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By Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor There's a WEC card this Sunday. That's probably news to many people as I personally haven't heard or seen much said about this event. That's a shame, because this card is actually pretty good. 5 matches are slated to be shown, with highlights of the other 5 possibly being shown if time permits. Join me as I either prove myself to be a true fortune-teller or a fraud like Nostradamus. And for the record, I make no claims about the accuracy of these predictions. So keep that in mind before placing any bets, Donaghy.
The first scheduled match to be shown is a 145 lb. fight between Micah Miller and Josh Grispi. My initial impressions are that Grispi should get the submission victory midway through the 2nd round. I think Grispi should have the advantage standing up, so Micah will look to take it to the ground. I'm thinking a triangle finishes it.
Next up is a battle at 135 lb. between Brian Bowles and Damacio Page. I got to give this one to Bowles. There's just something about his striking ability I like. I would expect Page to have a good showing but I think Bowles will work the jab to keep Damacio at bay. I think the ending comes with a power uppercut or possibly a knee in the 1st round.
A lightweight title fight is up next, with Jamie Varner defending against Marcus Hicks. I'm tempted to say this makes it to a decision but ultimately I have to give it to Hicks. A guy's a fire hydrant and I don't think Varner is going to be able to beat him standing. My prediction would be a guillotine choke victory by Hicks in the 4th. Marcus Hicks is listed as 5'6" but he looks like he's about 5'3" and he's very unorthodox. He's like Wolverine and he's proven he's someone to be taken seriously.
Brian Stann defends his light heavyweight belt against Steve Cantwell in the next fight. Stann hasn't had a fight go past the 1st round yet and I don't think that changes here. Stann is on that Mike Tyson run. He's very green when it comes to true boxing but his power overcomes that. Once he gets in there with a skilled counter-puncher it's all over and he'll be defeated. Stann is a tornado, and if someone can withstand that initial flurry they can beat him. I don't think Steve Cantwell is the guy who's going to stop Stann. Look for a TKO within the first 2 minutes. The best strategy for Cantwell to employ would be to unleash a torrent of kicks to Stann's left leg and try to weaken his punching power. He should also utilize head movements and circle-strafe towards Stann's left side so he can keep his hands up to try to block any power punches. Stann's conditioning looks excellent but even the best cardio-freak tires if he throws enough punches. Having said all this, however, I still believe Brian Stann gets the TKO early.
Carlos Condit looks to make his 3rd successful title defense against Hiromitsu Miura in the main event. Condit will have a decided reach advantage but Miura is a powerful puncher so Carlos may look to take it to the ground. There's little doubt that Condit is the better groundfighter but Miura is no bum and will submit Carlos if he gets an opening. I think this fight goes to the decision as Miura pushes the action while Condit waits for the right opportunity. My prediction is that Carlos wins a very close decision after attempting several submissions and controlling the fight on the ground.
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