...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Dan Moore, MMATorch UK Contributor
Gone are the days when British based UFC cards were numbered events that would air delayed in the USA. Since the beginning of the FOX deal last year; every Europe based event has been shown live on FUEL TV in the States. By all accounts the early Saturday events have proved to be a big - and ever growing - success. Much of that has been down to the excellent fights usually on offer.
Yes the names on most of these cards might not be classed as elite, at least not at the time they fight, but for the most part; every fighter has turned up and performed. If this is what we can come to expect over the next few years; I'll happily pay my money and enjoy a great night out. Once again the UFC have come up trumps. A title fight, a superb co main event and a card littered with British talent should make for a highly entertaining evening in London.
I'll be at Wembley Arena this Saturday, covering the event for Torch. Be sure to follow @MMATorch for round by round updates from yours truly, throughout the evening.
Renan Barao vs. Michael McDonald (Bantamweight Championship)
First and foremost, the UK getting a UFC title fight on a FUEL TV card is fantastic to see. Equally great to see is that Renan Barao has finally decided (been told) to defend the Interim Championship he won with victory over Urijah Faber last July. Having defeated Cole Escovedo, Brad Pickett, and Scott Jorgensen on route to his title opportunity, Barao has generally looked very impressive thus far.
McDonald has been equally impressive since making his UFC debut against Edwin Figueroa back in early 2011. That fight alone was superb and won FOTN honours. A split decision victory over a tough Chris Cariaso came soon after. What really elevated McDonald as a stand out talent was his destruction of former WEC champion Miguel Torres. Although Torres was past his prime when they fought; McDonald took care of him like a fighter at the peak of his powers and not someone who was only 21 at the time.
McDonald is fast, has great stand up with excellent movement, and is a well rounded fighter who can hold his own face to face with Barao. However, at only 22, maybe this opportunity has come a little too quickly for him. Barao is powerful, quick and extremely well rounded. He's also better on the ground. Barao is capable of ending a fight any way, at any time. For that reason I have to favor the Brazilian to retain his title via submission. An area where we have yet to see McDonald really tested in the UFC.
Prediction: Barao via submission in the third round
Cub Swanson vs. Dustin Poirier (Featherweight)
If I had to pick one fight that I was looking forward to the most this weekend, it's this one. Swanson vs. Siver was itself an excellent original fight, but this one has the potential to easily eclipse it. Swanson has been on an absolute tear recently. Three wins in 2012, over George Roop, Ross Pearson, and Charles Oliveira have catapulted Swanson into the title mix.
His power and explosiveness have been evident recently and with Greg Jackson in his corner, he'll be fully prepared for anything Poirier has to offer. However, Poirier is an exceptional opponent who even in defeat to Chan Sung Jung last year still looked fantastic. Despite the great potential, unlike his last fight with Jonathan Brookins, one thing Poirier can't afford to do is stand in front of Swanson and exchange punches for too long. He will inevitably come off second best.
Poirier's best chance of victory is on the ground and if he's tactically astute on the night, he's got a great chance of pulling off a submission victory. Whilst Swanson has a very impressive stand up game who could end the fight at any moment, I still back Poirier to get the win here. He's had more than enough time to prepare for this fight as a replacement and I expect him to earn the upset victory.
Prediction: Poirier via submission in the third round
Jimi Manuwa vs. Cyrille Diabate (Light Heavyweight)
The most highly anticipated debut at UFC on FUEL 5 came via Londoner Jimi Manuwa and he certainly didn't disappoint the fans in attendance. His superb win over UFC veteran Kyle Kingsbury was brutal to watch at times and a Doctor correctly stopped the fight at the end of round two. Manuwa landed so many accurate punches and leg kicks during those 10 minutes; that even Fight Metric were probably struggling to keep up.
That win, earned with such dominance, only increases expectation on him to win this fight easily. Fighting in his hometown on such a big stage too, makes this the biggest fight of his life. His opponent won't make things easy for him though. Experienced Frenchman Cyrille Diabate has had six UFC fights, winning four of them. One of those two defeats came courtesy of Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 120. A solid record that should not be underestimated.
Diabate will be a far tougher test than Kingsbury, but one that Manuwa is more than capable of overcoming. One slightly concerning aspect of Manuwa's debut though, was the fact he didn't finish the fight earlier, despite the constant heavy shots. His cardio hasn't really been tested either; because none of his fights have gone to a third round.
Diabate is a tricky customer who might be wise to take this fight to the ground. Unfortunately for him I don't think he gets the chance and Manuwa wins with a quick TKO finish.
Prediction: Manuwa via TKO in the first round
Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago (Welterweight)
Nelson was extremely impressive on his UFC debut last September; comfortably taking out DaMarques Johnson. Nelson's debut was highly anticipated by the crowd in Nottingham last year. Many of those in attendance had seen him perform for BAMMA and Cage Contenders. That hype turned out to be justified and he made light work of the former TUF finalist with a clinical first round submission win.
Jorge Santiago has had a very successful MMA career outside of the UFC. However, much like Josh Grispi on the undercard, he can't seem to buy a win in the big leagues. This is his third run with the organisation and since a debut win over Justin Levens back in 2006; he's lost to Chris Leben, Alan Belcher, Brian Stann and Demian Maia. nothing to be ashamed of, but losses to the last two in 2011, saw him surprisingly released. Accepting this fight as a replacement for Justin Edwards, could possibly be his last chance to leave a mark.
Nelson is superb on the ground but hasn't yet been truly tested standing opposite an effective striker. Santiago has made his name at middleweight and it'll be interesting to see if he retains his power with the move down to welterweight. If he does, Nelson is in for a really tough test. Still, I expect the Icelandic native will be too quick for Santiago and it shouldn't take long for Nelson to get another impressive win.
Prediction: Nelson via submission in the second round.
James Te-Huna vs. Ryan Jimmo (Light Heavyweight)
Of all the fights on this card; this is probably the most difficult to predict a winner. It will literally come down to who lands the first effective punch. Both hit brutally hard and as expected, if it turns into a stand up war, then someone is inevitably going to hit the canvass with a concussion.
Difference between the two largely comes down to experience. Te-Huna is 4-1 in his UFC career with his sole defeat coming from Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 127, two years ago. Since that loss he has made light work of both Ricardo Romero and Aaron Rosa; and won via decision against Joey Beltran. He knocked down The Mexicutioner early on, and despite suffering injuries mid fight, he dominated.
Canadian Jimmo won his UFC debut in record equalling fashion; knocking out Anthony Perosh in 7 seconds. It's hard to determine whether that was a one off fluke or a sign of things to come. Despite the experience factor, it's tough to back against someone who won their debut fight in such impressive fashion.
Prediction: Jimmo via KO in the first round
Che Mills vs. Matthew Riddle (Welterweight)
This fight might all depend on the tactical approach of Matthew Riddle. Does he take the sensible approach and utilize his superior wrestling ability, or does he stand and trade with Che Mills until someone gets knocked out? If I were Riddle I'd go for the former; but I have a sneeky suspicion that he'll choose the latter and end up getting knocked out.
It's common knowledge that Riddle isn't exactly a fan favorite in the UK. It's more of a light hearted rivalry, but because of it, I'm convinced Riddle will feel compelled to put on a show. In doing that he leaves himself wide open to Mills who has a very impressive arsenal of punches and leg kicks. What Mills does lack, is the ability to fend off constant pressure from a competent wrestler.
If Riddle takes the sensible approach to this fight; he'll grind out a one sided decision victory courtesy of three rounds laying on Mills. As mentioned before though, I think Riddle will come with a point to prove in front of the so called unwashed British public. Much to the delight of the partizan home crowd; Mills will make light work of Riddle and take home a decisive win.
Prediction: Mills via TKO in the second round
Feel free to follow me @MMATorchDan and if you're attending this weekend, enjoy yourself.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
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