The UFC heads to the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. for a middleweight title fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. The Las Vegas Sun’s prediction panel of Brett Okamoto, Yahoo.com’s Kevin Iole and ESPN Radio’s Steve Cofield offers a closer look into all 11 fights on the card, as well as predictions on which fighters will come out on top.
Anderson Silva
- Age: 35
- Height: 6’2''
- Weight: 185
- UFC record 11-0
- MMA record 26-4
- Out of: Curitiba, Brazil
- Betting line: -700
Chael Sonnen
- Age: 33
- Height: 6’1''
- Weight: 185
- UFC record 4-3
- MMA record 26-10-1
- Out of: Wes Linn, Ore.
- Betting line: +450
Middleweight Championship Bout
Main Event
Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Demian Maia at UFC 112.
Punch list: Widely considered to be the best fighter in the world, UFC president Dana White recently referred to some of Silva’s movements in the octagon as ‘fighting genius.’ After stopping the first eight opponents he faced in the UFC however, Silva has gone the distance in the two of his last three.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Silva
Cofield: Silva
Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Nate Marquardt at UFC 109.
Punch list: As good as Sonnen is at getting his opponents to the ground and beating them up, he has shown a weakness on the ground. Seven of Sonnen’s 10 professional losses have come by way of submission.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Silva
Thiago Alves
- Age: 26
- Height: 5’9’'
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 9-3
- MMA record 22-5
- Out of: Coconut Creek, Fla.
- Betting line: -130
Jon Fitch
- Age: 32
- Height: 6’0''
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 12-1
- MMA record 25-3
- Out of: San Jose, Calif.
- Betting line: EVEN
Welterweight Bout
Co-Main Event
Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100.
Punch list: Alves hasn’t fought since dropping a lopsided decision to Georges St. Pierre in a welterweight title fight in July 2009. Before that, Alves had ran off seven straight wins, including a unanimous decision over Fitch’s training partner Josh Koscheck at UFC 90.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Fitch
Cofield: Fitch
Last fight: Unanimous decision over Ben Saunders at UFC 111.
Punch list: Although Dana White has said Fitch could be on a collision course with teammate Josh Koscheck if they both win their next fights, Fitch has said in recent interviews he wouldn’t fight his buddy even for the belt and could possibly make a move to 185 if Koscheck becomes champion in December.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Fitch
Rafael Dos Anjos
- Age: 25
- Height: 5’9’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 3-2
- MMA record 14-4
- Out of: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Betting line: -105
Clay Guida
- Age: 28
- Height: 5’7’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 6-5
- MMA record 26-8
- Out of: Albuquerque, N.M.
- Betting line: -125
Lightweight Bout
Last fight: Second round win by submission over Terry Etim at UFC 112.
Punch list: The submission specialist Dos Anjos lost his first two fights in the UFC but has given himself some job security with wins in his last three fights. He recorded his first submission win in the organization in his latest fight with an armbar over Terry Etim at UFC 112.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Guida
Cofield: Guida
Last fight: Second round win by submission over Shannon Gugerty at UFC on VERSUS: Vera vs. Jones
Punch list: This will be Guida’s third fight under trainer Greg Jackson. After a submission loss to Florian in his first fight under his new trainer, Guida rebounded with a second-round submission win of his own in March.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Dos Anjos
Ricardo Almeida
- Age: 33
- Height: 6’0''
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 5-3
- MMA record 12-3
- Out of: New York, N.Y.
- Betting line: -145
Matt Hughes
- Age: 36
- Height: 5’9''
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 17-5
- MMA record 45-7
- Out of: Hillsboro, Ill.
- Betting line: +115
Welterweight Bout
Last fight: Second round win by submission over Matt Brown at UFC 111.
Punch list: Almeida says it’s nothing personal with Matt Hughes, even though he admits watching him defeat his coach Renzo Gracie in April was an ‘emotional night.’ As soon as that fight ended, Almeida requested he be Hughes’s next opponent.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Almeida
Cofield: Almeida
Last fight: Third round win by TKO over Renzo Gracie at UFC 112.
Punch list: Hughes seems content with fighting for the enjoyment of it and not worrying about where he stacks up in the division. Originally, Hughes said he wanted a long time off after his last fight but said fighting now works out well because he ‘won’t miss hunting season.’
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Hughes
Junior Dos Santos
- Age: 25
- Height: 6’4’’
- Weight: 238
- UFC record 5-0
- MMA record 11-1
- Out of: Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Betting line: -400
Roy Nelson
- Age: 34
- Height: 6’0’’
- Weight: 263
- UFC record 2-0
- MMA record 16-4
- Out of: Las Vegas
- Betting line: +300
Heavyweight Bout
Last fight: First round win by KO over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC on VERSUS: Vera vs. Jones.
Punch list: Dos Santos is still young but many believe he’s as ready to fight for the heavyweight title as anybody. In his first fight in the UFC, Dos Santos brutally knocked out Fabricio Werdum, which turned out to be Werdum’s last fight in the organization.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Dos Santos
Cofield: Dos Santos
Last fight: First round win by KO over Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 21.
Punch list: Nelson said he was ready to fight for the title immediately after winning the tenth season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ in December. He’s known as a well rounded fighter, but he’s looked to show off his hands in the early part of his UFC career, knocking out the first two fighters he’s faced.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Dos Santos
Dustin Hazelett
- Age: 24
- Height: 6’1’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 5-3
- MMA record 14-5
- Out of: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Betting line: +110
Rick Story
- Age: 25
- Height: 5’10’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 3-1
- MMA record 10-3
- Out of: Tacoma, Wash.
- Betting line: -140
Welterweight Bout
Last fight: First round loss by KO to Paul Daley at UFC 108.
Punch list: After a nasty knockout loss to Paul Daley in his last fight, Hazelett will return to the octagon a little too soon by his doctor’s advice. Hazelett had his orbital bone broken in the fight against Daley and could have it fractured again if he takes another shot. But it’s a risk the fighter was willing to take.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Hazelett
Cofield: Hazelett
Last fight: Split decision win over Nick Osipczac at UFC 112.
Punch list: Story is 3-0 in his last three fights but largely unsatisfied after seeing the last two go to a split decision. He recently invested in a new gym along with his coaches to give himself a private place to train.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Story
Phil Davis
- Age: 25
- Height: 6’2’’
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 2-0
- MMA record 6-0
- Out of: Harrisburg, Penn..
- Betting line: -600
Rodney Wallace
- Age: 28
- Height: 5’9’’
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 0-2
- MMA record 9-2
- Out of: Charlotte, N.C.
- Betting line: +400
Light Heavyweight Bout
Last fight: First round win by submission over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 112.
Punch list: Davis is a heavy favorite in the fight despite taking it on two weeks notice. A member of the highly regarded American Kickboxing Academy, Davis says he’s always in fighting shape and didn’t think twice about accepting the bout.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Davis
Cofield: Davis
Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Jared Hamman at UFC 111.
Punch list: Wallace has had a tough go since joining the UFC last December, dropping back-to-back unanimous decisions. Likely fighting to save his spot on the UFC roster, he’ll have to get by Davis, one of the brightest prospects in the division.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Davis
Tim Boetsch
- Age: 29
- Height: 6’0’’
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 2-2
- MMA record 8-3
- Out of: Camden, Maine
- Betting line: -360
Todd Brown
- Age: 38
- Height: 5’11’’
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 0-0
- MMA record 15-1
- Out of: Osceola, Ind.
- Betting line: +280
Light Heavyweight Bout
Last fight: First round win by KO over Reese Shaner at North American Fighting Championship.
Punch list: After being let go by the UFC in March 2009, Boetsch is back in after a three-fight win streak in outside organizations. Boetsch’s three losses have all come against game opponents: Jason Brilz, Matt Hamill and Vladimir Matyushenko.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Boetsch
Cofield: Brown
Last fight: Second round win over Rodney Sleepers at XXX Extreme Fighting.
Punch list: Brown steps in for the injured Thiago Silva to make his UFC debut this weekend. Brown’s wins have all come in Midwest-based promotions. His only loss came in 2007 at the hands of Josh Hendricks, who eventually fought in the UFC.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Boetsch
Charlie Brenneman
- Age: 29
- Height: 5’10’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 1-0
- MMA record 12-1
- Out of: Hollidaysburg, Penn.
- Betting line: +350
Johny Hendricks
- Age: 26
- Height: 5’9”
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 3-0
- MMA record 8-0
- Out of: Las Vegas
- Betting line: -500
Welterweight Bout
Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Jason High at UFC Fight Night 21.
Punch list: The well-rounded Brenneman comes in riding seven-fight win streak. His only loss came to UFC veteran John Howard, who defeated him by unanimous decision at a Ring of Combat show in 2008.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Hendricks
Cofield: Hendricks
Last fight: Majority decision win over T.J. Grant at UFC 113.
Punch list: Hendricks says he doesn’t remember it, but he’s actually competed against Brenneman before. The two faced at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in 2004. Brenneman was a senior at Lock Haven University and Hendricks was a freshman at Oklahoma State University. Hendricks won the match.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Hendricks
Christian Morecraft
- Age: 23
- Height: 6’6’’
- Weight: 260
- UFC record 0-0
- MMA record 6-0
- Out of: Plymouth, Mass.
- Betting line: +210
Stefan Struve
- Age: 22
- Height: 6’11’’
- Weight: 238
- UFC record 3-2
- MMA record 23-4
- Out of: Beverwijk, Netherlands
- Betting line: -270
Welterweight Bout
Last fight: First round win by submission over Lee Beane at CFX 9.
Punch list: Morecraft will be one of te few opponents that Struve doesn’t absolutely tower over. At 6-foot-8, Morecraft isn’t exactly a short fellow and has ended every one of his six professional fights in the first round.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Struve
Cofield: Struve
Last fight: First round loss by KO to Roy Nelson at UFC Fight Night 21.
Punch list: The talented Struve will look to rebound from a first round TKO loss to Roy Nelson in March. Struve will have an interesting advantage watching the night’s heavyweight contender fight, as he is the only man to have faced both Nelson and Junior Dos Santos.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Struve
Dennis Hallman
- Age: 34
- Height: 5’9’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 1-4
- MMA record 64-13-2
- Out of: Olympia, Wash.
- Betting line: +280
Ben Saunders
- Age: 27
- Height: 6’3’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 4-2
- MMA record 8-2-2
- Out of: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Betting line: -360
Welterweight Bout
Last fight: Third round loss by TKO to John Howard at TUF 10 Finale.
Punch list: Hallman is looking forward to competing for the first time without suffering an allergy attack during the fight. He recently found out he’s allergic to wheat and had been lacking energy throughout his career due to the condition. Hallman’s diet is now wheat-free.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Saunders
Cofield: Hallman
Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Jon Fitch at UFC 111.
Punch list: Saunders jumped at an opportunity to fight Jon Fitch on late notice at UFC 111 but was unable to make the most of it. He was handled fairly easily by Fitch in a decision loss and has now dropped two of his last three fights. He’ll look to turn it around against Hallman.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Saunders