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The fights at UFC 121 haven't been confirmed officially by the UFC, but they've all been reportedly finalized. If the card comes off as planned, it'll be the biggest show of 2010 without question. I would even go so far as to say that UFC 121 has a chance to unseat UFC 100 as the biggest pay-per-view in UFC history.
One man is the main reason why this could be true: Brock Lesnar. He is scheduled to fight Cain Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight Title at UFC 121. That alone will push the PPV buys up over a million. Brock is a big time draw, and he'll be fighting another undefeated challenger in Velasquez. You could put Lesnar vs. Velasquez with the worst 8 fights in MMA history and still draw 1 million buys. However, the other fights that are heavily rumored to fill out the UFC 121 card should provide some intrigue and interest.
Tito Ortiz will make his UFC return as he fights former protege Matt Hamill. Tito isn't what he once was, and Hamill isn't an elite fighter, but this bout is interesting given the history between the two men. Matt Hamill was on The Ultimate Fighter 3, where Tito Ortiz was his coach. Tito saw a lot of himself in Hamill, and they forged a friendship. Hamill joined Team Punishment, Tito's camp, for a time after TUF 3 ended and the two have grown even closer over the years.
Jake Shields will make his UFC debut when he fights Martin Kampmann. Shields has won 14 fights in a row, but Kampmann will provide a stiff challenge. Kampmann has won four of his last five fights, with that loss coming to Paul Daley after Kampmann ignored the scouting report and decided to stand with the superior striker. Kampmann won't have to worry about that in this fight, as Jake's striking could be considered average at best. Another intriguing aspect of this match is that the winner of this fight will likely face the winner of the Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck fight for the UFC Welterweight Title.
Diego Sanchez will try to right the ship after suffering defeat in his last two fights. The Nightmare will be facing Paulo Thiago, who himself will be looking to get back on track after losing to Martin Kampmann at UFC 115. Diego was the original The Ultimate Fighter winner and was once considered a surefire champion in the making. Diego has a history of having exciting fights and, with his back against the wall, I would expect him to come out with guns blazing. Thiago will be a tough fight for Diego, as both men seem to be evenly matched. Also scheduled to fight at UFC 121 are The Ultimate Fighter 11 winner Court McGee, Gabriel Gonzaga, and The Ultimate Fighter 10 runner-up (and winner of his last two fights by TKO in a combined 1:54) Brendan Schaub.
UFC 121 should be a great night of fights. The combination of Brock Lesnar fighting, Jake Shields making his debut, as well as the other fighters I mentioned could make UFC 121 the biggest event in UFC history. It's definitely going to be the biggest event of 2010.
Tony Ford- "Frank, let's talk for a minute on Randy Couture vs James Toney. You made the statement that Toney can't cut it in boxing or mma anymore. Well, looking at his boxing record he has won his last 2 fights. He has yet to fight in mma so you don't really know how he will do. On the subject of fighters past their prime, I give you Grandpa Couture. This guy is the Brett Favre of MMA and hopefully after he gets a taste of James Toney's " 4oz cocktail" maybe we can get on to more important things in the division. James Toney is going to KO Couture in the first round and that's not smack, it's the truth."
Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com
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