Missing In Action: A Look at Would Be MMA Tournament Participants Part 1

Missing In Action: A Look at Would Be MMA Tournament Participants Part 1
May 30, 2021

By Ryan Porzl

Through out Mixed Martial Arts' history, one thing that it's well known for are it's tournaments. Throughout the last 30 years, many of the top MMA promotions including UFC, PRIDE, Bellator, DREAM, RIZIN, etc. have held tournaments or grand prixes consisting of eight to sixteen participants and the winner receives prize money, a trophy belt, and/or a medal. A lot of these tournaments also consisted of many great fighters, well knowns, or legends. However, not everything goes to plan and over the years, there have been situations where a promotion wants a fighter or negotiates with a fighter, or even flat out announces them for the tournament but for whatever reason, the fighter doesn't participate. Here now are a list of fighters who were supposed to appear in certain tournaments but never did.

MMA Title Fights We Never Got Part 1

MMA Title Fights We Never Got Part 1
February 1, 2021 
By Ryan Porzl

Just recently, I saw a video from MMA On Point on YouTube and the video was "Top 10 Title Fights We Were Robbed Of" which was a video they did two years covering MMA Title fights we nearly got but they ended it up not happening and if they did end up happening, it was many years later or even a little later when a title was no longer on the line. Seeing the video, I thought it would be fun to do my own list especially since they left me with a treasure trove to work with. Not only do I credit MMA On Point for the inspiration for this list, I also decided out of fairness, not only do I give them credit but I will also not use their ten choices since they already used them so if you want to see their list, it's on YouTube as of writing.

Before we start, here was MMA On Points Top Ten List in case you're curious
10. Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez
9. Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson
8. Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman
7. Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis
6. Max Holloway vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
5. Dominick Cruz vs. Renan Barao
4. Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson
3. Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Conor McGregor
2. Josh Barnett vs. Fedor Emelianenko (Affliction)
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson

With that said, here's my list

Most Notable One Hit Wonders In MMA

Most Notable One Hit Wonders In MMA
October 19, 2020 
By Ryan Porzl

The term "One Hit Wonder" is a phrase perhaps mostly associated in the music world as it describes singers or bands with one hit single or album but were never able to recapture that success and eventually fell into obscurity. The phrase can also be used for Mixed Martial Arts. In the world of MMA, there are a variety of MMA champions. Some have won many titles and tournaments be it in one promotion or multiple promotions like Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Cris Cyborg, Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Some are strictly multiple time tournament winners like Royce Gracie, Don Frye, and Mirko Cro Cop. Finally, some have won just one major belt but either won it multiple times or successfully defended it many times like Jon Jones, Tito Ortiz, and Chuck Liddell. Then, there are the one hit wonders, fighters who won one tournament in a major organization and never won another again or won a major championship from a major organization but lost it in their first defense and never won another again. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the notable fighters who won a major tournament or title but were never able to hold onto a title for long or recapture that success despite in some cases getting multiple opportunities. Before we start, I should point out I will only include fighters who won major honors so independent promotions don't count as a fighter could've had multiple honors in a smaller promotion. As far as champions go, the fighters on this list are those who only won one title and failed to successfully defend it. However, if they won a tournament before or after, they won't be on the list. For example, Kevin Randleman only won one UFC Heavyweight Championship but he successfully defended it so he won't be on the list. Guys like Forrest Griffin and Matt Serra won titles and never successfully defended them but they won The Ultimate Fighter so they won't be on the list.

MMA Fights to Look Forward to in November 2018

MMA Fights to Look Forward to in November 2018
October 27, 2018
By Ryan Porzl

Note that at the time I release these, the full card of certain events have not been released so there may be other fights I would recommend but aren't announced until after I complete this. Also, card subject to change.

They Fought In UFC!? List of Fighters Who Fought in UFC That You May Have Forgotten or Didn't Know About

They Fought In UFC!? List of Fighters Who Fought in UFC That You May Have Forgotten or Didn't Know About
July 14, 2018
By Ryan Porzl

When last I left off, I looked at well known fighters who came close to coming to the UFC but never did. Now, I figured a good follow up would be to look at fighters that did make it but people may have forgotten. With this being the 25th Anniversary of the UFC, it's safe to say that UFC has held hundreds of events and thousands of fighters have come through. Many fighters had long careers while others came and went. Some of the fighters who didn't stay long are known but others aren't or have been forgotten. Here is a list of fighters that competed in the UFC that you may have forgotten about.

Close but No Cigar: List of Fighters Who Nearly Fought in UFC but Never Did

Close but No Cigar: List of Fighters Who Nearly Fought in UFC but Never Did
June 25, 2018
By Ryan Porzl

With the UFC about to celebrate it's 25th Anniversary, it's obvious they've been around for a long time which means thousands of fighters have fought in it's octagon. However, many fighters never fought there and in some cases, some of those fighters were sometimes a win or successful contract negotiation away from going to the UFC but it didn't happen. Here now is a look at some well known and/or legendary fighters who were on the verge of going to the UFC before it went up in smoke.

MMA Stars/Legends Who Never Fought In The UFC

MMA Stars/Legends Who Never Fought In The UFC
April 20, 2018
By Ryan Porzl

The UFC has been around since 1993 where it's been consistently the number one North American MMA promotion and since 2007, the number one in the world. Since UFC became the top promotion, many fans and the media have constantly said for someone to be "for real" or mean something, they had to be in the UFC. However, that isn't and never should be the case. Many fighters have had great careers with a lot of them becoming legends without ever stepping foot inside the octagon. Here now are MMA stars and/or legends who never fought in the UFC. For the record, I won't include Fedor Emelianenko because everybody already knows he hasn't and he's usually the first person people think of.

UFC 179 Predictions

                                 

UFC 179 Predictions

October 23, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

Bellator 130 Predictions

                                

Bellator 130 Predictions

October 20, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

UFC 178 Predictions

                                 

UFC 178 Predictions

September 26, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

UFC 177 Predictions

UFC 177 Predictions

August 29, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

UFC on FOX: Lawler vs. Brown Predictions

                                

UFC on FOX 12 Predictions

July 22, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

UFC 175 Predictions

                                               

UFC 175 Predictions

July 1, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

Kevin Casey vs. Bubba Bush

Nickname:                                              King          |    The Fighting Texas Aggie

Height:                                                    5'11          |            6'0

Age:                                                     Unknown      |            28

MMA Record (UFC):                          8-3 (0-1)     |       8-2 (0-0)

Arm Length:                                            77 in.        |          72 in.

Team:                                                 Black House  | Brazos Valley MMA

Weight Class:                                      Middleweight (185 pounds)

Notes: Bush's UFC debuts.

Preview: Casey is riding a three fight win streak. His recent win was over Andrew Sanchez by KO at RFA 15 (June 6, 2014). Bush is riding a four fight win streak. His recent win was over Alfonso Gonzales by submission at Legacy FC 31 (June 13, 2014).

Predictions: Casey. As is the case with most prelims on Fight Pass, I'm not familiar with either fighter. But I'll go with Casey. Casey is training with Black House so he should have better trainers and sparring partners. He's trained with Rickson Gracie in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is a black belt. He's had an even amount of knockout and submission wins with three each. He has a big reach advantage with his arms being five inches longer. All of his losses have come by TKO but he could still win with the reach advantage if he knows how to use it and possibly getting better training. Then there's the case that this is Bush's UFC debut. Fighters who move to the big leagues tend to get nervous and Bush has never competed in a big company before. Casey has been on the Ultimate Fighter and he has competed in the UFC, Strikeforce, and K-1 Hero's so he has been on big stages before. Casey has also faced named fighters as he has fought against Minowaman and Matt Lindland.

Luke Zachrich vs. Guilherme Vasconcelos

Nickname:                                  None             |               Bomba

Height:                                          6'2               |                  6'0

Age:                                               32               |             Unknown

MMA Record (UFC):              13-3 (0-1)       |              3-1 (0-0)

Arm Length:                               74.5 in.           |                 72 in.

Team:                              Ronin Training Center |           Titi Jiu Jitsu

Weight Class:                                 Middleweight (185 pounds)

Notes: Vasconcelos' UFC debut.

Preview: Zachrich is coming off a loss to Caio Magalhaes by TKO at UFC on FOX 11 (April 19, 2014). Vasconcelos is riding a two fight win streak. His recent win was over Elizeu dos Santos at Jungle Fight 54 (June 29, 2013).

Predictions: Zachrich. For one, Zachrich has the experience as Vasconcelos has only competed in four professional fights. Vasconcelos has also not competed in more than a year. He's making his debut in the UFC which could make him nervous. It's very common for fighters to get nervous fighting on a big stage especially when they've had so few of fights. Zachrich is also a pretty well-rounded fighter with four wins coming by way of knockout and seven by submission. Vasconcelos is very decorated in Brazilian jiu-jitsu but Zachrich does have a brown belt in BJJ so he can hold his own on the ground.

George Roop vs. Rob Font

Nickname:                                                None          |      None

Height:                                                       5'10           |       5'8

Age:                                                             32            |   Unknown

MMA Record (UFC):                         15-10-1 (5-6)  |   10-1 (0-0)

Arm Length:                                               72 in.        |    Unknown

Team:                                                    Apex MMA   |  Team Sityodtong

Weight Class:                                        Bantamweight (135 pounds)

Notes: Font's UFC debut.

Preview: Roop is coming off a win over Dustin Kimura by unanimous decision at UFC The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale (April 16, 2014). Font is riding a nine fight win streak. His recent win was over Tristan Johnson by KO at CES MMA 23 (April 25, 2014).

Predictions: Roop. I'll admit, I know nothing of Font. Roop is a huge bantamweight. He has very good striking defense, very good takedown accuracy, and takedown defense. He's got good standup with TKO wins coming by punches, body shots, and head kicks. Roop has faced tougher competition including Hatsu Hioki, Brian Bowles, Mark Hominick, Korean Zombie, and Cub Swanson. His record can be deceiving. At first look, 15-10 doesn't look good. But when you look at closely and see he's beaten talent like Korean Zombie and Brian Bowles while his losses coming from Eddie Wineland, Mark Hominick, Hatsu Hioki, and Cub Swanson you'll see he's won and lost to top competition. Font's 10-1 but outside of a loss to current top Bellator featherweight Desmond Green early in both men's career, he hasn't fought anyone notable. Font's taking a big step up in his career.

Chris Camozzi vs. Bruno Santos

Nickname:                                           None            |        Carioca

Height:                                                   6'3              |           5'9

Age:                                                        27              |           26

MMA Record (UFC):                     19-7 (6-4)        |      13-1 (0-1)

Arm Length:                                        75.5 in.          |         72 in.

Team:                            Factory X Muay Thai/MMA | Ze Mario Team

Weight Class:                                    Middleweight (185 pounds)

Notes:

Preview: Camozzi is riding a two fight losing streak. His recent win was over Lorenz Larkin by unanimous decision at UFC Fight for the Troops 3 (November 6, 2013). Santos is coming off a loss to Krzysztof Jotko by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot (December 7, 2013).

Predictions: Carmozzi. He's got good Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He's very good defensively in regards to striking and takedowns. He's a very big middleweight with a two and half inch reach advantage. Camozzi has been a submission magnet but doesn't have to worry about being finished as Santos has only one win by knockout and one by submission and the knockout win was a corner stoppage. Both finishes were also years ago as well. Carmozzi's recent losses were to very good fighters like up and comer Lorenz Larkin and top fighter Ronaldo Souza.

Kenny Robertson vs. Ildemar Alcantara

Nickname:                                      None                |           Marajo

Height:                                             5'10                 |              6'2

Age:                                                   30                  |               31

MMA Record (UFC):                  13-3 (2-3)          |         20-6 (3-1)

Arm Length:                                    74 in.                |            78 in.

Team:                            Central Illnois Combat Club | Marajo Brothers Team

Weight Class:                                     Welterweight (170 pounds)

Notes: Robertson is replacing Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Preview: Robertson is coming off a win over Thiago Perpetuo by submission at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 (March 23, 2014). Alcantara is coming off a win over Albert Tumenov by split decision at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi (February 15, 2014).

Predictions: Alcantara. Alcantara is a massive welterweight at 6'2 and once competed at Light Heavyweight. He has a big reach for a welterweight and four inch reach advantage against Robertson. He has a lot of advantages over Robertson. He's has better takedown defense and takedown accuracy than Robertson. His striking defense is better. He's very skilled with submissions as he's able to get rear-naked chokes, armbars, and kneebars. He's never been submitted in his career and the two times he lost by TKO were in bigger divisions. On top of that, one was by leg kicks and not because he was knocked out. The other was against heavyweight Geronimo dos Santos. These losses were also years ago as well.

Urijah Faber vs. Alex Caceres

Nickname:                                The California Kid  |   Bruce Leeroy

Height:                                                    5'6           |          5'9

Age:                                                         35           |           26

MMA Record (UFC):                      30-7 (6-3)     |  10-5, 1NC (5-3, 1NC)

Arm Length:                                           69 in.       |          70 in.

Team:                                         Team Alpha Male |      MMA Lab

Weight Class:                                  Bantamweight (135 pounds)

Notes:

Preview: Faber is coming off a loss to Renan Barao by TKO at UFC 169 (February 1, 2014). Caceres is coming off a win over Sergio Pettis by submission at UFC on FOX 11 (January 25, 2014).

Predictions: Faber. Caceres has continued to make improvement since moving to the MMA Lab but you can't predict him beating Faber. Faber is an elite fighter and not only become known for beating just about anyone that's not the champions but he does it very easily. Faber has the whole package as he can strike, he's got great wrestling, very skilled with submissions, good cardio, very strong for a bantamweight, good jiu-jitsu, and good power for a bantamweight. I don't see how Caceres can win this fight. He doesn't have knockout power and Faber doesn't have a bad chin. He's not submitting Faber as Faber has never been submitted in his career and Caceres won't be the first to do it. Finally, Caceres will not beat Faber on points. Faber's better in all areas. He's a better striker than Caceres and is on a whole other level on the ground. If this fight goes to the ground, then Faber will win this. Faber is not only the better grappler but Caceres has suffered multiple losses by submission while Faber has never been submitted. Overall, Caceres has been improving and been successful but this is a huge step up in competition.

Marcus Brimage vs. Russell Doane

Nickname:                                    The Bama Beast    |         None

Height:                                                   5'4               |           5'7

Age:                                                        29               |       Unknown

MMA Record (UFC):                       6-2 (3-1)         |      13-3 (1-0)

Arm Length:                                         71 in.             |        69.5 in.

Team:                                        American Top Team |   Hawaii Elite MMA

Weight Class:                                      Bantamweight (155 pounds)

Notes:

Preview: Brinage is coming off a loss to Conor McGregor by TKO at UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi (April 6, 2013). Doane is riding a two fight win streak. His recent win was over Leandro Issa by technical submission at UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim (January 4, 2014).

Predictions: Doane. Doane has a lot of advantages going into this fight. He's has the better standup with better striking accuracy and defense than Brimage. His takedown defense is very good and should be difficult to take down. He's also a finisher with eleven of his thirteen wins being finishes. He's got power and he's able to submit opponents. Brimage, on the other hand, has a ton of disadvantages. He's given away a lot of size in this fight so it will be difficult for him to control Doane with grappling especially since Doane has very good takedown defense. Brimage is also coming off fifteen month layoff after he lost to Conor McGregor by TKO in only 67 seconds. He's not much of a finisher as he hasn't shown a lot of power with only two wins by TKO and he's never submitted an opponent. This could also benefit Doane since most of his losses (two) have been by submission.

Uriah Hall vs. Thiago Santos

Nickname:                                        Prime Time   |        Marreta

Height:                                                     6'0         |           6'0

Age:                                                          29         |           30

MMA Record (UFC):                         8-4 (1-2)   |       9-2 (1-1)

Arm Length:                                          80.5 in.     |         76 in.

Team:                                   Reign Training Center | Tata Fight Team

Weight Class:                                   Middleweight (185 pounds)

Notes:

Preview: Hall is coming off a win over Chris Leben by TKO at UFC 168 (December 28, 2013). Santos is coming off a win over Ronny Markes by TKO at UFC Fight: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 (March 23, 2014).

Predictions: Hall. This fight is one of, if not, the wildcard fight on this show. Hall's positives and negatives are well documented in that he's a very talented fighter but at times lacks a killer instinct that's cost him fights. However, Hall should still take this. He's a devastating striker with scary power. He good with kicks and has a reach advantage which is important since both are primarily strikers. Hall is also the more accurate striker and better defensely. Santos has also been very inconsistent since coming to the UFC. His debut fight against Cezar Ferreira saw him get submitted in less than a minute. His next fight then saw him defeat Ronny Markes by TKO in less than a minute. So while Hall can come off as hit or miss, Santos can too.

Stefan Struve vs. Matt Mitrione

Nickname:                                        Skyscraper     |      Meathead

Height:                                                    7'0           |          6'3

Age:                                                         26            |          35

MMA Record (UFC):                       25-6 (9-4)     |      7-3 (7-3)

Arm Length:                                           84.5 in.     |        82 in.

Team:                                              Team Schrijber |    Blackzilians

Weight Class:                                     Heavyweight (265 pounds)

Notes:

Preview: Struve is coming off a loss to Mark Hunt by TKO at UFC on Fuel TV: Silva vs. Stann (March 3, 2013). Mitrione is coming off a win over Shawn Jordan by KO at UFC The Ultimate Fighter China Finale (March 1, 2014).

Predictions: Struve. Yes, Struve is coming off a sixteen month layoff. Yes, he is coming off a heart condition. However, he could still take this. For one thing Struve has very great Brazilian jiu-jitsu especially for a heavyweight. He's great on top of opponents and even off his back. He can always go to that if necessary. If Branden Schaub can control Mitrione and submit him then Struve can too. Before the Mark Hunt loss and the heart condition, Struve was riding a four fight win streak and considered by fans and some MMA sites to be a Top Ten heavyweight. While he hasn't put everything together, Struve has a lot of skills. Despite not being the most comfortable standing up and having suffered some brutal knockouts, Struve is still a threat standing. He has shown power and can knock fighters out. Probably his most impressive standup performance was against Stipe Miocic who is a very good prospect and a former golden gloves champion yet Struve defeated him by TKO and handed him his first loss. Struve is also tough mentally as he can get dominated in one round and come back the next. He's not the type to fold. Mitirione is not a bad fighter but he's a middle of the pack fighter at best. He's also not great at anything. There's really no area that he's great at that he can take the fight. He's not a great striker or grappler. Mitrione has also gone the distance only two times in his career with the last being nearly three years ago against Cheick Kongo.

Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis

Nickname:                                            Rowdy         |      Ally-Gator

Height:                                                    5'7             |          5'6

Age:                                                         27             |           29

MMA Record (UFC):                         9-0 (3-0)       |      16-5 (3-0)

Arm Length:                                          66 in.           |        67 in.

Team:                                         Glendale Fight Club | Cesar Gracie Fight Team

Weight Class:                                 Women's Bantamweight (135 pounds)

Notes: For the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship

Preview: Rousey is undefeated with nine wins. Her recent win was over Sara McMann by TKO at UFC 170 (February 22, 2014). Davis was riding a five fight win streak. Her recent win was over Jessica Eye by split decision at UFC 170 (February 22, 2014).

Predictions: Rousey. Rousey is a dominant champion and it's hard to predict against her when she's most of the women in the division. Davis is a good fighter with a very good ground game but Rousey is a big, strong bantamweight with Olympic level judo. Unless Rousey gets careless, it will be difficult to for Davis to submit Rousey. Rousey has obviously been working on her striking as she's shown in her last two fights to show she's more than a one trick pony. Davis has never been submitted before but that hasn't stopped Rousey since she became the first to submit Miesha Tate and nearly broke her arm off. Even when Rousey comes off as the predictable one trick pony, she's still proven she's capable of pulling off her trick.

Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida

Nickname:                                 The All-American   |      The Dragon

Height:                                                6'2                |           6'1

Age:                                                     30                |            36

MMA Record (UFC):                   11-0 (7-0)         |      21-4 (13-4)

Arm Length:                                       78 in.             |          74 in.

Team:                                 Serra-Longo Fight Team |     Black House

Weight Class:                                  Middleweight (185 pounds)

Notes: For the UFC Middleweight Championship

Preview: Weidman is undefeated with eleven wins. His recent win was over Anderson Silva by TKO at UFC 168 (December 28, 2013). Machida is riding a two fight win streak. His recent win was over Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi (February 15, 2014).

Predictions: Machida. Machida has mostly been his best against wrestlers. He's usually great in being elusive and preventing wrestlers from grabbing him or striking him and frustrate them to making mistakes. Machida has fought two times in middleweight including a five round fight against Gegard Mousasi so he's used to making the weight and go five rounds without getting tired. Machida also has a lot of knockout power and can score a knockout at anytime. His ground game is very underrated as he has good wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and takedown defense. He's able to get back up get off the cage in the clinch. He has very good balance as he has trained in sumo. Weidman is undefeated but Machida has gone through this before. He derailed the Sokoudjou hype train as he defeated Sokoudjou in Sokoudjou's UFC debut while Sokoudjou was riding high with big wins over Little Nog and Ricardo Arona. He's also handed Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans their first losses in spectacular fashion back to back.

UFC 174 Predictions

                                           

UFC 174 Predictions
June 11, 2014
By Ryan Porzl

UFC 173 Predictions

                                 

UFC 173 Predictions

May 23, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

UFC 172 Predictions

                                  

UFC 172 Predictions

April 24, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

UFC on FOX: Werdum vs. Browne Predictions

                                            

UFC on FOX: Werdum vs. Browne Predictions

April 18, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

UFC 171 Predictions

                                            

UFC 171 Predictions

March 12, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

UFC 170 Predictions

UFC 169 Predictions

UFC 169 Predictions

January 31, 2014

By Ryan Porzl

Neil Magny vs. Gasan Umalatov

Nickname:                                         None         |          Cobra

Height:                                                6'3            |           5'11

Age:                                                     26            |             31

MMA Record (UFC):                     8-3 (1-2)    |        14-2-1 (0-0)

Arm Length:                                      81 in.         |         Unknown

Team:                             Grudge Training Center |    Fight Nights Team

Weight Class:                                     Welterweight (170 pounds)

Notes: Umalatov's UFC debut

Preview: Magny's riding a two fight losing streak. His recent loss was to Seth Baczynski by unanimous decision at UFC Fight For The Troops 3 (November 6, 2013). Umalatov is coming off a win over Gregor Herb at Fight Nights – Battle of Moscow 12 (June 20, 2013).

Predictions: Umalatov. Umalatov is a grappling champion and grappling is Magny's weakness as he's lost most of his fights by submission. Meanwhile, Umalatov has won most of his fights by submission so this can be a very good fight for Umalatov stylistically. It should also be pointed out that not only has Umalatov not been finished in his career yet but he hasn't even lost a fight by unanimous decision. His two losses are by very close split decisions so not only will Magny have a hard time putting him away but he'll have a hard time beating him decisively.

Tony Martin vs. Rashid Magomedov

Nickname:                                     None           |         Highlander

Height:                                             6'1            |               5'9

Age:                                                  24             |               29

MMA Record (UFC):                 8-0 (0-0)      |          15-1 (0-0)

Arm Length:                                   73 in.          |             69 in.

Team:                                           Unknown      |         Goretz MMA

Weight Class:                                    Lightweight (169 pounds)

Notes: Both Martin and Magomedov's UFC debuts.

Preview: Martin is undefeated with eight wins. His recent win was over Thomas Gifford by submission at 3RT 4 (September 14, 2013). Magomedov is riding an eight fight win streak. His recent win was over Alexander Yakovlev by unanimous decision at M-1 Challenge 35 (November 15, 2012).

Predictions: Magomedov. Magomedov looks like he has the tools to pull it off. He's got a lot of knockout power. He's also a very good striker as he's a master in sports in both boxing and hand-to-hand combat. Martin is pretty one-dimensional as he's most a grappler who has never won a fight by knockout. Magomedov is also a national master of sports in combat sambo so he should be able to hold his own. If Magomedov can keep the fight standing then the fight is his as can either win by knockout or pick Martin apart and score points. While Martin is undefeated, Magomedov has never been finished and his only loss to date is a very close split decision to Frodo Khasbulaev who is now one of the top featherweights in the world as he's a former tournament winner in Bellator.

Clint Hester vs. Andy Enz

Nickname:                                            Headbussa    |    Tank Mode

Height:                                                      6'2            |         6'2

Age:                                                           27            |          22

MMA Record (UFC):                          9-3 (2-0)      |     7-0 (0-0)

Arm Length:                                           76.5 in.       |     Unknown

Team:                                                     X3 Sports   |  Gracie Barra Alaska

Weight Class:                                        Middleweight (185 pounds)

Notes: Enz's UFC Debut

Preview: Hester is riding a five fight win streak. His recent win was over Dylan Andrews by TKO at UFC on FOX: Hunt vs. Bigfoot (December 7, 2013). Enz is undefeated with seven wins. His recent win was over Mike Fannon at AFC 101 (September 13, 2013).

Predictions: Hester. Hester is a good striker with a boxing background and a 76.5 in. reach. He has good takedown defense and if he can prevent the takedowns then he'll win as Enz is one-dimensional grappler. Given his reach, Hester can play is safe and pick apart Enz from the outside as Enz isn't a striker so he shouldn't worry about Enz knocking him out.

Al Iaquinta vs. Kevin Lee

Nickname:                                              Raging       | The Mo-Town Phenom

Height:                                                      5'9          |        5'9

Age:                                                           26           |        21

MMA Record (UFC):                         7-2-1 (2-1)   |   7-0 (0-0)

Arm Length:                                             70 in.       |   Unknown

Team:                                 Serra-Longo Fight Team |   Unknown

Weight Class:                                        Featherweight (145 pounds)

Notes: Lee's UFC debut.

Preview: Iaquinta is riding a two fight win streak. His recent win was over Piotr Hallmann by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Munoz (October 26, 2013). Lee is undefeated with seven fights. His recent win was over Eric Moon by submission at TWC 20 (November 16, 2013).

Predictions: Inquinta. Lee is one-dimensional as he's more of a grappler. Iaquinta has very good takedown defense and if Lee can't take him down then he can't win. Iaquinta has good ground skills and is a good striker. He also trains at a great gym in Serra-Longo Fight Team while I don't even know where Lee trains so it's hard to get an idea on the guy. Because I don't know where he's training, I don't know who his coaches or sparring partners are. Iaquinta and the Serra-Longo Fight Team have good track records and seem like a safe bet.

Nick Catone vs. Tom Watson

Nickname:                                    The Jersey Devil |         Kong

Height:                                                    6'0           |           6'1

Age:                                                         32           |            31

MMA Record (UFC):                        9-4 (3-4)     |      16-6 (1-2)

Arm Length:                                         72.5 in.      |          73 in.

Team:                       Nick Catone MMA Academy |   Jackson's MMA

Weight Class:                                    Middleweight (185 pounds)

Notes:

Preview: Catone is riding a two fight losing streak. His recent loss was to TJ Waldburger by submission at UFC The Ultimate Fighter 16 (December 16, 2012). Watson is coming off a loss to Thales Leites by unanimous decision at UFC 163 (August 3, 2013).

Predictions: Catone hasn't fought in over a year but it may not matter. Watson is a good fighter and has good trainers but for some reason, he hasn't been able to put it together in the UFC. He lost his debut fight even though it was close, he nearly got finished by Nedkov before winning, and he got grinded to a decision by Thales Leites. Watson has not been able to show his best since coming into the UFC. Catone is also the more well-rounded by winning an equal amount of fights by knockout, submission, and decision. Watson is one of those fighters that you know what they will be going for in this case the knockout.

Chris Cariaso vs. Danny Martinez

Nickname:                                       Kamikaze      |       The Gremlin

Height:                                                  5'3           |              5'6

Age:                                                       32           |               28

MMA Record (UFC):                      15-5 (5-3)   |         16-4 (0-0)

Arm Length:                                        64.5 in.     |             66 in.

Team:                                            Fight & Fitness |     Alliance MMA

Weight Class:                                     Flyweight (125 pounds)

Notes: Marinez's UFC debut.

Preview: Cariaso is coming off a win over Iliarde Santos by TKO at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields (October 9, 2013). Martinez is riding a four fight win streak. His recent win was over Ian Dela Cuesta by unanimous decision at Coalition of Combat – Free For All (December 1, 2012)

Predictions: Martinez. Martinez is a good striker with power and good defense. His ground game is decent as he has some submission wins and good defense. He's never been finished in his MMA career to date and Cariaso is not known as a finisher which means Cariaso will likely have to win by points which is something that can be difficult for a fighter who is fighting a heavy handed opponent. Martinez hasn't fought in fourteen months but it may not matter because he did fight an exhibition fight to qualify for the Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate and while he lost, he did have some cage time. Martinez is also training out of the Alliance MMA gym which is an elite gym and will give him better sparring partners to prepare.

John Makdessi vs. Alan Patrick

Nickname:                                          The Bull          |       Nuguette

Height:                                                    5'9             |           5'11

Age:                                                         28              |           30

MMA Record (UFC):                       12-2 (5-2)       |      11-0 (1-0)

Arm Length:                                          68 in.           |       Unknown

Team:                                                 Tristar Gym    |         X-Gym

Weight Class:                                        Lightweight (155 pounds)

Notes:

Preview: Makdessi is riding a three fight win streak. His recent win was over Renee Forte by KO at UFC 165 (September 21, 2013). Patrick is undefeated with eleven wins. His recent win was over Garett Whiteley by TKO at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields (October 9, 2013).

Predictions: Makdessi. Makdessi is probably the biggest challenge to date for Patrick and one he may not be ready for. Makessi has a lot of skill as he is a black belt in Shotokan Karate and taekwondo. He also trains out of Tristar Gym which is one of the best gyms in the world. Patrick is mostly a striker but Makdessi has been fighting strikers with a lot of power in his recent fights including Daron Cruickshank and Sam Stout. He also has a good chin as he's never been knocked out and has very good takedown defense in case Patrick tries to go for a takedown either to surprise Makdessi or if he gets clipped.

Jamie Varner vs. Abel Trujillo

Nickname:                                              C-4           |         Killa

Height:                                                     5'8           |          5'8

Age:                                                          29            |          30

MMA Record (UFC):               21-8-1, 2NC (3-3) | 11-5, 1NC (2-1, 1NC)

Arm Length:                                           72 in.         |         70 in.

Team:                                   Arizona Combat Sports |    Blackzilians

Weight Class:                                     Lightweight (155 pounds)

Notes: Varner is replacing Bobby Green

Preview: Varner is coming off a loss to Gleison Tibau by split decision at UFC 164 (August 31, 2013). Trujillo is coming off a win over Roger Bowling by TKO at UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 (December 14, 2013).

Predictions: Trujillo. Trujillo really looked good in his last fight against Roger Bowling. Like the rest of the Blackzilians, Trujillo looks like he's putting things together in the last few months. Both guys are pretty well-rounded but Trujillo has made improvements in his striking and has good accuracy in takedowns. Trujillo is also pretty consistent and has a good track record. His only loss in the last three years has been to Khabib Nurmagomedov who is one of UFC's brightest prospects.

John Linker vs. Ali Bagautinov

Nickname:                                    Hands of Stone |      Puncher King

Height:                                                   5'2           |            5'4

Age:                                                        24           |             28

MMA Record (UFC):                      23-6 (4-1)    |        12-2 (2-0)

Arm Length:                                          67 in.        |           65 in.

Team:                                              EMPORIUM |   Fight Nights Team

Weight Class:                                         Flyweight (125 pounds)

Notes:

Preview: Linker is riding a four fight win streak. His recent win was over Phil Harris by TKO at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Munoz (October 26, 2013). Bagautinov is currently riding a ten fight win streak. His recent win was over Tim Elliot by unanimous decision at UFC 167 (November 16, 2013).

Predictions: Bagautinov. Bagautinov has a lot more tools to use as he's won competitions in hand-to-hand combat, combat sambo, greco-roman wrestling, and freestyle wrestling. He's more well-rounded as he's nearly even in knockout and submission while Linker is more predictable as he'll go for knockouts. Linker also has had a history of missing weight and even if he's on the right diet, there's no guarantee his cardio won't be effected. Bagauntinov is also hard to finish as he's never been knocked out or submitted in his career. It's definitely possible that with Linker's weight issues that if Bagauntinov can take him to the deep end and get him tired. The longer the fight goes, the better Bagauntinov's chances of winning get. Another good reason is the fact that Baganuntinov is an expert in hand-to-hand combat and sambo which is hard to prepare for in Brazil or the United States.

Frank Mir vs. Alistair Overeem

Nickname:                                          None      |        The Reem

Height:                                                  6'3       |             6'4

Age:                                                       34        |             33

MMA Record (UFC):                  16-8 (14-8) |    36-13, 1NC (1-2)

Arm Length:                                       79 in.      |            80 in.

Team:                                      Jackson's MMA |       Blackzilians

Weight Class:                                    Heavyweight (265 pounds)

Notes:

Preview: Mir is riding a three fight losing streak. His recent loss was to Josh Barnett by TKO at UFC 164 (August 31, 2013). Overeem is riding a two fight losing losing streak. His recent loss was to Travis Browne by KO at UFC Fight Night: Sonnen vs. Shogun (August 17, 2013).

Predictions: Overeem. Overeem's biggest weakness in 2013 was him pulling defeat from the jaws of victory. With his career on the line, Overeem will likely not take Mir lightly and will have the killer instinct. Mir is a guy who is clearly at the end of the line. Despite attempts to reinvent himself at Jackson's, it didn't work and his weakness are too glaring. He doesn't have a good chin as nearly all of his losses have come by knockout. As if that's not bad enough, Overeem has a kickboxing background being a former K-1 World Grand Prix winner and he hits very hit. All in all, it won't take much for the Reem to put the lights out on Mir. Mir also struggles with fighters who can grapple him into the fence and wear him down. Overeem is an underrated grappler and very strong so he could possibly pin Mir to the cage and work him over. Finally, Overeem doesn't have the best jaw for a heavyweight but it won't matter. Mir is not a striker and isn't known for knockout power except for his knockout of Cro Cop years ago. Overeem shouldn't have to worry too much of a knockout because Mir doesn't have the power nor the stand up skills that Antonio Silva and Travis Browne have.

Jose Aldo vs. Ricardo Lamas

Nickname:                                         Scarface    |         The Bully

Height:                                                  5'7         |             5'8

Age:                                                       27         |              31

MMA Record (UFC):                       23-1 (5-1) |       13-2 (4-0)

Arm Length:                                         70 in.     |            70 in.

Team:                                              Nova Uniao | MMA Masters and Team Top Notch

Weight Class:                                    Featherweight (145 pounds)

Notes: For the UFC Featherweight Championship

Preview: Aldo is riding a sixteen fight win streak. His recent win was over Chan Sung Jung by TKO at UFC 163 (August 3, 2013). Lamas is riding a four fight win streak. His recent win was over Erik Koch by TKO at UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson (January 26, 2013).

Predictions: Aldo. Aldo is mostly a fighter that goes for the knockout and both of Lamas' losses have come by knockout. If Danny Castillo and Yuri Alcantara can knock out Lamas then Aldo can. Lamas has also never fought a fight that went five rounds. In fact, only one of Lamas' fights have ended after Round 3 and that was the second fight of his career which was nearly six years ago. If the fight goes to the championship rounds then Aldo may have the advantage. It wouldn't be the first time since that was one of the reasons why John Dodson lost to Demetrious Johnson because he wasn't used to five round fights while Johnson was. Lamas is also coming off a year layoff. While that's not the end of the world and I predicted a few guys would win despite year-long layoffs, Jose Aldo is one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world. He's not the fighter you want to fight after sitting out for so long. When a fighter is going to fight someone like Aldo, they need to get as close to perfection as they can get.

Renan Pegado vs. Urijah Faber

Nickname:                                            Barao           |   The California Kid

Height:                                                   5'7              |           5'6

Age:                                                        26              |            34

MMA Record (UFC):                   31-1, 1NC (6-0) |      30-6 (6-1)

Arm Length:                                          70 in.           |          69 in.

Team:                                                 Nova Uniao    |   Team Alpha Male

Weight Class:                                        Bantamweight (135 pounds)

Notes: For the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Faber is replacing Dominick Cruz.

Preview: Barao is unbeaten in 32 fights (31 wins, one no contest). His recent win was over Eddie Wineland by TKO at UFC 165 (September 21, 2013). Faber is riding a four fight win streak. His recent win was over Michael McDonald by submission at UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 (December 14, 2013).

Predictions: Barao. Barao has been a beast long before he got to the UFC and has been showing since his arrival. Barao has good striking, great knockout power, great chin, great submissions, and great submission defense. He's also never been knocked out and never been submitted. Barao also has great speed with his movements, striking, and even jumping onto opponents for submissions. Faber has a lot going against him. He's taken this fight on short notice as he's barely had a month's notice to prepare which is no where near enough against an opponent like Barao. Faber just fought only a month and a half ago and while he didn't take much damage, that's still may be too soon to get back in there. Worse of all is the fact that this will be Faber's fifth fight in the past 12 months (dating back to the Ivan Menjivar fight on February 23, 2013). Usually when fighters fight that much in a year it comes back to haunt them. When Mirko Cro Cop fought five times in 2005 he had cardio issues in his fights with Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, and Mark Hunt which most people believe cause he was too active. Same with Donald Cerrone as he fought five times in 2011 and while he looked great in his first four fights, he ultimately came up short in his fifth fight against Nate Diaz. That could happen with Faber as he'll be fighting five times in 12 months and hasn't given himself time off. Barao has also beaten Faber before and know how to beat him. He knows leg kicks are very useful as that's what he and his teammate Jose Aldo used to beat Faber. Finally another reason is the recent turn of events in Team Alpha Male. For most of 2013, most people (myself included) were very impressed by the supposed evolution in the group since hiring Duane Ludwig. I say “supposed evolution” because so far we really haven't seen much outside of improved striking. As far as results go, Alpha Male isn't any better than they were pre-Ludwig. If anything, it's the same. You put them against anyone not the world champion then they're world beaters. But whenever they face the champion, they can't win the big one. So far the Ludwig era hasn't been any different. They went unbeaten all year long and looked phenomenal against everyone that wasn't a champion. Then in December, they once again hit that wall. First Lance Palmer lost to Georgi Karakhanyan in a fight to determine the first WSOF Featherweight Champion when he submitted to a guillotine choke (Alpha Male's signature submission). Then one week later, Joseph Benavidez challenged Demetrious Johnson for the UFC Flyweight Title and was knocked out in 2 minutes. Sure Faber has looked impressive but he's looked impressive every other time he was climbing the mountain only to lose when he got to the top to face the champion.