At UFC 160, the big boys of the UFC will put on a show for the fans. Cain Velasquez will defend the UFC’s heavyweight title for the first time since reclaiming it from JDS against Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva, while junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt will fight for the number one contender spot in the heavyweight division.

Here are my predictions for the entire UFC 160 fight card set for May 25, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada:-

Cain Velasquez versus Antonio Silva

Vuelasquez (11-1-0, 9 KOs) ran right through “Bigfoot” during their UFC 146 encounter, turning the Brazilian behemoth into a bloody mess. Silva (18-4-0, 13 KOs) is coming off a knockout victory against former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, but he didn’t look that good during the fight. Overeem dominated the first two rounds of their UFC 156 encounter, and the Dutchman would have easily won a decision if he didn’t get caught during the third. What stood out the most to me during that fight was how easily Overeem was able to dominate Silva in the clinch, particularly against the cage. If Overeem was able to control Antonio with his grappling, Velazquez shouldn’t have any problems manhandling Bigfoot once again. Bigfoot is getting better at this but Velasquez is at a whole another level than him. At this point I could only say this should be an easy pay day for the champ & hope his opponent could put up a better fight this time which even if he did I don’t think it’s going to matter Coz Cain will run through him once again & prove once again that history does repeat itself.

Prediction: Velasquez wins via TKO.

Junior dos Santos versus Mark Hunt

This is the fight which was influenced by fans who rallied behind the mark hunt to get him a top level opponent like JDS. Hunt (9-7-0, 6 KOs) is currently on a tear, racking up four consecutive wins, but he’ll be in for his toughest test in the Ultimate Fighting Championship when he squares off against dos Santos (15-2-0, 11 KOs) at UFC 160. “Cigano” is coming of a humiliating loss to Velasquez, and he’s highly motivated to get back to the winning side of things.

Both men are solid strikers, Mark Hunt is arguably is the hardest hitter in the UFC all he needs is 1 solid punch to switch a fighters lights off whereas JDS is the best boxer in the division with fast & precise hands he sure does have the advantage, also the holes in Hunt’s grappling game were evident during his bout against Stefan Struve, a weaknesses dos Santos should be able to exploit if he decides to take the fight to the ground. Both of them had success while standing in the past so I expect this could be a good exhibition of their striking ability in which JDS has clear advantage over hunt. I just love Hunt as a fighter but unfortunately have to predict that his fairy tale will end this Saturday.

Prediction: Dos Santos wins via TKO.

Glover Teixeira versus James Te Huna

Teixeira (20-2-0, 12 KOs) is arguably the fastest rising star in the UFC’s light-heavyweight division, but Te Huna (16-5-0, 10 KOs) is no slouch either winning his last four fight. However, Glover has faced tougher competition in the past, and he’s seems to be the more-rounded MMA fighter on paper as well. While Teixeira’s punching power has him labeled a striker, the Brazilian is also very skilled on the ground and already has a UFC submission win from his bout with Kyle Kingsbury.  Also Te-Huna had problem in past with his submission defense & Teixeira sure is capable enough to exploit that.

Prediction: Teixeira wins via submission.

Gray Maynard versus T.J. Grant

With the next shot at lightweight champion Benson Henderson on the line, expect fireworks when these two meet inside the Octagon at UFC 160. T.J. (20-5-0, 13 submissions) is pretty crafty with his submissions, but getting Maynard (11-1-1, 2 KOs) on the ground won’t be easy. Grant has earned his spot in a title shot eliminator by winning four straight fights ,he  is a large lightweight with a scrappy fighting style; Grant is never going to make it easy for opponents to grind out a decision. However, Grant’s had the most problems with high-level grapplers; Maynard is also a big 155-pounder with the wrestling to match some of those welterweights who controlled Grant on the ground.Gray should be able to dictate where the fight takes place with his wrestling & grind Grant out.

 Prediction: Maynard wins via decision.

Donald Cerrone versus K.J. Noons

Both men have had their share of tough times lately, but only one will get some redemption at UFC 160. Donald Cerrone may be having trouble earning his first UFC title shot, with losses to Anthony Pettis and Nate Diaz in his past four fights, but “Cowboy” is still one of the very best in the 155-pound class. While Cerrone (19-5-0, 13 submissions) is the favorite going into the bout, the matchup favors Noons (11-6-0, 8 KOs) in my opinion. K.J. (who’ll be making his UFC debut) is the technically superior striker, and his takedown defense is good enough to keep the fight standing if Cerrone decides to switch things up. A former professional boxer who has had some good scraps with Nick Diaz, Noons can be dangerous when standing & I don’t think Cerrone possess a ground game which could land Noons into trouble.

Prediction: Noons wins via decision.

Undercard:

Rick Story defeats Mike Pyle

Dennis Bermudez defeats Max Holloway

Colton Smith defeats Robert Whittaker

Khabib Nurmagomedov defeats Abel Trujillo

Stephen Thompson defeats Nah-Shon Burrell

Brian Bowles defeats George Roop

Jeremy Stephens defeats Estevan Payan

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There are far few things funnier in this universe than Ronda Rousey calling Miesha Tate’s boyfriend ‘Bryan Tate’ when his last name is actually Caraway.Bryan Caraway is a hot topic now not because of his MMA stardom (we all know he is light years away from that) but all the controversies that surrounds him.

lets get into his background first

He was a contestant at TUF 14 where he was not even popular among his own team coz they though he is ‘all talk no show & a woos’.

He become popular & little bit known coz he started dating Former strike-force champ Miesha Tate.

Controversies surrounding Bryan.

1) In a  interview on the The Joe Rogan Experience BLOG #15 Ronda Rousey, laughing, said “I want to fight Miesha next, and then after that I wan to fight her boyfriend.” (13:51 mark) When asked if she really thought she could beat Miesha’s boyfriend TUF finalist Bryan Caraway, Rousey said yes, twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XZenAOvjFfU

Caraway responds on twitter

@BryanCaraway
“that was just a publicity stunt. Guys and girls arent = I would knock her head off w 1 arm or choke her, not a real question”. “and if she wants to challenge a man I’ll knock her teeth dwn her throat the break her arm!”

he did get lot of heat from fans for his stupid remarks but got away clean.

2) when Pat Healy got suspended for marijuana use for his fight at UFC 159 Bryan caraway followed Dana White like a stoker on twitter & begged for Healy’s SOTN bonus which he did get. But where is the problem:- the problem started when he publicly bashed marijuana supporters while gleefully accepting another fighter’s bonus pay while speaking to MMA Junkie

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s  Steven Marrocco, Caraway said that he was rather happy getting Pat Healy’s $65,000 submission of the night bonus after he tested positive for marijuana earlier this week. Bryan Caraway even decided to blast marijuana users across the world, stating he has absolutely ‘zero tolerance for people that do it.

“All I’ve got to say is that’s some expensive weed,” he said. “I like Healy a lot. I came up through the fighting ranks with him. We used to train together at Team Quest. I love the guy. But I have absolutely zero remorse or guilt.

I hate weed. I cannot stand it. I’ve never tried it. I’ve never smoked a drug in my life. So I have absolutely zero tolerance for people that do it. I don’t care if it’s legal in some places or not. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous. Whether it’s legal in real life or not, they tell you to follow the rules. You need to follow the rules.”

he forgot that a fellow fighter was bleeding who just lost 145 K $ which was very important for him & his family. yes he did made a mistake but his crime doesn’t fit the punishment & Caraway could have dealt this situation with more class (maybe he never had any).

This is how MMA fighters responded to the situation:- Nate Diaz recently got himself fined and suspended for calling Caraway “the biggest fag in the world” on Twitter and Rousey herself pointedly told MiddleEasy that Tate should dump her “douche” boyfriend. Bellator’s Michelle Ould, MMA veteran wrote on twitter “Dude use[d] to sell my ex roommate PED’s - but he hates weed -go figure,” 

Bryan denied the selling PED allegation Caraway appeared to regret his strong anti-marijuana stance. He also refused to get into a public war of words with Diaz.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion, it’s America,” he said. “But his word choice was poor, same as myself.”I was too harsh in my interview about marijuana.”

3) Recently Bloody Elbow interviewed Cat Zingano  in which she talked about TUF 17 finale weigh-in incident & said:-

[Caraway] smiled back in my face then elbowed me in the head at weigh-ins. I was pissed. I considered him in that same respect. I am a fighter all the same, but that was dirty and cheap to do to anyone, let alone a girl.

[Caraway and Tate] were both in on it, which makes it even more disturbing. If my husband or son ever pulled something like that, I would be their biggest problem. I won’t be bullied nor condone it.

Other members of Zingano’s camp have corroborated the story,  

Caraway replied saying the allegations are ‘a joke, total lies & BS’

UFC hasn’t made any official comment & are investigating the subject.

TheMmaIndia:-So far, he’s threatened to physically maim Ronda Rousey on Twitter, publicly bashed marijuana supporters while gleefully accepting another fighter’s bonus pay while speaking to MMA Junkie, and if the latest news from Bloody Elbow turns out to be accurate, intentionally attacked Cat Zingano prior to her TUF 17 Finale bout with his girlfriend, Miesha Tate.  But if these allegations are true then caraway went from threatening a woman to actually beating 1 which is a new Low for the fighter. I dont know but somehow caraway is finding himself in the middle of these controversies & he is getting a lot of Fan(fans of other fighters coz he really has very few) & media attention for all the wrong reasons which i don’t think is good for him or Miesha coz they have very quickly became the MMA most hated couple. Tate and Caraway seem to be making more enemies by the day—and with so much negative press in such a short span of time, one has to wonder when (and if) MMA fans will turn on them completely.

The ‘Old Lion’ Vitor Belfort will welcome the last strike-force middle weight champion Luke Rockhold into the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 18, when the promotion returns to Brazil for the UFC on FX 8 fight card. The event will be held at the Arena Jaraguá, Jaraguá do sul in Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Here are my predictions for UFC on FX 8 fight card (CLICK HERE For Detailed Fight Card):

 Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold

The main event should be an interesting one, as middleweight contenders Luke Rockhold and Vitor Belfort will meet to possibly jump into top contender talks. Although UFC has not announced it, but ‘No.1 Contender Match’ is written all over this bout. I just can’t imagine a win, for any of the opponent not advancing them to a title match.

Belfort (22-10-0, 15 KOs) made a strong statement with his second round knockout victory over Michael Bisping at UFC on FX 7, and he’ll have an opportunity to move even closer to a second shot at the middleweight title when he squares up against the last Strikeforce 185-pound champion Belfort is on a hot streak right now if you erase his title fight up a weight class against Jon Jones. In his last three middleweight affairs, Vitor submitted Anthony Johnson and knocked out Yoshihiro Akiyama and Michael Bisping in devastating fashion.

 Rockhold (10-1-0, 6 submissions) dominated Strikeforce’s middleweight division, winning all 10 of his fights (2 title defenses) with the now defunct MMA promotion. Rockhold finds himself on a nine-fight win streak. Most of the wins have come against lower-ranked individuals, but his last three wins over Ronaldo Souza, Keith Jardine and Tim Kennedy have shown Rockhold is ready for top-level opposition. He is a tremendous athlete with a good all round game.

Both are fast starters but Vitor has a slight advantage, so Luke have to be careful there & try to withstand the storm to effectively implement his game plane in the later rounds. If Luke minimizes the striking exchanges by using his wrestling to put and keep Vitor on his back, and doesn’t get careless on the ground, he should emerge victorious in his UFC debut.

Prediction: Rockhold wins via TKO.

 Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Chris Camozzi

The MMA gods certainly smiled upon Souza (17-3-0, 13 submissions) when Constantinos Philippou was forced to pull out of the UFC on FX 8 fight card due to a cut sustained while training. The Brazilian will now get a much easier opponent in Camozzi (19-5-0, 6 submissions). Chris is a decent middleweight, he didn’t looked impressive in his last bout against nick ring & many believe he won a controversial decision thus it’s hard to see him dealing with Souza’s excellent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. To make things worse, Jacare’s striking is ever improving, meaning he’s more that capable of dominating the fight standing up as well.

This is an interesting matchup coz Chris Camozzi has nothing to lose and everything to gain in this fight which does make him a dangerous opponent. Souza, on the other hand, looks to make a splash in his much-anticipated Octagon debut as he puts his three-fight winning streak on the line against a red-hot Camozzi. Every time we have seen Souza he has looked better than before if he could control his octagon jitters than I think it should be an easy night for him.

Prediction: Souza wins via submission.

 Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham

We move to the only non-middleweight fight of the main card when lightweights Evan Dunham and Rafael dos Anjos collide to move into title contention.

Dos Anjos (18-6-0, 8 submissions) has looked great in his last three outings, punching a three-fight win streak over Kamal Shalorus, Anthony Njokuani and Mark Bocek. Rafael dos Anjos is on a roll, he looked terrific in controlling Mark Bocek in his last bout. Seriously, he looked like a contender, the BJJ black belt has been using an improved striking game along with his skilled top game to stifle and frustrate opponents.However, Dunham (14-3-0, 6 submissions) is a game opponent, and he certainly won’t go down without a fight. He’s talented and has some very good fights on his resume (his losing effort to T.J. Grant comes to mind as a recent high point despite his loss).

Both men are great at defending against takedowns, so there’s a solid chance a majority of their UFC on FX 8 encounter will be spent standing. If that happens, dos Anjos  should have the advantage, considering how well he’s done against solid strikers in the past It should be a back and forth contest, but Rafael who will also have home Octagon advantage should be able to do enough to secure the victory.

Prediction: Dos Anjos wins via decision.

 Rafael Natal vs. Joao Zeferino

Zeferino (13-4-0, 9 submissions) stepped in as a replacement for Camozzi, which means he’ll be making his UFC debut on short notice. Zeferino is decent grappler, but so is Natal, who’ll also be the bigger, stronger man when the two meet inside the Octagon at UFC on FX 8. Rafael (15-4-1, 8 submissions) who is a more known fighter will have the advantage in the wrestling and striking departments, making this his fight to lose. Joao Zeferino is a good fighter & he would like to make most of this amazing opportunity in the UFC. If he will Upset Natal this Saturday, it won’t surprise me coz despite he has not fight in the big league he has a lot of fight experience but because he is taking this fight on short notice & octagon jitters are a real thing now, thus I think Natal should defiantly have a significant advantage over him.

Prediction: Natal wins via decision.

Undercard:

Nik Lentz defeats Hacran Dias

Francisco Trinaldo defeats Mike Rio

Gleison Tibau defeats John Cholish

Paulo Thiago defeats Michel Prazeres

Yuri Alcantara defeats Iliarde Santos

Fabio Maldonado defeats Roger Hollett

John Lineker defeats Azamat Gashimov

Jussier Formiga defeats Chris Cariaso

Lucas Martins defeats Jeremy Larsen

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