MMA Combat - UFC 135 - Jones vs. Rampage, Pick 'Em

MMA Combat - UFC 135 - Jones vs. Rampage, Pick 'Em

Saturday, September 24, 2011, the Ultimate Fighting Championship goes live from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, for UFC 135 - Jones vs. Rampage featuring a light heavyweight title tilt pitting current title holder and the youngest champion in UFC history, Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1-0) against former 205lbs champion and PRIDE FC legend, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8-0). The evening's co-main event will see UFC hall-of-famer Matt Hughes (45-8-0) take on one-time title challenger Josh Koscheck (15-5-0) in the American Kickboxing Academy product's first fight back since suffering a broken orbital bone against Georges St. Pierre in December of 2010.

Below you will find our picks for the evening's main-card:

Ben Rothwell (31-7-0) vs. Mark Hunt (6-7-0)
In a battle of two heavyweight sluggers, former K-1 World Grand Prix champion Mark Hunt, and former IFL heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell will collide in what is sure to be a treat for the fans; going 9-0 inside the IFL, Rothwell has had mixed results since the promotion closed its doors in 2008, posting a 2-2 record with wins over Chris Guillen and Gilbert Yvel, while being brutally TKO'd by former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and current title holder Cain Velasquez. Rothwell does have some submissions in his arsenal, but often gets sucked into a brawl when the opportunity presents itself; it would be wise if the American took this one to the ground, as six of Hunt's seven losses have come by way of submission, but a failure to do so could be detrimental. This fight will boil down to the game-plan Rothwell adopts and I believe he's going to test his merit on the feet against the proven striker, a decision that will see Hunt threaten the big-man, but only temporarily as Rothwell switches gears and looks for the takedown out of necessity. Rothwell's grappling and cardio advantage will see him latch onto a late submission, lets say kimura, second round.

Nate Diaz (13-7-0) vs. Takanori Gomi (32-7-0)
Once considered among the sport's premier lightweight competitors, "The Fireball Kid" has either lost the fire to compete the highest level, or the sport has simply caught up to an aging fighter who is unlikely to surprise many opponents going forward with a stagnant arsenal of attacks. Gomi does have power in his hands, and he tends to put everything into every punch which as a result has seen him wilt in the later rounds of recent outings. Diaz on the other hand is built just like his older brother Nick; a frame built for endurance, high-level jiu jitsu, and a strong implementation of boxing will see the Stockon, CA. native take this fight into deep waters where he must know he'll hold an advantage in almost all aspects aside from wrestling. The holes in Gomi's game will be exposed again in this one, as Diaz secures a third round finish via submission in a bout that could very well steal fight of the night honors.

Travis Browne (11-0-1) vs. Rob Broughton (15-5-1)
Riding a five-fight winning streak coming into the contest, Liverpool's Rob Broughton out of the Wolfslair Academy is a solid talent with rounded skills for a heavyweight fighter; in 15 professional wins, Broughton has posted seven [T]KOs and five submission victories but "The Bear" despite fighting professionally since 2004 is largely untested against top-tier competition and has limited 'big show' experience under his belt; the same could be argued for his counterpart, Travis Browne, except Browne comes to the table with a lot of hype behind him and I for one am buying into it. In eleven professional wins, Browne has stopped nine opponents by [T]KO and is especially agile for a heavyweight. In three UFC appearances, the Hawaii native has gone 2-0-1, fighting Cheick Kongo to a unanimous draw, and knocking out Stefan Struve most recently - two fighters with plenty of big-fight experience in their careers. The pick here is Travis Browne as he breaks Broughton down on the feet throughout the first round, before closing in for the TKO stoppage in the second frame.

Matt Hughes (45-8-0) vs. Josh Koscheck (15-5-0)
There was a time when the tenacity Matt Hughes brought to the octagon alone won him fights, let alone his powerful wrestling base, ground and pound, and under-rated Jiu Jitsu that resulted in multiple submission wins; but father-time catches up with all of us and the former welterweight champion and UFC hall-of-famer is no exception to the rule as he faces a stiff test in AKA product, Josh Koscheck. At this point in their careers, it's unlikely Hughes will be able to out-wrestle the NCAA division I standout and speed is without question on Koscheck's side. "Kos" will also hold an edge in the standup department with quicker hands and more power within them, but Hughes was able to hang onto his title for so long because of his ability to adapt while in closely contested dog-fights, coupled with a huge heart that never said die; the Indiana native's best shot in this one lies in his submission attack, but Koscheck has proven resilient against submission grapplers losing only once by the method in his fifth professional fight in 2005 (Drew Fickett). The pick here is Josh Koscheck, as the fresher fighter will keep this fight where he feels most comfortable before turning up the heat in the later rounds when his conditioning edge should prevail. Josh Koscheck, unanimous decision.

Jon Jones (13-1-0) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8-0)
This weekend's main-event pitting the youngest champion in UFC history Jon "Bones" Jones against former 205lbs title holder, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, is one of the most highly anticipated matches of the year and for good reason. "Rampage" has long been one of the most exciting fighters in the sport with a loyal fan-base that has followed him long before his UFC days when he slamming bodies through the PRIDE FC ring. Jon Jones was able to achieve history at UFC 128 with his total destruction of "Shogun" Rua over three rounds to capture the UFC title. Dubbed as the 'future of the sport' Jones possesses physical gifts that are unmatched in the heavyweight division, let alone at 205lbs. An 84in reach is a daunting obstacle no matter how proficient the striker standing across from him; couple that with an almost unsweepable frame from the top position as his limbs provide an exceptionally wide base beneath him and you've got a formidable force at just 24 years of age today. Jackson's best chance comes with his boxing where he harbors power in both fists, but Jones is elusive on the feet, and barring a big-uppercut or hook in the early proceedings, should break down "Rampage" as the fight wears on with a more diverse striking attack and superior wrestling ability. The call here is Jon "Bones" Jones, although I'm not sure about a stoppage, the champ will do enough to sweep the judge's cards at a minimum, but could very well stop Jackson in the championship rounds.


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