MMAVu

Main event:UFC 205lbs Champion Rashad Evans (13-0-1) vs. Lyoto Machida (14-0). This has the potential to be two counter-punchers waiting for the other to go, but it won’t turn out like that. Machida’s style is in and out, while Evans likes to counter…and showboat. The question is wether Evans can figure out and time Machida’s attacks, because from the looks of thinks Machida is extremely difficult to take down. Watch for Evans to grow frustrated and attempt some takedowns by the 2nd round, and for Machida to catch Evans in, oh, I don’t know…an arm triangle.

Main card:

170 lbs: Matt Hughes (42-7) vs. Matt Serra (9-5). This bout comes about 18 months too late, but at least it gives two deserving guys a nice payday. Watch for Hughes to take Serra down, and work him over for the entire 15 minutes. Serra has about a 10% puncher’s chance of taking this via a wild overhead bomb, but otherwise, Hughes will grind out a decision.

185 lbs: Xavier Foupas-Pokam (20-10) vs. Drew McFedries (7-5). Not sure how this one makes the main card…perhaps it’s because the UFC knows that McFedries has zero ground game and will stand and bang. Professor X will take Drew out, 1st round.

185 lbs: Chael Sonnen (21-10-1) vs. Dan Miller (11-1). Sonnen was a big fish in a shallow WEC pool and now that he’s with the big boys, he’ll soon find out that he’s a lower level gatekeeper fighter. You don’t fight over 30 fights and lose a third of them by accident. Miller by UD.

155 lbs: Sean Sherk (33-3) vs. Frank Edgar (9-1). Poor Frankie. This will be very similar to his Gray Maynard fight, with Sherk just a bit bigger, stronger and more experienced. Sherk is a win or two from another title shot and he’ll take no chances, and grind out a decision over Frankie…who really could make 145lbs and be a terror in that division.

They keep dropping line flies for UFC 98. The latest casualty is Houston Alexander, who suffered a broken hand while training. This makes the casualty count…6 I believe. Yushin Okami, Quinton Jackson, James Irvin, Frank Mir and Josh Koscheck were all at one point scheduled to be on this card.

This harkens back to the UFC 85 card, where it was originally supposed to be Liddell vs Shogun, then Liddell vs Evans, then finally changed to Matt Hughes vs Thiago Alves. It’s a good thing the UFC has a deep roster to fill these sudden changes. This news comes on the heels of all the other changes to the card.

The truth of the matter is that Alexander has lost his last three fights emphatically, after exploding onto the scene in 2007. This was likely Alexander’s last chance with the UFC. No one, save Patrick Cote, loses four fights in a row and stays with the company. It should be noted that Cote did win some fights during TUF 4, making it to the finals of the show. This just buys Alexander some more time…but things aren’t look for the charismatic, 37yr old, single father with one kidney who also DJs and talks to troubled youth. On second thought, the UFC should keep this guy around just because he is such a great story…

Here’s the card as it stands now:

Main event:

UFC L205lb Champion Rashad Evans (13-0-1) vs. Lyoto Machida (14-0)

Main card

170 lbs: Matt Hughes (42-7) vs. Matt Serra (9-5)
185 lbs: Xavier Foupa-Pokum (20-10) vs. Drew McFedries (7-5)
185 lbs: Chael Sonnen (21-10-1) vs. Dan Miller (11-1)
155 lbs: Sean Sherk (33-3) vs. Frank Edgar (9-1)

Prelims:

170 lbs: Brock Larson (25-2) vs. Chris Wilson (14-5)
265 lbs: Tim Hague (9-1) vs. Patrick Barry (4-0)
155 lbs: Phillipe Nover (5-1-1) vs. Kyle Bradley (13-6)
185 lbs: Andre Gusmao (5-1) vs. TBD
170 lbs: Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-3) vs. Brandon Wolff (7-3)
155 lbs: Dave Kaplan (2-2) vs. George Roop (8-4)