Brock Lesnar and UFC 121: What to Expect Saturday Night

Expectations are very high for this UFC. As the biggest draw in MMA, Brock Lesnar defends his title against a young, hungry and (since it has been well-documented) Mexican heavyweight in Cain Velasquez. Also, Tito Ortiz is back in action facing his number one pick from The Ultimate Fighter 3. Also, a debuting Jake Shields. Everybody is expecting him to make a big splash in the UFC.

But here’s what I think is going to happen Saturday night….

Cote Vs. Lawler

We will start with the fights that are going to be shown on Spike TV. We have Patrick Cote, who is coming off a comeback loss to Alan Belcher, and we have Tom Lawler coming off a hilarious weigh-in and entrance, but a lackluster performance.

Tom Lawler has assured us that he has since fixed his gassing problem and will prove it. I love this guy, his entrances and weigh-ins are hilarious. BUT—and there is always a but—he traveled to Cuba to train in boxing? I’m sure it helps his cardio, but boxing with a guy like Patrick Cote is a mistake.

Look for Cote to either win by decision or TKO in Round 3.

Mcgee Vs. Jensen

Court McGee is coming off a huge victory to win The Ultimate Fighter. He looked good in doing so. I have to be honest; I did not think much of him on the show. But he proved hard work and dedication does pay off. Court also has an amazing story, so it's pretty hard not to root for the guy.

McGee is fighting UFC vet Ryan Jensen. Jensen tends to be inconsistent at times, with his first UFC run ending with a two-fight losing streak and a loss in Strike Force. He has since rebounded, going 2-1 with his only loss coming by the hands of Mark Munoz.

Jensen is a solid competitor and a real good first fight for McGee. I have seen Jensen struggle with wrestlers, so if McGee doesn’t get too flashy, I see him winning by TKO.  

Scaub Vs. Gonzaga

This fight has knockout of the night written all over it. Both guys like to swing and both are heavy-handed. I expect Gonzaga to come out and stand with Schaub, even though I will be yelling at the TV for him to “Take the **Bleep** fight to the ground!” Gonzaga has a lot of talent but doesn’t fight like it.

Brendan Schaub has been making some bold statements after his one-round destruction of Brock Lesnar training partner Chris Tuchsherer. I think he needs to calm down a bit with some of his claims—that Roy Nelson fight where he got knocked out still lingers in my mind every time he fights.

I see Schaub winning because I don’t think Gonzaga has the conditioning, and he isn't willing to make this a grappling match.

You might also look out for Gonzaga being cut if he loses again by some sort of TKO or KO.  

Ortiz Vs. Hamill

Finally, Tito Ortiz back in action, after what seemed like 14 surgeries. I feel like Tito has grown up a bit, as he has since apologized for his comments about the deaf community. He is fighting a guy who has never been ran through (unless you count his “win” against Jon Jones) and is a durable and good opponent to come back, too.

Tito is always going to be a draw; he is a huge star in MMA, even if people think he doesn’t have the skill set anymore. I am in the minority who does think he has the skill set, and I think he trained his butt off for this fight.

I see it being close, as Hamill is game. I just see Tito being a little overwhelming and really pushing the pace.

I hope we can see the grave digger celebration, but I think this fight will be headed to the cards, with Tito winning some type of decision.

Sanchez Vs. Thiago

This one is pretty easy to predict: Diego walks out with a stupid look on his face screaming “YES! YES!," prays as he gets his name announced, and gives a really good mean face to Thiago.

 Now, onto the fight itself…

I think the hype with Thiago was a little unjustified. I think he is a tad bit overrated, and Martin Kampmann proved that.

Look for Diego to control on top with some nice scrambles. I see Diego winning this on the cards, 30-27.  

Oh, yeah, I also predict Diego will thank God in his post-fight speech and say something to the crowd that makes everybody feel awkward.

Shield Vs. Kampmann

Jake Shields finally making his UFC debut. A lot of fans consider Shields boring, but I am the opposite. I am a fan of his, and I appreciate his skills. His standup is very lackluster. But he makes up for it with unbelievable grappling skills. His grappling is like Anderson Silva’s standup.

He doesn’t have an easy fight here—Martin Kampmann is the truth. He has never lost to a grappler; all his losses within the UFC are to either bigger guys or top-of-the-food-chain strikers. This is interesting because reports are Kampmann’s takedown defense is some of the best. That’s a real problem for Jake Shields if he can't get this fight to the ground.

But as always, I have faith in Shields' abilities. I think he will be able to out grapple Kampmann and win by decision. I don’t see Jake finishing, because Kampmann is tough, but anything can happen.

I do think Jake will get his chin tested. I think he has a few scares in this fight.  

Velasquez Vs. Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is the most polarizing figure in MMA today. He is the number one heavyweight in mixed martial arts, and I’m picking him to lose. That’s right; I think Brock Lesnar will fall from the hype train that he road in on.

Don’t get me wrong, Brock proved a lot against Carwin. I just see Cain being a whole other animal. He is the smaller one, but he is faster, quicker (yes, they are different), more experienced and has better technique. Brock has strength and size.

This will not be easy. I’m not saying Cain is going to run through him, but I see Cain catching him early and often. I don’t see Brock being able to take Cain down as often as many people think, and I think that’s where the openings for Cain will be.

New Champion: Cain Velasquez

Miscellaneous Thoughts

These are a few things to expect outside of the actual fights...

Joe Rogan saying something off color and Mike Goldberg not knowing how to respond

Mike Goldberg saying "It's ALL OVER!"

Joe Rogan bashing anybody who uses the rubber guard wrong

Cain being referred to as Mexican about 12 times

Replaying a nut shot 12 times

Mario Yamasaki throwing up a heart shape with his hands

And of course, Mike Goldberg plugging Dana's twitter