MIDDLEWEIGHT GRAND PRIX
Kazushi Sakuraba (24-10-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (21-4-1): Manhoef is a rare blend of raw power, athleticism, and technical striking. In other words, if this one stays on their feet, Manhoefwins. Beyond that, Manhoef has excellent takedown defense.
In terms of submissions, he's lacking at this point in his career, even if his submission defense is decent.
Sakuraba has good technical striking skills and reasonable power on his feet. In terms of takedowns, takedown defense, and submissions... Well, that's why he's considered one of the best MMA fighters of all time. However, his once outstanding cardio has to be called into question these days as the word is he's been partying a lot over that long career of his.
Is Sakuraba as good as he used to be? No. Can he still catch you?
Yeah.
Prediction: The bottom line on this one is simple?can Sakuraba get Manhoef down for any significant amount of time? If he can, he may win. If not...
Sakuraba just hasn't looked like his old self recently when they've chosen to put him up against real competition. Guess is that he won't in this one either.
Melvin Manhoef wins via knockout in round two.
Jason "Mayhem" Miller (21-5) vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (8-1): Miller is a very well rounded fighter with solid technical striking skills, reasonable power on his feet, and some of the best submissionsin the middleweight division, including a very strong guard.
That's where this one gets interesting, however, as Souza is an elite submission fighter. Further, he possesses very strong takedowns, takedown defense, and ground control skills. In terms of striking, Souza isn't bad; but that's hardly his game.
Prediction: Expect Miller to try to keep this one standing. If he succeeds, he should be able to pull out a TKO or decision victory. Still, you've got to think that Souza may get a chance or two on the ground in this one. Is he good enough there to stop Miller before the man they call "Mayhem" can get up or do something on the ground himself?
Figure that Mayhem will surprise Souza with his ground skills during those instances and will be the better man on his feet.
Jason Miller wins via unanimous decision. This could prove to be the most interesting fight of the night.
Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1) vs. Dong-Sik Yoon (4-4): Mousasi is an excellent technical striker with a lot of power. Though he caught Denis Kang in a triangle in a rather unorthodox manner in his last fight?in other words, there was an amount of luck involved? that move still goes a ways toward proving his submission and ground game has improved immensely.
Yoon is a tough customer with outstanding takedowns/ takedown defense of the judo variety. Further, his striking skills have improved over the course of time rather significantly.
Making things even more interesting, Yoon has won four straight.
Prediction: What Melvin Manhoef hit Yoon with early in their fight on 6/2/07 should've killed him. But his ability to deal with the beating and come back from it victoriously goes a long way toward proving his toughness. Yoon simply is not going to be an easy out, as he proved in that fight and against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson earlier in his career.
But Mousasi's victories over Hector Lombard and Denis Kang would seem to indicate that he can probably get through this one?even as he fatigues?without being submitted. Yoon's toughness should keep him in it, but that may not be enough.
Gegard Mousasi wins via unanimous decision.
Zelg Galesic (8-3) vs. Taiei Kin (3-2): Galesic hits hard. In addition, he has strong takedowns and takedown defense and his submissions are improving. Kin has strong wrestling skills and is improving with submissions and stand up fighting.
Prediction: These two fought once before on 10/28/07 and Galesic came away from that one with a TKO victory.
Guess is that not much has changed since then.
Kin seems overmatched in this one on his feet and won't be able to end the fight if he gets things to the ground. In other words, it's probably knock out time.
Zelg Galesic by knockout in round one.
THE REST
Shinya Aoki (15-2) vs. Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2): Nagata is a good wrestler. Aoki's submission skills tend to put such fighters to rest.
Shinya Aoki wins via first round submission.
Hideo Tokoro (19-13-1) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (4-1): Uyenoyama has excellent submission skills but is somewhat inexperienced in MMA. Tokoro also has excellent submissions plus some strong takedown defense. Hard one to call.
Take the up and comer?Darren Uyenoyama?via submission in round two.
Alistair Overeem (26-11) vs. Tae Hyun Lee (1-1): Tae Hyun has excellent wrestling skills and has been training hard, but Overeem is a killer on his feet and has been improving his staying power.
Overeem via TKO in round one.
Alavutdin Gadzhiev vs. Ralek Gracie (1-0): Gracie is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (like you didn't know that). Gadzhiev has won his last seven fights and has only once in his MMA career.
By the way, Gadzhiyev can hit, folks.
Gadzhiyev wins via TKO in round two.
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