Randy Couture vs.  Mark Coleman

For the first time in UFC history two active hall-of-famers will clash in the octagon. It is the opinion of experts that both men are past their prime. But one man retains an advantage. At 46 Randy Couture continues to push his limits no matter what milestone he has reached in life. Couture walks into this fight in the best possible shape. Couture demonstrated his physical abilities and fitness when he earned a unanimous victory in his last fight against a young Brandon Vera; an experienced fighter. I believe Mark Coleman will be unable to handle Couture’s merciless aggression and match his stamina. Even though Coleman is mentally prepared for this challenge, I think he will be outwrestled by Couture. Couture will wear Coleman down. Coleman's lack of stamina will be evident as Couture takes him to the fence. Couture will then lock Coleman down on the ground and land clean punches to the face.

Prediction: Couture – TKO Round 3

Nate Marquardt vs.  Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen is seen as the underdog in this match and Marquardt is favored for good reason. Marquardt is one of the hardest workers in the UFC middleweight division and he is a threat to any one aiming to gain a title shot against current middleweight champ, Anderson Silva. Since Marquardt’s UFC 85 loss to Thales Leitis, he has returned stronger than ever racking up 3 consecutive wins by (T)KO. Not to take away anything from Sonnen, for I have think he will prove to be a great challenge for Marquardt and likely control a fair portion of the fight. But the hungry Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Marquardt, will expose holes in Sonnen’s ground defense and grapple his way to a submission victory.

Prediction: Marquardt – Submission Round 2

Mike Swick vs.  Paulo Thiago

An all-out slug fest between these two men would be spectacular! Mike Swick appears motivated to return to the title-contention road. Coming off a setback loss during a winning streak in the welterweight division, Swick will return stronger. Paulo Thiago must avoid Swick’s stand up strike-game and have a game plan that neutralizes Swick’s stamina in the same way Dan Hardy did. Swick must not consider Thiago a stepping stone on the return to the road to a title match. These men match up evenly in a match that could go either way.

Prediction: Swick TKO Round 3

Demian Maia vs.  Dan Miller

I’ve noticed a pattern in MMA when two contenders are experts in the same discipline. The combatants put their mastered skills aside and end up fighting in an unorthodox manner in an attempt to get an edge. I can see these two Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experts slugging it out with strikes, kicks, knees, and a great deal of inside maneuvers. Maia is coming off a recent loss and he may let down his guard because of Miller’s kicks during the match. For that reason I’m going to take a flyer and predict Miller the winner by KO.

Prediction: Miller KO Round 1

Matt Serra vs.  Frank Trigg

Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg trades the broadcast booth for the Octagon. The trash talking between Serra and Trigg has reached new heights for entertainment. One must wonder what else is left for the Octagon after harsh barbs such as “juiced up Guido”. Can you guess the originator of that shot?

If only his strikes were as powerful as his words. The words will only work in Matt Serra’s favour however. Serra hasn’t fought since his grudge match against Matt Hughes nearly 8 months ago at UFC 98. Serra walked away with the decision loss but demonstrated great defense against the future Hall-of-Famer Hughes. This match between two MMA veterans will likely be a strategic but somewhat boring fight. Neither contender will take an aggressive approach but wait for counter opportunities. In our opinion, Serra will out-skill Trigg on the ground and score more points.

Prediction: Matt Serra split decision.