UFC 126 Preview: Predictions for Silva-Belfort and Each of the 11 Fights

UFC 126 is nearing as Anderson Silva prepares to defend his UFC Middleweight Championship against “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort.

“The Spider” hopes to rebound after a near-disastrous performance in his last title defense against Chael Sonnen while Belfort is looking to be the first man to defeat Silva in The Octagon.

Other big fights on the card include a light heavyweight battle between Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin, a bantamweight bout between Miguel Torres and Antonio Banuelos, and a light heavyweight contenders showdown between Ryan Bader and Jon “Bones” Jones.

Also making his UFC debut will be Japanese superstar Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto as he faces former WEC competitor Demetrious Johnson.

The event will take place on Feb. 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

Read on for the full event breakdown and a prediction on each of the exciting matchups on this very important card!

Welterweight Bout—Mike Pierce Vs. Kenny Robertson

UFC 126 will mark the sixth appearance in The Octagon for former Portland State University wrestler Mike Pierce when he faces newcomer Kenny Robertson.

Pierce brings an impressive 13-3 career record with notable wins over Julio Paulino and Amilcar Alves, as well as a huge upset victory over the very experienced Brock Larson in his UFC debut.

His only loss in the UFC came at the hands of perennial top contender Jon Fitch who secured a decision victory in the bout, but Pierce definitely made the fight competitive.

Kenny Robertson will make his UFC debut after having to drop out of his first scheduled fight with the company back in November due to a broken toe.

He brings an undefeated 10-0 record and has only gone to a decision once while winning two by knockout and seven by submission. He is considered primarily to be a submission expert and will need those skills to threaten against Pierce’s aggressive wrestling.

Robertson defeated UFC veteran John Kolosci in his most recent fight at Bellator 25 when he tapped out the former The Ultimate Fighter contestant with a key lock midway through the second round.

Look for this fight to go to the ground one way or another and then be a chess game from there.

Robertson’s submission background makes him a difficult challenge for Pierce, but the bright lights of the UFC can be tough on a fighter making his first appearance.

Prediction: Mike Pierce defeats Kenny Robertson by decision

Light Heavyweight Bout—Kyle Kingsbury Vs. Ricardo Romero

Kyle Kingsbury is perhaps best known as one of the cast members of The Ultimate Fighter 8: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir where his personality made him a very likable character.

Nogueira referred to Kingsbury as the “leader of the team” and while he did not win the show, he was still given a contract by the UFC. He was eliminated by eventual winner Ryan Bader.

The American Kickboxing Academy fighter is coming off of a two-fight win streak with decision victories over Razak Al-Hassan and Jared Hamman. The fight against Hamman was also selected as “Fight of the Night” at UFC Fight Night 22.

The 6’4” Kingsbury is one of the taller fighters in the division, which makes him a unique opponent for the now 11-1 Ricardo Romero.

Romero will be making his second appearance in the UFC after an inspiring win over Seth Petruzelli at UFC 116. Petruzelli caught Romero in the first round and actually fractured his jaw but Romero fought back and actually ended up winning the fight by a submission with an arm bar in round two.

The New Jersey native is on a six-fight win streak, with his only loss coming by disqualification due to an illegal knee in 2008. He has only gone to a decision once in his career, finishing six fights by submission and four by knockout.

Prediction: Ricardo Romero defeats Kyle Kingsbury by submission in the third round

Bantamweight Bout—Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto Vs. Demetrious Johnson

In one of the most anticipated debuts in recent memory, Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto will make his UFC debut against Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson at UFC 126.

The fight will also mark the first time that the world-renowned Yamamoto will fight within the continental United States, having fought only twice in Hawaii thus far in his career.

Yamamoto sports an impressive 18-3 career record but two losses in his previous three fights before he defeated Federico Lopez at DREAM 14 back in May.

His record includes wins over Jeff Curran, Caol Uno as well as a host of others and he has finished 13 fights by knockout while only winning three by decision.

He is known as one of the world’s most explosive fighters and possesses what is considered to be the quickest victory in major mixed martial arts history when he knocked out Kazuyuki Miyata with a ridiculous running flying knee just four seconds into the bout.  

Yamamoto won’t have it easy in his UFC debut, as he faces the 7-1 Demetrious Johnson who is coming off of an impressive two-fight win streak in the WEC with wins over Damacio Page and Nick Pace.

He has won four fights by way of submission with two knockouts, splitting the only two decisions he has had in his young career.

The consensus is that Yamamoto will use his speed and explosive striking to end the fight early, but don’t sleep on Johnson and his wrestling.

If he can weather the almost guaranteed early flurry from Yamamoto, Johnson does have the skills to bring the fight to the ground and control the pace of the fight into something much more manageable for himself.

Prediction:  Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto defeats Demetrious Johnson via TKO in the first round

Lightweight Bout—Paul Taylor Vs. Gabe Ruediger

In a fight that may be the final nail in the coffin in either fighter’s UFC career, veterans Paul Taylor and Gabe Ruediger will square off in the cage at 155 pounds.

The U.K. will be represented in this one by Paul Taylor, who is coming off a closely contested, split decision loss to Sam Stout at UFC 121 in November.

Taylor was anxious to get back in the cage, though, as he is now on a two-fight losing streak in the UFC following his loss to John Hathaway at UFC 105.

With just a 3-5 career record in the UFC, Taylor will need this win to keep him off of management’s list of fighters who just aren’t making the cut in the promotion.

Though he has won three “Fight of the Night” awards in his career, all three came on losses, and he has not been involved with a fight that was finished since his loss to Marcus Davis back at UFC 75 in 2007.

Ruediger is also in a must-win situation as he made his UFC return at UFC 118 but was quickly manhandled and submitted by Joe Lauzon. Ruediger was then forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight with Paul Kelly at UFC 123 with a groin injury.

Though a second loss wouldn’t usually eliminate a fighter out of the UFC, Ruediger’s past will likely play a big part in the decision making process.

His actions on The Ultimate Fighter 5 led to him missing weight for a fight and eventually led to him being dismissed from the show by Dana White.

This fight is a very important one for both fighters and it could simply come down to who wants it more. In this case, Taylor’s heart and determination could be the deciding factor.

Prediction: Paul Taylor defeats Gabe Ruediger by decision

Featherweight Bout—Chad Mendes Vs. Michihiro Omigawa

Chad Mendes will make his UFC debut as he faces the Japanese veteran and former UFC fighter Michihiro Omigawa.

A former two-time All-American wrestler in college, Mendes joined Team Alpha Male and has trained alongside WEC stars Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez.

Mendes brings an undefeated mixed martial arts record of 9-0 into the cage, having gone 4-0 in the now absorbed WEC. He has, however, only finished four of his nine fights and is in danger of falling into the “boring” category that many fighters find themselves in with impatient UFC fans.

His most recent back-to-back wins over Javier Vasquez and Cub Swanson were impressive displays of his ability to control fights, dictating where and when the action happens. He showed noticeable improvement in his striking in the Vasquez fight which should be a great sign for his future in the division.

Mendes will face perhaps the toughest contest of his career at UFC 126, though, as he faces consensus top-10 featherweight Michihiro Omigawa.

Omigawa is making his return to the UFC at 145 pounds after back-to-back losses at 155 sent him packing in early 2008. Omigawa’s career record of 12-8 is not what you’d expect to see from a perceived top fighter, but that number doesn’t show the current streak he’s on with eight wins in his past nine fights.

The fight will be an interesting contrast of styles, with Omigawa’s Judo skills vs. Mendes’ wrestling skills, but it seems possible that the UFC is attempting to bring in Omigawa as a credibility-booster and a stepping stone for Mendes.

Prediction: Chad Mendes defeats Michihiro Omigawa by decision

Lightweight Bout—Donald Cerrone Vs. Paul Kelly

One of the more intriguing fighters to make his UFC debut will be Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, who will face UFC veteran Paul Kelly in this lightweight contest.

A former undefeated professional kickboxing and Muay Thai fighter, Donald Cerrone made his mixed martial arts debut in 2006. He fought seven times in his first year and a half in the sport before getting his chance in the WEC in September of 2007.

After pushing his professional record to 9-0, Cerrone was given a shot at WEC Lightweight Champion, Jamie Varner. He lost the fight but was still given much respect for the way he competed.

It’s surprising, given Cerrone’s background as a Muay Thai fighter and kick boxer, but he has actually finished most of his fights by submission. Eleven of his 13 wins have come by way of submission while he has not yet knocked out an opponent.

He actually won another fight against Kenneth Alexander by submission as well in his WEC debut, but the decision was later overturned following a failed drug test from Cerrone.

British fighter Paul Kelly will be in his ninth UFC fight when he faces Cerrone at UFC 126. He currently sports a 5-3 record inside The Octagon including a submission loss to Marcus Davis in 2008, the first loss of his career, in his second UFC appearance.

Kelly made the move from 170 pounds to 155 just one fight after the loss to Davis and has been fighting there since. The lower weight class gives him a better chance against his competition, as his short frame made him easier to keep away from against larger opponents.

Paul Kelly was actually originally scheduled to fight Sam Stout on the card, but it was later changed when Stout had to withdraw due to injury.

Kelly will likely try to keep this fight on the feet, as he does not want to get into a situation where he is trying to fend off Cerrone’s submissions.

It will be difficult, though, as Cerrone has a very solid all-around game and could very realistically out-strike Kelly on the feet as well, eventually leaving an opening for him to take the fight to the ground and slap on a submission.

Prediction: Donald Cerrone defeats Paul Kelly by submission in the first round

Bantamweight Bout—Miguel Torres Vs. Antonio Banuelos

In what many consider to be a Fight of the Night candidate, former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres will face fellow WEC alumni Antonio Banuelos as the two fighters both make their UFC debuts.

Both fighters have had recent struggles in the cage and are in need of a big win to keep them as one of the top contenders in the newly created UFC Bantamweight Division.

Considered by many to be one of the top candidates as the pound-for-pound king back in 2008 and early 2009, Miguel Torres had a brutal fall from grace with back-to-back losses to Brian Bowles at WEC 42 and Joseph Benavidez at WEC 47.

He was able to stop the skid in his final WEC appearance when he submitted Charlie Valencia back in September at WEC 51.

Banuelos is the lesser-known of the two fighters, but he is still very dangerous and exciting in his own right. He possesses very powerful hands and is known for throwing big bombs and constantly pushing his opponent.

This style has been effective for him in the past but it has also been exposed as it was at WEC 44 when he faced Kenji Osawa.

Banuelos punished Osawa with a huge shot in the first round but was unable to finish the Japanese fighter. This led to a lot of head-hunting from Banuelos who appeared to be going for the highlight reel knockout rather than picking his shots and setting up a big shot if he gets the opportunity.

While he ended up winning the fight by decision, it was a lot closer than the unanimous decision in the record books say it was. If Osawa could have just landed one or two more solid shots, he could very well have ended up with his hand raised.

Miguel Torres brings a long and lanky yet still very powerful frame to the fight, which could be a major problem for Antonio Banuelos if he gets into head-hunting mode again.

Torres has shown in the past that he is more than willing to stand and pick his opponents apart using his superior movement and crisp boxing.

Torres will have a six-inch height advantage and a distinct reach advantage over Banuelos in this fight, thus making things tough for the underdog, who will need to close the gap and stay in Torres’ face to win.

The more well-rounded fighter in this contest is Torres, who should be able to use his reach advantage to keep Banuelos out of rhythm before taking the fight to the ground, where he will have a distinct advantage.

The two fighters have combined for 56 total wins in their long careers, 24 of which have come by way of submission. 23 of those submissions have been by Miguel Torres.

Prediction: Miguel Torres defeats Antonio Banuelos by submission in the second round

Light Heavyweight Bout—Jon Jones Vs. Ryan Bader

While it isn’t the main event, the fight that many fans are looking most forward to is the clash between up-and-comers Jon “Bones” Jones and the unbeaten Ryan Bader.

Both fighters have been widely heralded as the future of the Light Heavyweight division and while Jones does have a loss on his record, it was due to a disqualification following illegal strike in a fight that he was absolutely dominating against the highly respected Matt Hamill.

Other than that minor miscue, both Jones and Bader have been on an absolute warpath since their debuts with the UFC.

Jon Jones is considered by many to be a future champion at the Light Heavyweight division as he has completely manhandled respectable fighters in Matt Hamill, Brandon Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko in his past three fights.

He took little or no damage in all three fights, gaining a tremendous amount of steam by the MMA community in the process. Still, detractors point to Jones’ record and say that he has not faced a top-10 fighter yet in his career.

Ryan Bader, on the other hand, is a former The Ultimate Fighter season winner and is coming off a huge win against consensus top-10 light heavyweight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 119. The win was by far the biggest of Bader’s young career and placed Bader himself near the top-five in the UFC at 205 pounds.

Bader isn’t known as a particularly dazzling fighter but rather that he simply knows how to win fights and particularly how to edge out close ones.

His knockout against Keith Jardine in the third round of their fight at UFC 110 and then grinding out a close decision against Nogueira at UFC 119 proved that not only can he finish fights with impact, but he can finish them on the score card as well.

It is expected that both fighters will use their stand up to setup their takedowns. While Bader will be looking to close the gap between the two and work from the clinch, Jones could use his 10-inch reach advantage to land some shots from a distance.

Jones often attempts to pound out his victims from the top position early using a variety of punches and elbows while Bader seems to prefer a more methodical tactic of grinding his opponent down and landing many safe shots while controlling the position and not exposing himself.

Whoever gains top control in this fight will very likely be the winner.

Prediction: Jon “Bones” Jones defeats Ryan Bader by Technical Knockout in the second round

Welterweight Bout—Jake Ellenberger Vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha

At just 25 years old, Jake Ellenberger is already an MMA veteran with 25 professional fights under his belt and was originally scheduled to have the biggest fight of his career against perennial top contender Jon Fitch.

Fitch was removed from the card in order to face BJ Penn in his return fight at 170 pounds, but that didn’t mean that Ellenberger would go without a fight at UFC 126.

Instead, Ellenberger will get the undefeated Brazilian, Carlos Eduardo Rocha who made his UFC debut at UFC 122 back in November. Rocha made an impressive statement in that fight when he submitted former The Ultimate Fighter runner-up Kris McCray with a knee bar early in round one.

Rocha’s undefeated record may even be more impressive given that he has finished all nine of his fights, eight by submission and one by TKO. He has only ever left the first round in one fight, which he then finished early in the second round.

Ellenberger won’t be easy to submit, though, as he has only been submitted once in his professional mixed martial arts career back in 2007. He has himself submitted five opponents but will likely look to keep the fight on the feet in an effort to avoid Rocha’s impressive submission skills.

A win for Ellenberger would likely propel him up to a real fight against one of the division’s top competitors which could include the aforementioned Jon Fitch, Carlos Condit or Dan Hardy.

Prediction: Jake Ellenberger defeats Carlos Eduardo Rocha by Technical Knockout in the first round

Light Heavyweight Bout—Forrest Griffin Vs. Rich Franklin

Two extremely determined, tough fighters make up the semi-main event of UFC 126 when Forrest Griffin faces Rich Franklin at 205 lbs.

Perhaps Rich Franklin said it best when he described the upcoming fight.

“You have a fairly well-rounded fighter that has some knockout power on his feet, and is a very tenacious fighter, and as the fight goes on, he fights harder," he said. "Did I just describe me, or did I describe Forrest?"

Franklin has been on a roller coaster road ever since his second loss to Anderson Silva when he truly appeared to just be outmatched by the king at 185 pounds. Franklin has since been transitioning to 205 while throwing in a couple fights at a catch weight of 195.

Franklin fought three times in 2010, losing a closely-contested split decision to Dan Henderson then defeating Wanderlei Silva by unanimous decision before being knocked out in the first round by Vitor Belfort.

He returned in 2010 at UFC 115 when he added to his own highlight reel by knocking out the legendary Chuck Liddell before Liddell announced his retirement.

Griffin has also had his own share of ups and downs as of late, including an absolutely humiliating loss to Anderson Silva in which he looked like he was completely out of his element in a UFC cage.

Thankfully, Griffin appeared to be back to form when he avenged a previous loss against Tito Ortiz in November of 2009.

Often noted as one of the biggest fan favorites in the sport, Griffin’s fun, energetic personality also plays into his fighting style.

He’s not known as a particularly powerful striker and he doesn’t have the strength to force his will on his opponents, but Griffin’s overall game and inspiring cardio still makes him one of the best fighters in the world at 205 pounds.

Perhaps the biggest question in this fight is whether Franklin will be able to keep up with Griffin late in the fight. While Griffin’s cardio has already been noted, it is Franklin’s that has to be in question after some lackluster efforts in the later rounds in a few of his fights.

Meanwhile, Griffin appears to get stronger and more determined late in fights, which could lead to a bad outcome if Franklin doesn’t end the fight early.

Prediction: Rich Franklin defeats Forrest Griffin by Technical Knockout in the second round

UFC Middleweight Championship—Anderson Silva (c) Vs. Vitor Belfort

The main event for UFC 126 features the much-hyped bout between UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and veteran challenger Vitor Belfort. The fight was originally scheduled for UFC 112 in April 2010 but had to be rescheduled due to a shoulder injury suffered by Belfort.

During the wait, Silva fought once and is coming off the most challenging title defense of his career when he was pushed to the limit—and then some—by Chael Sonnen.

Sonnen dominated the fight for the first four and a half rounds, winning nearly every aspect of the contest. Things looked grim for the pound-for-pound king, Silva, but it all turned around when Silva slapped on a triangle late in the fifth round which eventually won him the fight in dramatic fashion.

While Sonnen was eventually suspended for violations regarding his drug-test for the fight, there were suddenly questions on whether Anderson Silva had been exposed by a fighter whom very few gave a chance to going into the battle.

It was later found out that Silva had been nursing a rib injury and while Sonnen’s wrestling did most of the dirty work, perhaps the most surprising aspect of the fight overall was that Sonnen actually out-struck Silva throughout most of the fight.

Enter perhaps the most vicious striker in the world at 185 pounds, Vitor Belfort. The term “punches in bunches” doesn’t do the man justice.

Belfort’s past is absolutely stacked with highlights of him completely hammering him his opponents with some of the most incredible, explosive furies of punches that we have ever seen.

“The Phenom” is on a five-fight win streak that started back in 2007, four of which have been finished with impressive knockouts. He fought twice in 2009, winning both fights in first round knockouts against world class fighters Matt Lindland and most recently Rich Franklin at a catch weight of 195 pounds.

If anyone in the world has the ability to knock Anderson Silva out right now, it may be Vitor Belfort. Belfort’s speed and accuracy on his feet may prove to be the kryptonite to the Superman that is Anderson “The Spider” Silva.

Belfort is a tough challenger but he may be playing right into the strengths of Anderson Silva who has proven on many occasions that he is not only great on his feet but that he may be the best striker in the world.

While Belfort uses a fast-paced style, Silva will likely look to find a mistake and exploit it with his own vicious kicks and punches.

Silva is on a 12-fight UFC winning streak and will look to make it 13 against perhaps the most dangerous fighter he has ever faced.

Prediction: Anderson Silva (c) defeats Vitor Belfort by Technical Knockout in the third round