UFC Fight Night 13 picks and preview
#2 Kenny Florian (7-3) (6-2) vs. #10 Joe Lauzon (16-3) (3-0)
Conqueror: Florian by unanimous.To say that KenFlo is on a tare would be an understatement. I was once a doubter, but the man’s skills have made me see the light. So, while Joe Lauzon has been nothing short of spectacular in his short UFC tenor, I can’t see a way he can win. KenFlo’s simply a better fighter at this stage in his career.
Stalker: Florian by submission. If Florian had a little more size and was a bit stronger he would be unstoppable. He won’t need any of that here though, he should be able to out kickbox and out ju-jitsu Lauzon with ease.
#7 Thiago Alves (13-3) (6-2) vs. #3 Karo Parisyan (18-4) (8-2)
Conqueror: Parisyan by unanimous. God help us all. This fight has all the makings of a Karo “the wet blanket” Parisyan love fest. It’s hard not to imagine any Parisyan fight going the distance, and this fight is no different. As much as I’d love to see Alves drop Karo with a right hand, I see another Parisyan “I brought the Heat” post-fight interview in our bored future. Stalker: Parisyan by unanimous. Parisyan has skills, but like the Conqueror alluded to above, the man can’t finish a fight to save his life. Watch for classic Karo on this one, good striking and lots of Judo throws.
Matt Hamill (3-1) (3-1) vs. Tim Boetsch (7-1) (1-0)
Conqueror: Boetsch by TKO in 1. No, I’m not taking anything away from Matt Hamill, but I think we’re in for a surprise with this fight. The wrestling phenom has one major weakness, his head. The man simply can’t take a shot. Look no further than his fight with Seth Perluzzi for a prime example. Fitting he’s in Team Punishment, eh? Just the kind of guy for Tim Boetsch. Even with all the hype from Sherdog and MMAweekly, Boetsch is the underdog and a quick finish would be just what the newcomer needs to establish himself in the light heavyweight division. Stalker: Hamill by TKO. Call me crazy, but if Matt can keep his hands up to protect his face he should be able to land one of his cement truck, albiet sloppy cement truck, punches.
Kurt Pellegrino (11-3) (3-2) vs. #8 Nate Diaz (8-2) (3-0)
Conqueror: Pellegrino by unanimous.The only thing for fun than picking one of Diaz brothers to lose, is seeing them lose and that’s what I expect from this fight. Pellegrino’s ground skills may not be as good as Diaz’s, but they’re good enough to avoid being submitted and maybe even taken down. Without his submissions, Diaz has no game.
Stalker: Pellegrino by submission. The Conqueror is going to get his wish here. Nate is going to get crushed by Kurt. I think Kurt can end this one with strikes, or a submission. A submission will come as a surprise, but I just don’t think Nate is strong enough to use his ground game against a guy like Kurt.
James Irvin (13-4) (3-3) vs. Houston Alexander (8-2) (2-1)
Conqueror: Alexander by TKO in one. Don’t blink, this one shouldn’t take too long. After showing the ground game my mother would be ashamed of, Alexander has an opponent who fits his style. Both fighters have something to prove and can’t afford a loss making this a possible fireworks extravaganza.
Stalker: Alexander by TKO. I often wonder why Irvin is in the UFC, and I don’t think I am alone in those thoughts. Irvin needs a win here to show he belongs with the big boys. I just don’t think that’s going to happen here. A more likely outcome is Alexander sending the “Sandman” to dream land.
Gray Maynard (4-0) (2-0) vs. #5 Frank Edgar (8-0) (3-0)
Conqueror: Edgar by unanimous decision.I’m a believer in Frank Edgar. He may be a nothing more than a spectacular wrestler, but it appears that’s enough. Maynard has better hands, but also relies on his ability to takedown his opponent; something he won’t be able to do to Edgar.
Stalker: Edgar by unanimous decision. I see Edgar winning in classic Josh “The Blanket” Koscheck fashion: Take the opponent down, don’t let him up, throw some strikes, instant decision. Although to be fair, I think Edgar is a much better fighter than Kos. Edgar has the ability to submit and to TKO his opponents.
Josh Neer (23-6-1) (2-3) vs. Din Thomas (20-7) (5-3)
Conqueror: Thomas by TKO in 2.Din Thomas returns against a very tough Josh Neer. The man known as “The Dentist” is exactly title worthy, but his fights with Melvin Gulliard and Joe Stevenson have shown that his opponents need to bring their A game. With Thomas making his return to action and in need of making an impression to get back into the title picture, an A game shouldn’t be too far behind. Stalker: Neer by TKO. This could turn out to be a great fight. Both of these fighters can pull off submissions, but Neer has the ability to pull off the TKO.
Ryan Roberts (8-2) (0-0) vs. Marcus Aurelio (15-5) (1-1)
Conqueror: Aurelio by submission in 1. Don’t bother looking Ryan Roberts up; it doesn’t matter. The fill in will file out as soon as this match ends and that will be quick. Originally scheduled to fight Spencer Fischer, there’s a chance that Aurelio isn’t taking this fight seriously, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Stalker: Aurelio by submission. I don’t know what round this one will end in, but it will end with the Pride veteran tapping out Roberts. The “experts” claim that Aurelio’s wrestling isn’t up to par, and that may hamper him here, but I would take ju-jitsu skills over wrestling any day of the week, and Aurelio has some great ju-jitsu.
Jeff Cox (9-4) (0-1) vs. Manny Gamburyan (7-2) (1-1)
Conqueror: Gamburyan by submission in 2.Manny Gamburyan should be the Ultimate Fighter and don’t think he doesn’t know that. The little tank shouldn’t have any problems overwhelming the mediocre Cox and should even do what his cousin can’t and finish the fight.
Stalker: Gamburyan by TKO (via ground and pound). Manny got robbed by his own skeletal system. If his shoulder did not dislocate he would have crushed Diaz in the Ultimate Fighter finale with authority. Manny is on a mission to show what he is really capable of, and Cox is in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Samy Schiavo (10-4) (0-0) vs. Clay Guida (22-9) (2-3)
Conqueror: Guida by TKO in 1.Make no mistake about it., Samy Schiavo has talent. As a veteran of Cage Rage’s Contender series, the French fighter has been nothing short of impressive. Still, nothing can truly prepare him for Clay Guida. The Carpenter’s UFC record is a bit misleading as he’s fought only the best of the best since making his debut and hasn’t looked bad once. I see the fast-paced Guida overwhelming Schiavo for a relatively fast finish.
Stalker: Schiavo by submission. Although I want Guida to win here because he is a very exciting fighter to watch, and the UFC needs more fighters like him, I feel a submission coming on by Schiavo. Guida is an excellent wrestler, but Schiavo is a submission fighter. If Guida can keep the fight standing, it may be a different story, but I see this one on the ground.
Roman Mitichyan (5-1) (1-0) vs. George Sotiropoulos (8-2) (1-0)
Conqueror: Sotiropoulos by submission in 2.The battle of last year’s Ultimate Fighter contestants should be interesting. The edge has to go to Sotiropoulos for one simple reason, his ground game.
Stalker: Mitichyan by submission. I see this as a close match up, both fighters know each other very well. Although they have been bolstering their stand up games, something they will need to survive in the UFC, I think they will both revert back to basics and take this fight to the ground. I am really not sure who will win here, but I always enjoy betting against the Conqueror, so Mitichyan gets the coin toss.
Anthony Johnson (4-1) (1-1) vs. Tom Speer (9-2) (0-1)
Conqueror: Speer by decision.Tom Speer is about as technical as a Bill Goldberg is behind the mic. My apologize to Speer’s parents on that last comment. Still, the UFC knew what they were doing when they matched him up against Johnson. I see a violent takedown, two back of the head warnings and a TKO victory in Speer’s future. Oh, and about 2,111,256.54 farm boy references from Mike Goldberg. Is it normal to get a little dizzy after two different Goldberg references in one sentence?
Stalker: Speer by TKO. Not much to say that hasn’t already been said about this fight. Neither fighter has a ground game to speak of, and Speer seems to be the better striker, so basic math tells me that Speer should come out on top.
Overall VS Last Card
Brett “The Conqueror” Beverly (29-19) (2-2-1) (8-2) Jason “FightStalker” Taylor (28-20) (2-2-1) (6-4)
April 1, 2008 at 10:01 pm
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