UFC 102 - COUTURE VS. NOGUEIRA

"Guerrilla's Pick" / GueRRillaFight.com - 8.25.09

What is an adept prognosticator to do about the upcoming Nogueira v. Couture main event bout? This fight is literally a nightmare to select as there are so many variables and unanswered questions surrounding both fighters that even my lucky coin stood on edge when I attempted to call it in the air.

One rule I follow with tremendous success is to never pick a fighter coming off a TKO loss in his last outing coupled with a layoff which disqualifies both warriors as Randy lost via TKO to Lesnar last November and Nog put in his worst looking performance ever as Mir vanquished him with a TKO last December. Another criteria I use is to stay away from a fighter who seems to be tailing off and has had many brutal wars from which to recover. Again, this leaves me scratching my follically challenged head as I wonder in absolute amazement when the sand will finally drain from the competitive hourglass on Captain America.

In the opposing corner, Nogueira was reportedly suffering from an injured leg and a staph infection in his dreadful showing against a sharp Mir just after Santa, but sure looked like a lummox lumbering around the octagon attempting to protect himself. His stand-up game completely deserted him and shots he once shrugged off staggered him and scrambled his faculties. Just plain ugly!

So, I look to the line for guidance and again no help as I'm actually a bit surprised to find Couture the favorite at -170 as he does tend to struggle against larger fighters who are skilled in submissions. Barnett, Ricco, and Lesnar all handled Randy and neutralized his dirty boxing. I would feel very comfortable selecting the intimidating Minotauro of Pride days but that line is cause for concern.

So I'm left to dissect strategies....Randy needs to assert himself early, dominate the clinch, cause damage to slow Nog, and transition well in scrambles avoiding the chokes. We know he'll be fit and have a master plan and a backup, but can he execute if the real former champion returns? Nogueira needs to be sharp in his boxing, don't let Randy dictate and bring the armor he once donned absorbing gut-wrenching ground and pound shots from Fedor. Get the fight to the ground in dominant position and wear out the light heavyweight while looking to choke.

My selection in this fight is going to be to give the nod to Nogueira and though Couture has burned me before (first Belfort fight ), and selecting 170 dogs has a very low success rate, I'm willing to throw out that last performance against Mir as Antonio bounces back and secures the victory against one of my favorite UFC fighters .......Minotauro by late choke or UD.

J.Seijas - GueRRillaFight.com

UFC 101 - SILVA VS. GRIFFIN

"Guerrilla's Pick" / GueRRillaFight.com - 8.5.09

Anderson Silva steps up to 205 to clash with the popular ultimate fighter hero Forrest Griffin. The spider is considered by most as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the business. Armed with devastating precision strikes, fearsome Thai skills, a ruthless clinch, and an underrated ground game, Silva is downright menacing. Forrest is a scrappy, determined, refined brawler who never backs away from danger. Griffin eagerly climbed into the cage as an overwhelming underdog against Mauricio Shogun and stopped the Pride GP Champion in stunning fashion when most had an overnight stay in the hospital booked for him.

This match is interesting as Forrest will ignite the crowd with his charisma and his endearing undaunted attitude. He is in the most peril in round 1 though as Anderson is out to prove his KO power in this division after criticism over recent lackluster performances. Forrest is typically a slow starter who actually needs to get hit at times to boost his adrenaline and get into the bout. This will prove his undoing however, as Silva will oblige and knock out the former champ late in round 1........Run Forrest ......Silva TKO

J.Seijas - GueRRillaFight.com

UFC 101 - PENN VS. FLORIAN

"Guerrilla's Pick" / GueRRillaFight.com - 8.4.09

In a battle between the two best lightweights, BJ Penn is forced to train and diet dropping back to 155 to defend against a focused, determined, and anxious Kenny Florian. The prodigy is an aptly named, naturally gifted fighting virtuoso who typically steps up in weight looking for challenges. He is particularly dangerous at the lightweight level where he doesn't give away any size or strength. Florian is a master student of the game, improving his skills immeasurably as he takes out each opponent and he is mentally unflappable.

This is indeed an intriguing bout as natural ability is up against intense determination and desire. The question here is can Ken Flo execute a perfect game plan and remain steadfast in his quest for the belt pushing Penn and avoiding damage while dragging him into deep water to break his spirit? Or is BJ simply too talented at this weight?

The line touts Penn as a 2 to 1 favorite , the only 55-er that would be favored by that margin over Florian. While I would be cautious to lay such a big number against Kenny, I simply cannot pick BJ to lose at this weight. We will see the best KF ever, but he is not GSP and is overmatched against this fighter. Penn-cil in BJ for tough UD.....

J.Seijas- GueRRillaFight.com