MMAVu

UFC is back, with one of those “B-Level” type cards…but can you really blame them? Most of their talent is booked for their 100th show next month. While Franklin and Silva are legit headliners, Cain Velasquez and Cheik Kongo are supposed to be the co-main event?

UFC 99 Main Event:

Wanderlei Silva (194lbs) vs. Rich Franklin (194lbs)
My heart says Wanderlei, my head says Franklin. My wallet says Franklin too. They may both be coming off losses, but Franklin hasn’t hit the sharp decline yet, as Wanderlei seems to have. If Wanderlei can manage to bull his way in quickly, it will be another rape-choke finish for him. If not, look for Franklin to win by decision.

Cheick Kongo (230lbs) vs. Cain Velasquez (239lbs)
This could very well be Cain’s coming out party. Kongo is on a roll with 3 straight wins, but his achilles heel is wrestling, and that’s exactly what Cain is. If he’s done his homework, he’ll watch some tapes of UFC 64, where the under-sized Carmelo Marerro took Kongo down at will and held him down for a decision win.

Ben Saunders (169lbs) vs. Mike Swick (169lbs)
While Saunders is the “sexy” pick, due to his destruction of Brandon Wolff, Wolff is really a 155′er with average skill. Swick has fought bigger and better guys (and won) so take Swick by TKO in the first.

Dan Hardy (170lbs) vs. Marcus Davis (171lbs)
Should be a good one. I pick Hardy to take a nap, sometime before the end of the 2nd round. Davis is too good and too experienced for Hardy at this time.

Caol Uno (155lbs) vs. Spencer Fisher (154lbs)
Good to see one of the originals back in action. Uno has a tough chore in Fisher, and I’m taking Fisher to spoil Uno’s return.

Mustapha Al-Turk (236lbs) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (233lbs)
The 2nd return, Cro Cop’s, will be more successful. Take a rejuvenated Cro Cop to take Mustapha out by TKO in round 1.

UFC 99 Preliminary Bouts:

Justin Buchholz (155lbs) vs. Terry Etim (156lbs)
Dale Hartt (156lbs) vs. Dennis Siver (156lbs)
Paul Taylor (169lbs) vs. Peter Sobotta (169lbs)
Roli Delgado (155lbs) vs. Paul Kelly (156lbs)
Stefan Struve (248lbs) vs. Denis Stojnic (241lbs)
Rick Story (169lbs) vs. John Hathaway (170lbs)

UFC 99: Cain Velasquez takes on Cheik Kongo

UFC heavyweight Cheik Kongo has stepped up to replace the injured Heath Herring against Cain Velasquez at UFC 99 in Cologne, Germany on June 13. Velasquez is the hot prospect in the UFC now, and is currently 5-0.

Kongo is hot off the heels of a TKO victory over Dutch kickboxer Antoni Hardonk at UFC 97, giving Haronk his first and only TKO loss. The win was Kongo’s fifth in his last six bouts, with his lone defeat coming ironically at the hands of the man he replaced, Heath Herring.

Velasquez most recently put the boots to Denis Stojnic at UFC fight night 17, taking him out by TKO. Velasquez is part of the new breed of ultra big, ultra fast, ultra athletic heavyweights. Think Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley. This will be Cain’s biggest test, and Kongo’s biggest test in quite some time.