But the four undercard fights on the pay-per-view are actually very good ones, and this five-fight card might just be the best pay-per-view the UFC is offering this year. We've got the preview and predictions below.
What: UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim
When: Saturday, with the non-televised undercard starting at 7 PM ET, and Spike TV card starting at 9 and the pay-per-view starting at 10.
Predictions on the five pay-per-view fights:
Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez
The people picking Velasquez tend to say he has crisper stand-up, better technical wrestling, and better cardio, and I don't disagree with any of those things. But I'm picking Lesnar to beat Velasquez, because Velasquez isn't big and strong enough to handle the imposing physical presence of the 265-pound Lesnar.
If there were a 235-pound weight class, as some MMA fans think there should be, Velasquez might very well be its champion. But Lesnar has the perfect build for the 265-pound weight class, and I think the size difference is going to be the decisive factor on fight night.
Pick: Lesnar
Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann
I'm almost as excited about seeing Shields making his UFC debut as I am about Lesnar-Velasquez. For those who don't follow MMA outside the UFC, Shields is on a 14-fight winning streak and has a long list of accomplishments during his current five-year undefeated run, including winning the Strikeforce middleweight championship, winning the EliteXC welterweight championship and winning a Rumble on the Rock tournament that featured the likes of Anderson Silva, Yushin Okami and Carlos Condit. It will be great to finally see Shields in the sport's biggest promotion.
But don't count Kampmann out in this one. Kampmann's 17-3 pro record includes several impressive wins, and he's a better striker than Shields while also being formidable enough on the ground to hold his own. I wouldn't be shocked to see Kampmann pull the upset, but I ultimately expect Shields to control Kampmann on the ground for long enough to grind out a decision.
Pick: Shields
Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago
Sanchez still hasn't won a fight since his classic with Clay Guida a year and a half ago; since then Sanchez is 0-2 with losses to B.J. Penn and John Hathaway. I think Thiago, who's rebounding from a loss to Kampmann, is going to win a decision and give Sanchez his third straight loss.
Pick: Thiago
Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill
This is one of those fights that isn't particularly relevant to the light heavyweight pecking order, but it is interesting to a large number of fans who watched Ortiz coach Hamill on Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter. At that time, it would have seemed crazy to suggest that Hamill could beat Ortiz, but times change, and Ortiz hasn't won a fight since he beat Ken Shamrock more than four years ago. I like Hamill to win a decision.
Pick: Hamill
Brendan Schaub vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Schaub is a former college football player who's only been an MMA fighter since 2008, and from that perspective he's done pretty well for himself, getting to the Finale of The Ultimate Fighter 10 before losing to Roy Nelson, and earning two quick TKO victories in the Octagon since then. But I just don't think he's ready for an opponent of the caliber of Gonzaga, who's a world-class grappler and has knockout power with his hands and his feet.
Pick: Gonzaga
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lesnar, Kampman, Thiago, Hammil, Schaub, Mcgee, Cote, Roberts, Stout, Madsen
All are awesome fights & could really go either way
Lesnar, Kampmann, Thiago, Ortiz, Gonzaga
Those really are just the guys I'm rooting for ... the fights themselves could go either way.
My picks:
Lesnar
(I'm split on the Kampmann v Shields fight)
Thiago
Hamill
Gonzaga
McGee
Cote
I can't wait for Saturday! Brocktober baby!
Yo MDS why don't you just say it out right Brock won't beat Cain cause he has skill but he will beat him off sheer size and strength. This is exactly why I believe Lesnar should be the laughing stock of MMA I mean how can you take him seriously. He has no stand up and the only way he can beat an opponent is with his size on the ground he isn't credible at ALL...
Fedor is still the top HW in the world in my eye as well as many other's in the sport's eye because he has and can still do it all. What a crock this is...
Lesnar best utilizes the tools he has to work with. He is a top 2 wrestler in his weight class and he has lunch pales at the end of his arms. It sounds like you're saying Lesnar would probably beat Fedor, but it wouldn't matter because he'd just use his size advantage, well guess what... not everyone is the same size! That's just a bad argument against Brock...
Fedor was foolish and reckless against Werdum and deserved that loss; you don't get to lose and still be considered #1, especially when you are nearer the end of your career than the beginning. I'm certainly not Brock's biggest fan, in fact he only started to gain my respect after the Carwin match, but he is the most gifted athlete the sport has EVER seen, and he is going to be adding to his game for some time now. This will only be his 7th MMA fight, and he just started working in submissions; that guerrilla has unlimited potential.
That being said, I'll be looking for Cain to take this one.
meanceinpractice, once again you open your mouth to talk about what you don't know. Brock is not the champion because of his size..although he uses his size to his advantage. He's the champion because he has great athletic ability. That's why he was a Div I national champ in wrestling. You probably never wrestled and so you and others on here like Acid Reflux, have no idea what kind of work ethic and athleticism it takes to excel on the mat. Why do guys not realize that's why Brock, Hughes, GSP, Koschek, Henderson, Edgar, Evans, Jones, Valesquez etc. are the top of the MMA food chain? Do you guys seriously not understand this? Say what you want...the facts speak loud and clear.
Predictions are dumb. I'm rooting for Shields, and Sanchez. I'm just happy to watch Brock and Cain.
Nevertheless, you opened and read the article - even commented on it - knowing full well what the content was.
yup
"but I ultimately expect Shields to control Kampmann on the ground for long enough to grind out a decision."
Boy that sounds exciting! I know when I think of good exciting fights, I think of Jake Shields grinding his opponents like some lethargic stripper and throwing punches that wouldn't break wet tissue paper.
Hilarious ... Shield's opponents are more likely to catch an STD than a beatdown.
Come on Cain!
i think people forget that Lesnar was a professional wrestler, fake or not..throwing another wrestler around for 10-20 mins 4-5 days a week has given Brock the basic tools he needs to succeed in MMA. Lesnar has the cardio and strength to defeat Cain. No doubt Cain has skills and has knocked out some tough people. Either way, the main event should interesting.
c'mon guy's do anyone else think tito will destroy matt hamill .... i do!
shields can ground and pound for 5 rounds and NOT leave a mark. was henderson drugged or was there a pay-off?? looked like henderson was sparing after round 1.
What is with you guys and the UFC? Are they paying you to write about them?
This sport is in no way as entertaining to watch as stand-up boxing. The two combatabts walk out and take a couple of swings at each other, one tackels the other and they spend the rest of the round laying on the mat.
Thumbs down on the UCF.