Although UFC 120 takes place far from North American soil, there will be a contingent of Canadian content featured on the card. Claude Patrick takes on James Wilks on the main card, Mark Holst looks for his first win in the UFC, and Spencer Fisher is being coached by Jeff Joslin. There are eight English fighters on the card, and five fighters making their UFC debut.
Here is a complete breakdown of UFC 120:MAIN CARD- Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
Many people are complaining that the main event at UFC 120 isn’t worthy of headliner status. First of all, the card is on free TV people, calm down. Second, this could end up being one of the most exciting fights of the year. ‘Sexyama’ likes to stand toe-to-toe and use his incredible Judo to throw off his opponents. Bisping is one of the most well-rounded middleweights who pushes an incredible pace. Bisping’s pace, technical striking, takedown defense, and active guard will be the difference in what should be a great fight. Still, Akiyama has fight changing power and Bisping’s chin has been suspect since his loss to Dan Henderson.
Bisping.
- Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy
This fight should be ridiculous as neither man backs down and always presses the action. Hardy garners praise for his knockout power, but he only has one KO in his UFC career. Even if Hardy can land flush, Condit’s durability may prove too much for the Brit to handle. Jake Ellenberger hits as hard as most welterweights and he cracked Condit with copious right hands nearly finishing the WEC champ in their fight last year, but Condit came back to win. Plus, Condit has an excellent ground game with long limbs. Both men are coming off fights with Canadians, Condit’s come-from-behind TKO of Canadian young gun Rory MacDonald, and Hardy’s loss to GSP. In that fight, Hardy’s weaknesses were exposed and Condit could look to exploit those same holes.
Condit.
- John Hathaway vs. Mike Pyle
Hathaway is one of the top welterweight prospects in the UFC and after a dominating win over Diego Sanchez he is on everyone’s radar. A strong, well-rounded Brit, Hathaway has tons of pressure on him to win. The veteran Mike Pyle will try to take advantage of the hype surrounding his opponent with an upset win. On the feet, Pyle has smooth technique and Hathaway has improved tremendously, albeit a bit stiff. On the ground, Hathaway is extremely good at gaining dominant positions, while Pyle can lock in fight-ending submission at the wink of an eye. As an enormous underdog, it may be worth putting a couple bucks on Pyle because he is more than capable of upsetting the Brit.
Pyle in an upset.- Travis Browne vs. Cheick Kongo
Kongo, a Frenchman, trains with team Wolfslair in the U.K. and should have a big fan following. He looks to get back into the title picture with a win over the up-and-coming Browne. The American is a big, tough heavyweight with a 10-0 record, but he has never faced a beast like Cheick Kongo. Whether Kongo decides to stand the whole time, or mix in takedowns is a big question in this bout. Either way, Browne won’t be intimidated, but he will be punched and kick often.
Kongo.
- CLAUDE PATRICK vs. James Wilks
Toronto’s Claude Patrick looks to remain undefeated in the UFC as he takes on a TUF champion in James Wilks. Although Wilks is no slouch, Patrick should have an advantage on the ground and can hold his own on the feet. Wilks can use his reach and kicks to fluster Patrick, but the GTA product’s veteran savvy should push him through to victory.
Patrick.
PRELIMINARY CARD- Cyril Diabate vs. Alexander Gustafsson
This is an excellent matchup of tall light heavyweights who really know how to fight. Diabate is one of the best Muay Thai strikers in the sport and has won 10 of 11 fights. Gustafsson is a solid wrestler with good standup who is coming off his first career loss to the highly touted Phil Davis. It would be wise for the 6’5 Swede to use his wrestling advantage over the Frenchman. If he stands and trades with Diabate, he’s playing a risky game, just ask Luiz Cane.
Gustafsson.
- Rob Broughton vs. Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz
Two big boys go at it on the prelims and look to make a name for themselves in the UFC. Broughton fights in front of his home fans and will use his weight and grappling advantage to get the fight to the floor. Quieroz is tall even for a heavyweight and will need to stay active if he gets taken down. If he can keep the fight standing he should have an edge. Broughton is ranked as the best heavyweight in England, but may be in tough against the Brazilian.
Quieroz.
**Steve Cantwell vs. Stanislav Nedkov
(this bout has been cancelled due to a knee injury suffered by Cantwell. But, this is how it would have went)Now, most of the time, when a fighter takes a year off, due to injuries and recovery etc., they don’t fare well. However, Cantwell is young enough and talented enough that cage rust may not be as big a factor as it could be. His crisp kickboxing and concerted aggression makes him a dangerous LHW. Nedkov is 11-0 with a strong grappling background, tenacity and he simply looks frightening. Cantwell is a good test for him.
Cantwell.Ottawa, Ontario’s Mark Holst looks to earn his first UFC win as he takes on England’s own Paul Sass, who is making his UFC debut. Both men are dangerous submission fighters, but Holst also has a background in kickboxing. Holst (8-2) has eight victories by TKO or submission, while Sass is 10-0 with nine victories coming via submission, seven of which were triangles. If Holst can keep the fight standing he should be fine. However, if the fight goes to the ground, it will be determined by who is the better grappler. Sass will have the crowd behind him.
Sass.
- Spencer Fisher vs. Kurt Warburton
A veteran of 13 UFC fights, with wins over Thaigo Alves, Jeremy Stephens, and Ontario’s Sam Stout, Spencer Fisher is one of the more dangerous veterans in the lightweight division. Still, he hasn’t looked himself in his last few bouts, losing two straight to Dennis Siver and Joe Stevenson. For this camp, Hamilton, Ontario’s Jeff Joslin, has coached him on Fisher’s request; Joslin is one of Canada’s top MMA minds, so Fisher should look better than he has recently. His opponent, England’s Kurt Warburton, has a 6-1 record including a win over Ross Pearson, so Fisher must not take him lightly. Warburton is a striker and Fisher will use his wrestling and grappling advantage to take the fight to the ground. Add in Fisher’s strong boxing and it becomes his fight to lose.
Fisher.
- James McSweeney vs. Fabio Maldonado
Kicking off the evening is this battle of fierce strikers. Maldonado is a rare Brazilian fighter that does not have strictly a BJJ background; he uses a boxing base instead. This should make for an exciting matchup as he faces the gruff kickboxer, England’s McSweeney. The TUF 10 veteran drops from heavyweight to LHW for this fight, which is smart because he was one of the smallest heavyweights. McSweeney is a kicker and that will be his advantage in this bout. Pepper Maldonado’s legs until his power decreases. Still, if the fight stays standing, it will be the crisper striker that wins, likey with a KO or TKO. The beginning of the end will start with a Maldonado left hand.
Maldonado.
By Mike Johnston
Great job on the picks
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