UFC 83 Picks and Preview

At last, UFC 83 is upon us. This should be a solid PPV that hopefully will end the Terra in the welterweight division. More importantly, it should allow to return to my rightful spot atop the FightStalker fight picks. Each UFC Fight card means me and the Stalker go head-to-head; currently we are all evened up at 2-2-2. So, in effect, we’re both losers. That ends today.       – Brett “The Conqueror” Beverly

Welterweight Championship

CH: Matt Serra (8-4) (6-4) vs. Interim CH:Georges St.Pierre (15-2) (9-2)
Conqueror: GSP by TKO in 2. God help us all if this doesn’t happen. Georges St.Pierre is a much better fighter than “The Nanny” and anything less than domination would be absurd. Serra’s reign of “Terra” needs to come to an end. Holding the title for nearly a year with out defending it, regardless of the reasons, is too damn long.
Stalker: GSP by  TKO in 3.Trust me, I wish this fight would end in round one, but I have a feeling Serra is going to make GSP work hard for his win. Do I think GSP will win? Let me just put it to you this way, if GSP doesn’t win this fight, my entire understanding of this world will come into question. I cannot fathom an existence where GSP looses twice to Serra.  

#3 Rich Franklin (22-3) (8-2) vs. Travis Lutter (9-4) (2-2)
Conqueror: Franklin by TKO in 2.I hate to say this, but I have my doubts about Rich pulling this one out. I’m simply having a hard time facing the facts, the Rich Franklin we knew and loved is dead. If he fights like he can, this will be a walk in the park; sadly, this may be Lutter’s night. Either way, I’m going down with the ship.
Stalker: Lutter by submission. That sentence was hard for me to write. Here’s a little insight into my madness: The “Pre-Anderson Silva knees to the nose” Franklin would destroy Lutter, but the new, “Slightly off with a crooked nose” Franklin has lost a step. Don’t get me wrong, this should be a great fight. Whenever it’s a must win for both fighters, anything can happen, but I don’t think Franklin is the same fighter he was when he was the champion. I hope I’m wrong, I like Franklin, he’s a good poster boy for the sport, I just think this may be Lutter’s night.

Kalib Starnes (8-2-1) (2-2)  vs. Nate Quarry (9-2) (4-1)
Conqueror: Quarry by TKO in 2. The man known for being a part of Rich Franklin’s highlight real will be taking on a very forgettable Kalib Starnes. Quarry has something to prove after his last fight. Even though he beat Pete Sell, he needed a virtual Hail Mary of a overhand right to do so. Still, his last fight was his first since a spinal injury nearly ended his career, so I see a sharper Quarry in this one.
Stalker: Quarry by TKO in 2. I actually think Starnes is the more technical fighter here. He has better BJJ & better technical striking skills than Quarry. But when it comes to heart, conditioning, and determination, I have to give the edge to Quarry. It think this fight comes down to whether or not Quarry can keep this fight standing up, if he can avoid the ground game he should be able to pull off the win.

Michael Bisping (14-1) (4-1) vs. Charles McCarthy (10-4) (1-1)
Conqueror: Bisping by TKO in 1. Wow, could the UFC have handed Bisping a more cake opponent? McCarthy is far from a challenge. Odds are, Bisping will put McCarthy out of his misery early and celebrate like he just defeated Anderson Silva for the middleweight title. We may even see a tear or two. I’d like to see Captain Miserable win this one, but I’m not basing my picks on a Magic 8-Ball.
Stalker: McCarthy by submission. I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict an upset. I know most people can’t fathom Bisping losing in his lower weight class debut, but I think McCarthy has a better ground game than the Count. Don’t get me wrong, Bisping is no slouch on the ground, I just think McCarthy is a little better with submissions and wrestling, and I also think Bisping, like everyone else, may be underestimating his opponent. 

Mac Danzig (17-4-1) (1-0) vs. Mark Bocek (5-1) (1-1)
Conqueror: Danzig by unanimous.This is a much closer fight than meets the eye. Bocek is a very talented ground technician who has a habit of submitting his opponents. While it’s unlikely that his ground skills are better than Danzig’s, it should still be an interesting fight. In the end, it comes down to the stand up and takedown defense and Danzig gets them both.
Stalker: Danzig by TKO in 3. Not much to say for this one. If Danzig can keep this fight standing up, he should be able to KO Bocek or pull of a decisive decision. However, if Danzig fails to stay on his feet, Bocek could pull off a submission, or at least keep a dominant position long enough to get the judges nod.

#8 Jason MacDonald (19-9) (3-2) vs. Joe Doerksen (39-11) (1-4)
Conqueror: MacDonald by decision. What do you say about these two fighters. Honestly, I have no idea. All I know is, Jason MacDonald is a better fighter because he has a more solid stand up to go with his ground game.
Stalker: MacDonald by submission.Not sure when, but I see MacDonald submitting Doerksen with a triangle. MacDonald started strong in the UFC with submission wins over Ed Herman and Chris Leben. I think the fight against Rich Franklin came a little too soon for the Canadian. A couple more fights in the big show would have let him develop a little more into a complete machine. I see this fight as the beginning of his comeback leading to an eventual rematch with Franklin.

Alan Belcher (11-3) (3-2) vs. Jason Day (16-5) (0-0)
Conqueror: Day by TKO in 1.Yes, Alan Belcher is talented (as his nickname eludes), but he’s got an issue with not bringing his “A game” to the cage with him. That’s exactly what he’s going to need too, as he steps into the cage with Jason Day. You may remember the name as Day recently defeated former middleweight contender David Loisieau in his last fight. I envision Day bring it, and Belcher leaving it.
Stalker: Day by submission. My money would be on Day in this one. Although this is his first appearance in the UFC, he has a lot of experience, and a lot of wins by submission. Belcher is no punk, that’s for sure, but Day should be up for this one, as it’s his big shot in the major leagues. Look for Day to make a statement, and show the UFC executives that he belongs here.

Sam Stout (13-3-1) (2-2) vs. Rich Clementi (30-12-1) (3-3)
Conqueror: Clementi by submission in 2.No, I didn’t mistype. I got Rich “No Love” Clementi for one simple reason; Sam Stout’s ground game is crustier than Ms.Smith’s apple pie.
Stalker: Clementi by submission in 1. Call me crazy, I never in a million years thought I would say this about a guy who plucks his eyebrows more than the designers on HGTV, but I think Clementi has developed into a complete bad ass. Stout is no pushover, he’s got some powerful hands, but I just think Celemnti’s submission skills are far too superior for the less experienced Stout. If Clementi keeps his head on straight he will win this battle and eventually be a force to reckon with in the division.

Jonathon Goulet (21-9) (3-3) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-4) (1-2)
Conqueror: Hironaka by TKO in 1.I don’t need to know anything about Kuniyoshi Hironaka to pick this fight. Until he’s out of the UFC, I’m going to pick against him. I keep dreaming that after the fight, while Goulet is unconscious, Hironaka shaves his head ala Brutus Beefcake.
Stalker: Hironaka by submission. This could be an interesting matchup, but I am not holding my breath. If Hironaka can avoid the TKO, then this one should be quite a ground battle. Both fighters have submission skills, but I see a slight edge in Hironaka.

Brad Morris (9-2) (0-0) vs. Cain Velasquez (2-0) (0-0)
Conqueror: Valasquez by TKO in 2. A lot has been made about Velasquez’s debut. Part of me wants Velasquez to get laid out in record time, but the prospect status seems well deserved and the heavyweight should roll over Brad Morris. Who’s Brad Morris? It doesn’t matter.
Stalker: Morris by Submission. I have never watched either of these fighters fight, and I don’t have much information about them, so I have to revert back to simple 3rd grade math. Morris has a majority of his 9 wins by submission, and Valasquez only has 2 fights, this equals Morris by submission.

Ed Herman (13-5) (3-2) vs. Damian Maia (6-0) (1-0)
Conqueror: Maia by submission in 2.Ed Herman is a head case. Even after losing his first two UFC fights, the red headed step child thinks he’s the man to beat in the middleweight division. Problem is, Herman can’t avoid submission and don’t think Maia doesn’t know that. Something tells me that Herman will be in control for the first 5 to 10 minutes until he’s caught, by triangle or arm bar. God speed Damian Maia, God speed!
Stalker: Maia by submission in 1. Herman is out of his league here. Maia is a beast. The guy is a true old-school Brazilian MMA guy with solid BJJ skills. Maia is officially 6 and 0 with 4 wins by submission. I say official because this guy, like most Brazilian fighters, has a lot of unofficial backroom NHB fights under his belt. Sorry “Short Fuse” fans, but this is a terrible match up for Herman.

Brett “The Conqueror” Beverly
Overall: (34-26)
VS: (2-2-2)
Last Card: UFC Fight Night 13: (5-7)

Jason “Fight Stalker” Taylor
Overall: (33-27)
VS: (2-2-2)
Last Card: UFC Fight Night 13: (5-7)