>UFC 117 Predictions

Past Predictions (UFC 100-102, 104-111, 113-114, UFC on VERSUS 1-2): 82-76-1
Last Card: 7-3

PRELIMS
Ben Saunders vs. Dennis Hallman
Hallman has crazy experience, but Saunders is just plain crazy. A guy like Hallman is either going to charge forward or lay back too much. He's experienced and that means he will be able to pick apart most fighters. But who can predict Ben Saunders? In his two losses, people got lucky. Crazy + Reach = Victory number 9.
Saunders by 2nd Round TKO

Stefan Struve vs. Christian Morecraft
Struve's reach isn't as much as you'd think it would be cracked up to be. Morecraft is not slouch either in height and his weight, record and mystery are enough to outdo Struve's hesitance.
Morecraft by Unanimous Decision

Johny Hendricks vs. Charlie Brenneman
Such an even matchup where the fighters have a combined 20-1 record. This could be a match that helps shape the future of the welterweight division long after the clog at the top straightens itself out and the mid-level guys (Hughes, Serra, etc.) finally retire. This could be the fight of the night and that is saying alot.
Hendricks by 3rd Round TKO

Tim Boestch vs. Todd Brown
Not much here, I just don't think Brown has the ability to outduel his counterpart. Sadly, Boestch needs sometone to push him.
Boestch by Unanimous Decision

Phil Davis vs. Rodney Wallace
This is the fight that will really show that Wallace's potential time has already passed him by. He's powerful, but Davis is closer to today's prototypical light heavyweight. He stays unbeaten.
Davis by 1st Round Submission

Dustin Hazelett vs. Rick Story
Quick one here again. Story lucked out against Nick Osipczak and Hazelett won't give him the time of day to sneak by.
Hazelett by 1st Round KO

MAIN CARD
Junior Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson
All conventional wisdom says that Junior Dos Santos will knock the shit out of Big Country. He has powered his weigh through opponents and became the heavyweight division's next big thing (no easy task among the world of next big things: Lesnar, Carwin, Duffee, Velasquez). Then a funny thing happened: along came Roy Nelson, the former IFL champion, and all conventional wisdom has gone away. Conventional wisdom said that Kimbo Slice would pound this fat guys' face in. Conventional wisdom said that the younger, far more athletic Brendan Schaub would just go to town on Nelson. Conventional wisdom even said that Stefan Struve's reach was gonna be way too much. But somehow, Roy Nelson has been plowing through the UFC. I've picked against Roy...and I've been wrong...somehow. I like JDS, I really do, and I expect good things to happen in his career.
Nelson by 2nd Round KO

Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida
I hate Matt Hughes. But really, why are the experts picking him to lose. The UFC considers this guy the greatest welterweight of all-time. I rank him 2nd. Either way, Ricardo Almeida isn't in the top 15 ever, if even close to that.
Hughes by Ground and Pound in 3rd Round

Clay Guida vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
If Frankie Edgar gets back in the cage and beats BJ Penn again, then I see Penn going up to welterweight. Why is that important here? Because Clay Guida has always had a ceiling in the division. But with the likes of Diego Sanchez, Nate Diaz and perhaps Penn moving on up, Guida has the chance of a lifetime if he can win here. The man can fight with inspiration and fire that I don't know if Dos Anjos has.
Guida by Split Decision

Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves
The rematch. The same result. Alves, I believe, has rushed back too much from the injuries, failed to make weight at the official weigh-ins and is just not mentally in this from what I saw at the press conference.
Fitch by 1st Round TKO

UFC Middleweight Championship
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
The consensus is that Sonnen's only hope is to take down and lay on top of Silva five times. But Sonnen has noted that he plans to swing at Silva. So here is how it really will go: Sonnen tries to swing in round one, but realizes he can't swing with The Spider. The round is close, could go either way. In round two, he goes with the lay and pray theory, takes Anderson down a minute in and lays there for the 10-9. In round three, Anderson gets restless and makes Chael look like Forrest Griffin. All that, or Anderson actually nuts up and knocks Chael out in round one. My heart and my cheers Saturday night go to Chael Sonnen, who I enjoy as a fighter and as a comedy act...but my brains stills works and so do Anderson Silva's limbs.
Silva by 3rd Round TKO to RETAIN the UFC Middleweight Championship