UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II Staff Predictions

Saturday, July 7th at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT on Pay-Per-View (PPV)
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Main Card (PPV)

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen (Middleweight Championship Bout)
Mike Bohn: Regardless of how Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen plays out, it’s not going to be a close fight. Silva will either run through Sonnen and become the first man to knock the American out, or Sonnen is going to duplicate his last performance, except avoid the last-minute submission and hand Silva his first UFC defeat. This is just such a difficult fight to predict. It’s my M.O. to pick against Silva; I’ve done it for the last four fights, so why stop now? I’m bound to be right sometime, and if anyone is going to dethrone the Brazilian, it’s going to be Chael P. Sonnen. Chael Sonnen via Unanimous Decision

Jon Gerow: Plain and simple, unless Anderson Silva finishes the fight early in the first round (which is very possible), he’s going to lose a decision. I don’t see how “The Spider” can possibly stop Chael Sonnen from repeatedly taking him down. Chael Sonnen via Unanimous Decision

Erik Jackson: Anderson Silva has no reason to lose to Chael Sonnen. He is the better fighter on the ground, as well as standing, and should be able to win on Saturday night, despite the skeptics saying he’ll be fighting with too much emotion. I’d rather see an emotional Silva than one who is unmotivated to train for his opponent. Anderson Silva via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – R2

Patrick Weafer: This fight really comes down to how much stock you put in Anderson Silva’s injury claim in the aftermath of UFC 117. If his rib hindered him as much as he says it, the rematch may not go well for Chael Sonnen. I, for one, don’t lend his excuse much credence and expect Sonnen to do well in the rematch. Chael Sonnen via Unanimous Decision

Doug Ancey: I see this going down one of two ways. Either Chael Sonnen will do what he does best and throw Anderson Silva down and beat him up, or Silva will throttle Sonnen in the first or second round, most likely with a move he picked up from Tony Jaa. If Sonnen can control the first round, I think his chances of winning skyrocket. He will get in Silva’s face and throw/shoot, and I don’t think he’s likely to get caught in a submission again. That being said, Silva is PISSED OFF, and we’ve never really seen a truly enraged Anderson Silva. I’m going to choose the champ, because the dude is a magician. However, I won’t be surprised if I’m wrong. Anderson Silva via TKO – R1

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz (Light Heavyweight Bout)
Mike Bohn: Tito Ortiz isn’t getting much love in this fight. He is roughly a 4-1 underdog on the betting lines, which frankly is quite absurd considering how close the first two fights between Ortiz and Forrest Griffin were. Clearly both men know what it takes to beat the other and their skills match up pretty evenly, so the deciding factor could come down to the intangibles. Ortiz is highly motivated for this fight and he will come out extremely hard against Griffin. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” will take the first two rounds and slow down in the third, making it a very close fight. However, his work early in the fight will be enough to take the decision and leave the sport of MMA with a much-deserved win. Tito Ortiz via Unanimous Decision

Jon Gerow: I fear Tito Ortiz has to finish Forrest Griffin early or else he’ll fall the same way he did in the last fight, by decision. Forrest Griffin via Unanimous Decision

Erik Jackson: This fight is far from co-main event quality and quite frankly it doesn’t excite me. That said, Forrest Griffin should be able to send Tito Ortiz into retirement with a loss, as I don’t see a way that Ortiz can come out victorious here. Forrest Griffin via Unanimous Decision

Patrick Weafer: I think we’d all like to see “the gravedigger” routine one last time in the Octagon, however unlikely that may be. Tito Ortiz has done amazing things for this sport, but I just don’t see him walking into retirement with the win. Forrest Griffin via Unanimous Decision

Doug Ancey: Look for Forrest Griffin to control the distance with his footwork and reach and pick Tito Ortiz apart. Ortiz always has his strength, but Griffin has enough skill and experience that, if he does get put on his back, he can get up and/or catch Ortiz is a submission. Forrest Griffin via Unanimous Decision

Cung Le vs. Patrick Cote (Middleweight Bout)
Mike Bohn: One of the more difficult fights on the card to predict. Cung Le and Patrick Cote are both highly skills on their feet, however their strengths are in very different areas. Le is a kick-heavy striker whereas Cote prefers to utilize his heavy hands to finish opponents. It is really going to come down to which man can find the range with their strikes and land first. Although Le is probably going to be the faster of the two, at 40 years of age and a questionable chin, it’s too hard to predict him to win against a fighter with the power of the French-Canadian. Patrick Cote via TKO – R1

Jon Gerow: Really looking forward to seeing both of these guys in the cage. I’m a fan of both Cung Le and Patrick Cote, but I have a feeling Le’s chin will fail him once again. Patrick Cote via KO – R2

Erik Jackson: This fight is a toss up to me. We’ve all seen Cung Le struggling to take a shot, and Patrick Cote definitely has the power to end this with one blow, but will Le be too quick for him? My guess is no. Patrick Cote via TKO – R2

Patrick Weafer: Patrick Cote’s got an iron chin and Cung Le was recently taken out by the ghost of Wanderlei Silva. Expect this one to be a barnburner, but look for the Canadian to get his first UFC win since UFC 86. Patrick Cote via TKO – R2

Doug Ancey: Patrick Cote is on a four-fight win streak, and is talented on his feet. Although I did get burned for picking Cung Le against Wanderlei Silva, he first and foremost a kick-boxer, an unbeaten one at that. I see Le’s unorthodox striking and takedowns causing problems for Cote. Cung Le by TKO – R3

Dong Hyun Kim vs. Demian Maia (Welterweight Bout)
Mike Bohn: I have been pleading for Demian Maia to drop to the welterweight division for quite some time now, so I am happy it finally happened, however he drew about the worst opponent possible as Dong Hyun Kim is horrible style match up for Maia’s first fight in the new division. Maia’s submission skills have appeared to regress in recent years and the finishes are not coming as easily as they were earlier in his career. Dong Hyun Kim is a master at shutting down the offence of his opponents and grinding out wins. Look for that to happen again against Maia. Dong Hyun Kim via Unanimous Decision

Jon Gerow: I’m pulling for Demian Maia to have made some improvements in his striking, because it’s looked extremely predictable in his past few fights. I’m hopeful that my prediction here is wrong. Dong Hyun Kim via Unanimous Decision

Erik Jackson: I’m very excited for this matchup as I am curious to see the game plan of each fighter. Demian Maia has been to 7-straight decisions and has not finished a fight in three years. That said, he is still working to evolve his standup, however, I think the reach of the Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim will be the deciding factor here. Dong Hyun Kim via Unanimous Decision

Patrick Weafer: It will be interesting to see if Demian Maia’s drop in weight helps him regain a strength advantage that he was significantly lacking against the much larger middleweights. Unfortunately for him, Dong Hyun Kim has the strong judo and wrestling game to smother Maia if he chooses. Dong Hyun Kim via Unanimous Decision

Doug Ancey: I think with this being Maia’s first time at welterweight, the weight cut will sap his cardio (last time I checked Mia isn’t working with Mike Dolce). Dong Hyun Kim’s only loss was to the killer formally known as Carlos Condit, and my guess is Maia won’t be threatening with flying knees. Look for Kim to pepper Maia with shots and implement his smothering top game. I think he’ll be able to nullify the Maia’s submission game, partly because Nate Marquardt knocked the BJJ out of Maia. Dong Hyun Kim via Unanimous Decision

Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie (Featherweight Bout)
Mike Bohn: It is tough to wrap your head around this match up. Chad Mendes should be able to dominate this fight from start to finish and anything other than a one-sided beat down in his favor would be viewed as a disappointment. Cody McKenzie has never stopped a takedown in the UFC, which is not a pleasant stat to see against a fighter like Mendes if you are a McKenzie fan. Look for Mendes to pick up the first finish of his UFC career with ground-and-pound from the top position. Chad Mendes via TKO – R2

Jon Gerow: Cody McKenzie doesn’t have a chance in this one. Firstly, Chad Mendes is coming off a huge loss, thus will be looking to rebound. Secondly, Mendes is too experienced to get “McKenzietine’d”. Let’s just hope this time he doesn’t dive for a take down into another knee. Chad Mendes via Unanimous Decision

Erik Jackson: This fight is a classic example of the UFC bringing up a fighter too quickly. Putting Cody McKenzie against Chad Mendes, whose only loss has come to the champion Jose Aldo, doesn’t make much sense to me. McKenzie will be hoping to pull off a submission from his back in this one. Chad Mendes via Unanimous Decision

Patrick Weafer: As much as I enjoy Cody McKenzie’s shtick, it would take a miracle for him to pull off his signature guillotine on an Alpha Male fighter who deals with guillotine specialists every day in training. I see this as a major squash match but would love to see McKenzie take it. Chad Mendes via Unanimous Decision

Doug Ancey: I’m gong to go out on a limb here and take Cody McKenzie with his patented McKenzie-tine! Sure, he’s dropping to featherweight, but he’ll have a massive size a reach advantage over Mendes. And I mean, come on, 11 out his 13 wins by guillotine?! The dude was built for that move. Cody McKenzie via Submission (McKenzie-tine) – R1

Ivan Menjivar vs. Mike Easton (Bantamweight Bout)
Mike Bohn: Mike Easton will be the bigger and stronger fighter when he steps into the cage with Ivan Menjivar. Easton holds a seven-inch reach advantage over Menjivar, which should help him control the range on the stand up. Menjivar had trouble in his last fight against John Albert before coming back and scoring a submission. I think Easton is going to find the same holes in Menjivar’s game that Albert was able to expose, however he will be able to pull off the win. Mike Easton via Unanimous Decision

Jon Gerow: Ivan Menjivar is a gamer but this Mike Easton character is an animal. Mike Easton via TKO – R2

Erik Jackson: Aside from the main event, this is my favorite fight on the main card, and one that will likely be a candidate for “Fight of the Night”. Both of these fighters like to bring it, and I expect their quick pace to not let up for the duration of the contest. Mike Easton via Unanimous Decision

Patrick Weafer: Menjivar has had a hectic career that has seen him fight UFC stars Georges St-Pierre, Matt Serra, Joe Lauzon, and Urijah Faber as well as endure a 4-year retirement stint. This is a pick’em fight in the odds maker’s eyes, and for good reason. I think Menjivar’s scrambling ability allows him to take the decision here. Ivan Menjivar via Unanimous Decision

Doug Ancey: While Mike Easton only has one loss to his name, has nowhere near as experience as Ivan Menjivar. Plus, Menjivar is a savage. I see Menjivar utilizing his superior experience and skill to put a shellacking on Easton. Ivan Menjivar via Submission – R2