For a card that was thrown together on short notice, this one has some compelling match-ups. As you may recall, this was going to be the Lesnar-Carwin title fight and the Ortiz-Coleman brawl.
Once again Spike TV will be airing the under-card which starts at 9 and the pay-per-view card starts at 10. 106 is live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni
This is a battle between two guys who don’t actually have much on their resumes but have become decent household names regardless. Sadollah had a tough loss at the hands of Johny Hendricks in Philly at 101. Baroni is making his first UFC apperance since 2005. It’s tough to know what to make of these one, not a ton to go on in the recent memory bank.
Pick: Sadollah
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Luiz Cane
This is Lil Nog not Big Nog. Lil Nog is a lightheavyweight who had been in Affliction. Luiz Cane has been in the UFC for a while, he trains at America Top Team and has some great hands. Dude can throw ‘em. Cane is currently the underdog. I am jumping all over this one as the upset of the night.
Pick: Cane
Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann
Jacob Volkmann is a newcomer to the UFC. Check this guy out, looks badass. He is 9-0 and his nickname is Christmas. The UFC either really likes him or really hares him because Paulo Thiago is a helluva test in your first UFC bout. I don’t know enough about Volkmann to really analyze this one. He has crazy chest hair though.
Pick: Thiago
Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson
Potential fight of the night candidate here. Kos has worked on his hands and improved so much over the past few years. Rumble Johnson has some of the best hands in the division. Now, does Kos use his wrestling to take Rumble down to his turf? If he does and can do so succesfully he runs away with this one. Standing up? This would be an all-out war.
Pick: Koscheck
Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin
The big rematch. Two plus years in the making. Both guys making a return to the Octagon in a way. On top of Tito’s return, this will be Forrest’s first time back since the beating at the hands of Anderson Silva. Similar to the previous fight, Koscheck-Johnson, if Tito wants to and get take Griffin down the entire fight is changed. That is arguably what won the first fight for him. If Griffin can stand and bang with Ortiz, it is anybody’s fight.
Pick: Ortiz
I just want to see his post-fight reaction.
