Nov
14
2009
1

UFC 105 Main Card Predictions

By Bryan Levick (BryanLevick@mmaratings.net)

A busy month of November continues as UFC 105 takes place this Saturday from Manchester, England. The card will be headlined by a light heavyweight showdown between UFC Hall of Famer, Randy Couture and UFC underachiever, Brandon “The Truth” Vera. Spike TV will be airing a tape delay broadcast starting at 8pm.

UFC 105 is just one of three major shows that Zuffa is presenting this month. WEC 44 which features a main event for the featherweight championship between champion, Mike Brown and number one contender Jose Aldo will take place on November 18th. Last but not least is UFC 106 which features a returning Tito Ortiz as he once again goes toe to toe with Forrest Griffin. That card will be held in Las Vegas on November 21st.

On to my predictions, last week I went four for four on the Fedor vs. Rogers, Strikeforce card. Let’s see if I can keep up my hot streak!

Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera

Couture will make his first appearance as a light heavyweight since losing to Chuck Liddell at UFC 57 in February of 2006. He hung up the gloves for a year and returned to dethrone heavyweight champion, Tim Sylvia. He makes the drop following two consecutive losses. At 46 years old and armed with a new contract it seems as if “The Natural” is here for the long haul. Both Couture and Vera fought in August at UFC 102 so the quick turnaround applies to both men. A win here for Couture could put him in line for a shot at the light heavyweight championship. This will mark just the third time in 16 career fights in the UFC that he isn’t fighting for a title.

This could be a make or break situation for Vera. The UFC is still looking for him to recapture the magic that made him one of the brightest prospects in the organization back in 2006. Since dropping down to the 205lb division, Vera has gone 3-1 but has put on lackluster performances in all 4 bouts. He will need to be at his absolute best against Couture. There may be a 14 year age difference but as we have seen before, age is just a number when it comes to Randy.

I haven’t seen anything from Vera in his recent bouts that suggests to me that he can beat the upper echelon fighters. Couture will use his wrestling and great clinch work to his advantage while keeping Vera off balance the entire fight. I see this one going the distance and Couture ending his two fight losing streak. Randy Couture via unanimous decision.

Dan Hardy vs. Mike Swick

Is this match-up really to establish who gets the next crack at Georges St. Pierre and the UFC welterweight title? While I am a fan of both fighters, I don’t see either man being the least bit of a threat to GSP. Both men’s biggest win in the 170lb division has come against Marcus Davis! Nothing against Davis, he is a fine fighter but come on, he is not even in the top 10.

Swick has an impressive 9-1 record in the UFC and is a perfect 4-0 as a welterweight. It is his competition that leaves a lot to be desired. His biggest win was probably against UFC reject David Loiseau back in 2006. The toughest opponent he has faced is Yushin Okami to whom he lost via unanimous decision. Hardy’s record is 22-6 overall and he is 3-0 in the UFC with wins over Davis, Akihiro Gono and Rory Markham, not exactly a murderer’s row.

Both men like to stand and trade so the fight should be extremely exciting. I would have to give Swick the slight edge in ground work but don’t expect to see either fighter eager to hit the canvas. This is a case of going with the devil I know best and that would have to be Swick. Mike Swick via unanimous decision.

Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang

The return of the prodigal English son to his homeland. Bisping will be looking to get himself back in the win column after suffering a devastating and humiliating loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100. I am anxious to see how Bisping bounces back from his first loss. After running his mouth in the months before his bout with Henderson, Bisping has been surprisingly quiet. He faces a fighter in Denis Kang who can beat his opponents just as easily by knockout as he can by submission.

Kang will look to use Bisping to move up the middleweight ladder. Another loss for Kang will spell trouble as he is just 1-1 with the organization. A win over a fighter like Bisping will get him a shot at a top middleweight fighter. Bisping is looking to prove that he isn’t just hype and that what happened in his fight with Henderson was just an aberration.

Bisping wants no part of the ground game of Kang. He will use a strategy similar to the one he used against Chris Leben where he will utilize his footwork to land the occasional punch and to avoid being tagged himself. This will lead to a boring 3 round fight, frustrating Kang which could cause him to make a mistake. More than likely, I see Bisping taking home a weak decision. Michael Bisping via unanimous decision.

Matt Brown vs. James Wilks

I don’t know much about Wilks other than what I saw of him during his time on The Ultimate Fighter. Brown is a fan favorite due to his never say die attitude which extends outside of the octagon as well. Both fighters have good submissions and good stand-up. This one has the potential to be the fight of the night.

Wilks will be fighting in front of his countrymen for the first time since capturing the six figure contract. The fans will be loud, boisterous and looking for the Brit to win by spectacular fashion. In my opinion, it is just not going to happen for Wilks. Brown is as tough as they come and will survive the initial attack from Wilks. Matt Brown via third round TKO.

Ross Pearson vs. Aaron Riley

Pearson is also returning home after winning the lightweight contract on The Ultimate Fighter. He will be looking to make a big splash in a crowded UFC lightweight division. A win over a tough veteran like Riley will help him gain the necessary experience he will need in order to survive in the organization. Riley represents the type of fighter who may not possess all the talent in the world but has a ton of heart and determination.

I see a very competitive three round affair here. Riley has an advantage on the ground. Neither man is known as a knockout artist so you can expect to see a lot of submission attempts throughout the entire 15 minutes. A win here for Pearson but it comes with a lot of difficulty. Ross Pearson via unanimous decision.

So there it is, stay tuned as I will be taking a look at WEC 44 and UFC 106 next week.

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