UATV Online

It may be off time for UATV on line, but we’re still coming at you with all of our prediction know how! Our egos are pretty big after being awarded with a prestigious National Broadcast Society Sports Program Award. Without further stroking of them here’s our award winning analysis and UFC 141 predictions (couldn’t resist :^D)

Bernard- The Five Star General

Nam Phan vs Jim Hettes Jim “The Kid” Hettes is looking to stay undefeated as he takes on TUF 12 favorite Nam Phan. Phan, who teaches BJJ, boxing and  a Muay Thai at his Ma Du Academy, has much in his arsenal to use versus the submission happy Hettes. He’ll have his work cut out for him as his career has been…spotty, though he has dealt revenge in a controversial win over Garcia in their second meeting Phan needs to keep this fight on the feet and use all his styles (Karate, Boxing, Muay Thai, and his Quyen Do) to counter Hettes amazing ground and submission game. As a matter of fact Hettes has submitted every opponent thus far in his professional career including Alex Caceres in his UFC debut, the majority of those were pretty early in the first round. You know what that tells me? He figures out his opponents fast and he puts them away.  I hate to go against my strikers but Hettes sure does make a case for himself, Phan has a black belt in BJJ and has never been submitted….oh the humanity! Prediction: Phan Round 2 TKO

Manvel Gamburyan vs Diego Nunes I’m choosing to pick this fight over the Matyushenko/Gustafsson fight because I feel like the fuel behind this one makes it a better fight. Gamburyan feels he was disrespected by Nunes at an autograph signing after Nunes signed over his face on a poster and it is believed that this was done because Gamburyan was facing his teammate Jose Aldo. The Anvil has gone on record as saying he wants to smash Nunes in their bout Friday. He may just do that, Gamburyan is not known as the Anvil for nothing, he has KO power in both hands though most of his wins come via submission and that was before training with the Diaz camp guys. As for Nunes, he doesn’t have a star studded resume but he’s never been submitted or KO’d, and trains with Nova União camp in Brazil so don’t look for him to be a slouch standing or on the ground. It’ll be interesting to see where these fighters take this fight after the starting bell.
Prediction: Gamburyan Round 2 submission

Jon Fitch vs Johny Hendricks
I get really tired of reading articles about Fitch and his lack of excitement. I was thoroughly excited by his bout with BJ Penn. Mayber it wasn’t the greatest match ever but we all get spoiled in the sport of MMA with all these explosive crane kick KO’s and high flying kicks and superman punches. Thing is every fight is not going to end that way. Fitch and Hendricks are going to put on a magnificent show. Two HIGH level wrestlers going at it could end in someone screaming in pain or it could go to the cards. Fitch is a proven verteran in the UFC who struggles to jump over that hump to get him a title. Hendricks is a two time NCAA Division I champion under the Oklahoma State moniker, and has one blemish on his other wise spotless record falling to Rick Story by decision. Both fighters will jump my rankings with a win and inch themselves ever so close to a title shot. I believe Fitch and Penn  should rematch before that should he win. As for Hendricks if he wins no one can deny that he may have a chance. Who he’ll face by then is up in the air for now. This will be a grueling fight for both guys but I have to lean with Fitch if it goes the distance. Both have pretty good hands but I would lean more toward Hendricks in the stand up game.
Prediction: Fitch by decision

Nate Diaz vs Donald Cerrone
Fight of the Night hands down. Cowboy Cerrone absolutely embarrassed a very capable Dennis Siver in his last bout. He never ceases to amaze me when he’s in the Octagon. He has so many weapons at his disposal and he’s just got that Clark Kent look to him. Ladies swoon over him, men want to be him. Sounds like an Old spice commercial huh? Then you have one of my favorite fighters in Nate Diaz. The perfect cerebral Braniac villain to Cerrone. He may not act like he has the intellect of his comic book counterpart but hey look how pissed he’s made Cerrone so far. From the legend of their first meeting to knocking his hat off during the staredown he’s all up under Cerrone’s skin. Thing is do you want to fight a pissed off rhino or a sleeping one? Either way you’ll probably end up gored and bleeding out. I really like the Diaz brothers and if this was Nick I would take him…but when I want to pick him I think back to Rory McDonald…and I have to go man Cerrone would lay him out. For the first time in my life I will pick against a Diaz brother and it’ll probably bite me in the keister. He can’t KO Diaz and submitting him is a bit far fetched but possible. Gotta go with the decision here. In the words of Terrell Owens “Get your popcorn”
Prediction: Cerrone by Decision

Brock Lesnar vs Alistair Overeem
Two behemoths finally meet!!! I’m absolutely beside myself with excitement! Mainly because I want Brock to show people he is an elite MMA fighter. His chin may be made of sand sometimes but have you ever punched sand before? Sure it disperses and you make a dent but eventually you’ll break your hand. Overeem is a bully in the ring and has been since his dramatic change in size. Yes he’s a kickboxing fiend and has had some pretty nasty KO’s but on the ground? Yeah I’ll take Brock Lesnar. On the feet Overeem won’t bully Lesnar he can KO him but will Brock be the same Brock we saw vs Cain? Probably not, once Overeem is gassed it’s game over. I agree with Brett on this one.
Prediction: Lesnar by Round 2 Submission 

Brett Rorie – The Charismatic Youngblood

Nam Phan vs. Jimmy Hettes
In this featherweight bout both of these fighters are trying to pick up their second win in a row in the octagon. Hettes is a real blue-chip prospect who looked impressive in his submission win over Alex Caceres. Hettes is 9-0 in his professional MMA career with all nine coming by submission, all by the second round. Pham has looked really good against anyone named Leonard Garcia, but against anyone else he looks to be a below average fighter. Pham by far will be Hettes’s biggest challenge of his young MMA career. Expect Pham to want this fight to stay standing, while Hettes will use his judo and jiu-jitsu background to win. Prediction:  Hettes via, submission 3rd round

Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Gustafsson is a solid top ten Light heavyweight right now, but he will have to get past the super experienced and always tough Matuyshenko. It is very hard though to see “The Janitor” to have any kind of chance in this fight. Go back to Gustafsson’s last fight against Matt Hamill, and you will see that against a good wrestler with no striking that Gustafsson will have this fight. The only way that I see Matyushenko winning is by a quick knockout. (Much like the Brilz fight) Prediction: Gustafsson via, 2nd round TKO

Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks
This fight has every possibility to be a Fight Of the Night candidate. People say that Fitch is boring, but I have to disagree. To watch shut down someone by outclassing them on the ground is just as exciting as watching Anderson Silva shutdown someone standing. This fight will be interesting though, because Hendricks is one of greatest amateur wrestlers to ever enter the UFC.  Expect this fight to stay standing, and we will see that Fitch has tremendous boxing as well.
Prediction: Fitch via, Unanimous Decision

Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone
Can you say “War” because this is what I imagine when I think about this fight. Cerrone is on such a role right now that it seems that he is almost unbeatable. If you look at Nate’s record you would never guess the talent that Nate has. This will be Cerrone’s biggest test in his UFC career, due to Diaz’s great well-rounded skills. Expect this fight to stay on the feet, because “The Cowboy” has never liked it when a fight hits the mat, and Diaz always likes to keep it standing. The key is that Nate needs to avoid the devastating kicks of Cerrone, and use his great boxing to keep the distance.
Prediction: Cerrone via, 2nd round TKO

Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem
This fight may be scheduled for five rounds, but there is no way this fight will last the scheduled five.  This fight will determine Junior Dos Santos’s next challenger for the Heavyweight title. Alistair if you have never seen him before has the most devastating Kickboxing in the UFC with multiple K-1 titles, along with even winning some jiu-jitsu competitions. However, conditioning has always been his downfall. For example, Overeem back when he was a Light-Heavyweigt in Pride was beating then unbeatable Chuck Liddell on his feet until he tired out, and was knocked out. It will be interesting to see what Lesnar’s strategy will be in this fight against a great striker. I expect Lesnar to only try to wrestle in this fight, and try to win by ground and pound. The main key in this fight comes down to how good is Overeem’s takedown defense, and if it is up to par can Lesnar have any success standing up.
Prediction:   Lesnar via, 3rd round TKO