UFC 162 Predictions
July 3, 2013
By Ryan Porzl
Mike Pierce vs. David Mitchell
Nickname: None | Daudi
Height: 5'8 | 6'0
MMA Record (UFC): 16-5 (8-3) | 12-2 (1-2)
Age: 32 | 33
Arm Length: 71 in. | 76 in.
Team: Sports Lab | Nor-Cal Fighting Alliance
Weight Class: Welterweight (170 Pounds)
Notes:
Preview: Pierce is riding a three fight win streak. His recent win was over Seth Baczynski by Unanimous Decision at UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson (December 15, 2012). Mitchell is coming off a win against Simeon Thoresen by Unanimous Decision at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson (January 26, 2013).
Predictions: Pierce. This one is a no-brainer. Pierce is easily one of the more underrated fighters in the UFC. Honestly, Pierce being put as the first fight is shocking giving his talents and the fact his last two losses were close losses against Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks. If Koscheck and Hendricks could barely get past Pierce than I fail to see how Mitchell will do it. Pierce has very good wrestling being a former NCAA Division I wrestler. He has also proven he has knockout power.
Seth Baczynski vs. Brian Melancon
Nickname: The Polish Pistola | None
Height: 6'3 | 5'8
MMA Record (UFC): 18-9 (4-2) | 6-2 (0-0)
Age: 31 | 31
Arm Length: 75 in. | Unknown
Team: Power MMA and Fitness | Paradigm Training Center
Weight Class: Welterweight (170 pounds)
Notes: Brian Melancon's debut fight in the UFC.
Preview: Baczynski is coming off a loss to Mike Pierce by Unanimous Decision at UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson (December 15, 2012). Melanconis coming off a win over Felipe Portela by Unanimous Decision at Strikeforce Challengers 19 (September 23, 2011).
Predictions: Baczynski. Baczynski has faced tougher guys like Mike Pierce and Matt Brown before. Other than Issac Vallie-Flagg, Melancon has probably not faced anyone like Baczynski. To make matters worse, Melancon has not had a fight in nearly 2 years.
Edson Barboza vs. Rafaello Oliveira
Nickname: Junior | Tractor
Height: 5'11 | 5'8
MMA Record (UFC): 11-1 (5-1) | 15-5 (2-4)
Age: 27 | 31
Arm Length: 75 in. | 71.5 in.
Team: Valor MMA | AMA Fight Club
Weight Class: Lightweight (155 pounds)
Notes:
Preview: Barboza is coming off a win over Lucas Martins by Submission at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping (January 19, 2013). Oliveira is coming off a win over Yoislandy Izquierdo by Unanimous Decision at UFC 148 (July 7, 2012).
Predictions: Barboza.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Dave Herman
Nickname: Napao | Pee Wee
Height: 6'1 | 6'5
MMA Record (UFC): 14-7 (10-6) | 21-5 (1-3)
Age: 34 | 28
Arm Length: 76 in. | 77 in.
Team: Team Link | Team Quest
Weight Class: Heavyweight (265 pounds)
Notes: Gonzaga is replacing Shane Del Rosario.
Preview: Gonzaga is coming off a loss to Travis Browne by KO at the Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale (April 13, 2013). Herman is riding a three fight losing streak. His recent loss was to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by Submission at UFC 153 (October 13, 2013).
Predictions: Gonzaga. If the two stand up then it can be anyone's game but Gonzaga may have a slightly better chin. On the ground, Gonzaga has the advantage as Herman has underestimated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and got submitted by Nogueira and Gonzaga is a world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Norman Parke vs. Kazuki Tokudome
Nickname: Stormin' | None
Height: 5'10 | 5'11
MMA Record (UFC): 17-2 (1-0) | 12-3-1 (1-0)
Age: 26 | 26
Arm Length: 70 in. | 73 in.
Team: Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu | Paraestra Hachioji
Weight Class: Lightweight (155 pounds)
Notes:
Preview: Parke is riding a seven fight win streak. His recent win was over Colin Fletcher by Unanimous Decision at UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson (December 15, 2012). Tokudome is riding a three fight win streak. His recent win was over Cristiano Marcello by UFC on Fuel TV: Silva vs. Stann (March 3, 2013).
Predictions: Parke.
Chris Leben vs. Andrew Craig
Nickname: The Crippler | Highlight
Height: 5'11 | 6'1
MMA Record (UFC): 22-9 (12-8) | 8-1 (3-1)
Age: 32 | 27
Arm Length: 70.5 in. | 76 in.
Team: Alliance MMA | Team Tooke
Weight Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes:
Preview: Leben is riding a two fight losing streak. His recent loss was against Derek Brunson by Unanimous Decision at UFC 155 (December 29,2012). Craig is coming off a loss to Ronny Marks by Unanimous Decision at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping (January 19, 2013).
Predictions: Craig. Craig's got a six inch reach advantage which could keep Leben from unloading. Worse of all, Leben has not looked good in recent fights, he served a year suspension last year, and it wouldn't be surprising if his fighting style and past drug & alcohol addictions are catching up with him.
Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Siver
Nickname: None | The Menace
Height: 5'7 | 5'7
MMA Record (UFC): 19-5 (4-1) | 21-5 (10-5)
Age: 29 | 34
Arm Length: 70 in. | 70 in.
Team: Jackson's MMA | Kiboju
Weight Class: Featherweight (145 pounds)
Notes: This fight was originally scheduled for UFC on Fuel TV: Barao vs. McDonald back on February 16.
Preview: Swanson is riding a four fight win streak. His recent win was over Dustin Poirier by Unanimous Decision at UFC on Fuel TV: Barao vs. McDonald (February 16, 2013). Siver is riding a two fight win streak. His recent win was over Nam Phan by Unanimous Decision at UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Diaz (December 8, 2012).
Predictions: Swanson. Siver is a very good fighter and both guys have skills but Swanson should take it. I can't explain it but Swanson has been on a roll over the last year and a half. Some think because he wants another fight with Jose Aldo and erase the memory of his eight second knockout loss from years ago. For some reason, I feel Swanson won't be denied until he either gets his fight with Aldo or at least until he fights a top 5 featherweight.
Mark Munoz vs. Tim Boetsch
Nickname: The Filipino Wrecking Machine | The Barbarian
Height: 6'0 | 5'11
MMA Record (UFC): 12-3 (7-3) | 16-5 (7-4)
Age: 35 | 32
Arm Length: 71 in. | 74 in.
Team: Reign Training Center | AMC Pankration
Weight Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes:
Preview: Munoz is coming off a loss to Chris Weidman by KO at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman (July 11, 2012). Boetsch is coming off a loss to Constantinos Philippou by TKO at UFC 155 (December 29, 2012).
Predictions: Munoz. Munoz is coming off a long absence but he's still a top 10 fighter and should be able to deal with Boetsch. Munoz is also a decorated wrestler and has shown to have power. Boetsch is probably the biggest fluke in MMA today. Sure he's beaten some big names last year like Yushin Okami and Hector Lombard but he looked absolutely terrible in both. He got picked apart for over 10 minutes by Okami until he caught him with a punch. Lombard is a small middleweight and was supposedly injured and yet Boetsch barely won that fight as he got a controversial split decision. It wouldn't be surprising if his recent loss to Philippou knocked him down to Earth again.
Tim Kennedy vs. Roger Gracie
Nickname: None | None
Height: 5'11 | 6'4
MMA Record (UFC): 15-4 (0-0) | 6-1 (0-0)
Age: 33 | 31
Arm Length: 74 in. | 79 in.
Team: Jackson's MMA | Black House
Weight Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes: Both Tim Kennedy and Roger Gracie's UFC debuts.
Preview: Kennedy is coming off a win over Trevor Smith by Submission at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine (January 12, 2013). Gracie is coming off a win over Anthony Smith by Submission at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine (January 12, 2013).
Predictions: Gracie. Kennedy's got nothing against Gracie. Kennedy is a great wrestler but Gracie is one of the best grapplers in the world. As the stats show, Gracie is way bigger than Kennedy so Kennedy will have every difficult time trying to wrestle down and control a world class grappler who's also a massive middleweight. Kennedy isn't much of a striker and he hasn't won a fight by knockout in years so the odds of him knocking out Gracie aren't the best.
Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira
Nickname: The Answer | Do Bronx
Height: 5'6 | 5'10
MMA Record (UFC): 15-4-1 (9-4-1) | 16-3, 1NC (4-3, 1NC)
Age: 31 | 23
Arm Length: 68 in. | 73 in.
Team: Renzo Gracie Combat Team | Bronx's Gold TeamUSA
Weight Class: Featherweight (145 pounds)
Notes:
Preview: Edgar is riding a three fight losing streak. His recent loss was to Jose Aldo by Unanimous Decision at UFC 156 (February 2, 2013). Oliveira is coming off a loss to Cub Swanson by KO at UFC 152 (September 22, 2012).
Predictions: Edgar. Edgar's in a slump but his losses are to elite fighters like Benson Henderson and Jose Aldo as well as the fact that his losses to Henderson were both close losses. Oliveira is a good fighter but not on par with Henderson or Aldo. This fight is clearly been booked to give Edgar a tune up fight that will see him return to his winning ways. The only chance Oliveira has is the fact that Edgar hasn't had a three round fight in four years. In most of his recent fights, Edgar usually gets dominated for the first two and a half rounds before bouncing back midway through the third round and winning the fourth and fifth rounds with the third being up in the air. However,those fights were five rounds so if Edgar puts on the same performances then he'll lose since he won't have a fourth or fifth round to come back from. Rather by the time he starts mounting a comeback, the fight will be over.
Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman
Nickname: The Spider | All-American
Height: 6'2 | 6'0
MMA Record (UFC): 33-4 (16-0) | 9-0 (5-0)
Age: 38 | 29
Arm Length: 77.6 in. | 78 in.
Team: Black House | Serra-Longo Fight Team
Weight Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes:For the UFC Middleweight Championship
Preview: Silva is riding a seventeen fight win streak. His recent win was over Stephan Bonnar by TKO at UFC 153 (October 13, 2012). Weidman is undefeated with a nine fight win streak. His recent win was over Mark Munoz by KO at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman (July 11, 2012).
Predictions: Silva. Silva's at this point where until he loses it's hard to predict against him. He's the better striker and has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which will allow him to defend himself on the ground. It's also been announced that due to a health scare and the birth of his daughter, Matt Serra will not corner Weidman which will hurt Weidman since Serra is one of his main trainers. It can be very difficult for a fighter to fight at their best when one of their main trainers isn't in their corner to yell out instructions during the fight and between rounds.
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