I am not exaggerating when I say that this weekend you have the chance to see the best MMA fighter in the world…in the history of MMA. His name is Anderson Silva and he his defending his belt at UFC 162 this Saturday night on pay per view.

Below is my preview of this weekend’s card and my prediction for some of the fights. As I’ve said before, if you are a betting person, you might want to bet against my picks. Although I do know what I’m talking about, my predictions usually end up being wrong. Having said that…here we go.

Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Siver

The first fight on the ppv card could end up being the fight of the night, so you don’t want to miss it. It’s between featherweights (145lbs) Cub Swanson and Dennis Siver. Both of these guys are super exciting to watch. They both like to push the pace and they both like to finish fights. Swanson is very quick and his stand-up game is top notch. His hands, feet and knees have provided some dazzling knockouts over the years. Dennis Siver is another guy who loves to keep the fight standing. His spinning back kick has ended several fights in dramatic fashion (Google it…it’s impressive). I imagine this fight will be anything but boring. Here’s how I see the fight going. Cub Swanson will have a slight advantage on his feet, and when Siver realizes this he will try to take the fight to the ground. Even on the ground, though, I think Swanson has the advantage…and I think Cub has the bigger gas tank too. Both men have only been knocked out once in their career, so I can see them avoiding a KO in this fight.

My prediction: Cub Swanson wins by decision

Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch vs. Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz

These two middleweights (185lbs) are both coming off pretty devastating knockout losses. In fact, Munoz lost to Chris Weidman who is fighting for the belt in the evening’s main event (more about him later). Both of these guys are great wrestlers with heavy hands. I can see this fight turning into a wrestling match, and could end up not being the most exciting fight of the night. If that’s the case, I think I give a slight edge to Boetsch. My concern with Munoz is the fact it’s been a year since he last fought. He got as heavy as 261lbs…that means he’s had to cut 76lbs to make weight. You’ve got to wonder how that will affect his conditioning.

My prediction: Tim Boetsch wins by decision

Tim Kennedy vs. Roger Gracie

Here are two more middleweights trying to make a statement in the UFC. I’ll be honest…I don’t know a lot about these two fighters. I’ve seen them both fight before in other organizations…but this is their first fight in the UFC, and that can have an effect on a guy. Tim Kennedy is an all American type of guy. He’s a decorated Army Ranger who has been in combat several times. In fact, he has taken time off from fighting because of deployment in the past. I know that Roger (pronounced Hoger) Gracie is a huge guy for 185lbs…he’s a good five inches taller than Kennedy…and he is a member of the legendary Gracie family. It should come as no surprise that five of Gracie’s six wins have been by submission, but I don’t see him submitting Kennedy. I just think that Kennedy is a more well-rounded fighter, and I don’t think the substantial height/reach difference will be a factor.

My prediction: Tim Kennedy wins by TKO

Frankie “The Answer” Edgar vs. Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira

We go back to the featherweight division for this fight. The former UFC lightweight champ, Edgar, is in his second fight down at 145lbs. There is no secret about his style…he is fast, elusive, and never stops moving…and you can’t knock him out. Oliveira is long and lanky and has some slick submission skills. The question is, can he catch Edgar? I think the answer is no. Edgar has proven to be so hard to get ahold of and he is so durable and he has a never ending gas tank (especially considering this is only a three round fight). Although Edgar has lost his last three fights, they have all been very close decisions. Oliveira is 2-2 in his last four fights, with two submission wins and two decisive first-round TKO losses. I think this will be a fast-paced three-round fight which will be left in the hands of the judges.

My prediction: Frankie Edgar wins by decision

Anderson “The Spider” Silva vs. Chris “All American” Weidman

The main event of the evening is a fight for the UFC Middleweight Championship, currently held by Anderson Silva. As I said before, Silva is without a doubt the best MMA fighter who has ever lived. He is an amazing 16-0 in the UFC and has successfully defended his ten times. You have to go back seven and a half years to find his last loss, and that was actually a disqualification. The last time he really lost a fight was December 31, 2004. It seems like there is nothing he can’t do in the octagon. It seems like he just toys with his opponent, and when he’s ready for the fight to end, he ends it. He never ceases to amaze me. I think I’ve made my point about him.

And now let’s talk about the challenger. Chris Weidman is a stud, no doubt about it. He has a record of 9-0, including a highlight reel knockout of Mark Munoz in his last fight. You don’t see a successful standing elbow strike that often, but Weidman did it beautifully (find it online if you can, it’s something to behold). He is young, powerful, and has great wrestling…and many folks, including several fighters, think he’s the right guy to dethrone the champion. To win, I think he needs to take Anderson down and keep him down and beat on him for five rounds.

I’ve heard that kind of talk before so many of Anderson’s previous fights, and then Silva goes out there and beats the guy with one hand tied behind his back. Maybe Weidman does have what it takes to beat Silva. I’ll root for him, I’d like to see him win…but until Silva gets beat I’m not gonna pick against him. It’s been over three years and six fights since one of Silva’s fights went the distance, and I don’t see that changing here.

My prediction: Anderson Silva wins by KO.

The main card for UFC 162 is this Saturday night at 9pm CST on pay-per-view.

 

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