Watch out NHL. The B's of old may very well be back this year.

New Modifications to the Old Website

This is a brief post letting all newcomers and previous posters know that the previous website of Nick's MMA Corner has now been updated to Sports & MMA Realm. This change is necessary to infuse new fans and friends to our website. The new updates allow us to post about any sport on this site, including MMA. Though this is still a primary MMA website, we do plan on integrating more posts about all sports, not just MMA. We appreciate your cooperation, and we apologize for the long delay in between posts. We hope that you enjoy the new site, and we appreciate any and all feedback.

-The Management

WCF Recap

The 20th of June was a night to be remembered in Mixed Martial Arts action, as WCF put on yet again another great show. Owner Joe Cavallaro was in attendance, along with UFC veterans such as Marcus Davis, Joe Lauzon, Jorge Rivera, and Kenny Florian. The night's entertainment was absolute top-notch, with fighters proving themselves to the many in attendance. From the autograph session, to the last fight of the night, the WCF did not disappoint. Fighters such as Dan Lauzon and Mike Campbell showed what many already expected from them, whereas lesser known local fighters like Dan Bonnell and John Benoit made themselves known by the night's end. The results from the night's main card is listed below. For more information on the night, when the next event is, and much more please go to www.wcfighting.com.


Official Results:
Dan Bonnell def Barrington Douse via Decision Rd 2
John Benoit def Travis Lerchen via Split Decision Rd 3
Ken Stone def Ethan Kean via TKO Rd 1
Dan O'Keefe def Garth Krane via TKO
Jon Jones def Parker Porter via KO Rd 1
Jim Bermudez def Chris Grandmaison via Armbar Submission
Mike Campbell def Rich Moskowitz via TKO Rd 1
Dan Lauzon def Brendan Hoxie via TKO Rd 2

WCF To Hold Big Show June 20th

The organization World Championship Fighting, owned by Joseph Cavallaro will be hosting a show in Wilmington's Aleppo Shriners Auditorium June 20th. The show is the second for the WCF at the Auditorium, and is expected to be another great night of fights. The card listed below stars none other than former UFC fighter Dan "The Upgrade" Lauzon. Other stars in attendance such as the Tapout Crew, Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon, Kenny Florian, and Marcus Davis should make the night memorable.

Fight Card


Dan Lauzon vs. Brendan Hoxie
Mike Campbell vs. Rich Moskowitz
John Benoit vs. Travis Lerchen
Jamie Campbell vs. Jose Valentin
Dan Bonnell vs. Barrington Douse
Chris Grandmaison vs. Jon Bermudez
Jon Jones vs. Parker Porter
Davin Wesinger vs. Jose Lopez
Ken Stone vs. Mike Oakes
Joe Cushman vs. TBA
Kevin Corrigan vs. Ruben Gonzales
Scott Ledoux vs. Chris Foster
Dan O'Keefe vs. Garth Krane
Stephen Stengel vs. Chad Hart

Don't blink MMA fans. You might miss a great night of fights in Wilmington. Hope to see you there!

UFC 85 Results

Well everyone, I didn't do so well on calling the fights, but to be quite honest, the whole Pay Per View was a big letdown. The Vera/Werdum fight was a horrible way to start off, and it didn't help with Alves coming into the night at least a good 10 lbs. bigger than Matt Hughes. The rest of the fights were somewhat disappointing, with a big loss by Marcus Davis. I was pulling big time for him, but he just had a bad showing. Anyways, the results are below:

Preliminary Card

Heavyweight bout: Antoni Hardonk vs. Eddie Sanchez
Hardonk defeats Sanchez by KO at 4:15 of Round 2.

Welterweight bout: Paul Taylor vs. Jess Liaudin
Taylor defeats Liaudin by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).

Light Heavyweight bout: Jason Lambert vs. Luis Cane
Cane defeats Lambert by TKO (referee stoppage) at 2:07 of Round 1. The bout, although preliminary, was aired on the PPV broadcast.

Welterweight bout: Roan Carneiro vs. Kevin Burns
Burns defeats Carneiro by submission (triangle choke) at 2:53 of Round 2.

Lightweight bout: Matt Wiman vs. Thiago Tavares
Wiman defeats Tavares by KO (punch) at 1:57 of Round 2. The bout, although preliminary, was aired on the PPV broadcast.

Middleweight bout: Martin Kampmann vs. Jorge Rivera
Kampmann defeats Rivera by submission (guillotine) at 2:44 of Round 1. The bout, although preliminary, was aired on the PPV broadcast.


Main Card

Heavyweight bout: Fabricio Werdum vs. Brandon Vera
Werdum defeats Vera by TKO (strikes) at 4:40 of Round 1.

Middleweight bout: Nathan Marquardt vs. Thales Leites
Leites defeats Marquardt by split decision (28-27, 28-27, 27-28). Marquardt had 2 points deducted during the fight, one in round 2 (illegal knee to the head of a downed opponent) and the other in round 3 (punch to the back of the head).

Welterweight bout: Mike Swick vs. Marcus Davis
Swick defeats Davis by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 29-27. Swick had 1 point deducted in round 3 for holding the cage.

Middleweight bout: Michael Bisping vs. Jason Day
Bisping defeats Day by TKO (strikes) at 3:42 of Round 1.

Catchweight bout (175lb.): Matt Hughes vs. Thiago Alves
Alves defeats Hughes by TKO (knee) at 1:02 of Round 2. Alves was unable to make the welterweight limit of 170 lbs, officially weighing in at 174 lbs.

UFC 85 Picks

UFC 85 is airing today, and just as with UFC 84, many great fights are on the card. As before, my own personal picks are located below, with stats from all the fighters. Hope you enjoy.



Matt Hughes Vs. Thiago Alves

Name:
Matt Hughes
Height:
5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
43-6-0



Name:
Thiago Alves
Height:
5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
20-4-0
"Pit bull"


This, as much as people want to make it out to be a hard choice, is a very simple one. Alves didn't even make weight, and it wasn't even close (4 lbs over). What a joke. Hughes in either a 2nd round TKO, or decision.



Michael Bisping Vs. Jason Day

Name:
Michael Bisping
Height:
6' 2" (188 cm)
Weight:
185 (84 kg)
Record:
16-1-0
"The Count"

Name:
Jason Day
Height:
6' 1" (185 cm)
Weight:
185 (84 kg)
Record:
17-5-0
"Dooms"

Contrary to the Hughes fight, this is more competitive here. I like Day in the upset here as he's shown promise in his last UFC fight. 3rd round KO, or submission.

Marcus Davis Vs. Mike Swick

Name:
Marcus Davis
Height:
5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
19-4-0
"The Irish Hand Grenade"

Name:
Mike Swick
Height:
6' 1" (185 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
11-2-0
"Quick"

This has all the makings to be the fight of the night. I'm looking forward to this one, as Marcus has shown so much promise, taking all the adversity and dominating his last few fights. Swick dropped to this weight, which seems to be his natural weight, but I still see them slugging it out. Swick's dangerous, but Davis is more dangerous. I like this one ending before the end of the second round in favor of the "Irish Hand Grenade".


Nate Marquardt Vs. Thales Leites

Name:
Nate Marquardt
Height:
6' 0" (183 cm)
Weight:
185 (84 kg)
Record:
29-7-1
"The Great"

Name:
Thales Leites
Height:
6' 1" (185 cm)
Weight:
185 (84 kg)
Record:
12-1-0

Another heck of a fight. This has more submission threat to it than knockout power, as Leites and Marquardt are both very skilled in BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu). I like Nate in a decision, but don't be surprised to see Leites show some true heart.

Fabricio Werdum Vs. Brandon Vera

Name:
Fabricio Werdum
Height:
6' 4" (193 cm)
Weight:
231 (105 kg)
Record:
10-3-1
"Vai Cavalo"

Name:
Brandon Vera
Height:
6' 2" (188 cm)
Weight:
223 (101 kg)
Record:
8-1-0
"The Truth"

Though I am not a fan of Fabricio Werdum, the guy's skills are just nasty. He poses a threat no matter where it goes, which makes him a very good fighter all around. I just don't see it going the same way as the Gonzaga fight went (which was a disappointment by the way). Vera is also versatile either on the ground or standing, but I see this being a match decided by the fists. Vera by KO.

Jorge Rivera Vs. Martin Kampmann

Name:
Jorge Rivera
Height:
6' 1" (185 cm)
Weight:
185 (84 kg)
Record:
15-6-0
"El Conquistador"

Name:
Martin Kampmann
Height:
6' 0" (183 cm)
Weight:
185 (84 kg)
Record:
12-1-0
"The Hitman"

This is a very underrated fight with two very skilled fighters. Kampmann has show all the promise in the world to be a big-time fighter, but injury has really hindered him. Rivera, though he isn't getting any younger, comes off a win against highly favored Kendall Grove, and it was a nasty TKO for Grove at Rivera's hands. If it goes to decision, I like Kampmann, but otherwise look for Rivera to keep building momentum in the UFC.

Matt Wiman Vs. Thiago Tavares

Name:
Matt Wiman
Height:
5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight:
155 (70 kg)
Record:
9-3-0
"Handsome"

Name:
Thiago Tavares
Height:
5' 7" (170 cm)
Weight:
155 (70 kg)
Record:
17-1-0

I am a fan of Matt Wiman. He put up a very good stint on TUF Season 5, and is still young. However, I cannot go against Tavares in this one, as he looks like a fighter who could easily make 170 lbs. Tavares by TKO in the first round.


Roan Carneiro Vs. Kevin Burns

Name:
Roan Carneiro
Height:
5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
12-6-0
"Jucao"

Name:
Kevin Burns
Height:
5' 11" (180 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
6-1-0

Just going off the pictures, you can tell that I'm taking Carneiro. Not much is known about Burns, but based on Carneiro's past fights, I'm confident he can pull this out.

Luiz Cane Vs. Jason Lambert

Name:
Luiz Cane
Height:
6' 2" (188 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
8-1-0
"Banha"

Name:
Jason Lambert
Height:
5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
23-7-0
"The Punisher"

This is a little different from the last question mark man. Cane has some serious skills in the Cage, and has posted some tough fights to his name. However, Lambert SHOULD, and I stress that word, SHOULD win. I am not a fan of Lambert, and I think he is the thickest 205 lbs. man around. However he's shown streaks of decency, and that should be enough to get him his 24th win.

Paul Taylor Vs. Jess Liaudin

Name:
Paul Taylor
Height:
6' 0" (183 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
8-3-1
"Relentless"

Name:
Jess Liaudin
Height:
5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
12-9-0
"The Joker"

This fight should be nicknamed firecracker in a bottle. These are the slimmest guys besides Mike Swick at 170, and their fights have shown a serious pace that is hard normally to keep up. It's honestly a toss up here as Taylor is no slouch at striking, but Liaudin can duke it out too. I'll take Taylor because of his skill.


Antoni Hardonk Vs. Eddie Sanchez

Name:
Antoni Hardonk
Height:
6' 4" (193 cm)
Weight:
245 (111 kg)
Record:
6-4-0

Name:
Eddie Sanchez
Height:
6' 2" (188 cm)
Weight:
230 (104 kg)
Record:
10-1-0
"The Manic Hispanic"

This is an even matchup. Not necessarily a great one for either man, but it's even. Both like to punch, and Sanchez can take punishment from some of the best. I think Sanchez comes up with another highlight knockout over Hardonk.

UFC 84 Results

Sorry, I know it's a bit late, but better late than never right? Here's the results:

Preliminary Card

Heavyweight bout: Christian Wellisch vs. Shane Carwin
Carwin defeats Wellisch via TKO (strikes) at 0:44 of round 1.

Welterweight bout: Jason Tan vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Kim defeats Tan via TKO (strikes) at 0:25 of round 3. This preliminary fight was not shown on the broadcast.

Lightweight bout: Rich Clementi vs. Terry Etim
Clementi defeats Etim by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 29-28. This preliminary fight was not shown on the broadcast.

Welterweight bout: Jon Koppenhaver vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Yoshida defeats Koppenhaver via submission (anaconda choke) at 0:56 of round 1.

Middleweight bout: Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry
Palhares defeats Salaverry via submission (armbar) at 2:36 of round 1.

Light Heavyweight bout: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Sokoudjou defeats Nakamura by TKO (strikes) at 5:00 of round 1.

[edit] Main Card

Light Heavyweight bout: Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes
Silva defeats Mendes by Submission (strikes) at 2:24 of round 1.

Light Heavyweight bout: Tito Ortiz vs. Lyoto Machida
Machida defeats Ortiz by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 30-27.

Light Heavyweight bout: Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic
Reljic defeats Gouveia by TKO (strikes) at 3:15 of round 2.

Light Heavyweight bout: Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine
Silva defeats Jardine by KO (punches) at 0:36 of round 1.

Lightweight Championship bout: B.J. Penn VS. Sean Sherk
Penn defeats Sherk by TKO (strikes) after Sherk was unable to continue at the end of round 3. Penn retains the UFC Lightweight Title.

UFC 84 Line-Ups and Predictions

UFC 84 is airing tonight on Pay Per View. There's certainly some intriguing matchups. All the fights are listed below with my predictions. Comments, as always, are welcome.


BJ Penn Vs. Sean Sherk

Name:
BJ Penn
Height:
5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight:
155 (70 kg)
Record:
13-4-1
"The Prodigy"

Name:
Sean Sherk
Height:
5' 6" (168 cm)
Weight:
155 (70 kg)
Record:
35-2-1
"Muscle Shark"


This is a great matchup between two of the best lightweights out there. With all of the steroid allegations surrounding Sean Sherk, I don't know if he'll be able to overcome all the scrutiny and win back his title against Penn, who seems to be hitting his stride. I'm for Penn in this one.



Wanderlei Silva Vs. Keith Jardine

Name:
Wanderlei Silva
Height:
5' 11" (180 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
31-8-1
"The Axe Murderer"

Name:
Keith Jardine
Height:
6' 2" (188 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
13-4-1
"The Dean of Mean"

This is one heck of a bout, between a guy who cannot afford to lose in Wanderlei Silva, and a guy that has something to prove in Jardine. There's a lot of talk about Jardine being next in line for a title shot if he wins, however I think that is not quite the case. Either way, I look for Silva to come out aggressive because his back is against the wall, and pull out a win over Jardine. Jardine may shock the world with another win, but I don't see it happening.



Wilson Gouveia Vs. Goran Reljic

Name:
Wilson Gouveia
Height:
6' 1" (185 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
10-4-0

Name:
Goran Reljic
Height:
6' 3" (191 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
7-0-0


This is certainly a lesser known fight on the card, but I think Gouveia handles this one with relative ease. I like the way he uses his leg kicks, and though Reljic hails from Croatia, and has been training with former Pride star Mirko Cro Cop, I think Gouveia's experience makes this an easy pick.




Tito Ortiz Vs. Lyoto Machida

Name:
Tito Ortiz
Height:
6' 2" (188 cm)
Weight:
204 (93 kg)
Record:
16-5-1
"Huntington Beach Bad Boy"

Name:
Lyoto Machida
Height:
6' 1" (185 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
12-0-0


This quite possibly will be the best matchup of the night, with Tito's emotion and Machida's samurai mentality clashing. This has been said to be Ortiz's last fight with the UFC and if so, you can expect it to be a very emotional one. Ortiz has always been one for big entrances, so why would his exit be any different? However, there is a reason why Machida is undefeated, and he has shown that he is not intimidated whatsoever by Ortiz. His defense is just as good as anyone's in the UFC, and is comparable to someone like BJ Penn (defense-wise). I like the underdog Machida to take this one, but don't be surprised if Tito ground and pounds Machida to go out with a bang.




Thiago Silva Vs. Antonio Mendes

Name:
Thiago Silva
Height:
6' 1" (185 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
11-0-0

Name:
Antonio Mendes
Height:
6' 3" (191 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
14-2-0
"Samuray"



It's okay UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. We all have our off days. I'm just joking with you of course, but this really should be an easy win for Silva. I am going on the record as saying that in less than one year's time, barring any major upsets, Thiago Silva will be the UFC Light Heavyweight champion. I think this man is very underrated, and his skills are top notch. This should be an easy K.O. or submission win for the future star.


Ivan Salaverry Vs. Rousimar Palhares

Name:
Ivan Salaverry
Height:
6' 0" (183 cm)
Weight:
185 (84 kg)
Record:
12-5-1

Name:
Rousimar Palhares
Height:
5' 8" (173 cm)
Weight:
185 (84 kg)
Record:
16-1-0
"Toquinho"

This is definitely an undercard fight. Both guys are lesser known than others on this card, however Ivan Salaverry has been known to face decent competition in the past, and his defense is top notch. I like Salaverry in this, but there must be some reason for the 16-1 record for Palhares, right?


Rameau Sokoudjou Vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura

Name:
Rameau Sokoudjou
Height:
6' 0" (183 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
4-2-0
"The African Assassin"

Name:
Kazuhiro Nakamura
Height:
5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight:
205 (93 kg)
Record:
11-7-0
"Kaz"

This is a matchup of newer UFC guys in Nakamura and Sokoudjou. I expect "The African Assassin" to take this one, as Nakamura has only shown one thing since being in the UFC...comedy.


Rich Clementi Vs. Terry Etim

Name:
Rich Clementi
Height:
5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight:
155 (70 kg)
Record:
39-12-1
"No Love"

Name:
Terry Etim
Height:
6' 1" (185 cm)
Weight:
155 (70 kg)
Record:
10-1-0

This one should go Clementi's way, as he's shown a mean streak as of late, but Etim has done well thus far in the UFC and may make this fight his own. I say Clementi in a decision.


Jon Koppenhaver Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Name:
Jon Koppenhaver
Height:
5' 11" (180 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
6-1-0

Name:
Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Height:
5' 11" (180 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
9-2-0
"Zenko"

I think Koppenhaver should win this fight against Yoshida. Koppenhaver rebounded off his loss on TUF with an exciting win on the season's finale over fellow TUF cast member Jared "J-Roc" Rollins. If Koppenhaver wins, he could build momentum in an evergrowing welterweight division.



Jason Tan Vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Name:
Jason Tan
Height:
5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
5-1-0

Name:
Dong Hyun Kim
Height:
6' 3" (191 cm)
Weight:
170 (77 kg)
Record:
9-0-1
"Stun Gun"

Jason Tan is no joke. He posted one heck of a fight with Marcus Davis in his debut with the UFC. He had Davis rocked for a second, but eventually got KO'd. This is Kim's first fight in the UFC, and he's looking to do what Tan couldn't do in his debut, win. Even so, I like Tan in this one.


Christian Wellisch Vs. Shane Carwin

Name:
Christian Wellisch
Height:
6' 3" (191 cm)
Weight:
237 (108 kg)
Record:
9-2-0
"The Hungarian Nightmare"

Name:
Shane Carwin
Height:
6' 4" (193 cm)
Weight:
265 (120 kg)
Record:
8-0-0

If you took a look at the weigh-ins for this fight, you'd bet all your money on Shane Carwin to dominate this one. He looks in great shape, and may be a prototype of future Heavyweights to come. However, I like Wellisch in this only because of his experience. He's put up some decent highlights in the UFC, and this may add to his collection.

Liddell vs Kimbo

Well, if anyone's been following any MMA news recently, you know that Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has been going back and forth at it with MMA star Chuck Liddell. Liddell stated "Kimbo" shouldn't be bragging about his wins thus far as he's only been putting on fights streamed over the internet, and it's been against nobody of name value. Kimbo responded by saying that Chuck should keep his mouth closed, or he'll close it for him (paraphrasing of course). This has been widely talked about online recently, and I'd like to know other peoples' thoughts about it. I personally agree with Chuck as the majority out there does, and not to flaw Kimbo, but any guy with a ground game would definitely be able to take him out. I know Kimbo's been training with MMA Legend Bas Rutten, but is it enough to help him shoot up the MMA ladder? I've seen the fights Kimbo's put up, and they're brutal, but it's been against nobody like Chuck said. What would happen in a Liddell vs Kimbo fight? Who would win? Why? Any opinions?