Penn Looks to Reclaim Lightweight Title at UFC 118

UFC 118 is a rematch for the UFC lightweight title. Champ Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (12-1) defeated his current opponent BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (15-6-1) at UFC 112 by unanimous decision to win the title in April. After appearing to lose the first two rounds, Edgar stormed back and became the aggressor to claim victory and the lightweight belt. Can Frankie Edgar keep his belt, or will BJ Penn be able to bounce back and reclaim his title? There is an unspoken rule in MMA that states you are not the champion unless you can successfully defend your title.

I know BJ Penn is ready for this fight. He trains hard and stays focused for his fights. However, his cocky attitude rubs some fighters the wrong way. Penn claims he felt he won the last fight with Edgar, but I didn’t see it that way. I saw Frankie Edgar outlast the Prodigy and will his way to victory. Although Frankie Edgar is coming into the octagon the Champion, he is still the underdog against BJ Penn.

BJ Penn is going to look to finish Frankie Edgar this time instead of allowing the judges to call the winner. Frankie will have to be at the top of his game and fight the fight of his life in order to beat BJ Penn for a second straight fight.

Prediction:
BJ Penn Defeats Frankie Edgar by TKO in the 3rd Round.

Also on the UFC 118 fight, an interesting fight, where UFC Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture (18-10) takes on boxing legend James “Lights Out” Toney (0-0 MMA) (72-6-3 Boxing) in his MMA debut. This is a very tough fight to call, Toney has 44 wins by knockout in his boxing career but Couture has the MMA experience. James Toney just turned 42 years old (Happy Birthday Mr. Toney) and Randy Couture is 47.

Randy Couture should have the edge in this fight using his MMA experience to take James Toney down and keep him them. However, if Toney can keep the fight standing up, I would give the edge to the Boxing legend who can knock anybody’s “Lights Out.”

Prediction:
Randy Couture Defeats James Toney by Submission in the 1st Round

Damian Maia (12-2) looks to bounce back after an embarrassing loss to middleweight champion Anderson Silva. At UFC 112, Silva made a mockery of Maia and the UFC by refusing to engage and finish Maia. Maia will take on Mario Miranda (10-1) in a middleweight showdown. Miranda won his last fight in the UFC by defeating David Loiseau by TKO in the second round during UFC 115. Miranda’s only loss came in his UFC debut against Gerald Harris who won by TKO in the first round.

I believe Damian Maia is on a mission to prove he can rise above the Anderson Silva debacle and claim victory once again. Miranda is an all-around good fighter, but I’m not sure he has enough to gain a victory over Maia.


Prediction:
Damian Maia Defeats Mario Miranda by Unanimous Decision in the 3rd Round

In the lightweight division, Kenny “KenFlo” Florian (13-4) is coming off two straight fantastic wins against Clay Guida and most recently Takanori Gomi. Florian’s last three wins have come from rear-naked choke submissions. Kenny Florain looked amazing in the Gomi fight and I was really impressed with his overall performance. Florain will take on Gray “The Bully” Maynard (9-0 (1 NC)). Maynard has squeaked out split decisions in his last two fights against Nate Diaz and Roger Huerta. With a win, either Florian or Maynard will fight the winner of Penn Edgar II for the lightweight title.

I feel that KenFlo has a nice rhythm going right now and I see him to continue his dominance in the octagon. Maynard can surprise you, but he has come too close to losing too often for me.

Prediction:
Kenny Florian Defeats Gray Maynard by rear-naked choke in the 2nd Round.

The fight that will start off the night may be the best and most interesting other than the main event. Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (17-6) will battle the unpredictable Nate Diaz (12-5). Marcus Davis is coming in after a win against Jonathon Goulet by TKO in the 2nd round at UFC 113. Prior to that victory, Davis lost two fights in a row, one to Dan Hardy, the other to Ben Saunders. If Davis would have won the split decision against Dan Hardy, he would have fought George St. Pierre for the welterweight title. Davis is looking to re-emerge as an elite welterweight and possible title contender. Standing in his way is Nate Diaz. Diaz has lost three of his last five fights. His loses include Clay Guida (split decision), Joe Stevenson (unanimous decision), and most recent, Gray Maynard (split decision). In his last fight, Nate Diaz looked stunning with his 1st round TKO victory over Rory Markham, Diaz is looking to regain his composure and put together back to back wins.

Prediction:
Nate Diaz Defeats Marcus Davis by TKO in the 3rd Round.