UFC 106 “Ortiz vs. Griffin 2” Preview & Full Coverage

UFC 106 “Ortiz vs. Griffin 2” Preview & Full Coverage

By Justin Bolduc

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Despite putting on an overseas show last Saturday, Zuffa returns this weekend with UFC 106 featuring the return of former champion Tito Ortiz and former champion and the original Ultimate Fighter Forrest Griffin in a main event rematch.

Taking place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC 106 also features a welterweight showdown between Josh Koscheck and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, as well as the UFC debut of PRIDE veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira – twin brother of former PRIDE heavyweight champion and former UFC interim champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

The pay-per-view broadcast was also set to feature a welterweight bout between Karo Parisyan and Dustin Hazelett, but due to a last second pull out by Parisyan the bout has been canceled. Parisyan claims he pulled out of the card because he was unable to pay a $32,000 fine from when he tested positive for painkillers following his bout with Dong Hyun Kim in October, but Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer has since stated that the governing body was willing to work out a deal with the fighter. The bout has been pulled from the card and UFC president Dana White has stated that Hazelett will receive both his show purse and win bonus. White also stated through his Twitter account that Parisyan will never fight in the UFC again, so it remains to be seen if he will stand by his word or if this was said in the heat of the moment.

Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) vs. Forrest Griffin (16-6)

*Non-Title Light Heavyweight Main Event

Tito Ortiz is one of the most popular mixed martial arts fighters of all-time. He also holds the honor of having held the UFC's 205-pound title the longest, although he has not reigned as the division's king since he lost the title to Randy Couture in 2003. Ortiz' professional mixed martial arts career has taken place entirely inside the UFC, except for one sixteen second bout in 1998.

Ortiz last fought at UFC 84 in May of last year when he lost to current UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Ortiz is winless in his last three bouts, with a TKO loss to former champion Chuck Liddell and a draw with The Ultimate Fighter 2 winner and former champion Rashad Evans. Prior to his recent downturn, Ortiz was on a five-fight win streak over Patrick Cote, Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, and Ken Shamrock (twice).

Ortiz is known for his wrestling and ground and pound. In fifteen professional victories he has won twice by submission (once due to strikes) and eight times by TKO. Ortiz was formerly ranked in the top ten of the light heavyweight division and placed third at the ADCC submission wrestling tournament in 2000.

Intangibles:

UFC Record: 14-6-1

Strengths: Good wrestling, excellent cardio, effective ground and pound

Weaknesses: Sub-par striking, coming off back surgery

Key Wins: Vitor Belfort, Guy Mezger, Patrick Cote, Forrest Griffin, Ken Shamrock (3), Evan Tanner, Wanderlei Silva, Yuki Kondo, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko

Notable Losses: Lyoto Machida, Chuck Liddell (2), Guy Mezger, Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock

Forrest Griffin rose to fame quickly with his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter and subsequent victory in the finals on Spike TV. Griffin's self-deprecating sense of humor, in your face brawling, and heart made him an instant fan favorite. Griffin entered the reality show with a professional record of 9-2 which included wins over Jeff Monson and Chael Sonnen, with losses to Jeremy Horn and Dan Severn – with the Severn bout taking place in Griffin's professional debut.

After defeating Stephan Bonnar in the TUF 1 Finale in an exciting decision, Griffin strung together first round wins over Bill Mahood and Elvis Sinosic before meeting Tito Ortiz for the first time. Ortiz took the first round easily and almost finished the bout with ground and pound, but Griffin rallied and turned a sure defeat into a close split decision loss which many fans thought he actually won.

Since then he has gone 4-3. Griffin rebounded with a second win over Bonnar but was then knocked out by Keith Jardine. Griffin then defeated Hector Ramirez before facing former number one ranked light heavyweight and PRIDE 2005 Grand Prix champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Entering the bout as a massive underdog, Griffin upset the PRIDE star with a third round submission. Griffin then won a five round decision against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to earn the UFC's light heavyweight championship. Since then he has lost two in a row by knockout against Rashad Evans and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Intangibles:

UFC Record: 7-4

Strengths: Improved striking, great conditioning, unmatched work ethic

Weaknesses: Can find himself in “brawl mode”

Key Wins: Quinton Jackson, Mauricio Rua, Jeff Monson, Chael Sonnen, Stephan Bonnar (2), Elvis Sinosic, Hector Ramirez

Notable Losses: Anderson Silva, Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Jeremy Horn, Dan Severn

UFC 106 Main Event Guest Panel Predictions:

Paul “Semtex” Daley – “Wow, awesome headline fight and the first one was really close. I feel that if Tito can maintain that pace he set in the 1st round of the last fight, he will win by 2nd round TKO stoppage.”

Kevin “The Monster” Randleman – “I like watching quality fights and this should be a good one. This fight should be a bloody mess between two veterans of the cage. As far as I know Tito is in shape and I know for a fact that Forrest in shape. It is going to be a straight war going full bore. I only hear about how Tito works out but I have seen first hand the preparation Forrest puts into a fight and I have to take Forrest in this fight because nobody works harder than he does.”

Josh “The Punk” Thomson – “I am going to have go with Tito although I hope Forrest wins. I think that recovering from back surgery and coming back to the UFC that we are going to see a different Tito and Forrest is coming in after back to back losses which is never easy to deal with. I really hope Forrest wins but I still think that Tito will pull off the win.”

Joe “Daddy” Stevenson – “When you have a rematch I like to give the upper hand to the fighter who lost the first match because of the work ethic and training involved that a fighter will endure to change the outcome of the first fight. Especially with a guy like Forrest, I am definitely leaning towards him winning this fight.”

Elvis “The King of Rock & Rumble” Sinosic – “Both guys need a victory. Desperation will make this an exciting match. Forrest is coming off some hard losses. Tito is coming off a long lay off after serious injury and surgery and some long negotiations to get back into the UFC. The last fight was very close. Tito dominated the first round and Forrest came back in the last two (though Tito earned the decision many felt the match was a draw). The question is which will affect each fighter more. Will Forrest’s recent losses have more of an effect or will Tito's time off and surgery have the great effect. I think Tito's time off and his recent surgery is more likely to come into play. Forest has lost recently but he lost in the striking range to explosive accurate fighters with KO power. This is not an issue with Tito. With Tito, Forrest will need to do his best to stay off his back. Which in turn leads to Tito's situation, Tito needs to put Forrest on his back and punish him from the top position.

Now if Tito's back is 100% and he has the takedown ability from when he was in his prime and the cardio to go with it, Forrest will be in a lot of trouble and I could see Tito winning a decision or even possibly a TKO especially if he can keep up the pressure for 3 rounds. The problem is that I think his back injury and surgery will play a bigger part than Forrest’s recent losses. Tito relies on his takedowns and his back will not only need to be 100% it will have needed to be 100% the entire lead up to this fight. I think that Forrest will be able to keep Tito off. I don't think he'll get caught the same way he did in the first fight. He'll be able to pressure Tito and put him on the back foot. I see Forrest winning this fight via Dec.

Let the UFC know you want to see Elvis fight in UFC Australia!”

Chris “Soldato” Camozzi – “Tito Ortiz has been on a long lay off and Forrest is a tough fight to come back to. I think Forrest needs a win after his last fight with Anderson and he knows it. He is going to keep coming forward and push the pace on Tito. My guess will be Forrest by Unanimous Decision.”

Josh Koscheck (13-4) vs. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (8-2)

*Non-Title Welterweight Co-Main Event

Josh Koscheck appeared on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, and despite being overshadowed by winners Forrest Griffin and Diego Sanchez, rose with his own promise of greatness. Initially a one dimensional fighter, Koscheck's single dimension was wrestling – and is he good at it. In 2001, Koscheck won all forty-two of his collegiate wrestling matches and clinched the NCAA Div I national championship. In 2000 he placed second in the NCAA Div I championships and third in 2002. He was a four-time NCAA Div I All-American.

Koscheck appeared on the Spike TV reality show with a professional mixed martial arts record of 2-0, including a decision win over The Ultimate Fighter 2 finalist Luke Cummo. Despite being eliminated on the show by eventual winner Diego Sanchez, Koscheck found a place with the UFC and has fought with the promotion since. Koscheck won his first two bouts before losing for the first time in his professional career to Drew Fickett. After the loss to Fickett Koscheck compiled five consecutive wins, including defeats of Diego Sanchez, Jeff Joslin, and Jonathan Goulet.

Kosheck then lost to current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. Since the loss to St. Pierre, Koscheck has gone 4-2. In his most recent performance he stopped PRIDE veteran and former ICON Sport champion Frank Trigg with strikes inside the first round. Koscheck holds four submission and TKO victories each in his professional career.

Intangibles:

UFC Record: 11-4

Strengths: NCAA Div I wrestling champion, great cardio, good kickboxing

Weaknesses: Questionable chin

Key Wins: Diego Sanchez, Chris Lytle, Dustin Hazelett, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Frank Trigg, Jonathan Goulet, Jeff Joslin, Ansar Chalangov

Notable Losses: Georges St. Pierre, Thiago Alves, Paulo Thiago, Drew Fickett

Anthony Johnson has quickly become a fan favorite for his fast, explosive knockouts over Chad Reiner and TUF finalist Tommy Speer. Johnson has fought a majority of his career in the UFC and debuted with the promotion after winning his first three professional bouts in 2006. In eight professional victories Johnson has stopped six opponents by knockout or TKO.

Johnson met Reiner in his UFC debut and finished his opponent with strikes in only thirteen seconds. He then faced veteran Rich Clementi on short notice and lost for the first time in his career due to submission in the second round after gassing. He then knocked out Speer in only fifty-one seconds, but then lost controversially to Kevin Burns. Burns repeatedly poked Johnson in the eye, and in the third round poked him so hard that damage was actually caused. Johnson dropped to the mat and referee Steve Mazagatti called the bout as a TKO win for Burns. Mazagatti has since admitted to making a mistake.

Johnson, who was on his way to a decision win over Burns, found himself in an immediate rematch after his eye healed and he returned to action. Johnson knocked out Burns with a devastating head kick in the third round. He then knocked out Luigi Fioravanti in the first round, and most recently stopped Yoshiyuki Yoshida in forty-one seconds. His most recent bout with Yoshida was not without controversy though, as Johnson failed to make weight and came in well overweight.

Intangibles:

UFC Record: 5-2

Strengths: Explosive, KO power, wrestling background

Weaknesses: Cuts excessive amounts of weight

Key Wins: Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Luigi Fioravanti, Kevin Burns, Chad Reiner

Notable Losses: Rich Clementi, Kevin Burns

Antonio Rogerio Nogueria (17-3) vs. Luis Cane (10-1, 1 NC)

*Non-Title Light Heavyweight Bout

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is best known by hardcore fans for his success in Japan's now defunct PRIDE. Rogerio Nogueira is also known for being twin brother of former PRIDE heavyweight champion and former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Unlike his brother however, Rogerio competes at light heavyweight.

Nogueira made his PRIDE debut in only his third professional bout and won with a guillotine choke in thirty-five seconds. He then lost for the first time in his career to Vladimir Matyushenko, but was able to rebound with eight consecutive wins, including defeats of Kazuhiro Nakamura, Kazushi Sakuraba, Alistair Overeem, Guy Mezger, and former PRIDE welterweight (183-pound) and middleweight (205-pound) champion Dan Henderson. The last three bouts of Nogueira's PRIDE career saw him lose to PRIDE's 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, while picking up a second win over Overeem.

Since the fall of PRIDE, Nogueira has won his last five bouts, including a rematch with Matyushenko. Nogueira is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and excellent boxer. He has won four times by TKO and six times by submission.

Intangibles:

UFC Record: Debut

PRIDE Record: 8-2

Strengths: Pan American boxing bronze medalist, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, durable

Weaknesses: Struggles most against aggressive fighters

Key Wins: Alistair Overeem (2), Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Vladimir Matyushenko, Guy Mezger, Kazuhiro Nakamura (2), Alex Stieblind, Edwin Dewees

Notable Losses: Mauricio Rua, Vladimir Matyushenko, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Luis Cane has emerged as one of the UFC's most feared light heavyweights. Employing an aggressive Muay Thai attack Cane has finished eight opponents with strikes. On a three-fight win streak, Cane's sole career loss was a disqualification against James Irvin in his UFC debut when he landed a knee to Irvin's head while Irvin was grounded.

Cane made his UFC debut riding a seven-fight win streak with six TKO's and one win by submission due to strikes. After the disqualification loss against Irvin, Cane picked up TKO stoppages against James Lambert and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. In his most recent bout he won a decision against former WEC light heavyweight champion Steve Cantwell at UFC 97 in April.

Cane trains at American Top Team in southern Florida alongside fighters such as former WEC champion Mike Brown, Sengoku champion Jorge Santiago, Jeff Monson, Thiago Alves, two-time HERO'S tournament champion Gesias Cavalcante, Marcus Aurelio, Wilson Gouveia, and Denis Kang – among many, many others. Known for his aggressive striking, Cane also holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Intangibles:

UFC Record: 3-1

Strengths: Explosive, good Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt

Weaknesses: Can fight too aggressively

Key Wins: Jason Lambert, Steve Cantwell, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Notable Loss: James Irvin (DQ)

UFC 106 Fight Card

Main Card:

Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin

Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson

Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Luis Cane

Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni