This may be the first MMA fight some of your Moms, Dads, Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas, and Grandpas will each watch. It's possible this could be the first fight your Boss talks to you about at the coffee machine early Monday morning.
Depending on the performance these two Heavyweights put on Saturday Night it may be the first of many...or the last. The is the big first impression for the biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world and you couldn't find two better Heavyweight's to share this moment. So without further ado I give you...the picks!
Main Event (Live on FOX):
• Heavyweight Championship: Cain Velasquez (C) vs. Junior Dos Santos
This is the big one. You have UFC on Mainstream free network T.V. and Boxing on Pay Per View on the same night. What will everyone be talking about Monday morning at work? After being exposed to millions of new fans what will be next for the winner of this fight? The winner of Lesnar vs. Overeem, which for either of these two guys should be a gimmie. This one right here is the toss up. I can honestly say this fight was the toughest pick for me all year. Here goes nothing.....
Velasquez vs. Dos Santos and Preliminary Picks after the jump:
• Heavyweight Championship: Cain Velasquez (C) vs. Junior Dos Santos
Do you believe in ring rust? Personally, I do. No I'm not asking to take your hand in marriage. I'm talking about UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and his year + absence from the world famous Octagon. Dos Santos has only gotten busy himself once since Velasquez won the title. The 15 minutes of work he put in against Shane Carwin this past May was probably the most impressive we've seen from "Cigano".
I'm gonna be honest. If this fight was scheduled for 3 Rounds my pick would be Junior Dos Santos. Junior Dos Santos is a man on fire. He will come out of the gate raging while Velasquez tries to find his pace. We've seen Cain in trouble once before when he got rocked multiple times via the French sensation Cheick Kongo back in Cologne, Germany at UFC 99. Aside from the Kongo fight, Cain has finished all of his other fights in most impressive and violent fashion. I believe Junior will test the Champs chin in the early rounds and put him on queer street. When it's all said and done though, I see Velasquez retaining his title and finishing Dos Santos via TKO in the Championship Rounds.
Preliminary Card (Live on Facebook and FoxSports.com)
• Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
To the hardcore MMA fans this fight is just as exciting as the Main Event. Word around the campfire is that the winner of this contest will likely challenge Frankie "Iron Man" Edgar for the UFC Lightweight Championship in Japan early next year.
Why isn't this on the FOX broadcast??? I have your answer(s) right here. First off, the UFC on FOX deal doesn't really begin until 2012. Look at the Velasquez vs. Dos Santos fight as a sneak preview of sorts. Secondly, America may or may not be ready for the overabundance of flowing locks and Carpenter burps. That said, this is a fight that has potential to be fight of the year! Guida and Henderson are no stranger to fight of the year honors in the past and I feel like FOX could be missing gold right here. Even giving this fight a half hour spot on FX leading into the FOX broadcast would've been a great idea.
Enough of the build up. From here on out it's straight head over heart 'Pick Em. As a Clay Guida fan for a minute now I'd love nothing more than to see "The Carpenter" finally get his title shot early next year against Edgar in the Land of the Rising Sun. My head says that Henderson is slightly better than Guida in most aspects of the game. Standing up I give the advantage to Bendo and once it hits the ground I don't see anyway that Guida can control Bendo for more than a few seconds. I have Henderson winning this one via submission.
• Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
I like Poirier to catch Garza with some vicious blows early finding himself feeling a bit too comfortable in the Scarecrows web. "Scarecrow" Garza via Submission.
• Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Swanson starts his climb back up with an impressive submission victory over Lamas.
• DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Johnson via Submission. Early.
• Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Go ahead and feel free to welcome back the beastmode "Kid" Yamamoto of old back tomorrow night. Yamamoto via ultraviolent TKO.
• Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
This one is a toss up in Vegas. I'll flip a coin and call heads. Semerzier via decision.
• Cole Escovedo vs. Alex Caceres
Escovedo via thank you for giving me this freebie.
• Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
How about we go ahead and rename this thing UFC on FOX: Pierce vs. Bradley II? I'll pick Bradley to even the score in this one via Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.
• Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Lucas via KO
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