UFC 124: Main Card Preview

The Ultimate Fighting Championship brings it's final card of the year to the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The main event features a highly-anticipated Welterweight Championship bout between the two coaches from season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter". While one fighter is sure to receive a hero's welcome, the others' reception should be reminiscent of Lebron James' in Cleveland.

While the main event is intriguing on it's own, the rest of the card is stacked with interesting style matches.

It's that time of the month again folks!

No, not that time. It's the time when you get to feast on some manly induced knowledge for the fights on Saturday. Kick back and relax. It's breakdown time.

At the end of the breakdowns, I will have my official picks listed. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the fights!

Georges St. Pierre Vs. Josh Koscheck

(MMAWeekly)

Key Victories :

St. Pierre (Matt Hughes, B.J. Penn, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, Sean Sherk, Karo Parisyan, Jason Miller, Frank Trigg, Dan Hardy, Matt Serra)

Koscheck (Paul Daley, Diego Sanchez, Frank Trigg, Chris Lytle, Anthony Johnson, Dustin Hazelett)

Forecast :

The word hostile can't even begin to describe what the Bell Centre will be like on Saturday night when Georges "Rush" St. Pierre defends his Welterweight Title against Josh Koscheck.

Koscheck has ascended to a status of villainy that not even the great Christopher Nolan can concoct. If he isn't taking jabs at the Montreal Canadiens, he's wearing a jubilant smile and GSP-like compression shorts in an attempt to get under the skin of MMA's beloved poster boy.

While his blonde-headed nemesis is enamored with pre-fight trash talk, St. Pierre has continued his usual Theodore Roosevelt approach by "speaking softly and carrying a big stick", which has propelled him to superstardom and pound-for-pound glory.

Can Koscheck handle St. Pierre's "riddum"? It's time to find out.

Fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, St. Pierre is a black belt in BJJ, Kyokushin and Gaidojutsu. He trains at Jackson's MMA, Tristar and Grudge Training Center with fighters like Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt, Jon Jones and Shane Carwin.

Since he reclaimed the Welterweight Championship in April 2008, St. Pierre has put fourth four successful title defenses. Many consider him the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. His incredible blend of striking and grappling makes him the epitome of the modern day mixed martial artist.

At UFC 111, St. Pierre dominated Dan Hardy for five rounds en route to a unanimous decision.

Fighting out of Fresno, California, Koscheck trains at American Kickboxing Academy with Cain Velasquez, Jon Fitch, Mike Swick and Cung Le. At Edinboro University of Pennsylvania he was a four-time Division I Wrestling All-American and a 2001 National Champion, finishing his championship year with a 42-0 record.

Even though wrestling is Koscheck's bread and butter, he has made strides in rounding off his game with improved standup.

This isn't the first time Koscheck has faced St. Pierre. In August 2007, he lost a lopsided decision to the French Canadian. Koscheck has since amassed a 6-2 record in the UFC. At UFC 113, he defeated Paul Daley by unanimous decision.

Keys to Victory :

St. Pierre should have the definitive advantage in the standup, while Koscheck hurls bomb-like one-twos, St. Pierre is more diverse in his ability to utilize kicks, punches and elbows.

Patience will be key. If St. Pierre rushes in and gets caught with one of Koscheck's missiles, there won't be any kind of late comeback like the Montreal Canadiens over the Pittsburg Penguins.

St. Pierre needs to do what he does best and mix up his offense to keep Koscheck guessing. Even though he lacks the credentials, St. Pierre is a better wrestler in MMA than Koscheck. He needs to pick his spots on the feet and use feigns to setup the takedown.

On the ground, he can look for submissions and work Koscheck over with ground and pound.

This fight could be won or lost by the takedown, and Koscheck presents a viable threat to St. Pierre's otherworldly defense. St. Pierre has to stay focused in spotting feigns as Koscheck attempts to setup the power double.

There may not be many weaknesses in St. Pierre's game, but Koscheck would do well to take a page out of Matt Serra's book. He needs to get in St. Pierre's face and force him into unnecessary exchanges. If Koscheck stays outside with his offense, St. Pierre will pick him apart all night.

Throughout the fight, Koscheck needs to be consistent with his takedowns. Multiple attempts, whether they are successful or not, will open up other facets of Koscheck's offense. For example, If St. Pierre bites on a feigned takedown, his lowered defense could open him up to huge shots on the feet.

There isn't a better takedown artist in the sport than St. Pierre, but Koscheck has the ability to shrug off attempts. He has to fight off what he can and avoid idling underneath St. Pierre for an extended period of time. If Koscheck can't find openings to scramble, he will be in for a long night.

Prediction :

Both fighters have greatly improved since their first meeting in 2007, but the overall matchup is still the same. St. Pierre does everything just a little bit better than Koscheck. With that said, this isn't St. Pierre versus Dan Hardy.

Koscheck is a world class wrestler with KO power in both hands, and he has long been considered by some pundits as the greatest threat to St. Pierre's title reign. This competitive matchup should keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Look for a tough and technical five round battle.

Koscheck will nab a takedown or two, but St. Pierre's underrated guard game will keep him out of any real danger. This bout will be interesting as Koscheck's takedown defense forces St. Pierre to stand longer than he's accustomed to.

Still, Koscheck's inability to present offense from his back will be his undoing as St. Pierre grabs just enough takedowns and edges out the standup exchanges for the unanimous decision.

Stefan Struve Vs. Sean McCorkle

Key Victories :

Struve (Paul Buentello)

McCorkle (Mark Hunt)

Forecast :

After practically having his bottom lip unhinged at UFC 117, "Skyscraper" returns to main card action to take on Sean "Big Sexy" McCorkle.

Born in Beverwijk, Netherlands, Stefan Struve is a Kickboxer and BJJ artist. He trains out of Team Schreiber and carries a 4-2 UFC record. In 20 wins, 14 of his victories have come by submission. At UFC 117, Struve fought through early adversity to earn the KO stoppage and "Knockout of the Night" honors over Christian Morecraft.

McCorkle fights out of Indianapolis, Indiana. He carries an unblemished record of 10-0. His style relies heavily on Kickboxing and Wrestling. Only one of his bouts have gone the distance. McCorkle netted a first round submission victory in his UFC debut in September against former Pride veteran Mark Hunt.

Keys to Victory :

Struve has to keep his distance and use his long limbs to pick McCorkle apart on the outside. McCorkle is a massive Heavyweight who is used to competing against lethargic Super Heavyweights. Struve should really utilize his kicks to chop McCorkle's lumbering legs and slow his advancements.

Unless Struve trips over his own feet, he should be able to keep the fight upright as long as he wants. McCorkle has shown the ability to pull off submissions in past bouts, but Struve still holds a hefty advantage in the grappling department.

Struve needs to try to push McCorkle's cardio. McCorkle's massive size hasn't helped in the past in sustaining a decent pace. If Struve stays active, we could see a McCorkle meltdown early.

McCorkle has to find a way to close the distance in this fight. Struve is the tallest active fighter on the UFC roster (6 ft 11 in), and he is really effective in landing on the outside. McCorkle needs to shorten the gap and rough Struve up on the inside with punches. He should really load up on overhands and hooks.

Struve doesn't have the greatest takedown defense in the world, but he isn't going to haplessly trip up and give McCorkle a good position. McCorkle has to actively seek out the takedown and setup his own offense. Takedowns will be imperative for McCorkle's success. Unless he lands a big shot, he's going to have a tough time out-pointing Struve on the feet.

Prediction :

If this was a heavy breathing contest, McCorkle would certainly get the nod in this fight, but unfortunately, physical exertion alone won't win you a fight. Struve will wear McCorkle down with leg kicks and combinations on the feet. "Skyscraper" will stand taller than the rest at the end when he picks up the second round TKO stoppage.

Jim Miller Vs. Charles Oliveira

Key Victories :

Miller (Gleison Tibau, Mac Danzig, Matt Wiman, Mark Bocek, Duane Ludwig)

Oliveira (Efrain Escudero)

Forecast :

After witnessing his destruction of Efrain Escudero, the myriad of hype surrounding Charles Oliveira is starting to turn heads. At 21 years of age, Oliveira shows enough poise, accuracy and diverse skills to trump most veterans.

We'll see if the hype train avoids a massive derailment when Oliveira faces a stern challenge in Jim Miller.

Fighting out of Whippany, New Jersey, Miller is a black belt in BJJ under Jamie Cruz. He puts in work at AMA Fight Club with his brother Dan Miller, Joe Soto, Charlie Brenneman and Ricardo Romero. In college, he had a year of NCAA Division I Wrestling experience at Virginia Tech.

Sporting an 18-2 record, Miller has been consistent throughout his MMA tenure. His only losses have come to UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and number one contender Gray Maynard. He is currently riding a five fight win streak. At UFC Fight Night 22, Miller took a unanimous decision victory over Gleison Tibau.

Known as "do Bronx", Oliveira was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and trains at Bronx's Gold Team USA. He is a Muay Thai and BJJ (brown belt) artist. Brandishing a spotless record, only one of Oliveira's fights have gone the distance. He has earned a submission victory in both of his UFC bouts against Efrain Escudero and Darren Elkins.

Keys to Victory :

Miller better be prepared to defend a lot of kicks. Oliveira tends to setup the rest of his standup offense by utilizing different kicks from various angles. It will be tough, but Miller has to showcase solid defense to avoid absorbing major punishment.

Miller doesn't have the striking acumen to engage in a three round kickboxing match with Oliveira. He has to find a way to drag the fight to the floor and do enough damage to ride out the decision. This sounds easy enough, but things are far from being this simple. Oliveira may actually be better from his back than he is standing.

This will be a huge test for Miller's top game. He'll have to be on his toes for a plethora of BJJ tricks while in the clutches of Oliveira's guard.

Oliveira will boast a significant advantage in the striking. He needs to stay in the open and lead off with kicks to pick Miller apart in the exchanges. Miller won't be looking to outbox Oliveira, though. Whether voluntarily or involuntarily, Oliveira will likely find himself fending from his back at times in this bout.

Despite his stellar guard and efficiency at pulling off submissions, Oliveira can't allow himself to linger underneath Miller too long in his submission search. If submissions aren't opening up, he needs to work for sweeps and find opportunities to scramble back to his feet.

Oliveira should be able to dictate where the fight goes as long as he uses good footwork. Miller's takedowns aren't that explosive out in the open.

Prediction :

Oliveira will shred Miller in the exchanges. As a savvy veteran, Miller will have his moments, but "do Bronx's" dynamic offense will be too much to handle. The hype will continue when Oliveira takes the unanimous decision.

Joe Stevenson Vs. Mac Danzig

(Sherdog)

Key Victories :

Stevenson (Nate Diaz, Spencer Fisher, Gleison Tibau, Kurt Pellegrino, Melvin Guillard, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Yves Edwards)

Danzig (Mark Bocek)

Forecast :

Lately, Mac Danzig has been about as consistent as an M. Night Shyamalan flick. He has been defeated in six of his last nine outings.

With the influx of lightweights coming over in the WEC merger, this could be do-or-die for Danzig. It's quite a shame too, because Danzig is truly a quality lightweight. We'll see if he can turn things around when he takes on former title contender Joe "Daddy" Stevenson.

Fighting out of Victorville, California, Stevenson teaches and trains at Joe Stevenson's Cobra Kai and Jackson's MMA. He is a black belt in BJJ and Judo. His training partners consist of Rashad Evans, Georges St. Pierre, Diego Sanchez and Melvin Guillard.

Nearly half of his 31 victories have come by submission (15).

At UFC 110, Stevenson was defeated by unanimous decision in a "Fight of the Night" performance against George Sotiropoulos.

Danzig fights out of Los Angeles, California. His style includes Wrestling and Boxing. Many people remember him as the season six winner of "The Ultimate Fighter". Since the show, Danzig has compiled a 3-4 UFC record. The majority of his wins have come by submission (10). At UFC 115, he took a submission loss to Matt Wiman after the official mistakenly assumed he was unconscious and called the fight.

Keys to Victory :

Stevenson should be aggressive and use his boxing to setup the takedown. Danzig doesn't have the best takedown defense, but he won't go quietly. Stevenson will have to be persistent and get in deep to put Danzig on his back. Danzig's takedown defense seems to fade over the course of a bout against stronger wrestlers determined to drag the fight to the floor.

On the ground, Stevenson will have to work hard to advance to a dominant position. Despite his tumultuous post "TUF" career, Danzig is as scrappy as they come.

Unless he's winning the exchanges, Stevenson has to be careful not to overstay his welcome on the feet. Both fighters have decent hands, and the standup could be Danzig's best chance of staying competitive in this fight.

With Stevenson being the superior grappler, this is a tough match-up stylistically for Danzig.

His success will depend on his ability to score on the feet and fend off takedowns. He needs to utilize angles and a varied attack to give himself a chance in the exchanges. It's hard to setup the takedown when your opponent is constantly moving and attacking from multiple angles in the pocket.

Even though Stevenson is the better wrestler, Danzig should try to surprise him with some takedowns of his own. If Danzig can secure a takedown, he should be able to ride out some time by working short strikes and controlling Stevenson from top. Watch out for the guillotine!

Prediction :

Stevenson presents Danzig with an abundance of stylistic nightmares. This will be a competitive fight, but Stevenson's wrestling will be too much. "Daddy" will give Danzig a grown man spanking for a three round unanimous decision.

Thiago Alves Vs. John Howard

(Sherdog)

Key Victories :

Alves (Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, Marcus Davis)

Howard (Dennis Hallman, Daniel Roberts, Tamdan McCrory, Chris Wilson)

Forecast :

Outside of the main event, this could be the most fun fight on the card. The electricity generated by these two heavy-handed sluggers could light up an entire city.

Coming off back-to-back beatdowns, Thiago Alves is in desperate need of a win. Can the "Pitbull" fight off impending doom? It will be exciting to see what happens when Alves takes on John "Doomsday" Howard.

Born in Fortaleza, Brazil, Alves trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. His teammates include Mike Brown, Thiago Silva, Alessio Sakara and Jorge Santiago. In 17 wins, Alves has finished 11 by knockout. He couples his devastating Muay Thai with a solid understanding of BJJ (brown belt).

Alves is coming off losses to Jon Fitch and Georges St. Pierre.

Fighting out of Boston, Massachusetts, Howard trains at Wai Kru MMA. His style consists of Muay Thai, Wrestling and BJJ (purple belt). Despite the majority of his wins coming by submission (6), Howard is known for his aggressive striking and bruising power. His knockout over Daniel Roberts at UFC on Versus was one of the scariest in recent memory.

At UFC on Versus 2, Howard lost to Jake Ellenberger by a third round doctor stoppage (swollen left eye).

Keys to Victory :

Alves has to avoid getting caught up in the moment and be methodical in his approach. It's been a long time since the "Pitbull" has fought an opponent willing to trade punches with him for all three rounds. He can't allow himself to become a victim by playing right into Howard's hand. Alves needs to work leg kicks and try to catch "Doomsday's" coming in with well-timed straights.

There will be plenty of openings for Alves to exploit. Howard doesn't cover up well, and has a tendency to blitz opponents with wide, looping hooks. If Alves is patient in the open, he should be able to deliver effective counters.

With Alves being the more refined striker, Howard needs to keep the distance close and force the action in the pocket. This will ultimately take away Alves' range for those devastating leg kicks, and it could also force him into unnecessary exchanges.

Howard will have to avoid getting greedy in the standup. Alves is a world class Welterweight and is exceptionally durable. If Howard gets overzealous in trying to finish, Alves could find a home for that fight-ending shot that drops him faster than the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL Power Rankings.

Prediction :

The doom clock is ticking, and it isn't for Alves. Howard's hasty approach will be his downfall when Alves finds an opening and puts him to sleep in the first round.

Official Picks

Georges St. Pierre By Unanimous Decision

Stefan Struve By Round 2 TKO Stoppage

Charles Oliveira By Unanimous Decision

Joe Stevenson By Unanimous Decision

Thiago Alves By Round 1 KO