UFC 120: Main Card Preview and Predictions

The UFC comes back to the O2 Arena in London, England for UFC 120. Despite being a major card, this card feels more like a Fight Night or UFC on Versus.

The headliner features a bout between TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping and judo master Yoshihiro Akiyama. In the co-main event, Dan Hardy returns to take on Carlos Condit.

We can argue about the line-up all day long, but the card is free people! It’s hard to fuss over watching a night of free fights with friends and family…yes, grandma too…

Who is Travis Browne? What is a Claude Patrick? It’s time to brush up on your MMA knowledge before this weekend’s festivities.

I encourage you to read my breakdowns to see why I made the predictions that I did. At the end of the breakdowns, I will have my official picks listed. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the fights!

Michael "The Count" Bisping Vs. "Sexyama" Yoshihiro Akiyama

Key Victories :

Bisping (Matt Hamill, Denis Kang, Chris Leben, Dan Miller, Eric Schafer)

Akiyama (Alan Belcher, Denis Kang, Melvin Manhoef)

Forecast :

Every once in a blue moon, a gate opens up. This gate allows re-entry to all gatekeepers shunned aside for past failures in their respective divisions. Michael Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama will do battle in the UFC 120 headliner to determine who vacates gatekeeper status and moves on to bigger and better things.

Fighting out of Manchester, England, Bisping’s style consists of Kickboxing, BJJ, Boxing, and Vale Tudo. He trains at Wolfslair MMA Academy with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Cheick Kongo.

In his UFC career, Bisping has earned two Fight of the Night bonuses. He is an even 2-2 in his last four fights. At UFC 114, he defeated Dan Miller by unanimous decision.

Yoshihiro Akiyama was born in Osaka, Japan. He currently trains at Jackson’s MMA with greats like Georges St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt, and Jon Jones. His style includes judo and karate.

In 2001 and 2002, Akiyama took home gold medals for judo in the Asian Championships and Asian Games. He is a 3rd dan black belt in judo and a black belt in karate.

At UFC 116, he lost to Chris Leben by a third round triangle choke.

Keys to Victory :

Both fighters should strike even on the feet, but Bisping has the better footwork. He needs to use his footwork to attack at angles and pick Akiyama apart in the exchanges. While he shouldn’t underestimate Akiyama’s power, Bisping won’t have to worry about Dan Henderson or Wanderlei Silva-like haymakers.

The one thing he will have to worry about are the judoka’s takedowns. Akiyama is a tricky veteran with unique counters and throws from the clinch. Bisping can’t afford to get sloppy with his offense. A telegraphed kick could quickly have him on his backside with "Sexyama" in his guard. No grown man wants this….trust me.

Along with defensive counters, Bisping will have to beware of Akiyama’s clinch game, which hosts the brunt of his Judo workings. Proper footwork and solid defense should keep Bisping from getting tossed on his head. When dealing with Akiyama, the clinch may be a place that is best avoided.

If there is one part of Bisping’s game that is underrated, it has to be his wrestling. While he isn’t Chael Sonnen or Nate Marquardt, Bisping possesses solid skills in the grappling area.

Bisping should try to mix things up a bit with a takedown or two. Akiyama has been plagued with cardio issues. Bisping needs to push him and make him work in all areas of the fight.

Akiyama shouldn’t allow Bisping to dictate the pace of this fight. He can’t keep up with Bisping’s frantic pace for three rounds.

When the bell rings, Akiyama needs to get after Bisping and control the center of the octagon. A glaring weakness in Bisping’s game is his inability to effectively counter. Akiyama needs to cut off the cage and exploit this weakness.

As Akiyama pushes inside, he should seek out the clinch. This will help slow Bisping down and avoid a complete cardiovascular collapse in the later rounds. Akiyama doesn’t have to secure takedowns from the clinch. He can control the position and rough Bisping up with short strikes.

With Bisping most likely preparing for clinch takedowns, Akiyama could try to mix things up by throwing in an outside shot or two. On the ground, he has to stay patient in controlling Bisping before working his offense. Bisping is scrappy in his ground defense.

Prediction :

The label of gatekeeper is delegated towards Bisping more than Akiyama. With only two fights in the UFC, Akiyama is still trying to find his place in the Middleweight division. Bisping has been involved in over ten UFC bouts and has yet to emerge into the elite contender the UFC brass wants him to be.

The UFC sees both of these guys as a ticket into foreign markets. While Bisping is a superstar in the UK, the UFC hopes Akiyama can become their bridge into the Japanese market.

As far as this bout goes, Akiyama’s lackluster cardio really sticks out. Even if he secures the takedown, he’ll have to work extremely hard to keep Bisping on the ground. This is a feat that a wrestler like Rashad Evans even struggled to accomplish.

Look for both fighters to be competitive early on the feet. Akiyama may grab a takedown or two, but Bisping will find a way back to his feet. As the fight goes into deeper waters, Bisping will start to run away with it and take home the unanimous decision.

Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy Vs. Carlos Condit

Key Victories :

Hardy (Marcus Davis, Mike Swick, Akihiro Gono)

Condit (Frank Trigg, Rory MacDonald, Jake Ellenberger, John Alessio, Brock Larson, Renato Verissimo)

Forecast :

Fresh off his five round spanking by Georges St. Pierre, MMA’s favorite mohawk wearing Englishman, Dan Hardy, looks to rebound against former WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit.

Fighting out of Nottingham, England, Hardy trains at Team Rough House with Paul Daley, Ross Pearson, Andre Winner, and Nick Osipczak. His style includes tae kwon do (black belt), boxing, Muay Thai, and BJJ (purple belt). Currently 4-1 in the UFC, the majority of Hardy’s victories have come by KO.

Carlos Condit fights out of Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He trains alongside Georges St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, Diego Sanchez, and Keith Jardine. Since losing to Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 18, Condit has picked up two consecutive victories over Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald.

Before the welterweight merger, he was a three-time defending WEC Welterweight Champion.

Keys to Victory :

Hardy should have the Boxing advantage in this bout. He needs to keep the fight standing and try to win the exchanges. Condit is a slick ground player. The last thing Hardy needs is for this bout to turn into a grappling contest. He has to be prepared to defend Condit’s takedowns from all areas.

Condit isn’t known for possessing an explosive outside shot. He tends to primarily seek out takedowns from the clinch. Hardy has to be ready for the possibility of a clinch war similar to his bout with Mike Swick.

On the feet, Condit tends to turtle up when pressed by an aggressor striker. In his bout with Jake Ellenberger, he actually dropped to the fetal position to avoid the exchanges. When an opportunity opens, Hardy needs to press the action and force Condit into wild exchanges. He’ll have to be smart to avoid walking into a takedown.

Hardy also has to watch out for kicks. Condit isn’t known for knockout power in his hands, but he can brutalize opponents with kicks on the outside.

Condit needs to get this fight to the ground. An outside double may be his best chance at securing a takedown. Hardy is difficult to deal with from the clinch. He frustrates opponents with good posture and solid knees.

The success of the takedown will be decided by how well Condit sets up his offense. He needs to use his kicks to frustrate Hardy and force him to get impatient. When Hardy comes charging, Condit should be able to get in deep enough to grab a takedown.

Hardy doesn’t have great defense in the center. Georges St. Pierre is perhaps the greatest takedown artist of all time, but some of the grabs he made on Hardy were borderline ridiculous from a technical standpoint.

Condit has to avoid getting into a slugfest with Hardy. Hardy isn’t the fastest welterweight, but he has solid accuracy and power when exchanging at close quarters.

Prediction :

This is a tough fight to predict between two evenly matched Welterweights. With that said, it’s time for an upset special.

Condit will lead the exchanges with kicks and occasional one-twos. When the distance closes, look for him to seek out the clinch and grind time off the clock. It won’t be a pretty fight, but Condit will leave London with the controversial split decision.

John Hathaway Vs. Mike Pyle

Key Victories :

Hathaway (Diego Sanchez, Paul Taylor, Rick Story)

Pyle (Jon Fitch, Dan Hornbuckle, Shonie Carter, Chris Wilson)

Forecast :

…Martin Kampmann, Jason Brilz, Bret Hart, Timothy Olyphant, and John Hathaway… "The Hitman" is a common nickname amongst modern day warriors.

Kampmann is a fight or two away from challenging for the UFC Welterweight Title. Brilz came within an inch of upsetting Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Hart is a five time WWE Champion. Olyphant took many lives and saved Olga Kurylenko on the silver screen.

What future awaits Hathaway? The way will be clearer when he takes on dangerous submission artist, Mike Pyle.

Hathaway fights out of Brighton, England. He is a member of London Shootfighters. The London based camp includes Marius Zaromskis, James Thompson, and Mostapha Al Turk. Hathaway’s style consists of Boxing, Wrestling, and BJJ. He currently has an undefeated professional record.

At UFC 114, he took the decision upset over Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez in dominating fashion.

Mike Pyle was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. He trains at Xtreme Couture with Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, Tyson Griffin, and Gray Maynard.

In 20 wins, Pyle has finished 17 by submission. His UFC tenure has been rather inconsistent. He is currently 2-2 with losses to Jake Ellenberger and Brock Larson. At UFC 115, he submitted Jesse Lennox in the third round via triangle choke.

Keys to Victory :

As the superior Boxer and Wrestler, Hathaway should be able to pick his poison in this bout. The preferred route would be keeping the bout standing and taking advantage of Pyle’s vulnerable Boxing defense. While Hathaway doesn’t want to underestimate his opponent, Pyle doesn’t have the power or technique to present a significant threat in the exchanges.

If Hathaway chooses to take this fight to the ground, he’ll have to be cautious in Pyle’s guard. Pyle is slick off his back and possesses serious submission skills.

Pyle has to find a way to drag this fight to the ground. This is easier said than done. Hathaway has shown solid takedown defense in thwarting great wrestlers like Diego Sanchez and Rick Story. Pyle will have to work to disguise his shot.

On the feet, he needs to keep his offense simple and utilize good defense. Hathaway is an imposing wrestler with strong top control. If taken down, Pyle has to actively seek out sweeps and submissions. One of the best parts of Hathaway’s game is his jarring ground and pound.

If Pyle tarries on bottom, he could become the recipient of a vicious beating.

Prediction :

This fight will hit the ground, but it won’t be on Pyle’s terms. Hathaway will secure a takedown and open up a world of ground and pound on the Xtreme Couture student. The ensuing carnage will finally be halted when the ref steps in late in the second round.

Cheick Kongo Vs. Travis Browne

Key Victories :

Kongo (Mirko "Cro Cop", Antoni Hardonk, Paul Buentello, Assuerio Silva)

Browne (James McSweeney)

Forecast :

The UFC looks to either make a new star or refuel an old one. It’ll be sink or swim for newcomer Travis Browne when he takes on Cheick Kongo.

Fighting out of Paris, France, Kongo utilizes kickboxing, Muay Thai, Greco-Roman wrestling, and BJJ (blue belt). In 2004, he was the Muay Thai World Champion.

He currently trains out of Wolfslair MMA Academy with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Michael Bisping. He rebounded from his first round submission loss to Frank Mir at UFC on Versus with a submission (strikes) victory over Paul Buentello.

Travis Browne fights out of San Diego, California. He is a member of the Alliance Training Center along with Brandon Vera, Dominick Cruz, and Phil Davis. His predominantly Boxing style has netted him eight knockouts in his professional career.

Carrying an undefeated record, Browne made his UFC debut against James McSweeney in June at the Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale.

He stopped McSweeney in the first round via TKO.

Keys to Victory :

Kongo has to beware of Browne’s power, but he shouldn’t get hesitant during exchanges. The knockdown from Frank Mir could still weigh heavily on his mind. With seven of his knockouts coming in the first round, Browne presents a kill shot threat on the feet.

Kongo needs to control the octagon by cutting off Browne’s angles and working him against the cage. From the clinch, Kongo could tee off with knees and strikes or setup the takedown. Browne’s ground game is untested, and Kongo could have a significant advantage once the bout hits the floor.

The clinch is definitely one area Browne has to stay out of. Kongo is known for controlling and pummeling opponents on the cage. Another area of concern from the clinch are takedowns.

There isn’t much known about Browne’s ground game, but he definitely doesn’t want the hulking Frenchman in his guard raining down those sword-like elbows.

Browne needs to keep this fight upright and pressure Kongo on the outside with feints and combinations. He’ll have to use a lot of footwork to avoid getting pinned against the fence.

During the exchanges, Browne has to be careful not to get caught overreaching. Kongo possesses the rare technique to land powerful straights at tight distances. These same punches had Cain Velasquez wobbly at UFC 99.

Prediction :

This fight should be interesting until Kongo cinches the clinch and drives Brown into the cage. Against the fence, it’ll be all downhill for Browne as he gets taken down and smashed up Wes Craven style.

James Wilks Vs. Claude Patrick

Key Victories :

Wilks (DaMarques Johnson)

Patrick (Ricardo Funch)

Forecast :

In the event opener, TUF Season 9 winner James Wilks will continue his effort to erase his UFC 105 hiccup to Matt Brown when he takes on Claude Patrick.

Born in Leicestershire, England, Wilks trains and teaches at Lightning MMA. He is a black belt in tae kwon do and a brown belt in BJJ. In June 2009, he defeated DaMarques Johnson in the TUF 9 Finale to become The Ultimate Fighter.

Since the finale, he has gone 1-1 in the UFC. He recently defeated Peter Sobotta at UFC 115 by unanimous decision.

Fighting out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Patrick trains at Elite Training Center. He is a brown belt in BJJ with nine submission victories to his name. At UFC 115, Patrick submitted Ricardo Funch by guillotine choke in his UFC debut. He is currently on an 11 fight win streak.

Keys to Victory :

With Patrick being the stronger wrestler, Wilks needs to keep this fight standing. On the feet, he can use his lengthy offense to keep Patrick at bay. Wilks usually demonstrates superiority in the clinch.

Against Patrick, he’ll find that the clinch match-up might not be as one-sided as initially assumed. Patrick displays great leverage and dangerous offense of his own.

The guillotine choke is Patrick’s trademark submission. Wilks has to avoid neck-in positions both standing and on the ground.

Patrick has to be vigilant in regards to outside offense. Wilks has a nice reach to go with his incredibly lanky frame at welterweight. Patrick needs to close the distance and implement his offense on the inside. The primary objective should be to seek out the takedown.

On the ground, Patrick needs to be patient in his search for submissions. He shouldn’t hesitate to maintain top control and grind out a decision if Wilks proves game from bottom.

Prediction :

Sunday, October 14, 2010...

In an old house in the country, Patrick sits comfortably in an armchair brandishing a pipe. Slowly lifting his eyes from his Sports Illustrated Magazine, he stares at the head on his mantle that shockingly resembles Wilks. Underneath the head, the mantle reads, "James Wilks: Hereby guillotined and submitted in the first".

Official Picks

Michael Bisping By Unanimous Decision

Carlos Condit By Split Decision

John Hathaway By Round 2 TKO Stoppage

Cheick Kongo By Round 1 TKO Stoppage

Claude Patrick By Round 2 Submission (Guillotine)

(Originally published at SportsHaze.com...Follow me on Bleacher Report or on Twitter at SportsHaze_MMA)