Ennis' Take
ENNIS: 12 Predictions For UFC 142 "Aldo vs. Mendes" in Brazil
Jan 13, 2012 - 12:00:29 PM ENNIS: 12 Predictions For UFC 142 "Aldo vs. Mendes" in Brazil

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By: Shawn Ennis, MMATorch Senior Columnist

Let's try this again. My predictions didn't quite come true when I tried it for UFC 141. In fact, only one out of 14 was definitely realized, while you could make a case for one or two others. In the comments there was a guy who mocked my picks after the event, which is pretty easy. Maybe next time I'll do some post-event predictions and see how that turns out. In the meantime, here's what I'm thinking for UFC 142. Maybe I'll even get two right this time.

1.) Much to my dismay, Gabriel Gonzaga will not make a triumphant return to the UFC. He'll rely too much again on his striking when his best bet is to take the fight to the ground, and he'll be knocked out by his debuting opponent.

2.) Antonion Carvalho, after ten years as a pro, will lose his UFC debut to Felipe Arantes, who filled in for Carvalho as a late replacement at UFC 134. Carvalho will stick around for a bit and pick up a couple of wins after this fight.

3.) Yuri Alcantara will come out hot against Michihiro Omigawa and go for a first round stoppage, but he'll get tired after the round and end up squeaking out a decision win.

4.) Mike Pyle will submit Ricardo Funch in the first round and win Submission of the Night. Funch will have the worst hair on the card.

5.) Thiago Tavares, fresh off a TKO win over Spencer Fisher, will forget that he's not a striker and try to stand up with Sam Stout. Stout will catch Tavares clean and pick up his second TKO win since 2007. He'll get a shot at a big name lightweight in his next fight and lose.

6.) Edson Barboza will have his coming out party against an aggressive Terry Etim. It will start out as a slugfest before Barboza gets the best of the standup, leading to Etim getting stuffed on a takedown attempt and blasted into oblivion. Knockout of the Night.

7.) Etim will bounce back in his next fight, but Barboza will begin to go on a tear after this one.

8.) Erick Silva will put on a grappling clinic with Carlo Prater, in which the ten-year veteran Prater will take a contested split decision.

9.) Mike Massenzio will spend most of the two rounds that this fight will last in panic mode as he tries to escape from the insane Rousimar Palhares. He'll be as surprised as anyone when he tags Palhares late in the second round, only to have his knee ruined shortly thereafter when he follows the Brazilian to the mat.

10.) Anthony Johnson will come in confident against Vitor Belfort as he will dwarf "The Phenom" in size. It'll be a close one for the first two rounds, but Belfort will get the better of the matchup when he knocks Johnson out early in the third.

11.) Johnson will go on to have a successful run at middleweight after this fight, ultimately earning a title shot next year.

12.) Jose Aldo will never let Chad Mendes come anywhere close to winning their fight. Mendes will be frustrated by his inability to take Aldo down or even come close to doing so, and he'll get reckless. This will result in his being rendered unconscious by Aldo.