UFC 92 The Ultimate Fight Card Free Picks

This is his third fight in the UFC. Dollaway lost his Octagon debut, however, he bounced back in the more recent outing with a first-round submission (choke) win versus Jesse Taylor on July, 19. Mike Massenzio owns an 11-2 MMA mark and is a well rounded fighter, appearing in his second UFC contest. In his first trip to the Octagon on September, 17, he earned a Round 1 victory over Drew McFedries by way of submission (arm lock) in less than 90 seconds.

Massenzio is a solid wrestler with good takedowns and he has won six of his matches via submission. With this fight probably taking place primarily on the ground, Massenzio's submission skills and modest online sports betting value makes him a solid investment.
Free UFC Picks: Massenzio +135

Quinton Jackson (-110) vs. Wanderlei Silva (-130)

Jackson hopes he can exact revenge after suffering two crushing defeats to Silva several years ago while competing under the PRIDE banner in what will be a war involving combatants that have legitimate hatred toward each other. This could be the most violent battle of the night, maybe the year.

In the first two fights, Silva's devastating knees and kicks were the difference, resulting in stoppages by the man in charge in both bouts. Since the most recent meeting between the two, which was on Oct. 31, 2004, in Saitama, Japan, Silva is just 5-5 and has split his last two UFC bouts. He lost by unanimous decision to Liddell at UFC 79, but bounced back in his most recent performance to knock out Keith Jardine in 36 seconds of Round 1 at UFC 84 to create an overall MMA record of 32-8-1. Jackson joined the UFC at the start of 2007 and in May of the same year won the light heavyweight belt by knocking out Liddell at UFC 71.

He successfully defended it against Dan Henderson in a PRIDE versus UFC showdown before surrendering it to Griffin at UFC 86. Overall, Jackson is 28-7-0 in MMA competition. The first two fights clearly indicated Silva's strikes and knees were far superior. Don't expect Jackson to again keep Saturday's fight standing, allowing distance between himself and Silva, which would offer the Brazilian the chance to strike and win Silva-Jackson III. Look for Jackson to utilize his world-class wrestling talent, raw strength and to keep this fight on the mat to lead to a late ground-and-pound victory to prevent the sweep.
Free UFC Picks: Jackson -110

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (-350) vs. Frank Mir (+225)

Interim title holder Nogueira will make his way to the Octagon against Mir with heavy favoritism and stakes in tow. Nogueira will not only lay his interim UFC belt on the line, he'll also battle Mir for a shot at the reigning UFC heavyweight champion Lesnar in a bout to unify titles in the first half of 2009.

But he must first get past Mir, who will be looking to strip Nogueira of his interim belt to be the man wearing it when stepping into the battle zone versus Lesnar in the heavyweight championship unification bout. The former PRIDE veteran champion Nogueira has an impressive 31-4-1 MMA record compiled with incredible stamina, great jiu-jitsu and boxing skills.

At UFC 81, he took the interim UFC belt from the much larger Tim Sylvia with a third-round submission (choke). Nogueira was undersized by 5'' and 23 pounds against Sylvia. But on Saturday, there will be no size factor involved with both guys standing at 6'3'' and weighing 240 pounds. Mir, former UFC heavyweight champion, has already beaten Lesnar once in his most recent outing at UFC 81 with an impressive first-round submission (leg lock), and would love the opportunity to once again down the brash former WWE star turned UFC heavyweight champion.

On paper, it is hard to see Mir pulling the upset over Nogueira. Both fighters are known for sensational jiu-jitsu artistry, though, Nogueira's jiu-jitsu is stronger. Mir's best shot at barking as the dog is landing a fight ending leg kick to the head of the champion. But don't bank on that to happen, because Nogueira should be able to showcase rather easy takedowns. His strength will wear Mir down, who has much lesser cardio that may be a huge factor in a five-round bout. Too much holiday Nog isn't so bad after all if you bet on UFC action.
Free UFC Picks: Nogueira -350

Forrest Griffin (-130) vs. Rashad Evans (-110)

When Griffin (Season 1 TUF winner) meets Evans (Season 1 TUF winner), not only will the light heavyweight crown be on the line, we'll also find out who's the greatest champion to ever come out of TUF. It’s the first time ever two former TUF contestants will vie for a world title.

Griffin has won three in a row, including a submission victory against former PRIDE champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and a stirring decision win over Jackson. Evans, who's known for his wrestling strengths, is starting to put together an impressive highlight reel with knockout wins over Jason Lambert, Sean Salmon and most recently UFC legend Liddell. As odds solidify, bother fighters are very comparable in talent. Both guys have good standup and ground skills, making this one intriguing to predict. The champion would like to keep the fight standing to bang.

If Evans decides to throw with Griffin one man will be put to bed, possibly with one punch and there's no betting edge with that. However, here's where the money-making edge sits. The challenger's excellent takedowns and takedown defense is key and could be the deciding factor, because Evans can more easily dictate where he wants the fight takes place, standing or on the mat. And for that reason I'm giving him an edge, albeit, slight.
Free UFC Picks: Evans -110

Preliminary card:

Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister (middleweights) Antoni Hardonk vs. Mike Wessel (heavyweights) Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy (light-heavyweights) Ryo Chonan vs. Brad Blackburn (welterweights) Dan Evensen vs. Pat Barry (heavyweights)