UFC 139: 14 Predictions You Can Take to the Bank

This Saturday, UFC 139 will mark the return of Dan Henderson to the UFC.

Henderson is still considered one of the best light heavyweights in the world and will be squaring off against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

That fight alone makes buying this pay-per-view completely worth it, but other fights on this card have seemingly made UFC 139 one of the most promising events of 2011.

Besides the obvious headliner, Wanderlei Silva will take on Cung Le, Urijah Faber will fight Brian Bowles in a No. 1 contender bout, Martin Kampmann and Rick Story will battle in what could end up being the fight of the year, and Ryan Bader tries to regain his momentum in the UFC as he takes on Jason Brilz.

With all of that said, you can see that Saturday packs a serious punch, one that may overlap the successes (or failures) of UFC on FOX's historic broadcast last weekend.

Here are 14 predictions you can take to the bank, like it or not.

14. UFC 140 Will Be Promoted at Least 5 Times

This is the case for nearly every UFC PPV.

The next event in line always gets built up like it's the fight of all fights.

Well, UFC 139 will simply be the gatekeeper in promoting the heck out of UFC 140: Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida.

Expect a quick highlight reel and snarky commentary between every decision this Saturday.

As far as I'm concerned, building this fight up is just a waste of time.  Jones is going to make short work of Machida. 

13. UFC Undisputed 3 Will Be Promoted at Least 5 Times

Nothing has changed.

The UFC will continue to promote its products because that's what they do.  Rightfully so, it's working.

Promotions and advertising is half the battle when trying to build your company, so expect at least five attempts from the UFC in showing off their new video game, as well as the upcoming Jones vs. Machida fight.

To be honest, the game looks sick, but I'm not paying $44.95 to see clips of a virtual Thiago Alves take a head-kick to the skull.

12. The Spike Prelims Will Be the Best of the Year

The Spike prelims this weekend are absolutely off the hook.

After dropping his last two fights to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz, Ryan Bader will try to re-establish his spot amongst the light heavyweight division as he takes on wrestling expert Jason Brilz.

Brilz is no cakewalk, so Bader is going to need his A-game, especially his stand-up, to escape UFC 139 with a deciding victory.

Besides getting a free look at a former No. 1 contender in Bader, Spike will offer fans a chance to tune-in and witness one of the most entertaining and promising young fighters the UFC has to offer: Michael "Mayday" McDonald.

The 20-year-old is currently undefeated in the UFC and boasts a glamorous 13-1 record overall.

McDonald possesses some of the best KO power in the bantamweight division and could easily win Knockout of the Night honors as he takes on an undefeated Alex Soto.

11. Rick Story Will Be Bloody After Round 1

That's what Diego Sanchez's face looked like after a three-round battle with Martin Kampmann back in March.

Kampmann's dynamic kickboxing skills and crisp striking allowed him to do most of this damage after just five minutes of work.

If Story decides to stand and bang with the Dane, which he probably will because he's a scrappy fighter and never backs down from a punching contest, the young kid could look like Sanchez after just the first round.

Yeah, Kampmann is that good.

10. Brittney Palmer Will Look Better Than Ever

Dana White recently tweeted that popular UFC ring girl Brittney Palmer is on her way back, ringside.

Palmer came over in the merger with the WEC and instantly looked the part.

UFC 139 could mark the return of Palmer, which is something that fans may be looking forward to more than the fights themselves.

9. Stephan Bonnar Will Contemplate Retirement

Personally, I think Stephan Bonnar's time in the UFC has come to an end.

He has never lived up to the hype that was thrown at him after his first bout with Forrest Griffin for "The Ultimate Fighter 1" contract.

Bonnar is coming off a two-fight winning streak, but before that, the 34-year-old had lost three straight.

The fact of the matter is Bonnar has never really beaten a significant light heavyweight.  It just hasn't happened during his UFC career.

His counterpart, Kyle Kingsbury, is a more athletic brawler that has posted a 4-1 record in the light heavyweight division.

The younger Kingsbury should be able to bloody Bonnar early and take the fight where ever he wants it to go.  After a possible KO or TKO, Bonner could seriously contemplate retirement. 

The guy hasn't put on a show in nearly three years.

8. Ryan Bader and Jason Brilz Will Go Three Rounds

Ryan Bader vs. Jason Brilz should have been on the main card, but Bader's lack of success over his past two fights took away from his mass appeal for a PPV.

However, this matchup between two solid wrestlers who can throw bombs should easily turn into a great fight.

With that said, I think both guys are going to be cautious with standing and possibly losing the fight with one punch from their opponent, especially Bader who needs a victory to stay afloat in the light heavyweight division.

This one should go the distance, portraying excellent wrestling and some solid striking, but no knockouts.

Sorry.

7. Miguel Torres Will Win Submission of the Night Honors

Why has Miguel Torres not been featured on a more prominent card in the UFC?

The guy was once considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world when he carried the title of WEC champion.

Torres has only lost to premiere contenders such as Demetrious Johnson, Joseph Benavidez and Brian Bowles.

But beyond the lack of love for the former-Purdue Boilermaker, Torres' chances of landing Submission of the Night honors at UFC 139 are very strong.

Out of 39 career victories, the 30-year-old has ended 23 of them via submission.

Torres will be facing a suspect Nick Pace, whose small frame could prove ineffective against a lengthy submission expert.

After Saturday, can Torres get some real recognition?

6. Chris Weidman Will Stay Undefeated

Unless you're a true follower of the UFC, you probably don't know much about Chris Weidman.

The 27-year-old currently trains with the very popular Matt Serra in New York and his ability to soak-up Serra's knowledge has turned into UFC success.

Weidman is currently 6-0 in his career, 2-0 in the UFC, but the most important fight of his life will come this weekend against a grizzled veteran in Tom Lawlor.

Now Lawlor is no slouch.  He's a very solid wrestler who knows how to end fights on the ground.

With that said, Weidman is an All-American and his true athleticism should prove too much for Lawlor.

Look for this fight to end somewhere late in the first round, as Weidman ends it via some good ole fashion ground and pound.

5. Shogun Will Land Some Vicious Leg Kicks

This is more of an inevitability than a prediction, but I figured I'd throw it in here anyways.

If Shogun Rua doesn't get stopped within the first few minutes of any fight, he's going to land some absolutely vicious leg kicks.

I'm talking about kicks that dictate his opponent's gameplan (ask Lyoto Machida).

Dan Henderson should be looking to take Rua down and end the fight using his awesome wrestling.

However, Hendo usually likes to test the waters on his feet first, so Rua will have ample opportunities to put some shins into the 41-year-old's thighs.

4. Martin Kampmann Will Earn No. 1 Contender Rights

At this point in his career, Martin Kampmann is a bona fide No. 1 contender.

However, after his last bout with Diego Sanchez got stolen from under his feet, the 29-year-old once again has to prove his worth in the welterweight division.

If the judges had seen what everybody else did, Kampmann's victory would have been enough to launch him into a No. 1 contender fight, and fighting Rick Story Saturday wouldn't be the story (see what I did there?).

Nonetheless, Kampmann's bout with Story should go his way.

The Dane arguably has the most well-rounded striking game in the division and has showcased it on numerous occasions.

With a knockout over a hungry opponent like Story, Kampmann's chances at a title fight will gain that much more steam.

3. Silva vs. Le Will End in the Second Round

I think this fight between Wanderlei Silva and Cung Le has only one way to go.

One of these dudes is going to get punished in the first round.  That's right, this bout is going to be completely one-sided.

Who makes that happen is still up for debate.

Le is coming over to the middleweight division after testing the waters in Strikeforce for a while.  He has the skills to make noise this weekend and could easily put Silva on his head.

However, Silva is still one of the most vicious KO artists in the world and alongside the lack of success that many outside fighters have had making their debuts in the UFC, Le could be in for a long night

With that said, whoever lands the first blow will ultimately ravage their opponent for the remainder of the first-round.

After a quick break, the second-round will feature a nasty TKO.

Count on it.  This one isn't lasting 15 minutes.

2. Urijah Faber Will Call-out Dominick Cruz

This could easily be the fight of the night.

The winner of Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles is going to get a shot at Dominick Cruz's bantamweight title.

Faber recently dropped a five-round decision to Cruz in the midst of trying to win UFC gold.  "The California Kid" has never really showcased his true talent in the UFC and so many people were used to when he fought in the WEC.

So basically, he's hungry.

Speaking of the WEC, Bowles dominated it.  His only loss in his career was to, yes, Dominick Cruz, back in a 2010 championship bout at WEC 47. 

It all seems to come back around, doesn't it?

The winner of Saturday's fight will get their rematch with the division champ.

Look for this one to go Faber's way by the use of solid wrestling and quick striking, resulting in a post-fight interview call-out of Cruz.

1. Hendo Will KO Shogun

After his most recent victory over Fedor Emelianenko via KO, Dan Henderson has regained any respect he may have lost after leaving the UFC back in 2009.

Henderson's last three fights have all ended with his hand raised and all by the way of a KO/TKO.

However, over that span, he simply hasn't fought anyone that can measure up to Shogun Rua's ability inside the octagon.

Rua is one of the more technical strikers in the light heavyweight division and besides his crippling loss to Jon Jones at UFC 128, the guy simply hasn't disappointed his fans.

This weekend should prove if Henderson's UFC comeback is for real.  A knockout of Rua, let alone a victory, would instantly launch Hendo into contention for a shot at Jones' title.

If Rua is aggressive as usual, Henderson may be able to pick his spots and land a bomb that turns the lights off.

Call me crazy, but I'm calling for a Dan Henderson knockout of Shogun Rua.

Follow @DHiergesell