UFC 119 Predictions You Can Take To The Bank

The UFC 119 card has a lot of good, competitive fights, so I am stepping up and making my oh so bold predictions. I promise you, you can take these predictions to the bank! Here we go!

Thiago Tavares (14-3-1) Vs. Pat Audinwood (9-0-1)

This is an interesting match up for a lot of reasons. Reason number one being, Pat Audinwood’s UFC debut, his status as an undefeated fighter and his nickname “Awesomely Awesome”. You have to be some kind of a good fighter to have a nickname like that. Nicknames aside, Audinwood is an undefeated fighter with most of his wins coming by via submission. I don’t think he is going to be able to submit Tavares and I don’t see him riding out a decision win either. Tavares last fight was with Nic Lentz, who is a dominating wrestler and that was ruled a draw. So I see Taveres ending this fight with some kind of TKO.

Winner: Thiago Tavares (TKO, round 3)

Mark Hunt (5-6) Vs. Sean McCorkle (9-0)

The battle of the underground! Sean McCorkle is one of the more vocal and outspoken fighters The Underground has had the privledge to have. He is brash and he is going to have a lot to prove with his UFC debut. I think he claims victory over the legend Hunt in this one. Too big, Too strong.

Winner: Sean McCorkle (Submission, round 2)

T.J. Grant (15-4) Vs Julio Paulino (17-3)

This is going to be one of those fights that probably nobody will see. I don’t see it being all that exciting, will not make the broadcast and neither guy has a huge following. With that being said, I am going to have to lean toward T.J. Grant because this is his fifth UFC fight to Paulino’s one, and T.J.’s only losses in the UFC are by guys who are currently undefeated.

Winner: T.J. Grant (Unanimous Decision)

Steve Lopez (12-2) Vs. Waylon Lowe (8-3)

Waylon Lowe is the product of Cincinnati training. He has trained with Rich Franklin on multiple occasions and I have seen him circling around in the local Cincinnati MMA circuit. Most of you will know him as the guy who destroyed his opponent first round on The Ultimate Fighter, then ending up gassing out and losing in the second round.

Or he might be known as the guy who was knocked out by Melvin Guillard at UFC 114 with a giant knee to the body. Then we have Steve Lopez, who had his first UFC fight with the always tough Jim Miller. Most of Lopez wins are by TKO/KO. Waylon is a shorter guy with a great wrestling pedigree. I see Waylon taking this fight out of the judge’s hands by grinding out a TKO Victory.

Winner: Waylon Lowe (TKO, round 2)

Matt Mitrione (2-0) Vs. Joey Beltran (12-3)

This fight is going to open the Spike prelims. Good move by the UFC to make this an opening fight for a lead-in to the pay per view. All of but one of Beltran’s wins come via TKO/KO. The guy has heavy hands and a good chin. Matt Mitrione looked great against a stiff and slow Kimbo Slice. Mitrione is a big puncher and can take a good punch too. I see this fight going a lot like Mitrione’s fight with Scott Junk on The Ultimate Fighter. Mitrione is going to rock Beltran more than once in this fight, the question is, has Mitrione finishing abilities gotten any better?

Winner: Matt Mitrione (Unanimous Decision)

C.B. Dollaway (10-2) Vs. Joe Doerksen (46-12)

I am really interested to see how Joe Doerksen handles this fight. He is a veteran and has fought top wrestlers; Dollaway has been caught in submissions before too. This is going to go either two ways, Dollaway winning a decision or Doerksen finding a way to submit Dollaway.

Winner: C.B. Dollaway (Unanimous Decision)

Melvin Guillard (25-8-2) Vs. Jeremy Stephens (17-5)

Jeremy Stephens might have the most power in the light-weight division. He seems to be inconsistent at times. He either is going to knock you out or be a boring gun-shy fighter who lets his opponents control the pace. Enter Melvin Guillard, who in my eyes is probably the second most powerful fighter in the lightweight division. Guillard is 7-4 in the UFC and like Stephens; he either comes out with guns blazing or a lackluster performance that leaves people scratching their heads. This is going to be the front-runner for fight of the night, but I see Stephens being the more complete fighter and should take this one.

Winner: Jeremy Stephens (Unanimous Decision)

Evan Dunham (11-0) Vs. Sean Sherk (32-4-1)

Old versus new. Evan Dunham is a young up and coming fighter who is hungry. Sean Sherk is an older veteran who is also hungry to prove himself once again. Who wants it more? As much as I’d love to think Sherk can win this, I don’t see that being the case. Look for this to be a dog fight!

Winner: Evan Dunham (Split Decision)

Chris Lytle (29-17-5) Vs. Matt Serra (11-6)

This fight is a rematch from The Ultimate Fighter 4 finale. There's a lot of different opinions on who won the first fight (Serra taking the decision) but I think they made the right call. That fight changed how Lytle fights. Now, he is aggressive and he puts it on the line instead of playing it safe. I see this being a stand up fight. Serra is very confident in his boxing and Lytle is not shy to bang it out with whoever the UFC puts in there with him. I see this being a very exciting fight with it going to  yet, another decision.

Winner: Chris Lytle Split Decision.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueria (19-3) Vs. Ryan Bader (11-0)

This fight determines who fights Jon Jones. The timing seems to be right for that fight to happen. This should go a lot like the Brilz fight. I think if Bader comes in shape, he shouldn’t have much of a problem with “Little Nog”.

Winner: Ryan Bader (TKO, Second Round)

Frank Mir (13-5) Vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (27-7-2)

A much more intriguing fight to me than the originally proposed main event. I don’t particularly like rematches, let alone a rematch when the first fight was not that close. Cro Cop has a lot to prove in this fight, as does Mir. The winner gets back into fighting top ten guys and the loser might end up being a gatekeeper for the division. Cro Cop has been on a little roll as of late, but I don’t think he can beat any of the guys who are in the mix for the title. I think Frank Mir has just a few more tools to win than Cro Cop.

Winner: Frank Mir (Submission, Second Round).

Fight of the Night: Chris Lytle/ Matt Serra

Knockout of the Night: Ryan Bader

Submission of the Night: Frank Mir