UFC 93: The Gaza Strip

Commisoner Dana White was inconsolable. His podium had been blowed up by Israeli rockets. His T-shirt collection destroyed he rolled around on the ground, crawled into a corner and stared blankly as the fights went on.

Siver vs. Mohr: I have never been impressed with Siver. That doesn't mean that he is bad. Maybe he doesn't exist to impress me. Mohr, I have no opinion on. I think Siver wins by being a little tougher. Stuns Mohr with a big punch and then submits him in the 2nd.

Egan vs. Hathaway: The UFC dug Egan up at some Guinness depot wailing away on the Kimbo punching machine. Hathaway has a good number of wins against fair competition. Egan has a punchers chance, but Hathaway wins by G-n-P TKO in the 1st.

Drwal vs. Serati- I would like to pull for Serati, but Drwal is better all around. Better striking, better wrestling gets him the TKO in the 2nd.

Mendes vs. Schafer- Mendes is from the hardscrabble Brazilian fight circuit. He is a wild striker with natural power. Schafer is a hard cranking sub machine. But not a super new machine with sleek Apple design, more like a machine that crushes cars in the dump. He is also big for the weight class. I think Schafer rips something off here. Sub in the 1st.

Barros vs. Kampmann- I beleved in Kampmann at 185, I believe in him at 170. Kampmann is the real deal as a striker and he has solid subs. He looks a bit drained at the new weight, but I think his striking skills and reach take him through. Kampmann by KO in the 2nd. Look out for some serious leg kicks from Barros along the way though.

Davis vs. Lytle- What to make of this one? Two fighters that I really like making a half-assed pact to not really fight but to just punch each other in the face. Are they really going through with it? I hope not. While Davis has good subs, Lytle is a much better grappler. I would like to see part of this fight on the ground. Rarely, in a Davis fight, the striking might be equal to slightly in his opponent's favor. The advantage that Davis has is being a good gameplanner, whereas Lytle goes in and gets pulled along on whatever trip his rival is taking. Again, this pact, i don't know what to think of it, and it makes the fight hard to call. I'm going to say Lytle breaks the pact and subs Davis in the 3rd.

Belcher vs. Kang- Kang is the fighter's fighter. He is a sick grappler with real striking power. It is strange to see him now in the UFC. I have been convinced that he is the real deal for a while now, I guess his record will be the judge from now on. Belcher has impressed me before, he has a diverse muay thai striking game and is fun to watch. He is also from the Gulf Coast. That being said, Kang should be able to take him down and submit him in the 1st.

Horn vs. Palhares: I am calling Palhares as the darkhorse to have a championship belt in the next 2 years. His strength, explosiveness and submission violence impresses me. Horn....? He is a legend in the sport but seems to be more of a rumor now. Horn beat Chuck Lidell, but he is no longer that fighter and the game has changed around him. His strength is jiu-jitsu but I am not sure that on his best day he could have taken out Palhares. Palhares by leg-lock in the 1st. It will be painful.

Coleman vs. Rua: So many wildcards in this one. 2 years ago Rua was debatebly the top P4P fighter in the world. Now he has bum knees and a questionable gas tank. Coleman was the most feared fighter in the sport, but they took away his man panties and his head butts and now he is a 44 year old guy with mandatory steroid testing. What I question about Rua is not his gas tank so much, no 205er fights at his pace, but is his durability under the undeniable physicality of Coleman. Striking-wise, Rua is interesting, but not so powerful. Coleman is non-existent. That being said, Coleman could land one big punch. Coleman could damage Rua on the takedowns, as he had before, but Rua will submit him on the ground. Rua by sub in the 2nd after Coleman tires.

Henderson vs. Franklin: I have said it before and I will say it again, Henderson might be the best athlete in the sport. He also suffers from Chris Lytle's issue, but worse. He will fight his opponents fight. He will get sucked in and play along with whatever. He will get distracted and frustrated. He will chase around kick-boxers. He won't wrestle crappy grapplers. He often gets bailed out by his giant power and his iron chin. Franklin is a different creature. He has a diverse game. He is a capable striker with unstoppable stamina. He is capable on the ground and good at the sprawl without being a great wrestler. However, he has no real power and a substandard chin. I think that Franklin could suck Henderson into a kickboxing match, wearing him out with body kicks and punches off of angles. I will not be surprised if Franklin wins but I can't bet against the one punch power and durability of Henderson. I see him getting a knock-down in the 2nd and pounding Franklin out.

There it is, take it to the Middle-East. Don't call me crying when you loose your money Arash Markazi.