The last major MMA PPV event of the year, UFC 155, is scheduled for this Saturday, December 29th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
UFC 155: Dos Santos vs. Velasquez II features a heavyweight championship main event as Cain Velasquez seeks revenge from the one minute knockout current champion Junior dos Santos put on him at the original UFC on FOX event little over a year ago in November 2011.
Looking to end the year on a high note, UFC 155 also features some more exciting matchups in the supporting card with some of the lighter competitors from middleweight down getting their time in the spotlight – including perennial Fight of the Night winner Joe Lauzon taking on Jim Miller in the co-main event of the evening.
Here’s the quick card below before our comprehensive analysis and predictions of the entire card.
UFC 155 – Quick Card
265 lbs.: Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Cain Velasquez [TITLE FIGHT]
155 lbs.: Joe Lauzon vs. Jim Miller
185 lbs.: Tim Boetsch vs. Costa Philippou
185 lbs.: Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher
185 lbs.: Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson
Preliminary Card (FX)
135 lbs.: Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland
135 lbs.: Erik Perez vs. Byron Bloodworth
155 lbs.: Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner
155 lbs.: Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
265 lbs.: Phil De Fries vs. Todd Duffee
145 lbs.: Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway
125 lbs.: Chris Cariaso vs. John Moraga
UFC 155 Main Card Preview and Predictions
265 lbs.: Junior dos Santos (15-1) vs. Cain Velasquez (10-1)
It’s hard to discount Cain Velasquez against anybody in the world. A dominating wrestler with powerful punches to back up his primary skillset, Cain can and has beaten a who’s who of UFC heavyweights in his time including Antonio Silva, Brock Lesnar, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira but even with all that said, styles can sometimes make fights and the champion is a horrible matchup for him. Not only is “Cigano” undefeated in the UFC but he’s also beaten his fair share of greats, including Frank Mir, Fabricio Werdum, and Roy Nelson in addition to Velasquez himself. Their first fight didn’t even last too long with JDS flooring Cain with punches within a minute of their bout. As evident by his performances against other greaat grappler/wrestlers, JDS has excellent takedown defense and straight up punishes his opponents for even trying. Cain may have better perspective from the first time out but it’s hard seeing this one going any other way than most of his fights have gone in the past.
Prediction: Junior dos Santos over Cain Velasquez by TKO, RD1
155 lbs.: Joe Lauzon (22-7) vs. Jim Miller (22-7)
This will be an interesting fight if for nothing more than both these guys tend to fight the style of fight that always lends to excitement for the fans. Aside from some losses to some cream of the crop fighters at 155 (N. Diaz, B. Henderson, F. Edgar and G. Maynard), Jim Miller has beaten the best of the rest while still looking to get over the hump to the top level. It’s been the same with Joe Lauzon to a large degree for much of his career and even though he’s not up at the top, one look at his record will show that he’s nothing if not a finisher. (only one fight out of 29 has gone to a decision)
So here we are, with Lauzon who likes to finish fights and Miller who is nearly impossible to finish minus his last fight against Diaz. The easy prediction is that one or both men will garner a bonus (FOTN or SOTN) in this matchup. Harder to pick is who will win. Miller is more imposing physically but Joe is slick on the ground. As a wrestler, Miller will probably be apt to take it there at some point and that might prove to be his downfall.
Prediction: Joe Lauzon over Jim Miller by submission, RD2
185 lbs.: Tim Boetsch (16-4) vs. Constantinos Philippou (11-2)
This is a battle between Constantinos Philippou and Tim Boetsch is of two mid-tier middelweights with 4-fight win streaks looking to move up the ladder of contention. Boetsch in particular merits notice because he’s notched wins over Hector Lombard, Yushin Okami, Nick Ring, and Kendall Grove in his last four. Philippou doesn’t have those types of names on his resume yet but a win over “The Barbarian” will trend him in the right direction.
Looking at their styles, Philippou definitely seems like the more technical of the two will Boestsch tends to combat his opponents a little lower in the trenches, mixing in time in the clinch and on the ground to exhaust and break his opponents. That should be enough here though it may not exactly be the most exciting performance.
Prediction: Tim Boetsch over Constantinos Philippou by unanimous decision.
185 lbs.: Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher
This is a relatively intriguing fight between two top-give middleweight contenders in Yushin Okami and Alan Belcher. Curiously enough, this will actually be a rematch of both of their UFC debuts from way back in August 2006 at UFC 62 – a bout won via decision by Okami. How much has changed between now and then? Conventional wisdom says a lot but who has improved more? We’ll see come Saturday.
Both these guys are fairly adept if unspectacular strikers with Okami working behind a good hab and Belcher displaying a more well-rounded kickboxing game as of late. Okami is great at controlling the grappling game from the clinch and has decent top control while Belcher outgrappled and nearly Twister’d Rousimar Palhares in his last fight. (need we say more?) It should be another close one but with 4 wins in a row to his opponent’s 1-2, it’s “The Talent” that’s surging ahead for what should be a win.
Prediction: Alan Belcher over Yushin Okami by unanimous decision.
185 lbs.: Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson
“The Crippler” is BACK after a one-year hiatus due to his drug (PED) suspension. Aside from that, his last fight didn’t look so pretty with a second round TKO against Mark Munoz in his last bout. In fact, the original “TUF bad boy” has actually lost 2 out of his 3 with his lone win coming over an aging Wanderlei Silva back in July 2011. Are his best days behind him? That remains to be seen and he’ll no doubt be looking to create a resurgence in this one against Jackson’s MMA product Derek Brunson, an incoming Strikeforce fighter that will be looking to make his name of his more well-known opponent.
We look for Brunson to try for the takedown and work from the ground on his path to victory but Leben’s heard that story many times before in his veteran career and always seems to have a huge swinging answer for the takedown. Even if he is on the downside of his career at 32 years of age, they still say power is the last thing to go and we’re looking for that magic at least one more time.
Prediction: Chris Leben over Drek Brunson by TKO, RD2
UFC 155 Undercard Quick Picks (Winners in Bold)
135 lbs.: Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland
135 lbs.: Erik Perez vs. Byron Bloodworth
155 lbs.: Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner
155 lbs.: Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury
265 lbs.: Phil De Fries vs. Todd Duffee
145 lbs.: Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway
125 lbs.: Chris Cariaso vs. John Moraga