Main Event
UFC Heavyweight Championship
Interim Champion Shane Carwin vs Reigning Champion Brock Lesnar
This will literally be the biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history as Carwin and Lesnar prepare to throw XXXXL and XXXXXL dukes in the center of the Octagon. This will be Lesnar's first fight back since his life threatening battle with Diverticulitus and the cards in my opinion aren't nearly stacked in his favor. Lesnar and Carwin come from the same wrestling molds but both use them in different ways Lesnar to take his opponents down and make their faces look like freshly ground beef off the Lesnar farm in South Dakota. While Carwin uses his wrestling more like a Randy Couture to close distance keep the fight standing and clinch up and use his super human power in the dirty boxing relam. I think that at some point in this fight unless Carwin or Lesnar can clip the other early that Lesnar will be able to put Carwin on his back, but can he keep him there unlike Frank Mir who really didn't look to get up while Lesnar was on top of him how will Lesnar respond to a huge man with great power looking to get up it may be something a little different than anything Lesnar has felt before. On the feet though I definitely feel that Carwin has the advantage in the stand-up as for no reason else than his power while I do think Lesnar can hold his own I'm just not 100% sold on Lesnar having the kind of power standing that Carwin has. Lesnar has already admitted that he will be fighting in the southpaw stance for the fight which really says he will be looking to shot in on Carwin. One alarming thing that Lesnar said though is that it is easy to bring someone in to mimick Shane Carwin which I don't believe true because you simply can not simulate power like Carwin's. I think in the end after Carwin gets up from being taken down by Lesnar the two will slug it out and Carwin will connect with his cinder block hand and put Lesnar down.
Yell Tap prediction: Carwin via 2nd round KO
Co-Main Event
Middleweight Division
Chris Leben vs Yoshihiro Akiyama
A lot about this fight can be told by Akiyama's attitude towards it since Wanderlei Silva pulled out. Akiyama almost wanted to pull out of this fight which is a telling sign that his heart isn't into this fight and it honestly could kill him against the heavy handed Leben who comes into the fight just 2 weeks after his last one. Akiyama is an elite judo player and really should look into that as his blue print for winning this fight because trading fists with the iron chinned Leben is not a bright idea and would crush Akiyama. While the feet are the advantage for Leben as was said earlier Akiyama should have the advantage on the ground and he should fight this fight like his with Melvin Manhoef by weathering the storm on the feet and getting a take down and submission. I don't think that will happen though as Leben is a more well rounded fighter than Manhoef.
Yell Tap Prediction: Leben via 2nd rd TKO
Welterweight Division
Matt Brown vs Chris Lytle
The throwdown of the will take place in this fight a rematch of a 2004 meeting between these two brawlers. Lytle has been around for what seems like forever and already holds a win over Brown in 2004, but I see this fight going a little differntly as I think Browns progression since their last bout and Lytle's willingness to brawl will hurt him here.
Yell Tap Prediction: Upset Special Brown via 2nd rd TKO
Light Heavyweight Division
Krystof Soszynski vs Stephan Bonnar
Another rematch here as Bonnar will attempt to get revenge on Soszynski for a controversial TKO loss at UFC 110 when a head butt from Soszynski caused a cut stoppage on Bonnar. This fight will look a lot like their first one but I'm gonna step out of the box and say Bonnar pulls this one out with his UFC career on the line.
Yell Tap Prediction: Bonnar via Unanimous Decision
Lightweight Division
Kurt Pellegrino vs George Sotiropoulos
The grappling battle of the night will take place in the opening bout of the evening and honestly I believe that this one comes down to the training and Kurt trained with better people "cough" Marcello Garcia "cough" and it will show at the end of the night.
Yell Tap prediction: Pellegrino via Unanimous Decision
Spike TV Prelims
Heavyweight Division
Brendan Schaub vs Chris Tuchscherer- Schaub via 2nd rd TKO
Light Heavyweight Division
Ricardo Romero vs Seth Petruzelli- Petruzelli via 3rd rd Submission
Prelims
Middleweight Division
Goran Reljic vs Kendall Grove- Reljic via TKO 3rd Rd
Welterweight Division
Daniel Roberts vs Forrest Petz- Petz via Unanimous Decision
Heavyweight Division
Jon Madsen vs Karlos Vemola- Vemola via 1st rd KO
