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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC's 2013 schedule kicks off on Saturday night in Brazil, as Michael Bisping aims for a title fight when he takes on Vitor Belfort in Sao Paulo, airing live on FX. The four fight main card features some decent action, but Saturday's card is all about the night's main event, and that's where we begin today:
Michael Bisping vs. Vitor Belfort (Middleweight)
Though Belfort technically enters this fight with more years in the sport, it's Bisping who has the most UFC experience between the two. This middleweight matchup has Bisping in line for a title fight with a win, while Belfort can move himself into the top end of the rest of the field with a win.
Belfort's got considerable knockout power, and a fairly adept submission game, one which saw him nearly pull an upset over Jon Jones in September. He's capable of violent bursts of offense, and if he catches Bisping right, he's entirely capable of finishing him.
However, despite Bisping's knockout loss to Dan Henderson - a punch which would have felled anyone it landed against - Bisping's actually quite durable. He's taken some bad shots against a lot of different opponents, and he's been able to fight through. He's got very good striking skills, he's improved his striking defense, and he's a capable grappler as well.
Add what should be a cardio advantage, I like Bisping's chances provided the fight leaves the first round. Belfort's power is a very real issue, but if Bisping avoids the big strike in the first frame, the fight will be in his favor as it continues. I think we'll see Bisping wear Belfort down in this one, and I think he may just finish this once it reaches the fourth. This is Bisping's opportunity to get a title fight, and I think he'll rise to that occasion. Bisping by TKO in the fourth.
Daniel Sarafian vs. C.B. Dolloway (Middleweight)
Sarafian made it to the finals of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," but an injury kept him out of the finale event in June. He'll now make his debut against a fellow TUF finalist in Dolloway.
The season 7 finalist has 10 fights in the UFC, going 6-4 in over four and a half years in the organization. He's got a decent skill set, though he's not spectacular in any aspects of the game. He can hold his own striking, and is a capable wrestler who will test Sarafian's grappling game.
That said, Sarafian's got a chance to debut with an impressive performance here. He's not a bad striker, but his submission game is where he's much more capable. Dolloway, while a strong wrestler, has also been susceptible to submissions in the past, and will need to employ all of his learned defense in this fight more than likely. It should be a competitive fight, but I think Sarafian comes through. Sarafian by submission in the second round.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell (Heavyweight)
This probably won't be a great fight. There's a slight potential for it to be entertaining, but both Rothwell and Gonzaga are capable of essentially canceling each other out with grappling and striking. Both are hard headed and difficult to finish in the striking game, and though Gonzaga's got a very good submission game, Rothwell's wrestling can stifle that aspect of the fight.
It's hard to say either has a considerable advantage anywhere, but I'd lean Rothwell being able to score strikes, take Gonzaga down, or at least control him. I don't think it will be pretty, but I'll take Rothwell by decision.
Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (Lightweight)
Nurmagomedov eked out a decision against Gleison Tibau to keep himself undefeated in his last fight. Though it wasn't as impressive as his debut performance, he's got considerable talent, and has shown some excitement through those first two UFC bouts.
Tavares is a longtime UFC veteran with a fairly well rounded game. He's got good striking, good grappling, and he's a tough, veteran test for the undefeated Russian fighter.
I expect a competitive, balanced fight, with Nurmagomedov testing his striking with Tavares before trying to pit his Sambo skills against Tavares on the ground. I think he'll be able to do enough to edge this one, and I'll take Nurmagomedov by decision.
=====Preliminary Card Quick Picks=====
-Milton Vieira over Godofredo Castro via decision
-Ronny Markes over Andrew Craig via TKO in the second round
-Nik Lentz over Diego Nunes via decision
-Edson Barboza over Lucas Martins via TKO in the first round
-Yuri Alcantara over Pedro Nobre via TKO in the first round
-Wagner Prado over Ildemar Alcantara via TKO in the first round
-Francisco Trinaldo over C.J. Keith via decision
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/penickstake/article_15652.shtml
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