Rashad “Suga” Evans (21-1-1) vs Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (9-0-0)
“Fight of the Night” right here folks! Davis is undefeated and has some fights under his belt. Early in his career Davis was compared to Jon “Bones” Jones. That being said Davis is not in the same class as Jones. Davis is learning quickly and is an excellent wrestler. However it’s been almost a year since he’s fought. Evans certainly brings showmanship to the big stage, has fought more recently (Tito Ortiz) and won’t be overwhelmed by the situation. Evans certainly has fought some great opponents in the past: Rampage, Machida, Chuck Liddell. Look for Evans’ cockiness to be his downfall. He’ll realize that he’s bit off more than he can chew and will lose this one to Davis in the second round.
Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) vs Michael “The Count” Bisping (23-3-0)
This is Sonnen’s second match after coming off of his suspension (money laundering). He defeated Brian Stann back in October via arm triangle choke in the second round. He’s hungry; loves to trash talk and took Anderson Silva to his limit. He won’t back down. The Count is an excellent fighter who packs a powerful punch. He’s in great shape and loves the stand up game. He’ll have his hands full with Sonnen. Both fighters enjoy the “Bad Boy” moniker but it’ll be Sonnen who will leave the ring as the victorious villain. Bisping will bring it, Sonnen will withstand the barrage and then after Round Three will be declared the winner and will head to the after-party.
Demian Maia (15-3-0) vs Chris “All-American” Weidman (7-0-0)
An undefeated, young fighter taking on a veteran of the cage seems like a bit of mismatch. Weidman is still relatively new to the UFC and this match will be a valuable lesson. He is confident in his abilities and is a quick learner. Weidman brings a strong wrestling game and loves the takedown. Maia on the other hand is older (34) and once was an elite talent. He isn’t the same fighter now since he lost to Nate Marquardt. Now his fights usually go the distance, win or lose. Do you take athleticism or experience? I’m going with Maia to win this one. Weidman has never fought someone of this caliber and Maia wins with a unanimous decision. Book it!