It’s time again for the Pain Poll to return here at Five Ounces of Pain with tonight’s UFC Fight For The Troops card in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Tonight’s card is packed with three hours of action and there are many burning questions. Will Josh Koscheck be able to defeat Yoshiyuki Yoshida after making such a quick turnaround after UFC 90? Will Mike Swick stay undefeated in the welterweight division? The staff of 5 Oz. has the answers so let’s waste no more time and get to it..
Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Adam Morgan: Yoshida is one of the best fighters from Japan that the UFC has signed but I don’t think he’ll have what it takes to topple Koscheck. Yoshida’s judo, submissions, and ground and pound game are beast but I doubt that he’ll be able to put Koscheck on his back due to Kos’ strong wrestling background and judo training under Dave Camarillo. Kos is the more explosive athlete with more Octagon experience. I expect a spirited performance out of Yoshida but I see Koscheck coming out on top. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision.
Cory Brady: Yoshida is riding an eight fight win streak but he’s going up against the wrong guy this time.Koscheck will be determined not to drop two fights in a row and one of two things can happen here. Koscheck comes out on fire and closes the show early or he controls the fight with his wrestling on his way to a very safe win. Either way Koscheck wins this one. Winner: Koscheck KO Round 2
David Andrest: Yoshida is a much better fighter than many will give him credit for, and the match up with Koscheck could prove to be an upset in the minds of alot of people. I want to pick Yoshida, but I can’t. Yoshida finishes fights, Koscheck doesn’t get finished. Yoshida doesn’t win decisions, Koscheck does. WinnerK Koscheck via Decision
Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet
Adam Morgan: Goulet’s chin may possibly be the most suspect chin in all of mixed martial arts. Swick is a devastating striker and he’s looking much more comfortable at 170 lbs. All of this makes for a recipe for disaster for Goulet who I doubt will get out of the first round in this one. Swick has yet to really put an opponent down with his striking at 170 and this is the showcase fight for him on national television. Mike Swick via TKO, round one.
Cory Brady: This will be an extremely exciting fight while it lasts. Goulet’s style will force Swick to really fight hard and there will be fireworks when he turns it up. The main thing is that although Goulet is very good in all areas of the game, Swick is just a little better. Winner: Swick Decision
David Andrest: Subscribing to my idea that no matches are made in the UFC without purpose, I have to agree with Adam Morgan. On the surface this match appears to be a showcase for Swick to look impressive at 170. Winner Mike Swick via Swick Out Round 1
Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hassan
Adam Morgan: Steve Cantwell has been on a tear since losing to Brian Stann, avenging that loss and beating two other opponents in that same time. However, if Cantwell can’t beat Al-Hassan his UFC career may be short lived for the time being. Al-Hassan is a credible opponent but Cantwell has fought the tougher fights on the bigger stages and this should be a victory for him as long as he can stay away from Al-Hassan’s dangerous striking. If he can do that, and he should, this should be a W for Cantwell. Steve Cantwell via TKO, round two.
Cory Brady: Al-Hassan is coming in as a dark horse that has potential to really spoil the show for Cantwell. He won’t though. Cantwell has an aggressive style and powerful hands. He will provide some exciting fights in the UFC in the future without a doubt. Winner: Cantwell KO Round 1
David Andrest: Cantwell is a solid fighter with great power, i expect him to win this fight with very little trouble. Winner: Cantwell via KO Round 1
Tim Credeur vs. Nate Loughran
Adam Morgan: This should be a good battle of grapplers as both men are submission specialists. This will be Loughran’s second fight in the UFC while Credeur faced a host of middleweights on TUF 7 and has competed against some of the better middleweights in all of MMA during his career. Loughran is a young stud who has a good game but Credeur’s experience in big fights and his overall experience on the ground should be the deciding factor in this bout. If it stays on the feet, Credeur has shown that he has no problem standing and banging either. Tim Credeur via submission, round two.
Cory Brady: Creduer has looked great recently and Loughran has never looked bad. neither of these guys let fights go the distance so I fully expect a finish in this one. Loughran has submitted eight of the nine guys he has defeated but he will not be able to submit Credeur who is a black belt in jiu-jitsu. I wouldn’t be surprised if this fight stays on the feet for the most part. Winner: Credeur KO Round 2
David Andrest: UFC fans have never seen the best of Tim Creduer. I suspect tonight will be a coming out party for Creduer as I also believe his experience will play a major role…………along with him being the better fighter in all areas. Winner: Creduer via sub Round 2.
Matt Wiman vs. Jim Miller
Adam Morgan: Wiman has been on a roll since coming off TUF 5, railing off four straight victories with one of them coming in brutal fashion over a legitimate top tier lightweight in Thiago Tavares. Wiman is dangerous on the feet and on the ground but Jim Miller is no joke himself, especially on the ground. If Miller is able to get this to the ground, and I think he will, Wiman will be in for a long night as Miller is a highly regarded jiu jitsu practitioner under Renzo Gracie. This should be one of the best scraps of the evening for sure but I’m picking against Wiman (again) in favor of the uber-talented Miller. Jim Miller via submission, round two.
Cory Brady: Wiman looked amazing in his “Fight of the Night” win against Thiago Tavares but Miller is a different kind of fighter. I expect Miller to fight a much safer, slower paced fight than Tavares did and come away with an extremely competitive victory. Winner: Miller Decision
David Andrest: Adam Morgan has picked against Matt Wiman. This is reason enough for me to consider him my lock of the night. Winner Wiman Decision
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Brodie Farber
Adam Morgan: It’s only fitting that a fight night that involves the military has Luigi Fioravanti, a former Marine, on the card. Fioravanti is a dangerous striker who likes to clinch and win ugly, ugly fights. Farber is coming off a devastating KO loss to Rory Markham in a fight where he was actually doing halfway decent until catching a kick to the jaw. I don’t know exactly who to pick here but Fioravanti has the experience and will definitely have the crowd behind him. Luigi Fioravanti via unanimous decision.
Cory Brady: Fioravanti packs an incredible punch for his size. Farber looked like he was a little sloppy with his stand up in his last fight so I fully expect for Fioravanti to have himself something for the highlight reel once this one is finished. Winner: Fioravanti KO Round 2
David Andrest: Fioravanti is a beast. He looked much better than expected against Diego Sanchez in their last fight, I highly doubt Farber will be able to finish him. I have nothing against Farber I just feel Fioravanti is better everywhere and will win and look impressive doing so. Winner Fioravanti KO Round 1
Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees
Adam Morgan: This is without a doubt a fight where the winner stays and the loser gets cut. Both men are coming off losses, Bruno to Chris Wilson and Rees to Nate Loughran. Bruno is a very powerful striker with good wrestling skills. He almost reminds you of Phil Baroni with the way he fights. Rees is a submission fighter who has a cupcake record and Bruno will put his lights out. Steve Bruno via TKO, round one.
Cory Brady: This is a really tough one to call. Rees aka “The Hater Hurter” has a really sweet nickname and a lot of wins over guys that not many people have heard of. Bruno went the distance with the extremely tough Chris Wilson in his last bout so I think he will be a little too much for Rees who was submitted in his last fight by Nate Loughran. Winner: Bruno Decision
David Andrest: I agree with most people that this is a loser go home fight. I haven’t seen enough from either of them to give the advantage over the other. Winner: Steve Bruno via decision
Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff
Adam Morgan: Saunders has the better skills, the better camp, and the better heart. After this fight it’s time for him to start facing some better competition. Ben Saunders via submission, round one.
Cory Brady: Brandon Wolff could surprise a lot of people in this one. he is not as well known as Saunders but relatively equal in many areas.The deciding factor will be octagon experience. Saunders is used to the bright lights and attention that the UFC brings and he should be able to keep cooler on his way to a submission victory. Winner: Saunders Submission Round 2
David Andrest: Saunders is seriously overlooked at 170, he has all the tools to work his way into the mix in a very strong division. Saunders has an unusual style that will cause problems for many people as he continues to improve. Brandon Wolff is a good up and coming fighter, but just will not have the tools to beat Saunders. Winner: Ben Saunders via Sub Round 2 (* sub of the night)
Corey Hill vs. Dale Hartt
Adam Morgan: Yet another loser leaves town matchup. Hartt is 0-1 in the UFC with his loss to Shannon Gugerty but has since improved his training with camps like Cobra Kai jiu jitsu and Xtreme Couture. As for Hill, you don’t ever hear much about him but the freakish lightweight is someone that Pat Miletich was raving about not too long ago. If Hill has it together, he could be an unstoppable lightweight with his reach at 6’4” and his ridiculous athleticism. However, if he doesn’t, then Hartt has an excellent opportunity to do his thing. Tough call here, but I’m going to go with Corey Hill. Corey Hill via TKO, round three.
Cory Brady: I am not convinced that Corey Hill is the real thing just yet. He always seems a little awkward and out of his element in the octagon. Hartt is hungrier than ever and I think he has the well rounded skill set to beat a guy like Hill. Winner: Hartt KO Round 2
David Andrest: This isn’t a tough call at all. Hill is better on his feet, and now that Hill is training with Rob Kahn at Gracie Tampa, I expect his ground game is far better than it has ever been. At 6′ 4″ with all the tools I think we’ll see the “best Cory Hill” we’ve ever seen……LOL sorry. Winner: Corey Hill via sub Round 2
Eddie Sanchez vs. Justin McCully
Adam Morgan: Eddie Sanchez can wrestle but he likes to stand and bang. Justin McCully can wrestle. And when two wrestlers get together they usually end up standing the whole time. And when that happens, the fight favors Sanchez. Bye, bye McCully. Eddie Sanchez via TKO, round two.
Cory Brady: I know that according to MMAth McCully should have the edge in this one. McCully recently had a decision win over Antoni Hardonk whle Sanchez was knocked out by the Dutchman in his last outing. Well I don’t care about MMAth. Sanchez has very heavy hands and I think he will catch McCully sooner rather than later. Winner: Eddie Sanchez KO Round 1
David Andrest: The only thing McCully has lacked is conditioning. I have it on good authority that this will not be an issue this time out. Winner: Justin McCully decision.
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