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The Good

Vitor Belfort - Say what you will about Vitor Belfort’s resurgence and whether or not it’s directly related to his use of TRT but there is no denying the results as for the second time this year he finished a top 5 middleweight by knockout. This time around it was Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold who was looking to make a statement in his UFC debut. Instead it was Belfort who made his mark by dropping Rockhold with a spinning head kick followed by a flurry of trademark punches that forced the referee to intervene and stop the fight. The Brazilian crowd which was lively most of the night erupted upon the bouts conclusion as their fellow countrymen won in emphatic fashion and potentially earned himself another shot at the 185 pound title. This older version of Belfort resembles the old Vitor that fans have clamored for for years.

Lucas Matthysse – It may not have turned into the back and forth war that many fans expected yet even more surprisingly may have been the final result as Lucas Matthysse scored a third round stoppage of Lamont Peterson. Early on it looked as if Peterson would employ more of a boxing style and try to control the fight from a distance but it wouldn’t be long before Matthysse would force Peterson into his kind of fight. The Argentinian sent Peterson to the canvas late in the second round and although the Washington DC product got to his feet it felt like the beginning of the end. Matthysse came out looking for the finish in the third round and Peterson decided to stand his ground which would be a mistake as both fighters threw and landed hooks but it would be Matthysse’s which would do more damage sending Peterson to the canvas. Once again Lamont beat the count but was unsteady on his feet and Matthysse sensed as much rushing Peterson knocking him down once more where referee you stopped the contest. It was Matthysse’s best performance to date and sets up a long-awaited showdown between himself and WBC, WBA, and Ring 140 pound champ Danny Garcia.

Lamont Peterson vs Lucas Matthysse - Although we are not even half way into the year, 2013 has already given us numerous fight of the year contenders and another potential entry takes place this weekend as Junior Welterweight titleists Lamont Peterson and Lucas Matthysse face-off. Originally this was scheduled to be a unification fight but the weight limit has been moved up to 141 pounds, yet while no championship belts are on the line the stakes are still high as the winner is scheduled to face current division kingpin Danny Garcia later this year. While this fight is not getting nearly the attention of Floyd Mayweather’s recent contest, it is one that is eagerly anticipated by hard-core fans of boxing. The matchup seems like a can’t miss as you have two fighters in their respective primes and whose styles all but promise to deliver an action-packed affair. Not only is this being viewed as an entertaining fight but a competitive one as well which is evidenced by the numerous differing predictions as to who will emerge victorious. After being out of the ring for over a year due to suspension and other issues Peterson returned in impressive fashion stopping former champ Kendall Holt in eight rounds. Matthysse made quick work of Mike Dallas Jr. via first round knockout when last in the ring. Peterson’s sole defeat is to current welterweight champ Timothy Bradley whereas Matthysse’s two losses are disputed to Devon Alexander and Zab Judah respectively. In what is expected to be a battle of attrition the winner may be the fighter who can take it as well as he can give it, unless of course it goes to a decision in which any outcome is possible.

916Chris’ pick - Being as I am a fan of both I’m really looking forward to this one and even though I can make a case for either winning I give a slight edge to Matthysse. Although not mirror images from one another Peterson and Matthysse are both physical fighters that like to get on this inside and unload power shots to the head and body of their opponents. I expect nothing different here from either and while Lamont has proven durable in the past it is Matthysse whom possesses the punching power to end things sooner rather than later. Look for Peterson to go to the body early and try to slow down the Argentenian however in doing so he’ll be in the danger zone. I do expect a competitive contest but one in which Matthysse wins by unanimous decision if not late round stoppage.

 

Duc’s pick - Much like with his matchup with Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse will have trouble with Lamaont’s speed and accuracy early on.  However, as the fight progresses on, Matthysse’s robotic hammer fists will have it’s effect on the superior Peterson brother.   It will be death by hundreds of Argentinian hammer fists for Lamont Peterson.

Floyd Mayweather vs Robert Guerrero - This weekend brings us Cinco de Mayo and as it has become tradition in the sport of boxing a big fight is scheduled this one being between Floyd Mayweather and Robert Guerrero. It is no coincidence that this will be the third time in the last three years that Mayweather has fought during this holiday weekend particularly when you take into account that Mayweather defeated Oscar De La Hoya around the same time in 2007, the fight that launched Floyd from boxing star to the face of the sport. Although he is only fought four times in the last four years it is expected that Mayweather will be much more active being as he recently signed a groundbreaking contract with Showtime and that at age 36, time is not on his side. When last in the ring a year ago Mayweather defeated Miguel Coto decisively yet showed that he had lost a bit of speed allowing for him to be hit more often than the norm given his excellent defense. Guerrero himself won by unanimous decision in his last ring appearance against Andre Berto in a grueling bout, which saw Mayweather sitting at ringside scouting what would be his next opponent. Guerrero had been calling for a big fight against the likes of Mayweather for a couple years now and while many doubted he would be granted such an opportunity it is now upon us however there are just as many if not more that thinks he is just another name waiting to be added to Floyd’s resume. On Saturday we shall find out if father time has indeed caught up with Mayweather and if so how it may adversely affect him or if Guerrero has bitten off more than he can chew in challenging the reigning pound for pound King.

916Chris’ pick - Add me to the list of those that give Guerrero little to no chance of winning this fight. Sure he was able to get the better of Berto by surprisingly being the more physical fighter but Mayweather is a master at adapting to styles and shutting down his opponents strengths. Aside from youth, Guerrero has no discernible advantages over Floyd and to beat ‘Money’ even in the latter stage of his career one will need that extra something in your arsenal. Although Mayweather was in tough at times against Cotto I still think he has plenty of miles left on the odometer and will have his way with Guerrero for the most part en route to a unanimous decision victory.

 

Duc’s pick - This fight smells very similar to the stench  of last week’s match up between Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen. What are the chances that the ref will let Guerrero man handle Floyd and possibly Jon Fitch his way to an upset victory?   Slim to none.  So what are the chances that Guerrero might win this fight?   Slim to none.

The Good

Jon Jones - At UFC 159 light heavyweight Jon Jones did what what was expected of him by dominating challenger Chael Sonnen, stopping him in the first round with strikes. Jones deviated from his usual strategy of feeling out his opponent early on and attacked Sonnen from the get-go taking him down numerous times in the fight where he used elbows to bust up his challenger. The champ finished the fight with a series of unanswered elbows and punches prompting the referee stoppage with less than 30 seconds left in the opening round. The only damage Jones took was a freak accident at the end of the bout that severely broke the big toe on his left foot. That aside Jones turned in a flawless victory and tied the record for most title defenses in the 205 pound division at six with former champ Tito Ortiz.

Danny Garcia vs Zab Judah - While the aforementioned Jones versus Sonnen contest unfolded as most anticipated, Danny Garcia’s Junior welterweight title defense against Zab Judah was anything but. Garcia looked good for the first eight rounds mixing up punches to the head and body of the former multi-division champion hurting him on more than one occasion and sending him to the canvas in the eighth round. Just when it looked like Judah would pack it in as he has done so many times in the past he surprised those watching and in attendance by not only surviving but thriving in the championship rounds. Judah stunned Garcia in the 10th round and turned on the aggression from that point on forcing Garcia to fight going backwards in a role reversal. While the champ appeared to be fading down the stretch he bit down and slugged it out with Zab in the 12th leading to some crowd pleasing exchanges. Despite Judah’s late rally Garcia would be announced the winner via unanimous decision after 12 rounds.

Jon Jones vs Chael Sonnen - At last after all the talking and build up this Saturday Jon Jones will defend his UFC light heavyweight championship against Chael Sonnen in the UFC 159 main event. Those who are unaware of the circumstances of how this fight came to be may be wondering how Sonnen, who is coming off a loss to UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and has not competed in the 205 pound division in more than six years received such a prestigious opportunity. The seeds of this fight were planted in September 2012 when Jones was sent to face Dan Henderson at UFC 151 until Hendo had to withdraw at the last minute due to injury. With little time to find a replacement Sonnen offered to take his former teammates spot in a chance to fight for the title. Unfortunately for the UFC and fans Jones and his coach Greg Jackson declined the opportunity which would ultimately lead to the entire UFC 151 event being canceled. Chael afterwords went on an anti-Jones campaign accusing the champ of ducking him. Jones would successfully defend his title later that month submitting Vitor Belfort in the fourth round and not long after it would be announced that Sonnen would be next in line for the title shot. To help build up the fight Jones and Sonnen would first oppose one another as coaches on the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter.

While Chael emerged victorious on the show seeing to his charges reach the final, it is Jones who is the overwhelming favorite heading into Saturday’s bout and it’s easy to see why. Jones is still essentially undefeated as his sole loss came via disqualification against Matt Hamill who he was in full control of before being disqualified for illegal elbows. Since then Jon has won eight consecutive fights defeating five former champions in the process. For his part Sonnens best performance it can be argued came in defeat to Anderson Silva in their first encounter where Chael was in control for the majority of 4 plus rounds before being submitted late by The Spider. Although Sonnen has some quality wins on his ledger he has never defeated an opponent as good as Jones and aside from perhaps having an edge in the wrestling department along with experience it’s difficult to envision any area where he has an advantage. While the promotion for this fight hasn’t quite gotten the buzz that the UFC had expected you can be assured that Jones will be up for the challenge even if most observers don’t view Chael as a legitimate one.

916Chris’ pick - As you can probably already tell I don’t exactly have high expectations for this one nor do I think it will be anywhere near as competitive as last weekends UFC title fight. I’m not even going to bother to beat around the bush, so to speak, because I can’t make a case for Sonnen winning this fight. The only intrigue if anything is trying to predict what round Jones will end Chaels night in. I say the third, Jones via whatever he wants.

 

Duc’s pick - How the hell is Chael gonna win this fight?  Even Chael is pretty much conceding that he is gonna get smashed to bits by Jones.   This fight might do decent PPV buys due to the names involved but at the end of the day, it might hurt UFC more than helped them due to the main event being such a mismatch.

If you watched UFC on FOX 7 last Saturday then you were treated to an entertaining night of fights featuring numerous knockouts and a closely contested title fight in the main event. The most impressive performance of the night however belonged to Josh Thomson who was making his return to the UFC after an almost 9 year hiatus. Not that Josh was inactive during that period as he has competed in Strikeforce from 2006 up until last year when the organization was purchased by UFC parent company Zuffa. Josh’s return to the octagon was a resounding one as he scored a second round knockout of Nate Diaz, a fighter who had never been stopped before in his career and is known for his toughness and durability. You would think such a showing would elicit talks of a title opportunity in the 155 pound division for Thomson but that wasn’t the case as UFC president Dana White announced in the post fight press conference that the winner of the upcoming fight between Gray Maynard and T.J. Grant would be the next title challenger. While the winner of Maynard and Grant is certainly a worthy contender, with Thomson the UFC should strike while the iron is hot and give him the next shot against Benson Henderson and there are a few reasons why.

In stopping Diaz, the fighter formerly known as “The Punk” did something that current UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson could not do. Henderson’s previous title defense was against Diaz and while he was dominant in victory, the Stockton native lasted the entire five rounds. Along those same lines, while Henderson scored a debatable if not controversial win via split decision over Gilbert Melendez in the UFC on FOX 7 main event, it can be argued that Thomson fared better against Melendez in their third encounter last May even though he came up short on the judges scorecards. Those reasons alone should merit Josh an opportunity to face the champ and given that fans watching UFC on FOX 7 saw both perform on the same night you already have a built-in audience for the fight. Add in the fact that at age 34 Thomson, whose career has been plagued by injuries, may have a limited window of opportunity and while the UFC doesn’t need to necessarily make exceptions for fighters they’ve done so before, Chael Sonnens upcoming title fight against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is just one example. Last but not least the fact is a matchup between Henderson and Thomson all but promises to be an action-packed affair that could certainly go either way.