The Octagon is back in England on Saturday for UFC 120, a card that's heavy on British fighters and that's sort of like an hors d'oeuvre before the feast that is UFC 121 a week later.What: UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama
Where: 02 Arena, London
When: The main card starts at 8 p.m. in London (3 p.m. ET) and will be shown on tape delay on Spike starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Predictions on the five televised fights below.
Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
It's a battle between the most important fighter to the UFC's plans in Europe and the most important fighter to the UFC's plans in Asia. After a fight in Australia and one in Las Vegas this year, Bisping is back in his familiar spot headlining an England card, and I expect him to control Akiyama for 15 minutes and win a fairly one-sided decision.
Pick: Bisping
John Hathaway vs. Mike Pyle
I consider this the most significant fight of the card because it's such a big opportunity for Hathaway. Coming off a unanimous decision victory over Diego Sanchez, Hathaway is 14-0. If he beats Pyle in front of the British fans, he could begin the process of shoving Bisping aside and becoming the No. 1 Brit in MMA. I like him to do just that, and I think the sky's the limit for Hathaway's future.
Pick: Hathaway
Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit
Hardy is trying to bounce back from his loss to Georges St. Pierre in March, and he's doing it against a tough opponent in Condit, who has won 10 of his last 11 fights, with the only loss coming by split decision to Martin Kampmann. Hardy's ground game is a little suspect, and it's easy to see a scenario in which Condit takes him down and submits him, but I like Hardy to come out swinging and win an action-packed decision.
Pick: Hardy
James Wilks vs. Claude Patrick
Wilks is a former Ultimate Fighter winner whom the UFC would love to promote as an up-and-coming English star, but I don't think the 32-year-old Wilks has a very promising future. I look for Patrick, who's 12-1 with nine wins by submission and three by TKO, to finish Wilks on the ground.
Pick: Patrick
Cheick Kongo vs. Travis Browne
This should be a lot of fun. The 10-0 Browne is a fierce striker who has knocked out most of his opponents, while the muscular Kongo knows how to throw a punch himself. I look for Kongo -- who's a lot better than anyone Browne has ever faced before -- to ground and pound Browne into a TKO win.
Pick: Kongo
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