UFC 134 Fight Card: Predictions for Every Fight in Rio, Brazil

The UFC returns to Brazil for UFC 134 this Saturday night, and Bleacher Report is here with the latest predictions for the UFC Rio card.

This exciting card will feature a highly anticipated rematch between defending UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and the last man to defeat him, Yushin Okami. These two last fought back in January 2006 when Okami was given the victory by way of disqualification.

Another important rematch will take place in the semi-main event when two former UFC light heavyweight champions do battle, as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua fights Forrest Griffin. After being touted as the top 205-pound fighter in the world, Rua surprisingly stumbled in his UFC debut against Griffin in September 2007 at UFC 76.

But while Shogun and Silva are looking to rectify losses that were perceived to be uncharacteristic, other fighters on Saturday night’s card are simply looking to make a name for themselves in what may turn out to be the summer’s biggest event.

So without further ado, let’s look at the UFC Rio: 134 fight card!

Welterweight Bout: Erick Silva vs. Luis Ramos

Erick Silva
Record: 12-1-0-1
Age: 30
Height: 5’8”
Nationality: Brazil

Luis Ramos
Record: 19-6-0
Age: 27
Height: 5’8”
Nationality: Brazil

Two Brazilians will kick off this huge event in their home country, when Erick Silva fights Luis Ramos in the welterweight division.

Silva is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Judo black belt, and has used those two techniques as his base to win seven of his 13 career fights by submission. Meanwhile, his opponent Luis Ramos is an experienced fighter who has 25 career fights under his belt, but has only finished eight of them.

Both fighters will be making their UFC debuts, and will be attempting to impress the UFC brass with exciting and impressive performances. Only one man will walk away with a win, but the UFC has shown in the past that even with a loss, fighters can earn themselves multiple fights in the Octagon by entertaining the fans.

Look for Luis Ramos to push the pace on the feet in this one, but when the fight eventually goes to the ground, Erick Silva should have the advantage.

Bantamweight Bout: Yves Jabouin vs. Ian Loveland

Yves Jabouin
Record: 15-7-0
Age: 32
Height: 5’8”
Nationality: Canada

Ian Loveland
Record: 14-8-0
Age: 27
Height: 5’8”
Nationality: United States

Two fighters with limited UFC fighting experience will be going at it in this bantamweight bout, as Canadian fighter Yves Jabouin attempts to improve his 1-3 record in Zuffa against Ian Loveland.

Ian Loveland made his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale last December where he ground out a decision victory over Tyler Toner. Things were looking great for him, but he quickly fell back down with a loss to former top WEC bantamweight Joseph Benavidez at UFC 128.

Yves Jabouin has struggled thus far in Zuffa promotions, but has decided to make his move to the bantamweight division after fighting in the featherweight division for years prior. The decision could prove to be a contract-saving one, as the UFC will not often book a fighter who has run up a 1-4 record.

Quite frankly, this has to be a must-win situation for Jabouin, which is why I’m predicting him to win the fight. His style would indicate that he could win with his strong standup game, but it almost has to be assumed that he’s going to try to play it more safely after a lack of success thus far in his UFC career.

Jabouin should be able to take this one, but it will likely be by decision. 

Featherweight Bout: Yuri Alcantara vs. Felipe Arantes

Yuri Alcantara
Record: 25-3-0
Height: 5’6”
Nationality: Brazil

Felipe Arantes
Record: 13-3-0
Height: 5’8”
Nationality: Brazil

Two more Brazilian fighters will go at it in this featherweight contest as Yuri Alcantara fights Felipe Arantes.

Alcantara will be making his UFC debut after defeating fellow UFC 134 fighter Ricardo Lamas in a first round knockout at WEC 53. But that was just the most recent in a long 11-fight winning streak that includes 10 finishes, spanning back to late-2009.

With 10 career victories by knockout, Alcantara is considered the favorite in this fight as he goes up against 23-year-old Felipe Arentes, who has won just one of his last seven fights by way of knockout.

Both of these fighters have skills on the feet and on the ground, but the experience of Alcantara could certainly be the difference in this one. This is particularly true given that Arentes wasn’t even originally scheduled to fight at this event, but was a late replacement.

Alcantara and Arentes are both very talented and neither is a particularly difficult matchup for the other, so look for this one to go to a decision with Alcantara coming out a close victor.

Bantamweight Bout: Raphael Assuncao vs. Johnny Eduardo

Raphael Assuncao
Record: 16-4-0
Age: 29
Height: 5’4”
Nationality: Brazil

Johnny Eduardo
Record: 25-8-0
Age: 33
Height: 5’5”
Nationality: Brazil

The UFC continues their push to introduce the world to the lighter weight classes as two more Brazilians will do battle in the bantamweight division, with Johnny Eduardo taking on Raphael Assuncao.

Assuncao is coming off perhaps the worst loss of his career at UFC 128, when he was absolutely hammered in an early first round knockout loss to Erik Koch. The loss dropped him to an uninspiring 1-3 record in the Octagon, and leaves many fans wondering whether he has what it will take ti make it for the world’s biggest MMA promotion.

His opponent, Johnny Eduardo will be making his UFC debut in front of his home crowd in Brazil, and has a tough fight in front of him as he will be fighting a veteran of the UFC who desperately needs a victory.

Eduardo has been good throughout his career offensively, but six of his eight career losses have come by way of submission, which is why Assuncao should have the advantage in this one. In 16 career victories, Assuncao has finished nine opponents by submission. Look for him to increase that number to 10 on Saturday night. 

Welterweight Bout: Paulo Thiago vs. David Mitchell

Paulo Thiago
Record: 13-3-0
Age: 30
Height: 5’11”
Nationality: Brazil

David Mitchell
Record: 11-1-0
Age: 33
Height: 6’0”
Nationality: United States

David Mitchell will represent America as he heads south to fight one of Brazil’s top fighters, Paulo Thiago.

Both fighters are coming off disappointing losses in what may have been the most important fights of their careers. Mitchell lost his UFC debut to TJ Waldburger at UFC Fight Night this past September, while Thiago lost to top welterweight contender Diego Sanchez at UFC 121. Both losses came by way of decision.

Thiago is a long-time veteran of the UFC, but has now dropped back-to-back fights for the promotion for the first time and needs a victory to get moving in the right direction. Meanwhile, Mitchell will simply be looking to even his record in the Octagon to a respectable 1-1.

This looks to be about as one-sided as they come for the UFC, with almost the entire MMA community agreeing that Thiago is by far the favorite. Quite frankly, him winning might not be the biggest debate, but rather how he will win may be more of a discussion.

I believe Paulo Thiago takes this one by submission, likely midway through the fight in the second round.

Middleweight Bout: Rousimer Palhares vs. Dan Miller

Rousimer Palhares
Record: 12-3-0
Age: 31
Height: 5’8”
Nationality: Brazil

Dan Miller
Record: 13-5-0-1
Age: 33
Height: 6’0”
Nationality: United States

Highly touted UFC middleweight Rousimer Palhares will fight the ever-dangerous and highly respected Dan Miller at UFC 134.

Palhares, who has run up his record to 5-2 in the Octagon, has been on the verge of breaking out for quite awhile, but has been stopped in his tracks by some of the most talented and dangerous fighters within the division. Though he was able to work his way to a decision against Hendo, Palhares suffered a vicious first round knockout beating from Marquardt this past September.

Meanwhile, Miller is also coming off a loss of his own to Marquardt, but his came when he took the fight on short notice. Like he did in that fight, Miller will again be taking this fight on just a few weeks notice, as he believes that staying in fighting shape is important to a fighter’s job security.

This has been proven true and will likely continue to be true going forward, even with a loss this weekend to Palhares, which must be expected at this point. Given Palhares’s awesome submission skills, I expect him to catch and submit Miller sometime before the final bell sounds.

Lightweight Bout: Thiago Tavares vs. Spencer Fisher

Thiago Tavares
Record: 15-4-1
Age: 26
Height: 5’7”
Nationality: Brazil

Spencer Fisher
Record: 24-7-0
Age: 35
Height: 5’7”
Nationality: United States

The final preliminary fight on this card will see Brazilian submission expert Thiago Tavares fight one of the top strikers in the lightweight division, Spencer Fisher.

Both fighters have been wildly inconsistent in recent years, with Tavares having dropped four of his past eight fights, while Fisher has dropped three of his past four himself. Needless to say both men are in desperate need of a victory.

The stylistic clash between these two should be very interesting as Tavares will almost certainly be looking to bring the fight to the ground, while Fisher looks to control land some big punches and earn a knockout on the feet.

Each man is very experienced and has proven to be capable of putting on an entertaining fight for the fans, so look for this to be one of the more exciting bouts of the night. In the end, however, I believe Fisher’s punching power will prove to be too much for Tavares, who was even knocked out by Shane Roller in his most recent bout.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Luiz Cane vs. Stanislav Nedkov

Luiz Cane
Record: 15-3-0
Age: 30
Height: 6’2”
Nationality: Brazil

Stanislav Nedkov
Record: 11-0
Age: 29
Height: 5’11”
Nationality: Bulgaria

In one of only three fights that will take place in a weight class higher than the middleweight division, 205-pounders Luiz Cane and Stanislov Nedkov will kick things off on pay-per-view at UFC 134.

Cane is coming off a big comeback victory in which he earned an early knockout victory over Eliot Marshall at UFC 128 earlier this year. Prior to that victory, things were looking down for the Brazilian who had dropped each of his prior two fights.

A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Cane can certainly be considered one of the division’s most versatile fighters, as it is his technical and surprisingly powerful punching power has earned him some punishing victories throughout his career.

Stanislav Nedkov will be making his UFC debut after his first debut at UFC 120 was canceled on short-notice this past October due to his opponent, Steve Cantwell, suffering a knee injury. The Bulgarian has a balanced record which includes five knockout, four submission and two decision victories.

Nedkov’s undefeated streak could come to an end in this one, though, as he will be fighting by far the toughest competition of his career on the big stage. We have seen seemingly well-rounded and effective fighters like Nedkov fall off when they step into the Octagon due to the step up in competition.

Look for Cane to wait for an opening and make it count with a knockout victory late in the first round.

Lightweight Bout: Edson Barboza vs. Ross Pearson

Edson Barboza
Record: 8-0
Age: 25
Height: 5’11”
Nationality: Brazil

Ross Pearson
Record: 24-7-0
Age: 26
Height: 5’8”
Nationality: United Kingdom

Two young up-and-coming UFC lightweights have a lot to gain from a big victory on pay-per-view at UFC 134 when the UK’s Ross Pearson fights the undefeated Edson Barboza.

Pearson, winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 9, has not yet enjoyed the success of other former winners. While he has been mostly victorious, Pearson has not yet earned himself a shot at being the division’s champion in the near future. He will be looking to move one step closer with a victory over an opponent with a spotless record in this fight.

Barboza has gone 2-0 in the UFC thus far, adding to his perfect 8-0 career professional MMA record. Six of his eight career victories have come by way of knockout, so this should be an interesting fight, particularly on the feet, as Pearson has also shown some nice knockout power.

This fight was surprisingly added to the main card in favor of a few others which might include slightly more drawing power, but it may later be proven that these two end up putting on an amazing bout. Obviously the UFC is expecting it.

My prediction is that Barboza will end up on top in this one, likely taking the fight to the third round where he will use his knockout power to land something that hurts the Brit before finishing him off with some shots from the top to earn a referee stoppage TKO.

Heavyweight: Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera vs. Brendan Schaub

Record: 32-6-1-1
Age: 35
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 234
Nationality: Brazil

Brendan Schaub
Record: 8-1
Age: 28
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 245
Nationality: United States

The old generation meets the new breed in this one, as former Pride champion Antonio Nogueira fights up-and-coming heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub in a fight which may prove to be the final bout for the Brazilian.

Noguiera is widely known as one of the greatest fighters this sport has ever seen. His victories have come against a tremendous number of the world’s top fighters, and he has never shied away from a fight.

But recently Noguiera has suffered losses in two of his last three contests. Though the knockout losses have come at the hands of two of the most powerful punchers in the division, there has to be growing concern from both fans and Nogueira himself that the 35-year old cannot take that kind of punishment much longer before he starts to have “Chuck Liddell syndrome”, where he’s getting knocked out by seemingly any shot that lands on him.

Of course, the UFC couldn’t make it easy on him as they scheduled one of the heavyweight division’s quickest and most powerful punchers, Brendan Schaub.

“The Hybrid” lost in The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale in December 2009, but has been on an absolute tear since that day. His current streak of four victories have all come in dominating performances, three of which ended in knockout.

Schaub is a terrible matchup for Nogueira and, unless he ends up on his back somehow, this fight should be his for the taking. It’s not that I don’t respect Nogueira anymore... It’s just that he hasn’t given us much to be confident about of late.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Mauricio Rua vs. Forrest Griffin

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Record: 19-5-0
Age: 29
Height: 6’1”
Nationality: Brazil

Forrest Griffin
Record: 18-6-0
Age: 32
Height: 6’3”
Nationality: United States

The first of two rematches will take place in the semi-main event as former UFC champions Forrest Griffin and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua do battle for the second time.

The first fight between these two happened in all the way back at UFC 76 in September 2007, when Griffin shocked the world by not only hanging with the man who was widely considered to be the top light heavyweight in the world at the time, but by submitting him late in the third round of their bout. That night, many believe, was the first time Shogun was ever truly exposed.

Shogun is coming off of the most discouraging loss of his career earlier this year when he was punished, and practically humiliated, by new champion Jon “Bones” Jones. Meanwhile, Forrest has earned himself back-to-back decisions over former champs Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin.

It’s hard to imagine that these two fighters wouldn’t have changed since then, but Griffin seemed to have found some sort of weakness in Shogun’s armor, which he exploited on his way to earning a title shot in his very next fight.

I expect that Griffin will once again come into this fight with the intention of proving that he is not a joke. He’s no longer the “fun kid who tries hard.” We should be looking at him as a guy who is a former UFC champion, and one who is a terrible match-up for a drained Shogun.

If we end up getting the kind of Shogun that we saw a few years back in Pride, this one will likely end in his favor within the first round. But being that it is extremely unlikely that the Brazilian will ever resurrect that part of his career, I feel confident picking Forrest Griffin to defeat him again, this time by decision.

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami

Anderson Silva
Record: 30-4-0
Age: 36
Height: 6’2”
Nationality: Brazil

Yushin Okami
Record: 26-5-0
Age: 30
Height: 6’2”
Nationality: Japan

While almost all of the other fights on this card are good, the one that practically everyone will be tuning in to see is the UFC middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami.

Silva is riding high following his UFC record 13th consecutive win, this time over Vitor Belfort, at UFC 127. The two Brazilians were expected to go to war in a standup exchange, but it took just one violent kick to the face for Silva to completely dismantle Belfort in one of the most memorable knockout victories of all-time.

But on the other side of the cage will be a man, Yushin Okami, who has been waiting for this opportunity for years. After compiling a 10-2 UFC record which includes victories over Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt, Okami has finally been given his rematch with Anderson Silva in the form of a championship bout.

The two warriors first did battle back in January 2006 at Rumble on the Rock 8. After a few minutes of Silva dominating the standup game, Okami finally brought the fight to the ground where he appeared to be controlling “The Spider.” Seconds later, however, the future UFC champion would landed a flagrant illegal up-kick to the face of Okami who was still on the ground, resulting in a disqualification.

As crazy as it sounds, this was the last time that Anderson Silva has tasted defeat in an MMA contest.

Silva is widely considered a huge favorite; with almost everyone predicting that the current champion will be walking out of the cage as the champion once again. But I’m going to make a prediction that is probably going to shock, and even appall, some folks.

That’s right, I’m predicting that Yushin Okami becomes the next UFC middleweight champion when he defeats Anderson Silva this Saturday night.

Okami’s skills just match so well with Silva’s that he'll be able to bring the fight to the ground like his training partner, and new friend, Chael Sonnen was able to do during his own battle with Silva at UFC 117.

The difference is that Yushin Okami isn’t going to expose himself to submissions in the same way that Sonnen did. Unlike Sonnen, Okami is highly skilled not only in his ability to do damage from the top, but also in his ability to keep his opponents wrapped up, avoiding any real pressure they could place on him with submissions from the bottom.

It’s not going to be pretty, but I expect a drag-it-out type performance from Okami who will learn from Sonnen’s mistake on his way to a decision victory in this five-round title fight.

Call me crazy all you want, but I truly believe that Okami has the tools to be the man to end this unbelievable streak that Silva has been on. He just needs to avoid the early knockout.