UFC 150: Halfway to 300…

by ALar

You would think that UFC 150 would be a celebration, maybe a notch or two below that of UFC 100. Well, that is simply not the case. The event does feature a Championship match in the Lightweight division. Sweet! The 155-pound class is widely regarded as the best in the organization. That has to be a plus right? Wrong. The title fight is a rematch between Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar. Who fought for the same 155 lb. title at UFC 144. Frankie Edgar lost the close bout and then proceeded to cash in his good will with the organization to get another shot at the belt. Wahoo. Sure Frankie gave rematches when he won the belt, but one was to a future Hall of Famer and the other was after a draw. It is etched into the tablets of the MMA Commandments that after a Championship draw, a rematch happens. I wouldn’t consider it a good deed by Edgar to fight Maynard again. It had to happen.

In all likelihood on Saturday, Edgar will come in with a solid game plan and display his legendary heart on the way to grinding out a decision win against Henderson. (I may personally be hoping that Bendo lands a flying knee and sends the True Life star down to 145…) So does that mean Bendo/Frankie III. NOPE. And the top of the Lightweight division will be a mess once more. After watching last weekend’s amazing night of fights, I have a feeling many fans out there will have a hard time parking their butts on the couch to watch this card, especially with a rehashed headliner. As an aspiring MMA journalist, you would think I would be right there with my popcorn ready, but I have an appointment to watch paint dry… Sorry. On to the previews!

Main Card on Pay Per View

Justin Lawrence (4-0) v. Max Holloway (5-1)

Two great young strikers here. Lawrence, a Black House product, was the top prospect on the latest season of TUF. He has vicious leg kicks and a serious case of bacne. He didn’t endear himself to many fans during the season, but certainly showcased his talent and work ethic. Holloway, just 20 years old, is another young gun that will throw strikes with reckless abandon. His UFC career is off to a bumpy start with a loss to Dustin Poirer and a decision win over Pat Schilling. Even though he is only 2 years older, I think Lawrence’s experience with Black House will earn him the victory here. Lawrence by decision.

Yushin Okami (26-7) v. Buddy Roberts (12-2)

The name Buddy Roberts does not really scream cage fighter to me. Roberts is a relatively unknown Greg Jackson disciple. He made his Zuffa debut in early June and earned a decision victory (Surprise, surprise… Cue Diego…). He does have a decent amount of finishes to his name but most of them came in what seems like MMA events held in backyards across the western part of the country. He has never faced anyone with half of the talent Yushin Okami has. Okami is coming off two losses. One to that Anderson Silva fellow, and the other was due to a Bruce Banner-esque performance by Tim Boetsch. I expect Okami will use this fight to remind fans of his power, strength, and grappling ability and look to end this one early. Okami by TKO.

Jake Shields (27-6-1) v. Ed Herman (20-7)

This bout will mark Jake Shield’s Middleweight debut in the UFC. Shields is 1-2 in his last 3, but before his loss to GSP, he was undefeated dating back to 2005. Shield’s had some personal issues that may have played into his loss to Ellenberger last September, I expect him to be in top form on Saturday. His opponent, Ed Herman, is on a bit of a win streak having won his last 3 by TKO or submission. Herman is a prototypical journeyman that has been around since 2002. He has great grappling and submission skills to go along with that experience. If Shields shows up like he did when he beat Hendo, he has a great chance to take this one walking away. But much like my Tim Boetsch pick a few weeks back, I have a feeling Herman grinds this one out. Shields loves to Lay N Pray, and I think Ol’ Ed can handle that. Herman by decision

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (18-4, 1 NC) v. Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (30-10-2, 1 NC)

This booking is the early favorite for Fight of the Night. Both of these guys are BRAWLERS. You know that each love to stand toe to toe and throw bombs. The question is, who is better when the fists are flying? I would favor Guillard due to his power, but I have a feeling Cerrone may take this one to the mat similar to the way he fought Denis Siver.

The outcome of this fight will also help sort out some of the confusion atop the 155-pound division. If Cerrone comes out on top, he will likely face Anthony Pettis in the near future. A win for Guillard puts him back in Dana White’s proverbial “mix”. Cerrone is the favorite in this one, and as much as I want to see a stand up war here, I think Cerrone brings it to the mat. Cerrone by submission.

Lightweight Championship Fight

Champ Ben “Smooth” Henderson (16-2) v Frankie “The Answer Decision” Edgar (14-3-1)

Yahooooo. I can barely contain my excitement for this one… To tell you the truth, I have never bought a Frankie Edgar fight. The outcomes seem too predictable to me. Five rounds, he gets the crap kicked out of him for two rounds but figures out a way to win three. The guy would have a problem finishing a glass of water in the Sahara. I was truly SHOCKED when he KO’d Maynard. I had to refresh my phone browser at six times to make sure it wasn’t a joke. Edgar is a great fighter with a hell of a heart, but he belongs at 145 pounds. We know that, Dana knows that, but Frankie ‘True Life’ denies it. Aldo vs. Edgar is a massive fight and could put the lower weight classes on the map in the terms of Pay Per View buys or FOX ratings. It is tough for me write a biased opinion on this one because I truly find it as a waste of a fight in an amazingly stacked division. When I throw out names like Anthony Pettis, Nate Diaz, and Joe Lauzon. what do they all have in common? They finish fights at 155. (And I would pay to watch them…)

I expect this one to be a great scrap, both guys winning their share of exchanges on the feet. Bendo will use his ridiculous athleticism to nearly put Frankie to sleep, but Edgar will go into Zombie-mode and return the favor to the stunned champ. I HOPE that Bendo gets a few more of these exchanges to go his way and decisively wins this one. He should. He is bigger, stronger, and knows how to put people away. But here comes that feeling again…. Edgar has been in the high altitude of Denver for two weeks now acclimating himself to the oxygen levels. In all of the pre-fight interviews he seems to have a focus about him that I have never seen before. Edgar earns himself a decision victory. A trilogy fight is looming angrily in the distance…

Agree with my picks? Think my boredom caused by Frankie Edgar is warranted??? (It is…) Leave a comment and follow us on TWITTER!!!!