Between the "spygate" and trash-talk of Rampage vs. Jones and the card-shuffling
drama of GSP vs. Condit later this month, people may have forgotten that UFC 136
hosts one of the most anticipated rematches in recent memory. In 2008, Gray
Maynard took a three-round unanimous decision from Frankie Edgar in the
semi-main of a UFC Fight Night in Bloomfield, Colorado. It was each man's fourth
fight since joining the UFC - Maynard coming off The Ultimate Fighter, Edgar as
a free agent.
Fast forward to 2011: That loss stands as the only blemish on Edgar's record. He
recovered to win three straight, then upset lightweight champion BJ Penn, who at
the moment seemed unbeatable by anyone not named Georges St. Pierre. Edgar's
hustle and heart earned him the belt on a unanimous (yet razor-thin) decision.
He'd win the rematch with relative ease. Maynard, meanwhile, went through a
litany of one-time lightweight contenders: Nate Diaz, Roger Huerta, Jim Miller,
Kenny Florian. He hasn't lost a fight in his career.
The two met on January 1 in what was considered a fight-of-the-year contender.
After nearly being knocked out in the first round, Edgar fought back to force a
draw, leaving their business unfinished. The rematch was scheduled as soon as
both men were healthy.
That not enough for you? Check out this commercial the UFC produced, one of their best in recent memory.
Elsewhere on the card, Kenny Florian fights in his FOURTH weight class since
joining the UFC, and controversial loudmouth Chael Sonnen returns to action for
the first time since his suspension for steroids in 2010.
Matt and Bruce agree on EVERY fight for the first time since doing these
predictions, so let's just get into the preview!
Lightweight Championship: Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Gray Maynard
This one is even tougher to call than their last meeting. Who has changed their
game since the last fight? We haven't seen either guy since so we don't
know if they've added to their skill set or decided to stick with what brought
them to the dance. Maynard still has the size and heavy hands and Edgar still
has the speed and cardio - he's fought for all fifteen rounds of his three title
fights. You could make a case for Maynard as Shogun Rua, who came up short on a
decision in his first fight against Lyoto Machida and then came back to finish
the rematch decisively. However, Edgar is the only one with experience in this
situation, since he won the belt from Penn in April 2010 and turned around to
dominate him in the immediate rematch four months later. He knows what Maynard
will bring and the layoff from January should have offered him plenty of time to
prepare a gameplan to neutralize "The Bully" and earn the revenge win.
Bruce says: Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision
Matt says: Frankie Edgar by split decision
Featherweight Championship: José Aldo (c) vs. Kenny Florian
Aldo has been unstoppable since he landed on everyone's radar, with his biggest
challenge coming this past April against Mark Hominick. That fight was Aldo's
debut, so some fans may not understand what the hype was all about, so this
defense against Florian should serve to remind them. "Ken-Flo" is a hard-working
fighter who has a bigger future as a commentator at this point. He spent three
years working his way into contender status and his record faltered against
tougher competition. He had no answer for B.J. Penn in his last title fight (in
August of 2009) and Aldo is the same kind of dynamic, speedy striker.
Bruce says: Jose Aldo by TKO in 2nd
Matt says: Jose Aldo by submission in 3rd
Middleweights: Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann
Stann turned the corner and became a Destroyer of Worlds recently, but don't get
too excited - all of his finishes have come against guys who are frequently
finished. He hasn't lost since dropping to middleweight, but his last loss was
to Phil Davis, a stronger guy with better wrestling skills. Well, Sonnen fits
that description as well, he just fights at middleweight. A year and change
after beating up Anderson Silva for 24 minutes in a 25-minute fight (and from
the post-fight steroid suspension), Sonnen returns to regain his momentum and
possibly set himself up for another fight with The Spider.
Bruce says: Chael Sonnen by submission in 3d
Matt says: Chael Sonnen by unanimous decision
Lightweights: Joe Lauzon vs. Melvin Guillard
Lauzon's days as a contender are behind him. Guillard's are still forthcoming.
Since joining Greg Jackson's camp, Guillard has been a buzzsaw, and Lauzon
doesn't fare as well against the more athletically gifted guys.
Bruce says: Melvin Guillard by KO in 2nd
Matt says: Melvin Guillard by TKO in 1st
Featherweights: Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan
Garcia won their first fight on paper, but Phan got a win bonus anyway since
even Dana White thought he got robbed. This one won't be as close. Pham doesn't
have the aggression to edge Garcia, so his only chance to to land some
disciplined counter-punches when Leonard starts throwing bombs.
Bruce says: Leonard Garcia by split decision, because Phan can't finish
Matt says: Leonard Garcia by KO in 2nd