UFC 124 Main Card Predictions: Will Georges St. Pierre Remain Champion?
UFC 124 on December 11 from the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada will host Georges St. Pierre versus the number one welterweight contender, Josh Koscheck. In addition to this main event, you will find my predictions and rationale behind my choices for the outcome of the main card. Enjoy the fights UFC fans!
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Thiago Alves (17-7) VS. John Howard (14-5)
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Fighting in the welterweight division, "The Pitbull" Thiago Alves will square off with John "Doomsday" Howard.
Thiago Alves is mired in a two fight losing streak with unanimous decision losses to current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and top contender John Fitch. Looking to bounce back, The Pitbull's tenacious stand up and solid ground game with be tested by John Howard.
Fighting out of Wai Kru mixed martial arts in Boston, Massachusetts, Howard has a respectable 14-5 overall record with the majority of his wins by submission or decision. "Doomsday" will be stepping up a level of competition when enters the octagon against The Pitbull.
Thiago will not only be motivated to get back into the welterweight title contention, but he will try to avoid the recent rash of notable fighters being released from their UFC contracts after three consecutive defeats.
The Pitbull will be extremely motivated to prevent being released from his current contract. Equipped with excellent muay thai skills, Thiago Alves will be to much for John Howard to handle.
My pick: Thiago Alves
Mac Danzig (19-8-1) VS. Joe Stevenson (31-11)
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This lightweight matchup between 19-8-1 Mac Danzig and 31-11 Joe "Daddy" Stevenson pairs two aggressive wrestler/jiu-jitsu practitioners against one another.
Losing four of his last five fights by decision, Mac Danzig will attempt to establish relevancy within the lightweight division with a victory.
Joe Stevenson will have other plans, however. With challenging losses to the UFC's top lightweights including Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez and George Sotiropolous, Stevenson will be looking to resurrect his career against Danzig. I believe Stevenson's strength and ground game will be to much for Danzig.
My pick: Joe Stevenson
Jim Miller (18-2) VS. Charles "do Bronx" Oliveira (14-0)
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With victories over lightweight top contenders including Gleison Tibau, Mark Bocek, Duane Ludwig and Mac Danzig, the 18-2 Jim Miller will bring a balanced fight game against Charles "do Bronx" Oliveira.
Undefeated at 14-0, Oliveira combines an aggressive stand up game with slick submissions and powerful wrestling to dominate all 14 of his opponents.
A potential "Submission of the Night" bonus could be awarded to the victor of this fight.
In the end, Jim Miller's level of experience will eek out a victory over the undefeated Charles Oliveira.
My pick: Jim Miller
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Sean "Big Sexy" McCorkle (10-0) VS. Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve (20-4)
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At 6'7" and 6'11" respectively, this battle of monstrous heavyweights should be exciting to watch. Both earning more victories through submission, I believe this fight will ironically remain on the feet.
With two knockout losses to Roy Nelson and Junior dos Santos, Struve is looking to prove that he can stand and bang with the UFC's big boys.
A back and forth battle, I believe "The Skyscraper" possesses too many weapons against "Big Sexy." With a significant reach advantage and the recent drive for more exciting fights within the UFC, Struve will stay out of harms way from McCorkle and deliver a flurry of strikes.
In the end, "Big Sexy" will suffer his first defeat at the hands of the "Skyscraper."
My pick: Stefan Struve
UFC 124 Main Event: Georges "Rush" St. Pierre VS. Josh "Kos" Koscheck
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Fueled by weeks of trash talk by top welterweight contender Josh Koscheck on The Ultimate Fighter, the current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre will be tremendously motivated when he defends his title on December 11 in front of his hometown crowd in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter by Sherdog.com, GSP has dominated the welterweight division for almost five years. With career victories over Sean Sherk, BJ Penn, Matt Hughes, Thiago Alves and most recently, Dan Hardy, "Rush" is the complete package with an unrivaled fight game.
With a 15-4 MMA record, Koscheck has spawned from a wrestling first ultimate fighter to a well rounded mixed martial artist. "Kos" has defeated opponents at their own strengths including out boxing stand up sensation Paul "Semtex" Daley.
Since his arrival in the UFC, Koscheck has improved in all aspects of his fight game.
Unfortunately for the No. 1 contender, he will fall prey to GSP's aggressive stand up striking as Georges unloads a variety of punches and kicks from all different angles and planes. Additionally, like with previous wrestling opponents, St. Pierre will take Koscheck to the mat and wear him down with intense pressure while delivering vicious elbows.
When the blood is clotted and the sweat is wiped, Josh Koscheck's smack talk will only add fuel to Georges St. Pierre's fire and "Rush" will once again successfully defend his welterweight title.
My pick: Georges St. Pierre
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