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PELKEY: Full UFC 113 Preview with Predictions and Bets
May 8, 2010 - 12:59:10 PM PELKEY: Full UFC 113 Preview with Predictions and Bets

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By: Matt Pelkey, MMATorch Columnist

Well its the day of, and I've taken every possible second to gain every possible advantage, so champions watch out! I'm coming for your belts. UFC 113 looks like a great card on paper, with a huge title rematch between two of the best light-heavyweights of all time, a welterweight title eliminator to determine not only who gets the next crack at Georges St. Pierre, but also who'll coach opposite him on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, not to mention three other main card bouts that should deliver various degrees of awesomeness. That's a lot to digest, so let's jump right in...


Jason MacDonald vs. John Salter

MacDonald gets another crack in the UFC, and, personally, I'm glad to see him back. The Athlete never puts on a boring fight, and he's usually reliable for an entertaining ground battle. I think he'll get it here from Salter, but unfortunately for MacDonald, I think Salter will be putting him on his back and pounding him for the duration. Glad to see him back, but he might be on his way back out quickly.

Prediction: Salter by TKO in round 2


T.J. Grant vs. Johny Hendricks

Too bad there's no prelim show for this event, because this would likely be the headliner providing the final hard-sell. We all know Hendricks has the wrestling credentials, but he seems to have already developed the wrestler's habit of using his wrestling in reverse to launch overhand rights and uppercuts until his opponent is unconscious. Its a sound strategy if you're landing, but if Grant can get inside Hendricks' punches, he may be able to force a scramble where he can wind up on top. That would be his best hope for victory here. I think the match-up is much closer than the betting line would indicate, and Grant is probably worth a flier bet, but this is Hendricks' fight to lose as he'll control where it takes place. Fingers crossed this makes the pay-per-view.

Prediction: Hendricks by TKO in round 2


Tim Hague vs. Joey Beltran

The UFC is trying to get Beltran out of their organization by feeding him to the biggest crappy heavyweight they can find. I'm just not so sure it'll work. Neither is particularly skilled, but Beltran is the better brawler and that's what this fight seems destined to turn into. He'll also likely have the better gas tank. That's plenty for me.

Prediction: Beltran by TKO in round 2 (a pattern seems to be developing)


Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Michael Guymon

What an odd fight. Both are guys who've been around for a while and after long careers in the minor leagues, they've found themselves in the UFC in the same role: provide highlight reel finishes at the hands of talented prospects/established contenders. Clearly, the loser will be leaving town, so to speak. I think Yoshida has more in the tank at this point and has a better offensive arsenal on the mat, where this fight will take place. It won't be particularly exciting, but Yoshida will eventually lock up a choke and earn himself one more fight in the Octagon.

Prediction: Yoshida by submission in round 2


Jonathon Goulet vs. Marcus Davis

Easiest fight of the night to call. Davis still provides valuable depth in the UFC welterweight division and Goulet...is good at getting knocked silly. I wish I could find prop bets on this fight to bet on it ending in less than three minutes. Davis knocks Goulet silly.

Prediction: Davis by TKO in round 1


Tom Lawlor vs. Joe Doerksen

It says a lot about Tom Lawlor's rapidly developing skills that I still look forward to seeing him fight even after his weigh-ins and fight entrances. He looked fantastic against Aaron Simpson until his gas light came on. I don't expect that to be a problem here, not only because I think he'll have addressed it in training, but mostly because I think he starches El Dirte within two rounds. Doerksen was a quality fighter once upon a time, but at this point he's not good enough to handle good wrestlers with surprisingly good hands. That's Lawlor, and this is his coming out party.

Prediction: Lawlor by (brutal) TKO in round 2


Alan Belcher vs. Patrick Cote

I love the idea of this fight, but I'm not sure it will be an especially good one. Cote returns to battle a fellow striker in what amounts to a game of Chutes and Ladders. The winner vaults up into near title contention in the always-thin middleweight division, while the loser becomes just another Kendall Grove. The style match-up seems to favor Cote, who likes to force his way inside and win ugly clinch battles, while Belcher prefers to sit outside and use his kick-boxing. The X-factor is Cote's layoff/ring rust. I think in a match-up this close, that will prove to be the difference. I think Belcher can go deep into the fight and be the fresher man in rounds two and three. That'll be enough here.

Prediction: Belcher by decision


Kevin Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione

I'm not sure why everyone seems to think its a foregone conclusion that Kimbo can just take this fight to the ground and school Mitrione. Kimbo couldn't school a four year old on the mat. He might get a takedown and control the action for a minute or so, but eventually this fight ends up back on the feet, and Mitrione has proven, even just in the very few fights we've seen from both, that he has the better chin. Eventually he puts Kimbo down with a combo and we can all go back to our previously scheduled lives.

Prediction: Mitrione by TKO in round 2


Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens

The second easiest fight of the night to call. Neither one will even attempt to get this fight to the ground, and if anyone does it'll be Stephens, and he won't be able to do it. So having established that this is basically a kick-boxing match, there's no way Stout loses. He's the best striker in the lightweight division and it'll be on full display here. Stephens may get through with a few power shots here and there, but Stout has a chin that rivals BJ Penn's. Stephens is a tough out too, but he'll be on the receiving end of a one-sided beating here.

Prediction: Stout by decision


Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley

Koscheck showed in the Anthony Johnson fight that he still knows where his bread is buttered. There's no doubt he'll try his stand-up against Daley, but eventually he'll figure out he needs to get it to the mat, because if not, the BEST-CASE scenario is a repeat of the Thiago Alves fight. I'll let you figure out the worst-case scenario. Luckily, with a title-shot and TUF coaching spot on the line, Koscheck will fight smart. This should be a carbon-copy of the Anthony Johnson fight except Koscheck will find far less resistance when he finally decides to shoot.

Prediction: Koscheck by submission in round 2


Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua

The first fight was close, tense, and technically beautiful. I don't expect the same here. Rua fought as well as he could in the first fight and still found himself with a new notch in the loss column. I'm excited to see Machida actually have to make adjustments and *gasp* turn up the aggressiveness. I'm also excited to see if we get to see some mat action from these two grossly underrated grapplers. Regardless, I see Machida's hands winning this fight, even if Rua doesn't give him much to counter. The Machida era gets a restart after a minor hiccup.

Prediction: Machida by TKO in round 3


Fake Money:

$400 on Mitrione
$300 on Salter
$200 on Beltran
$100 on Grant