By Lance LeVan
UFC on FOX 12 is being held in San Jose, California on Saturday, July 26. The top three fights on this card look to be very action-packed and could move fighters up in the rankings. By the same token…these fights could move fighters down in the rankings or out of the UFC altogether. All six of these fighters like to keep the action moving every time they enter the octagon and it is never a dull moment to watch them fight. I think a couple of them are on the down-slope of their careers and they need to make an impressive win to keep their contract alive.
(#1) Robbie “Ruthless” Lawler (23-10-0, 1NC) vs. (#5) Matt “The Immortal” Brown (21-11-0).
This is going to be a five round welterweight fight…and again, I think this is going to be a battle of epic proportions. Lawler has some of the heaviest hands in MMA today. Brown is one of the most technical guys on the ground. Neither one of these fighters is afraid to mix it up from standing. Lawler is a wrestler/brawler that has shown on numerous occasions how heavy his hands are. He possesses 1-punch KO power in both hands. Brown is a brown belt in BJJ and over 62% of his wins are by KO/TKO…so he’s not afraid to stay standing or to go to the ground. Brown is also riding a 7-fight win streak. I am truly in amazement that this fight is not on a real PPV fight card. This is going to be an amazing fight…and I have absolutely no clue who is going to win this. Both of these fighters are on my all-time favorite list. Both of them are amazing strikers. But if I have to make a prediction on this one…I have to say that my money would have to be on Lawler and his Hands ‘O Stone. My prediction: Lawler wins by TKO in the 3rd round.
(#5) Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (17-4-0) vs. Antonio Rogerio “Little Nog” Nogueira (21-5-0)
Johnson is on a streak. He has won his last seven fights in very impressive fashion. For years, Johnson has tried to cut weight to welterweight (170 lbs.), but on several occasions, he has missed his weight. Now he is fighting at light-heavyweight (205 lbs.) and seems very comfortable there. Johnson has a wrestling background and since he trains with the Blackzillians, I am certain that he is getting in a lot of ground training. Little Nog is a very accomplished amateur boxer and a third degree black belt in BJJ. This makes him very dangerous, as he can punch you and if you take him down, he is very likely to submit you. Johnson will have his hands full with this fight. Johnson will need to use his speed and athleticism to counteract Little Nog’s devastating hands and awesome BJJ. The one thing that you can say about the Nogueira brothers…they never ever stop or back down. I think that Johnson is coming into his own and he is a phenomenal fighter. I think he has the tools to win this match…however, I don’t think he has the same level of Heart that Little Nog has. I think Johnson could win…but he will have to overcome Little Nog’s heart. Good luck with that. My prediction: Nogueira wins via submission in the 3rd round.
(#7) Clay “The Carpenter” Guida (31-11-0) vs. (#12) Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez (14-3-0)
This is a featherweight (145 lbs.) fight that promises a lot of action. Everyone knows Guida and his relentless attacks and never-ending gas tank. He has an iron-jaw and he doesn’t appear to feel pain. His background is in wrestling, but he is just an overall brawler who loves to get in there and mix it up from bell to bell. Bermudez is also a wrestler and he seems to like brawling too. Bermudez is on a 7-fight win streak and shows no signs of slowing down. A decisive win for either of these guys will most likely move them up in the rankings. Guida has the same type of “heart” that the Nogueira brothers have. Bermudez may have the tools to defeat Guida, but the question is, can he get past the “heart”. Guida seems to fight better after he’s been hurt or cut. Once he starts bleeding, he goes into overdrive with his attacks. If Bermudez can deal with the relentless moving forward and the constant barrage of attacks, he might get a chance to show off some of his tools. A lot of fighters are not able to deal with his never-ending attacks. My prediction: Guida wins via submission in the 2nd round.
