UFC 95 Analysis

The welterweight bout between Dan Hardy (20-6-1) and Rory Markham (16-4-0) is going to be a battle of wills with both fighters being well versed in striking. I expect this match to be a very technical boxing match.

Dan Hardy is a very fast striker moving in and out of peoples range with lightning speed. His accuracy with his punches and high kicks are tremendous. Hardy is a relentless fighter with a very strong Muay Thai clinch that he utilizes well to rain down knees and elbows against his opponents.

Rory Markham is a Miletech fighter with KO power in both hands. He is a vicious striker that stands toe to toe until someone goes down. I anticipate that Dan Hardy will prevail with a knockout because his striking is more evolved and he is not a careless boxer. He chooses his strikes carefully and pounces on the opportunity when his opponent makes a mistake.

The bout between Demian Maia (10-0-0) and Chael Sonnen (23-9-1) is going to be a wrestling and grappling war. Demian Maia is an aggressive grappler with good takedowns. Maia lives for fighting on the ground and always controls the fight whether he is on top or bottom.

Chael Sonnen is a wrestler with good ground and pound. Sonnen also has amazing takedowns and just as impressive take down defence. I can see Sonnen getting the best of the stand up but I am guessing he will still try to take it to the ground.

Once it is on the ground I predict that Demian Maia will either submit Sonnen off his back or just control the match with viscious elbows from the top. I cannot see Chael Sonnen winning this match up if it is taken to the mats.

Josh Koscheck (14-3-0) is going to have to get through Paulo Thiago (10-0-0) to get closer to his title shot. Koscheck is a one of a kind athlete being an all American wrestler. He was once a one dimensional fighter but he is constantly improving his striking with every fight. He is coming off a very impressive Knock out win over Yoshiyuki Yoshida and also having a TKO win over the always entertaining Dustin Hazelett.

Koscheck's opponent, undefeated Paulo Thiago is looking to make his name known with his debut in the UFC. He is a Judo practitioner with good ground skills but he will have his hands full on Feb. 21 Josh Koscheck should have this fight in the bag.

Thiago is going to want to take this match to the ground but Koscheck has amazing take down defence which is going to really take a toll on Thiago’s conditioning if he is constantly getting his takedown attempts stuffed. Koscheck is going to overwhelm Thiago with his athleticism and should have a TKO win.

The middleweight match between Nate Marquardt (30-8-2) and Wilson Gouveia (12-5-0) is the fight that is going to make the stands go wild. No one will be sitting by the end of this fight. Nate Marquardt is considered to be one of the top middleweights just underneath the champion Anderson Silva and number one contender Thales Leites.

Marquardt is a very well rounded fighter with good submissions. This guy is very big and strong for 185 which could pose some problems for his challenger, Wilson Gouveia.

Gouveia being a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt means he is well versed in both striking and submissions. Although he has very well developed submissions he would rather stand up and trade punches. Gouveia is a strong striker with Knock out power. This fight is very difficult to predict because both fighters are so well diversed in mixed martial arts. I can however, guarantee you that this fight is not going to last all three rounds.

The main event between Joe Stevenson (34-9-0) and Diego Sanchez (21-2-0) is going to be a vicious battle. This fight is going to determine both of the fighter’s futures in the UFC as both fighters have had two big losses in there last few matches. Joe Stevenson is a wrestler with amazing submissions.

Stevenson is an intimidating fighter for the main reason he is almost impossible to stop. You literally have to submit him or knock him out for him to stop coming at you like a raging bull.

This is not to say that Diego Sanchez is not going to be just as determined to get after Stevenson. They call Sanchez the Nightmare for a reason. He is a fearless fighter that has vicious strikes.

I see Diego Sanchez leaving London with a win. He is coming down a weight class and he is going to be much bigger and much stronger than Stevenson the night of the fight. I believe this to be a very exciting fight but my prediction is that Diego Sanchez is going to be too much for Stevenson to handle.