UFC 134: 5 Bold Predictions for Rio De Janeiro

Over the past several years, the UFC has given us some of the most unpredictable results. We've seen stars fall, underdogs overcome all the odds, and MMA become one of the most popular sports on the planet. UFC 134 is filled with uncertainly, as many fighters will be entering the octagon for their UFC debuts.

While many will be entering for the very first time, others will be entering with countless years of experience. Still, nothing is guaranteed. While many things will happen at UFC 134 that are unexpected, there will be a handful of things that are sure to happen.

The following slides consist of 5 things that will occur at UFC 134. Please sit back and enjoy.

Paulo Thiago Will Go the Distance to Defeat David Mitchell

Paulo Thiago and David Mitchell both enter UFC 134 coming off defeats in their last bouts. Thiago has lost three of his last five fights, including his most recent bout to Diego Sanchez at UFC 121. Mitchell, on the other hand, just recently lost the first fight of his career to TJ Waldburger at UFC Fight Night on September 15th.

While Thiago has been inconsistent as of late, he has defeated UFC greats in Josh Koscheck and Mike Swick. Both fighters are masters in submissions as eight of his 13 career wins have come by tapping out his opponent. Of Mitchell's 11 victories, he submitted his opponent nine times. That being said, both are spectacular in defending the submission.

Paul Thiago will defeat David Mitchell in a 3 round battle.

Stanislav Nedkov Will Upset Luiz Cane and Remain Unbeaten

Stanislav Nedkov will enter UFC 134 without ever having stepped foot inside a UFC octagon before. His opponent will be Luiz Cane, who will be fighting the seventh UFC fight of his career. This is one of the more interesting and anticipated fights, as although Nedkov has never fought at a higher stage, he has yet to lose a fight in his career.

Nearly half of Nedkov's 11 career wins have come by him knocking out his opponent. While Cane is much more experienced than Nedkov, it appears his career is in decline, losing two of his last three fights. Look for Nedkov to start what many think will be a long successful career in the UFC.

Stanislav Nedkov will remain unbeaten by upsetting Luiz Cane.

Edson Barboza Will Establish Himself as a Legitimate Lightweight Contender

Edson Barboza and Ross Pearson will square off at UFC 134, in what has potential to be one of the best fights of the evening. Much like the Stanislav vs. Cane bout, this fight has the ingredients to spark fireworks in front of the Brazilian crowd. What makes this fight interesting is that it matches Pearson's experience against Barboza's energy.

Pearson will enter UFC 134 looking for his fifth UFC victory. While Barboza, though he lacks major experience, has never lost a fight in his MMA career. In fact he's finished off his opponent in seven of his eight career wins. Look for Barboza to do the same to Pearson and earn his third UFC victory.

Edson Barboza will finish Ross Pearson and establish himself in the Lightweight Division.

Forrest Griffin Will Defeat Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in Their Rematch

Forrest Griffin and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will travel to Brazil to repeat their first bout, where Griffin defeated Rua at UFC 76. Griffin came out victorious in what was one of the greatest fights in UFC history. Since their showdown, both Griffin and Rua have gone 3-2, and look to continue their success in the UFC.

While Griffin won by submission the last time these two met, it didn't come until the third round, with just 15 seconds remaining. You can expect a similar electrifying bout in Rua's home country of Brazil. While Rua may have the fans on his side, Griffin will rise to the occasion, getting his name back into the list of serious title contenders in the process.

Look for Griffin to be better prepared for the take down, and defeat Rua in a three round battle for the ages.

Forrest Griffin will defeat Mauricio Rua in a electrifying rematch.

Anderson Silva Will Finish Yushin Okami

Anderson Silva will travel to his home country of Brazil looking for his 14th straight UFC victory against challenger Yushin Okami.

There are two things that make this fight interesting, and may cause concern for Silva fans.

The first, Okami was the last person to defeat Silva in 2006, when Silva was disqualified by an illegal kick.

The second, Okami has been training with Chael Sonnen, the only man to stand toe-to-toe with Silva.

While Okami may have taken advantage of the opportunities to prepare himself for Silva, he still will not last against the greatest fighter in UFC history. Silva hardly ever allows a fight to go to the judge's score cards, and that certainly won't be the case at UFC 134.

Look for Silva to finish Okami early and often and remain the UFC Middleweight Champion.

Anderson Silva will finish Okami in an early round of action.