UFC 135 Fight Card: Info and Predictions for Every Fight in Denver, CO

On November 12, 1993, the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship event was held in Denver, Colorado. The sport (if you could even call it that at the time) was billed as a no holds barred spectacle that would determine the ultimate martial artist on planet Earth.

The event featured an eight man single-night tournament, with no weight classes and essentially no rules. Royce Gracie won the tournament, submitting three much larger opponents, and introduced North America to the phenomenon that is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Now, nearly 20 years later, the UFC has evolved into one of the most successful businesses in the entire world and is set to return home to the city where it all began.

UFC 135 brings the organization back to its Denver, Colorado roots. The fight card, which features a light heavyweight championship headliner between champion Jon Jones and challenger Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, will be the first time the UFC has been to its birthing grounds since 1995.

The action takes place this Saturday night, September 24, live on pay-per-view. With that said, let’s take a look at every fight on the card from top to bottom.

Junior Assuncao vs. Eddie Yagin

Junior Assuncao

MMA Record: 12-4

UFC Record: 1-2

Notable Wins: Mark Miller, Wesley Murch, and Dustin Hazelett

Notable Losses: Nate Diaz and Kurt Pellegrino

Eddie Yagin

MMA Record: 15-4-1

UFC Record: 0-0-0

Notable Wins: Joe Soto

Notable Losses: Rich Clementi and Vitor Ribeiro  

 

The featherweights will kick off what should be an unforgettable night of MMA competition. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Assuncao will make his pivotal return to the UFC after suffering a first round submission loss to Ultimate Fighter winner Nate Diaz back in 2007.

Since the Diaz loss, Assuncao has won seven out of eight fights and will step into the Octagon on Saturday night with a six fight win streak on his shoulders.

For Yagin, who is nicknamed “The Filipino Phenom”, this bout will serve as the 32 year olds Octagon debut. The Alliance MMA product is fresh off a highly impressive submission victory over former Bellator champion Joe Soto and is ready to put the UFC’s featherweight division on blast.

As it stands, this fight isn’t guaranteed to be shown on the televised portion of the broadcast but with the tenacity of both fighters it’s certainly a possibility that the UFC will showcase this bout at some point during the PPV broadcast.

Prediction: Yagin by 2^nd Round (T)KO

Cole Escovedo vs. Takeya Mizugaki

Cole Escovedo

MMA Record: 17-7

UFC Record: 0-1

Notable Wins: Michael McDonald, Bart Palaszewski and Yoshiro Maeda

Notable Losses: Renan Barao, Michihiro Omigawa, Michael McDonald and Jens Pulver  

Takeya Mizugaki

MMA Record: 14-6-2

UFC Record: 1-1

Notable Wins: Rani Yahya and Jeff Curran

Notable Losses: Brian Bowles, Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres

Once considered among the elite of the bantamweight division, Mizugaki is now very far away from the championship he once battled Miguel Torres in an all out war for. The Japanese fighter is 3-3 in his last six bouts and only seems to be able to squeak by with split decision victories over non-ranked opponents.

Escovedo is a 10 year veteran of the sport that has competed and lost against some of the toughest men to ever step foot in a cage. He was unsuccessful in his UFC debut against rising star Renan Barao but didn’t look all that bad in the process either.

Stylistically, Mizugaki should be able to control the fight in every aspect. Escovedo is certainly a threat on the feet and also very capable on the ground but Mizugaki’s iron chin and solid wrestling should be the key factor to yet another decision victory.

Prediction: Mizugaki by unanimous decision

Ricardo Romero vs. James Te Huna

Ricardo Romero

MMA Record: 11-2

UFC Record: 1-1

Notable Wins: Seth Petruzelli, Constantinos Philippou and James McSweeney

Notable Losses: Kyle Kingsbury  

James Te Huna

MMA Record: 12-5

UFC Record: 1-1

Notable Wins: Igor Pokrajac and Anthony Perosh  

Notable Losses: Alexander Gustafson and Hector Lombard

Both of these light heavyweights started their UFC careers off with a bang but failed to follow up with their momentum. Now, Romero and Te Huna will look to remind the UFC audience that they are here and ready to make their mark.

Romero would be best suited to bring his Australian counterpart to the mat and work for a submission. Te Huna seems to be the more dangerous striker of the two and throws with crisper technique on his feet.

Romero isn’t terrible standing up but he’s stronger on the ground than Te Huna and six of his 11 wins have come by way of submission.

Prediction: Romero by 2^nd RD submission

Tim Boetsch vs. Nick Ring (Spike TV)

Tim Boetsch

MMA Record: 13-4

UFC Record: 4-3

Notable Wins: Kendall Grove and David Heath

Notable Losses: Phil Davis, Jason Brilz, Matt Hamill and Vladimir Matyushenko

Nick Ring

MMA Record: 12-0

UFC Record: 2-0

Notable Wins: James Head and Riki Fukuda

Notable Losses: None

Selected as the number one pick by former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz on The Ultimate Fighter season 11, Ring will kick off the televised fight card on a network he is certainly familiar with.

While Ring is certainly remembered for his stint on the Spike TV series, he is quickly making a name for himself as one of the fighters to watch in the middleweight division. The same can be said for his opponent, “The Barbarian” Boetsch.

Boetsch recently dropped down from 205 lbs to the middleweight division and absolutely manhandled Kendall Grove to a decision victory at UFC 130.

Ring’s perfect record might look better, on paper, in comparison to Boetsch’s 4-3 UFC record but as a middleweight Boetsch is a monster. Ring is known for his superb wrestling and better than average ground game but Boetsch has the strength and the wrestling background necessary to defend Ring’s takedowns.

Unfortunately, unless Ring can somehow bring the big gorilla to the ground, the former TUF alumni is going to be in for a long night.

Prediction: Boetsch by unanimous decision

Aaron Riley vs. Tony Ferguson (Spike TV)

Aaron Riley

MMA Record: 30-12-1

UFC Record: 3-3

Notable Wins: Shane Nelson and Jorge Gurgel  

Notable Losses: Ross Pearson, Spencer Fisher, and Eddie Alvarez

Tony Ferguson

MMA Record: 11-2

UFC Record: 1-0

Notable Wins: Ramsey Nijem

Notable Losses: Karen Darabedyan

Three months ago, Ferguson viciously knocked out Team Dos Santos’ No.1 pick Ramsey Nijem at the TUF 13 Finale to become the new Ultimate Fighter. Now, Ferguson will show the world if he’s truly the next big breakout star at 155 lbs or if he is simply just another TUF winner that is being shoved down our throats.

One of the toughest veterans in the game today, Riley will look to play spoiler for Ferguson’s post-TUF debut. A longtime member of Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Riley is the perfect candidate to welcome Ferguson to the big league.

With Ferguson’s deadly striking arsenal and Riley’s love for slugging, fans can expect a back and forth standup battle with the occasional trip to the ground. Look for the TUF winner to come in hard and light the veteran up with aggressive striking en route to a TKO victory.

Prediction: Ferguson by 1^st RD (T)KO  

Mark Hunt vs. Ben Rothwell (PPV)

Mark Hunt

MMA Record: 6-7

UFC Record: 1-1

Notable Wins: Chris Tuchscherer, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Wanderlei Silva

Notable Losses: Melvin Manhoef, Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko

Ben Rothwell

MMA Record: 31-7

UFC Record: 1-1

Notable Wins: Gilbert Yvel, Roy Nelson and Krzysztof Soszysnski

Notable Losses: Cain Velasquez and Andrei Arlovski

Fresh off a shocking first round knockout victory over Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 in Australia, Hunt is eager to prove to the world that he does belong in the UFC despite a piss-poor record. As you can see above, Hunt has been in the ring with a handful of MMA legends and holds victories over two of them.

A devastating knockout artist, Hunt just hasn’t ever been able to develop an all-around MMA game which is what his opponent possesses. Rothwell might not be the most exciting heavyweight out there but he does have well-rounded skills and the grappling necessary to give Hunt problems.

Rothwell hasn’t fought since winning a decision over Gilbert Yvel at UFC 115 in June 2010. Ring rust may or may not play a factor and with Hunt’s knockout power, anything is possible. However, Rothwell should be able to take Hunt down early and give Hunt his UFC walking papers.

Prediction: Rothwell by 1^st round submission

Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi (PPV)

Nate Diaz

MMA Record: 13-7

UFC Record: 8-4

Notable Wins: Marcus Davis, Melvin Guillard and Kurt Pellegrino

Notable Losses: Rory MacDonald, Dong Hyung Kim and Gray Maynard

Takanori Gomi

MMA Record: 32-7

UFC Record: 1-2

Notable Wins: Tyson Griffin, Hayato Sakurai, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Jens Pulver

Notable Losses: Clay Guida, Kenny Florian and B.J Penn

If the main event doesn’t earn Fight of the Night honors, this lightweight collision certainly will. After mixed success at welterweight, Diaz drops back down to the division that launched his UFC career to face the legendary Gomi.

As of late, Gomi hasn’t been able to live up to his success over in Japan. In the old PRIDE Fighting Championship days, Gomi was a wrecking machine that was knocking his victims out left from right but it seems those days are far gone.

Four years ago, Gomi fought Diaz’ older brother Nick and was submitted by a gogoplata in what turned out to be one of MMA’s most memorable matchups. Obviously, Nate isn’t Nick but he is very similar to his brother in style which could be either a good or bad thing for Diaz in this fight.

On one hand, Diaz might be able to follow a similar gameplan and frustrate Gomi before ultimately submitting him. However, Diaz’ resemblance to his brother could prove to be the Stockton natives downfall as Gomi will be able to time Diaz and catch him with a powerful strike.

Look for Diaz to keep Gomi at bay with his long reach, pepper the Japanese fighter on the feet with scrappy boxing before bringing the fight to the mat and cranking on a submission.

Prediction: Diaz by 3^rd RD Submission

Rob Broughton vs. Travis Browne (PPV)

Rob Broughton

MMA Record: 15-5

UFC Record: 1-0

Notable Wins: James Thompson and Neil Grove

Notable Losses: Ricco Rodriguez

Travis Browne

MMA Record: 11-0-1

UFC Record: 2-0-1

Notable Wins: Stefan Struve and James McSweeney

Notable Draws: Cheick Kongo

At UFC 130, Browne scored one of the most devastating knockouts in UFC history with his first round stoppage over 6’11 Stefan Struve. Prior to that destruction, Browne fought to a controversial draw over Cheick Kongo and made quick work of James McSweeney.

Clearly Browne has potential to become the next destroyer of the heavyweight division but former Cage Rage champ Broughton might just stop him in his tracks. Broughton hasn’t fought since a decision victory in his UFC debut back at UFC 120 last year.

Broughton is a tough test for Browne but one that “Hapa” should pass with flying colors. Look for Browne to attack and finish very early.

Prediction: Browne by 1^st RD (T)KO

Josh Koscheck vs. Matt Hughes (Co-Main Event)

Josh Koscheck

MMA Record: 15-5

UFC Record: 13-5

Notable Wins: Diego Sanchez, Paul Daley and Chris Lytle

Notable Losses: Georges St. Pierre, Paulo Thiago and Thiago Alves

Matt Hughes

MMA Record: 45-8

UFC Record: 18-6

Notable Wins: Georges St-Pierre, B.J Penn, Matt Serra and Royce Gracie

Notable Losses: Georges St-Pierre, B.J Penn and Thiago Alves

Originally, Hughes was set to co-headline against Diego Sanchez but an injury has forced Sanchez out and has put Koscheck in. This is a fight that has been talked about for awhile and it seemed that it wouldn’t happen until now.

Koscheck has called Hughes out numerous times in the past three years but Hughes and UFC matchmaker Joe Silva never seemed to show much interest in the bout. In fact, Hughes said he found it strange for Koscheck, “a kid” to call him out at this point in his career.

Both suffered dominant losses their last time out. Hughes was finished in 58 seconds by B.J Penn at UFC 123 and Koscheck suffered a one-sided decision loss to welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 124.

Looking at this matchup stylistically, it’s easy to understand why Koscheck is heavily favored but at the same time Hughes deserves more respect. Hughes might be past his prime but he still has the strength of an ox and excellent submission wrestling ability.

If he can somehow put Koscheck on his back, Hughes could absolutely finish with a submission and prove to the naysayers that he isn’t ready to retire.

However, Koscheck has the best wrestling credentials in the welterweight division. If St-Pierre had a difficult time putting Koscheck on his back in their December 2010 rematch, Hughes will struggle as well.

Koscheck keeps this fight standing and drops the UFC hall of famer with a massive overhand right.

Prediction: Koscheck by 1^st RD (T)KO

UFC Light Heavyweight Title: Jon Jones vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones

MMA Record: 13-1

UFC Record: 7-1

Notable Wins: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Ryan Bader, Vladimir Matyushenko and Brandon Vera

Notable Losses: Matt Hamill (DQ)

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

MMA Record: 32-8

UFC Record: 7-2

Notable Wins: Matt Hamill, Lyoto Machida, Dan Henderson and Chuck Liddell

Notable Losses: Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

Arguably one of the most anticipated championship fights in the history of the light heavyweight division, newly crowned champion Jones enters this fight with a lot of hype and expectations.

Jones dismantled previous champion, “Shogun” Rua and has dominated every opponent that the UFC has thrown his way but he hasn’t fought anyone as powerful as “Rampage” Jackson. Say what you want about Jackson’s predictable footwork and one-dimensional boxing, he’s only been finished four times in his illustrious career.

Yes, Jones has more tools in his arsenal than Jackson does but if Jones believes his own hype he is going to be on the receiving end of an infamous “Rampage” knockout.

However, Jones is a highly intelligent competitor and very understanding of the threats that his legendary opponent possesses. Plus, with the world renowned Greg Jackson in his corner, Jones will have the perfect strategy at his disposal.

Jones will stand with Jackson long enough to catch “Rampage” off guard, put him on his back and reign down vicious elbows from the top position until the referee pries him off. Jackson has only been finished by the best and after the fight Jones will establish himself into that category.

Prediction: Jones by 4^th RD (T)KO

Follow Mitch Ciccarelli on Twitter

Mitch Ciccarelli is the sexiest columnist in MMA and an Airman in the world’s greatest Air Force. He is also the spy that Jon Jones hired to gather information on Quinton Jackson's training camp. Ciccarelli's strategy was flawless. He installed a spy cam in the panties of 30 Japanese MMA ring girls. Unfortunately, Jackson took their panties off so all Ciccarelli was able to get was the back of Jackson's bed and inappropriate noises resembling a moose mating with some oriental deer.

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