Preview of UFC 79 Nemesis
So I was going to take time and put my self-proclaimed expertise to use and provide a comprehensive preview of UFC 79 Nemesis. But alas, the holidays are upon us and my time and energies have turned to nil. But fear not, I came across an analysis for UFC 79 written by a Seattle blogger (Tom Kim). Although I don’t agree with all of his thoughts, it’s decent little piece and will give you a nice preview of The Ultimate Fighting Champion’s final event of the year. So here it is, Tom’s take on UFC 79 Nemesis.
Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre
This is the fight that I’m most interested in. GSP is my favorite fighter and the one guy I try (and fail miserably) to emulate when I train. Hughes of course is no slouch. The former long reigning welterweight champion has already fought and beat some of the best fighters in the history of MMA including BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Royce Gracie, and GSP. Of course GSP is also the last guy to beat Hughes so this match-up will finally determine once and for all, who really is the best. It’s no surprise that I’m picking St. Pierre to win the rubber match. In my unbiased (yeah right) opinion, “Rush” is better in every aspect of MMA. His striking is light years better than Matt’s, his submission game has always been solid, and he showed just how great of a wrestler he is, in his last fight against Josh Koscheck.
Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
Ah yes, the battle that fight fans have been waiting more than 4 years for. The long-time UFC coverboy takes on the former PRIDE champion. While both Liddell and Silva have fallen on hard times recently (both are coming off two straight losses), this is still a very important and interesting fight. While they’ve never fought each other, both do share some common foes in Tito Ortiz (beat Silva/lost to Liddell twice), Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (beat Liddell/lost to Silva twice), and Vitor Belfort (beat Silva/lost to Liddell). While I love Silva’s aggressiveness, I think Liddell’s experience in the cage and ability to counter-strike will lead to a win for “The Iceman.”
Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
This light-heavyweight battle may not be as hyped as the co-main events, but it may be just as good. Machida is undefeated, and owns wins over UFC stars BJ Penn and Rich Franklin. Sok (YOU try spelling his name over and over again!) is fresh off two devastating knockouts of former PRIDE stalwarts Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Noguiera. Both fighters have a lot at stake in this bout. Machida needs an impressive win to get the hype machine rolling and Sok needs a win to prove his last two wins weren’t a fluke. Like a lot of fans, I am intrigued by Sok’s explosiveness and vicious power, but I think Machida’s precise striking and ability to stay away from danger, will be enough for him to win.
Soa Palelei vs. Eddie Sanchez
While I consider myself a hardcore MMA fan, I don’t really know anything about these two heavyweights. I do know that Palelei has a lot of international experience (including a bout w/PRIDE), and Sanchez is probably most famous for being led to slaughter against Mirko Cro Cop. Since that’s all I know, I’m going to go with the most scientific way to predict a winner: Who has the better nickname? While Soa “The Hulk” Palelei has a nice ring to it, I’m picking Eddie “The Manic Hispanic” Sanchez. A nickname that includes your ethnicity and a generic descriptor is usually a good sign.
Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard
This battle of lightweights could be better than most people expect. Both have stated how much they personally hate each other (Guillard allegedly once pulled a gun on Clementi) and each have flashed the ability to become a top contender. Unfortunately, both have also shown the ability to come up lame in big fights. Clementi comes into this fight fresh off an impressive win over Anthony Johnson. “The Young Assassin” Guillard is coming off a cocaine suspension and a loss to Joe Stevenson. While Clementi is a well rounded fighter who can exploit Guillard’s submission defense weakness, I predict Guillard will keep the fight standing and win via knockout.
