The De Souza Special: Dale The Fireball Kid's Preview Of The Enitre UFC 126 Card

I told myself when I ran down the entire UFC 125 card, I was going to make the first De Souza Special of 2011 a preview of how last weekend's Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg card looked from my eyes.

What kept me from that?

I pretty much predicted the entire main card on a previous piece (in which I predicted UFC Fight For The Troops 2 as well), and needless to say, I went 3-1 in my predictions of last weekend's cards.

By the way, Ronaldo Souza, I'll never doubt you again -- I promise.

Anyway, I didn't run down last week's event, but I'm going to do one better than running down an hour-and-a-half-long event.

Order up, Bleacherholics, because this weekend's Special will stomp a mud hole, preview the entire UFC 126 card, and provide you with some prediction for Yours Truly (courtesy of a hopefully audible Youtube video) before I walk that son-of-a-bee-sting dry!

Unaired Welterweight Card-Opener: Mike Pierce Vs. Kenny Robertson

Right now we can't say much about Kenny Robertson because he's yet to make his debut inside the Octagon, but we can tell you that he's going to look to join the likes of Dong Hyun Kim as far as UFC Welterweights that are unbeaten within the cage.

The Central Illinois Combat Club fighter is 10-0 as a professional, with wins over John Kolosci, Igor Almeida, and Herbert "Whisper" Goodman, but rest assured, Mike Pierce is nothing like those names listed.

If you look at Pierce's list of wins, it's probably not quite a step up from the names Robertson's faced, but he didn't exactly lay down for Jon Fitch either.

What Robertson presents Pierce is a mystery right now, but what Pierce presents as obstacles for the undefeated newcomer is some very aggressive wrestling, some heavy-handed striking, good top control, some sweet ground and pound -- unless you're the unlucky bastard eating the GNP, and he has the cardio to sustain his aggressive style of fighting.

There aren't any firearms or any other weaponry in the Octagon, so I don't know that we can call it a "war", per se, but this has the potential to still be a pretty high-octane battle of two talented Welterweights -- one who is well-established, and the other who is a prospect capable of making some big waves at 170.

Unaired Light Heavywight Bout: Ricardo Romero Vs. Kyle Kingsbury

Ricardo Romero made his debut against Seth "The Kimbo Slice Slicer" Petruzelli (real nickname, The Silverback") and was expected to be defeated by Petruzelli, who was making his return to the UFC.

Romero had other plans, taking Petruzelli to Round Two and submitting The Silverback with an armbar.

He faces a tough test in Kingsbury, who does possess a sound wrestling game of his own along with some Muay Thai ability.

We still don't know that much about Romero, so we can't necessarily say that his Wrestling is better or than Kingsbury is better on the feet.

We might see the best Kyle Kingsbury we've seen in quite sometime tonight, but as far as Romero goes, we're going to learn a little bit about that young man.

Unaired Lightweight

Relentless Paul Taylor and fellow countryman Paul "Tellys" Kelly are on this card, and in their respective bouts with Gabe Ruediger and Donald Cerrone, I'll use the term "brawler" with both Kelly and Taylor.

Why?

Because their styles show rather wild, yet aggressive and often painful striking, and they have the cardio necessary to do it for three rounds if they have to.

Look for Taylor to likely want to keep this fight standing against Gabe Ruediger who not only made the 155-pound mark at the weigh ins, but he also is a fairly exceptional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu artist who is looking to erase the memory of a loss to Joe Lauzon in Boston last August.

The Tachi Palace Fights Lightweight Champion may be the butt of a few jokes, but the joke is going to have to be on all the critics in this fight, because it's likely Ruediger gets his walking papers if he falter to Taylor in this bout.

Likewise, Taylor has been known to be up-and-down in his career with his win-loss record, and if he loses to Ruediger, he'll likely only stay due to how much pull he could give the next UK card in the UFC.

Expect one hell of a fight from these two, but be a little bit surprised if this is the Fight of The Night.

Bantamweight Bout: Norifumi

"This is it."

I plan on abusing that phrase quite a bunch in this edition of TDS, and for good reason: a lot of the names on this card are names that we never thought would ever step foot in the UFC.

Norifumi Yamamoto is one of those names.

Now the general consensus (which I am a part of) seems to be out of Mighty Mouse's favor, and that opinion is a concurring opinion as opposed to a majority opinion.

Some have followed Kid's Japanese career more religiously than Johnson's WEC career, others are backing Kid just off of his name, even more others want to see the "Kid" of old and they believe he's going to be the Yamamoto of old in this fight....

... and then, there's the unsurprising bunch that still say Johnson is a natural Flyweight -- so technically, the UFC still doesn't have Mighty Mouse's division yet.

Johnson, like Kid, has been impressive enough to where even if he is naturally a 125er, he's been good enough to where he's only lost because he was fighting a fight with three five minute-rounds.

No disrespect to the main card, but if neither of the main card fights last long enough to be FOTN contenders, expect this to be one of the Fight of The Night Contenders.

Spike TV Featherweight Bout: Chad Mendes Vs. Michihiro Omigawa

"Mr. Money Shot" makes his UFC debut at long last, whole "Michi" makes his return to the UFC.

If you don't remember Omigawa, you should pillage the internet forums for his fights against Thiago Tavares and Matt Wiman.

They weren't Omigawa's best fights, but Michi had to make do -- that was back when 155 was the UFC's lightest division.

Ever since he dropped to 145, he's been a beast back home, and after an impressive stint, he back in the UFC, but this time, it's different.

He's got a man who could neutralize his Judo game with solid wrestling and sweet ground-and-pound.

The wrestling game of Mendes is his bread and butter for sure, as it's helped him stay undefeated as a featherweight fighter, but Omigawa's own Judo game is nothing to take lightly.

In this one, it's all about who can get it to the ground first.

Whoever can take the fight to the ground and exert their top-position control the best within the 15-minute duration could walk out with the win.

Don't look for too many knockdowns in this one -- this one is going to the ground, and look for this one to stay there for the majority of the fight.

While you're at it, don't expect either man to feel too comfy on the ground either.

Their opponent will make sure that they are anything but.

Spike TV Lightweight Bout: Donald Cerrone Vs. Paul Kelly

How's this for some contrasting styles?

Kelly, as I mentioned before, is the type of guy who is aggressive on his feet and not anything less than willing to turn the fight into a brawl if he needs to.

Unlike his fellow Brit Paul Taylor, Kelly's task comes against a more well rounded and more brash individual than a Gabe Ruediger, and WEC fans know that man under the name Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.

Cerrone really is a "Jack of all trades, master of none" type of Lightweight who is very well rounded in just about every aspect of the game, but if he did have one strong suit Kelly needs to look especially out for, it's his ground game.

Cerrone is one of those guys you might get the better of in the striking department, but you don't really want to take him to the ground unless you have a top game like Gray Maynard or someone with a similar smothering-type of top game.

Don't expect Kelly to smother Cerrone on the ground, though if Cerrone does get put against the cage, this is likely to be a long night for the former WEC Lightweight title contender.

Likewise, don't expect this to be a very short night for Kelly if he gets put on his back by the Greg Jackson warrior.

On second thought, maybe you should expect it. Cerrone tends to go for a finish when he sees the chance, and there's no way he drags it out for 15 minutes against a scrappy veteran like Kelly.

Bantamweight Main-Card Opener: Miguel Angel Toress Vs. Antonio Banuelos

Antonio Banuelos has good Wrestling ability, some pretty decent Boxing, and he's a fast Pit-trained Bantamweight who  will not hesitate to bring it for as long as he needs to.

The only problem here?

He falls into the category of Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson as a Bantamweight fighter who looks to be a little bit short for the division.

That size may pay dividends in this fight against the lanky former WEC Bantamweight king and newly relocated Chicago cagefighter now fighting out of Firas Zahabi's Tri-Star Gym, the incomparable Miguel Angel Torres.

You can always expect fireworks out of the Lighterweights when they throw down inside the Octagon, but aside from them being Bantamweights, one should expect Torres to use his height advantage and his reach to keep Banuelos from trying anything in the realm of ground assault or close-range offense.

Look for Torres to seize the moment and own it in front of a sold-out crowd in Las Vegas as his striking and ground game shines and gives the fans a sound introduction to the new breed of UFC fighters known as the Bantamweights.

As for Banuelos, expect him to take what Torres dishes out and provide a few close moments in the fight, as Banuelos catches Torres with a series of quick maneuvers and blows that amost spell defeat for the former champ.

You want a true test of endurance?

Here it is, Bantamweight style.

Welterweight Bout: Jake Ellenberger Vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha

On paper, this is what you'd like to call a good old-fashioned "Wrestler vs. Jiu-Jitsu" matchup.

Ellenberger is the Wrestler, Rocha is the BJJ expert, but to say Ellenberger is a step up for Rocha might be an understatement.

I mean, how many guys finish Mike Pyle, go to a split decision with Carlos Condit, make John Howard's eye look disgusting to look at, and talk more trash about Jon Fitch than most sanitation workers do about trash in their whole careers?

That's right, none.

Very few guys can hang with a BJJ expert like Ellenberger can, but in the same sense, Ellenberger's in for an equally rough night against someone who may want to take one of Ellenberger's limbs home with him.

Maybe this is one fight Ellenberger should keep standing, but while we don't know enough about Rocha's striking game to call it good or decent, we also don't know that he's good off his back against a Wrestler, and we can't assume he's good off of his back just because he's a black belt.

Some black belts aren't that great off of their backs.

We'll find out for sure if -- or maybe, it'll be WHEN -- Ellenberger decides to put Rocha on his back.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Jon Jones Vs. Ryan Bader... Someone's

Now before you respond to this slide, YES, I'm aware that technically Jon Jones lost his "0" when he got the DQ loss against Matt Hamill at the TUF 10 Finale, but if you live in MMA World, you know that most fans don't like counting disqualifications as actual losses.

That's why  many hardcore fans say Fedor Emelianenko truly lost his "0" when he tapped out to Fabricio Werdum this past summer, that's why Dana White rcognized Melvin Guillard's destruction of Evan Dunham -- not the UFC 119 loss to Sean Sherk -- as Guillard's first real Octagon loss, and that's why people like to believe that Jones is technically undefeated in the sport still.

In the minds of many, Ryan Bader, talented as he is, is not the man to make Jones truly lose his "0" this time, but never count an Arizona Sun Devil out.

Remember how Cain Velasquez wasn't the guy to dethrone Brock Lesnar?

Well, Bader's shown some good Wrestling in the past, as well as a solid overhand right and a devastating left hook, and his most recent fight with Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 119 just showed what Bader can do against a tough opponent that has some good takedown defense.

Now he tests his mettle against the UFC's Most Valuable Prospect -- and one hell of a striker with underrated Greco-Roman wrestling to boot.

Jones is one of those kids that can hit you with any type of strike from a back elbow to a flying knee to a Greco-Roman "German" Suplex, and pretty much anything in between.

If Bader can drag this out to the judges' scorecards, I will be most impressed.

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Forrest Griffin Vs. Rich Franklin.

So I was kind of a pain in the ass yesterday and decided to give B/R five reasons why the winner of this bout would also be able to stake a claim to the unrecognized UFC People's Championship of the World as opposed to giving just one reason.

Take that as you wish.

In any retrospect, Franklin and Griffin agree that when both guys step into the cage, the fans are going to see two of the best examples of a Freestyle Fighter in Mixed Martial Arts -- Forrest, the ever-hilarious Athens lumberjack with the six-pack and the truckload of whoop-ass in his eye, and Rich, the Cincinnati native and former Math teacher who will willingly break his good arm a thousand times while dodging a body kick if it eventually means he'll become the third man in history to become a champion in two different divisions.

Let's break this down the hard way:

Both guys have KO Power, both guys will stand and trade, even if they shouldn't, and both guys will readily pick up on certain deficiencies, such as if a fighter has considerably slowed down.

The differences?

Forrest eventually stopped sucking at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu once he trained with Robert Drysdale, and Rich has shown he's still quick to the draw when it comes to getting the KO -- even if the KO doesn't come by way of that damn left of his.

Deal's this: We all win this fight and the fight that follows it, because we know it's going to be exciting to watch from start to finish, and the reality is that most people want to pull for a draw in this one because they don't want to back Forrest over Ace, and vice versa.

Fact of it all is, if the dude with the chest hair smothers the boy who went 15 minutes in Germany with Wanderlei Silva, he'll have a bit of an edge, but the guy with the chest hair gives up a slight bit of speed in the fight (especially since he used it at the weigh ins to run to the scale).

Either way, it's like I said: we all win this one either way.

The UFC Middleweight Title Match We've All Been Waiting For... Silva Vs. Belfort

(Photo Credit: Real Women Watch MMA)

I think the photo is enough to add more hype to the fight than what it's already gotten.

*Insert generic, drunken ramblings about how Belfort and Silva were supposed to fight at UFC 106, then 108, then 109, then 112, followed by the generic mention of how injuries postponed it all until now, and a brief recap of the "debacle" that was UFC 112 -- followed by another generic recap of the Silva-Sonnen bout -- here.*

I'm not going to enthusiastically recap the tough fights that led Silva back to Belfort -- arguably the last legitimate challenger left for The Spider at 185 unless Georges St-Pierre moves up in weight or Jon Jones moves down in weight.

You all know about it by now, and you all know what happened before and after Chael Sonnen tapped out to yet another submission hold - albeit one by the Middleweight Champion and one Chael almost got out of.

I've said multiple times Belfort has a good shot of beating Silva, but those of you who have read my recent pieces know where I stand personally on this fight and how I feel if Belfort does in fact win the belt.

Personal issues aside -- both my personal feelings about the fight and the personal feelings of both fighters towards each other -- Belfort's style is legendary -- he's a striker who brings it right to his opponents every time in the Octagon, and although you can take a pot shot at what his record holds, you can't question how all of his wins have come.

He's aggressive, his fast hands are truly the measuring stick that many feel Urijah Faber's hands have measured up to (notwithstanding the evident weight difference), and if he hits you, the result is the same now as it was when people took one of Mirko Filipovic's head kicks in PRIDE.

In other words, if Silva's chin meets Vitor's fists, it won't matter what distinctions Silva holds because he's going out and he's not getting up until a stunned Joe Rogan walks over to Silva and Ed Soares to conduct the post-fight interview with him.

In the same sense, however, Silva has the ability to still put people on their *rears* and finish them wherever he pleases.

Before the weigh ins, I didn't think that maybe the key here was going to be more about who kept their emotions better in check than about who was going to come out with the smarter style.

I believed Anderson could win if he came out ready to fight a full five rounds and also if he did a smart job not only stuffing takedowns -- which may be Vitor's only hope if he can't finish Silva on the feet -- but also using his head and body movement to avoid whatever Vitor throws towards Silva.

After seeing how he reacted at the UFC 126 weigh-ins, however, I think Silva may also need to tap into that methodical side of him that likes to feel out his opponents before he swings at them.

In other words, if you want to keep your belt, Silva, calm the hell down.

And Now, You Get MY Take On It All

Earlier this week, I took the time out to provide my own predictions of the entire UFC 126 card, and now I'd like to end The De Souza Special by sharing my picks with you all.

Thanks for tuning in and I'll catch you next time for another edition of The De Souza Special -- oh, and be sure to enjoy UFC 126!

Shout outs:

MMA World ATD

MMA Topics

Everyone that's read one of my pieces and had an opinion on it.

Everyone who got me hooked onto MMA, and the boys who got me going on B/R

Heavy MMA (because they have some good writers and good content)

Sprawl-N-Brawl MMA

Mr. James Ryan (smart dude, check him out if you're new to B/R -- along with Carried Out Fight Gear)

The MMA Truth

Tapout Passout

UFC 126 Picks:

-- Pierce

-- Romero

-- Taylor

-- Yamamoto

-- Mendes

-- Cerrone

-- Torres

-- Rocha

-- Jones

-- Griffin

-- Silva