The 13th instalment of UFC Fight Night is this Wednesday night in Colorado, and airs live and free on Spike TV at 7pm ET. The card is easily the most stacked Fight Night card to date with five star studed match ups on the main card, and several intriguing match ups on the undercard. Although none of the fights have any type of major title ramifications, this jam packed event is full of exciting matches and will definitely be fun to watch. Let's take a look at the main card, and I'll fill you in on who I think will have their hands raised.
Houston Alexander (8-2) vs. James Irvin (13-4-1): For fans who prefer fights that stay on their feet, this ones for you. Houston Alexander rose to stardom following impressive knockouts of Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara. Alexander also showed that he's vulnerable when things hit the ground, after being taken down and TKO'd by Thiago Silva at UFC 78. Ten of Ivin's thirteen wins have come via some type of knockout. He also prefers to keep things on the feet, and usually puts on an exciting performance. With these two guys in the octagon, I'll be shocked if someone doesn't get their head knocked off.
PREDICTION: Alexander by KO in round 1.
Kurt Pellegrino (11-3) vs. Nate Diaz (8-2): Diaz has been begging the UFC for better competition, and we'll have it Wednesday night. Pellegrino AKA Batman, is a wrestler with great BJJ. He's mainly known for great submissions, but had a impressive knockout win over Alberto Crane in January. Diaz's strengths are also on the ground, but the Ultimate Fighter winner isn't afraid to throw down. Both fighters are trying to reach the next level, and a victory will probably get them there. This fight could end up anywhere and should be an amazing display of MMA.
PREDICTION: Diaz by Split Decision.
Matt Hamill (5-1) vs. Tim Boetsch (7-1): Both fighters have a strong wrestling background and have the potential to compete with the best at 205 lbs. Hamill got the royal screw job at UFC 75 when the judges awarded the victory to Michael Bisping. In that fight, Hamill showed that he had become a very well rounded fighter, as opposed to the one dimensional wrestler he was on The Ultimate Fighter. Boetsch has impressed people with his versatility as a fighter. Four of his wins have been by TKO, while three have been by submission. This guy finishes fights. This fight will come down to who has the most brute strength.
PREDICTION: Hamill by TKO in round 2.
Thiago Alves (18-4) vs. Karo Parysian (25-4): For a guy who brags about how good of a fighter he is, Parysian sure puts on some pretty boring performances. He says he deserves a title shot, but he hasn't been able to finish his last three mediocre opponents. As easy as it is to not like Parysian, you can't deny his talent. In 11 UFC fights he's only lost twice and holds victories over Matt Serra and Nick Diaz. Alves has quietly gone on a four fight win streak, with the last three of those fights being won by TKO. Expect the winner of this fight to get a match against a major contender in the welterweight division.
PREDICTION: Parysian by unanimous decision.
Kenny Florian (9-3) vs. Joe Lauzon (15-3): This should be an explosive main event. Both Massachusetts fighters have the talent to finish fights standing or on the ground, so this fight could end up anywhere. Florian is 7-1 since dropping to 155 lbs, with his only loss coming against Sean Sherk. He has vicious elbow's along with fantastic submissions. Lauzon is on a six fight win streak (excluding his loss on TUF, which was an exhibition fight), and has been training is Hawaii with BJ Penn. Many see the fast and explosive Lauzon as a future champ, and it's hard to argue that. The winner of this fight could very easily find themselves in a number one contenders match.
PREDICTION: Florian by TKO in round 2.
In addition to the big fights on the main card there's also some very interesting matches on the undercard involving Frankie Edgar, Din Thomas, Manny Gamburyan, and the always exciting Clay Guida. The event will put the lightweight division on display as one of the UFC's deepest divisions. Enjoy watching the fights, and make sure to check back soon for my UFC 83 report.
-Joe Osborne
