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UFC 110 – Sydney, Australia Preview & Event Coverage By Justin Bolduc
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This weekend the UFC makes their first trip to Australia with UFC 110. While the card does not feature a title fight, there are several notable fighters including former UFC and PRIDE champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira against undefeated Cain Velasquez in the main event, as well as appearances by former PRIDE champion Wanderlei Silva, The Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Ryan Bader, The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Michael Bisping, PRIDE's 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix champion Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, and The Ultimate Fighter 2 winner Joe Stevenson.
The main card portion of the event is scheduled to take place at 2pm on Sunday in Sydney to accommodate the American audience and fit into it's regular pay-per-view time slot at 10pm EST. Notably, UFC 110 is also the second-fastest selling event in UFC history, selling out the first day tickets were on sale. The event will be aired for free in Australia on ONE HD.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1, 1 NC) vs. Cain Velasquez (7-0) Main Event Considered one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has had an incredible career in over a decade of competing. Despite not standing at the top of the mountain in pure jiu-jitsu competition, Nogueira is widely considered to have the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu in mixed martial arts. Along with the ability to take substantial amounts of punishment and a heart that never says “die”, Nogueira has captured PRIDE's heavyweight title and the UFC's interim heavyweight title.
Outside of an earlier loss in his career to former PRIDE 183-pound and 205-pound champion Dan Henderson and a 2006 loss to Josh Barnett in PRIDE's Open-Weight Grand Prix semi-finals, the only chink in Nogueira's armor seemed to be Fedor Emelianenko. Since joining the UFC after the fall of PRIDE however, he has appeared on the downslide.
In bouts with Heath Herring, Tim Sylvia, and Frank Mir (with Mir becoming the only fighter in mixed martial arts history to finish Nogueira) the Brazilian appeared to be much more fragile. Sylvia and Herring almost knocked out the former champion, while Mir won by TKO in round two.
Regardless, Nogueira's boxing is always improving, his conditioning is unwavering, and his jiu-jitsu is top notch inside the ring. The real question facing Nogueira will be whether he can handle Velasquez' striking and ground and pound.
Intangibles: UFC Record: 3-1 (1 Sub) Strengths: Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, durable, great conditioning Weaknesses: Lacks boxing defense and head movement Key Wins: Josh Barnett, Randy Couture, Heath Herring (3), Tim Sylvia, Fabricio Werdum, Ricco Rodriguez, Dan Henderson, Semmy Schilt, Enson Inoue, Mark Coleman, Gary Goodridge, Sanae Kikuta, Jeremy Horn, Kiyoshi Tamura (2), Sergei Kharitonov Notable Losses: Fedor Emelianenko (2), Josh Barnett, Frank Mir, Dan Henderson
Cain Velasquez is one of the hottest prospects on the planet. Undefeated in his short career, Velasquez has finished all but one opponent. The American Kickboxing Academy fighter joined the UFC in only his third professional bout and picked up impressive wins over Brad Morris, Jake O'Brien, and Denis Stojnic before moving up in competition.
Velasquez found himself criticized for his bout against Cheick Kongo at UFC 99. Despite winning a fairly one-sided decision, Velasquez' chin was questioned after eating a couple big punches from Kongo – who is known for his knockout power. Additionally, Velasquez' own power was called into question when his ground and pound appeared to do nothing to Kongo, who in all fairness has some great ground defense.
After the bout Velasquez beat former IFL stand-out Ben Rothwell in a one-sided second round TKO, albeit with a questionable stoppage. Velasquez has consistently showcased solid Muay Thai and his collegiate wrestling pedigree in his mixed martial arts bouts. All around he does not have any real weaknesses, but a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and All-American honors in wrestling may not be enough to test fate on the mat with Nogueira this weekend.
Intangibles: UFC Record: 5-0 (4 TKO) Strengths: Two-time All-American wrestler, good Muay Thai, great conditioning Weaknesses: Relative inexperience Key Wins: Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell, Jake O'Brien Notable Losses: None
UFC 110 Guest Panel Event Picks - Nogueira vs. Velasquez Pat Miletich – “The fight between Nogueira and Velasquez will be an exciting fight, but will most likely be a one sided war. Velasquez will most likely have too much speed, agility, wrestling control and endurance for Nogueira to deal with. I look for a unanimous decision for Velasquez in this fight.”
Tito Ortiz – “Cain is a great up and coming athlete that has proven himself every time so far and this is a great opportunity for him to show that he is a dominate force in the heavyweight division. Nogueira is no joke though and he has proven himself for many years. This fight is the chance for Velasquez to showcase his skills and I think he has a great chance to defeat Nogueira because of his superior wrestling and I hope he does win because I like Velasquez a lot.”
Mark Munoz – “Nogueira vs. Velasquez is going to be an all-out war. There's going to be standup bombs thrown and a ground game that people will be talking about for a long time. Both are very active fighters and I expect to be wowed the whole time. I predict that Nogueira will win via submission during the second round.”
Scott Casber (Takedown Radio) – “Cain is the up and coming "Man". He'll fall back on his mat skills. A very talented wrestler for sure out of Iowa Central and AZ State and has been coached by some of the best including Aaron Simpson. Takedowns and control. Now if the judges scored takedowns like they should we should see this go the distance and Cain wins by decision.”
Hermes Franca – “Minotauro Nogueira by whatever he wants.”
Ben Askren – “This is a tough fight to call for many reasons. Being at ASU now I sure hope that Cain wins, I think he can overpower Nogueira with his striking just like Frank Mir did. Hopefully Cain is smart enough to stay away from Big Nog’s very dangerous ground game and I am going to say Cain by decision.”
Mike Reilly (Team Bison) – “I hate to sound like conspiracy crazed fan; but I do believe the last thing the UFC wants is to give Cain his due. They want the kid beat; they want to keep him away from the money machine. As a huge Cain fan I’m not a fan of this fight. This fight is really going to answer the question is Cain ready? But that question need not be asked; he is ready! Give him an exciting opponent who can meet his pace. Don’t get me wrong Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is a hugely dangerous fighter for Cain. Stylistically, Nog is the single most dangerous type of fighter Cain could face. All that being said I feel that Cain will knock down every barrier between him and his gold. Look for him to grind Nog out. I don’t expect this to be very fun or exciting fight. An endless series of take down; re-guard, pass, re-guard, stand, repeat.
Cain 30-27.”
Cyrille Diabaté – “Nogueira by Submission”
Wanderlei Silva (32-10-1, 1 NC) vs. Michael Bisping (18-2) Co-Main Event
Despite a 2-5 record since 2006, Wanderlei Silva has a well-earned reputation as one of the most brutal and violent fighters in mixed martial arts. After mixed results early in his career in the UFC, Silva really made his mark in Japan's PRIDE organization where he picked up twenty-two victories with fifteen knockouts or TKO's.
Silva became a fan favorite with his blitzkrieg assault of haymakers, devastating knees from the Muay Thai clinch, and relentless soccer kicks and stomps. While his style of fighting is aesthetically pleasing, it has left him unsuccessful in five of his last six bouts. Mirko Filipovic, Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, and Rich Franklin each took advantage of Silva's looping punches and aggression to leave blemishes on the former champion's record.
Silva has also appeared a different fighter since his back to back knockout losses to Filipovic and Henderson in PRIDE. His ability to take damage has dwindled and his normally overwhelming style has become tame. Silva fights for the fans though, win or lose – but the win or loss this weekend will greatly depend on which Silva shows up.
Intangibles: UFC Record: 2-5 (2 TKO) Strengths: Dangerous striker, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, large middleweight Weaknesses: Fading durability, wild striking Key Wins: Ricardo Arona, Quinton Jackson (2), Kazushi Sakuraba (3), Guy Mezger, Hidehiko Yoshida (2), Dan Henderson, Mike Van Arsdale, Ikuhisa Minowa, Kiyoshi Tamura, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Yuki Kondo, Keith Jardine, Kazuyuki Fujita Notable Losses: Mirko Filipovic, Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Rich Franklin, Ricardo Arona, Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Mark Hunt
Michael Bisping rose to prominence with his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter 3. Winning the season's light heavyweight portion, Bisping began to make his mark with wins over Eric Schafer, Elvis Sinosic, and Matt Hamill before stepping up in competition. He faced TUF 2 winner Rashad Evans and lost a decision. From there he moved to the middleweight division where he has fought ever since.
Since his move down in weight he has gone 4-1, losing only to Dan Henderson. He secured wins in his first three UFC middleweight bouts over Charles McCarthy, Jason Day, and Chris Leben. In his most recent performance he finished PRIDE veteran Denis Kang in the second round.
Bisping, who sports a well-rounded game, has picked up four submissions and twelve TKO's in his eighteen professional wins. Bisping's biggest strength though has become his ground and pound which has finished Kang and Sinosic, amongst others.
Intangibles: UFC Record: 8-2 (6 TKO) Strengths: Vicious ground and pound, well rounded, good conditioning Weaknesses: Struggles when he's not applying the pressure Key Wins: Denis Kang, Chris Leben, Eric Schafer, Matt Hamill, Jason Day Notable Losses: Dan Henderson, Rashad Evans
UFC 110 Guest Panel Event Picks - Bisping vs. Silva
Tito Ortiz – “I like Bisping because I was his coach on season 3 of the Ultimate Fighter and he is an up and comer himself in the 185lb division but Wanderlei at 185lbs is very, very threatening. This is a great challenge for Bisping because Wanderlei is a very dangerous fighter at 185. I think that this is the real weight for Wanderlei to fight at and if Bisping can pull off the win then it just goes to show that he may challenge for the title at 185.”
Paul Daley – “It’s going to be a great fight and I am looking forward to it. I think this is Bisping’s toughest test after Dan Henderson and a fight that he can win; I think that his speed and foot work will cause problems for Wanderlei and that he will win by TKO.”
Keith Jardine (15-6-1) vs. Ryan Bader (10-0) Non-Title Light Heavyweight Bout
Keith Jardine is one of those guys you either love or you hate. He first appeared as a heavyweight on season two of The Ultimate Fighter, but has since found his home in the UFC's light heavyweight division. His career against top competition has been rather hit or miss, but he still finds himself alive and well in one of the most competitive divisions in the world.
Despite losing to eventual season winner and current training partner Rashad Evans, Jardine found a home for himself in the UFC. He began his career with the promotion with Kerry Schall and Mike Whitehead before losing to The Ultimate Fighter 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar in a close decision. He was then able to pick up two solid wins over Wilson Gouveia and Forrest Griffin before losing to then-unknown Houston Alexander. “The Dean of Mean” has since gone 2-3 with wins over Chuck Liddell and Brandon Vera and losses against Wanderlei Silva, Quinton Jackson, and Thiago Silva (with the latter two being his most recent performances).
Jardine sports an awkward striking style and some of the hardest leg kicks in the game. Jardine fights primarily as a striker, but does hold two armbar wins in his professional career. In seven other bouts he has won by TKO. Jardine trains under Greg Jackson and alongside former UFC champion Rashad Evans, current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, former King of Pancrase Nate Marquardt, and TUF 2 winner Joe Stevenson.
Intangibles: UFC Record: 6-5 (2 TKO) Strengths: Devastating leg kicks, awkward style and timing, good conditioning Weaknesses: Questionable chin Key Wins: Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Mike Whitehead, Wilson Gouveia Notable Losses: Quinton Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, Thiago Silva, Houston Alexander, Travis Wiuff, Stephan Bonnar
Ryan Bader, like Jardine, appeared on The Ultimate Fighter. As winner of season eight, Bader currently holds an undefeated record in mixed martial arts. Bader currently trains at Arizona Combat Sports alongside former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner, UFC fighter C.B. Dollaway, and TUF alumni Jesse Forbes.
Bader wrestling for ASU and was a three-time PAC-10 champion and a two-time Division I All-American. He compiled 120 wins in his collegiate wrestling career which places him eighth all-time at the school.
After defeating Vinny Magalhaes to win The Ultimate Fighter 8, Bader has picked up decision wins over Carmelo Marrero and most recently Eric Schafer. Bader has finished seven of his ten opponents with four TKO's and three submissions. While a strong wrestler, Bader has also found himself rounding out his striking attack with moderate success.
Intangibles: UFC Record: 3-0 (1 TKO) Strengths: Two-time Div I All-American wrestler, great conditioning, improved striking Weaknesses: Relatively inexperienced Key Wins: Eric Schafer, Carmelo Marrero Notable Losses: None
Additional Notes
*In a key lightweight match-up, The Ultimate Fighter 2 winner Joe Stevenson (31-10) faces George Sotiropolous (11-2). Stevenson is currently on a two-fight win streak while Sotiropolous has won his last five, including his two most recent since moving to lightweight. Both fighters are excellent on the ground which could make for an interesting fight on the main card this Saturday. (PDG's Fight to Watch)
*Goran Reljic (8-0) returns after nearly a year off due to injuries against C.B. Dollaway (9-2). Reljic won his UFC debut by TKO against Wilson Gouveia at UFC 84 while Dollaway enters the bout riding a decision win over Jay Silva at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard.
UFC 110 Fight Card Main Card: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropolous Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader Mirko Filipovic vs. Anthony Perosh* Preliminary Card: Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski Chris Lytle vs. Brian Foster Goran Reljic vs. C.B. Dollaway Igor Pokrajac vs. James Te-Huna
*The UFC announced today that a shoulder injury suffered by Elvis Sinosic has forced the cancellation of his rematch with Chris Haseman, and that heavyweight Ben Rothwell has been sidelined by an illness, forcing him out of his bout with Cro Cop. Australian veteran and Elvis Sinosic's training partner Anthony Perosh will step in to face Cro Cop.
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