UFC 114 Preview & Fearless Predictions

Rampage vs. Rashad is the main event of UFC 114 in Las Vegas.

First off: I’d really like to apologize to anybody that bet with my picks for UFC 113. Usually I’m able to pick at least 50-percent or more of the fights correctly, but with UFC 113, it was a big goose egg. Everybody I picked to win lost and lost bad. Lyoto Machida looked like Michael Spinks getting knocked out by Mike Tyson and Kimbo Slice fought so poorly in the second round that Dana White sent him packing after the pay-per-view. So, simply said- I’m sorry.

So, we’ll try to rebound with UFC 114, set for May 29^th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. No titles are on the line, but there are plenty of great contender matches including the long awaited Rampage Jackson/Rashad Evans lightweight fight and Michael Bisping/Dan Miller middleweight fight. So, here is my analysis for the main matches going on at UFC 114:

Middleweight Match: Michael Bisping (18-3) vs. Dan Miller (11-3)

Both of these guys are looking for redemption. Bisping has lost 2 out of his last 3 and suffered a devastating knockout to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 last year. Miller lost his last two matches, including a loss to Damien Maia at UFC 109. This is a tough match to gauge, but I like Miller to win for two reasons:

1) Miller lost to two fighters on their way up (Maia & Chael Sonnen- who the whole world is hoping knocks out Anderson Silva in August) and

2) Bisping’s losses were to guys who were past their prime (Wanderlei Silva & Dan Henderson). As much as I like Bisping, I think Miller’s got this one.

PICK: Dan Miller wins via unanimous decision.

Light Heavyweight Match: Rampage Jackson (30-7) vs. Rashad Evans (18-1)

To say that people have wanted to see this fight for a long time is an understatement. After the two of them got in each other’s face after Jackson’s last fight in March 2009 and because of what transpired when they were coaches on the last season of The Ultimate Fighter, people have been chomping at the bit for this one.

The match was scheduled for last May, but Jackson bailed to go film the upcoming A-Team movie. UFC President Dana White has already said the winner of this match will fight newly crowned light heavyweight champ Shogun Rua later in the year, making it a #1 Contender Match (borrowing some WWE terminology there).

No matter what happens in the cage, this isn’t going to come down to a decision. I think these two legitimately dislike each other and this one will end in a knockout. But if this fight happened last year when it was originally would have happened, I would have leaned towards Rampage to win this one. But with a few more recent fights under his belt, a little more fresh legs and devastating knockout potential, I see Rashad Evans taking Rampage down.

PICK: Rashad Evans wins via knockout in the 2^nd Round.

On a personal note:  UFC 114 will be a first for me. I will not be watching these matches on pay-per-view, but live at the MGM Grand Garden Arena while I am in Las Vegas. Can’t wait to see how this goes down in person.