411's UFC 81: Breaking Point Roundtable Preview

by Caleb Newby

UFC 81 is here LIVE from Las Vegas, and everyone wants to know, is Brock Lesnar for real? 411mania’s MMA team is here to break down that very question as “The Next Big Thing” takes on a very tough test in former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. Speaking of championships, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira faces the man everyone loves to hate, Tim Sylvia, for the interim title. All this and much, much more on 411’s Roundtable breakdown!

Welcome one and all to our preview of UFC 81: Breaking Point (and a very special welcome to you pro wrestling fans checking out this MMA nonsense for the first time). And if you are indeed ordering this Saturday's event and are not familiar with the world of mixed martial arts, please let me STRONGLY encourage you to watch the March 2 event. With Anderson Silva facing Dan Henderson for the middleweight championship, we are going to have the legit top two fighters in a weight class going at it, a rare treat. Not to mention Silva is one of the most exciting strikers you'll ever see.

You know, with all this hype for Brock Lesnar, you have to wonder if the UFC has considered putting it on last as the main event. I mean who wants to end a PPV with Tim Sylvia holding the title anyway? That's not sending the fans home happy. But I digress. We have a lot of fights to get to and a whole lot of interest surrounding it. So without further ado, I'll turn it over to the best MMA team on the net!


Keita Nakamura vs. Rob Emerson

Michael Huckaby: How can you not root for a guy who was part of a rich white boy gang that went around the suburbs attacking innocent couples? Does he kick puppies too? He's every parent's dream. I kid, I'm just glad he's out of jail and back to the one-on-one fighting he's not that great at that he'll soon be doing at a local saloon MMA show near you. K-Taro got thrown to the wolves (baby wolves maybe?) with Fickett and Larson and I think (hope) he'll get back on track and send Malibu's Most Wanted out of the UFC.
Winner: K-Taro Nakamura, sub, Rd3

Dustin James: This fight is kind of interesting. Why? Because Emerson showed some pretty decent skills during his stint on The Ultimate Fighter. Besides being a major tool, Emerson can take some punishment. However, Nakamura is undefeated in MMA.......except for when he fights in the UFC. See, Nakamura is 14-2-2 as a pro, but is 0-2 in the UFC. Maybe Nakamura's losses are because he was fighting on Spike TV and not PPV? Either way I would look for Nakamura to finally get on the winning side of things in the UFC.
Winner: Keita Nakamura - Submission, Rd 2

Randy Harrison: Nakamura has had a tough go of it in the UFC so far, with two losses to Brock Larson and Drew Fickett in two previous Fight Night undercard fights. This time he moves to the undercard of a PPV with a MUCH easier opponent. Emerson has a .500 record and I'm looking for it to go sub-.500 as Nakamura's two UFC losses have been his only losses in his career. In an odd statistical anomaly, every single one of Nakamura's submission wins has come via the rear naked choke. Look for him to take Emerson's back and choke him out in round two.
Winner: Keita Nakamura, Submission, Rd 2

Jeremy Lambert: This is Nakamura's 3rd fight in UFC, posting losses in his other 2. Emerson hasn't fought since the Double KO with Gray Maynard. Despite his 2 losses in UFC, Nakamura is a good fighter who hasn't lost outside the UFC. I think Emerson is a mediocre fighter who was losing that fight with Maynard before the Double KO. Emerson is a tough guy to finish though so even if Nakamura gets the fight to the ground, he may not be able to finish. I think Nakamura will score takedowns, work some ground and pound, go for submissions, and win a decision.
Winner: Keita Nakamura, Decision

Morgan Marx: For UFC 81, my favorite pre-fight information goes to the Nakamura v. Emerson fight, hands down. From the UFC profile on Emerson casually mentioning "a short sting in jail in 2007," to Nakamura citing Emerson's penchant for street fighting (or assault, depending on how you look at it) and vowing to punish Emerson "like his mama did," it's pure comic gold. Emerson can talk about becoming a "new and improved" fighter all he wants, but I'm more impressed that Nakamura went a combined 6 rounds with Brock Larson and Drew Fickett. At 155, I like Nakamura's chances at coming out on the right side of a decision.
Winner: K-Taro (Unanimous Decision)

Bren Oliver: Yo, yo, yo...I be pickin Rob Emerson, or R-ob as we in the street call him, cause he's pretty fly for a white guy! Actually, I'm gonna go with K-Taro on this one, as I've yet to be impressed by Emerson's work in the cage. Nakamura may be 0-2 in the Octagon, but both of his losses came against Welterweights (talented ones at that in Fickett/Larson) whereas he's more naturally suited for Lightweight. I don't think either man has the power or technical skill to finish the other off and the high number of "decision" victories on each man's record backs up my gut feeling.
Winner: Keita Nakamura, Judges' Decision


David Heath vs. Tim Boetsch

Michael Huckaby: I'm not really comfortable picking this as I see a very good chance of a split decision that I'll no doubt pick incorrectly. They're ridiculously evenly matched right down to losing a plodding, boring decision that wasn't their fault (Machida and Matyushenko, respectively). I think Heath might be able to finish but I'll go the easy route.
Winner: David Heath, decision

Dustin James: Tim Boetsch is making his UFC debut here, and it's coming against a guy who is on a 2 fight losing streak in the UFC. Heath is 2-2 in the UFC with his 2 losses coming to Renato Sobral and Lyoto Machida. That's not bad at all. Boetsch is the kind of fighter who doesn't let his fights go to decision, while Heath has only fought to two decision himself. I'd have to favor the UFC veteran in this fight.
Winner: David Heath - KO, Rd 3

Randy Harrison: Heath and Boetsch have both shown the ability to finish and the ability to have boring fights, so it's really a crapshoot as to what we're going to see Saturday night. Heath's two losses in his career are to Lyoto Machida and Babalu, so he's not a slouch by any means, while Boetsch's only loss is to IFL Light Heavyweight Champion Vladimir Matyushenko. The difference in this one might come down to the dreaded "Octagon jitters" and Heath won't have them based on his huge experience advantage in the UFC. Heath will probably end up outworking Boetsch and earning the decision. If not, he might quickly find his way out of the UFC.
Winner: David Heath, Decision

Jeremy Lambert: GANGREL~! Heath hasn't fought since the Babalu incident where he was pretty much dominated. Boetsch is fresh off an IFL loss, the first of his career. Boetsch has heavy hands so I expect him to want to keep the fight standing and look for the knockout. Heath is a decent fighter but nothing special with average rounded skills. I think Boetsch knocks him out early.
Winner: Tim Boetsch, TKO, Round 1

Morgan Marx: No real insight in this one. Boetsch has a slight advantage in that he's an unknown commodity and Heath will be under a lot of pressure to win what with two consecutive losses in the UFC. Boetsch survived against Vladimir Matyushenko, which says something of his ability to minimize damage if not his ability to escape a plodding wrestler. Heath probably can't afford to fight conservatively (a boring fight would be as bad as a loss) so he might slip up and allow Boetsch to land the one big punch.
Winner: Tim Boetsch (TKO, Rd 2)

Bren Oliver: David Heath must have upset the Zuffa brass after drawing Renato Sobral and Lyoto Machida as his last two opponents, but I believe Tim Boetsch will allow the Oklahoman to get his UFC career back on track. Boetsch is an above average fighter, having only lost in his last match and having never been finished, but I see Heath as the superior Mixed Martial Artist and I believe his experience in the Octagon will give him an advantage over newcomer Boetsch.
Winner: David Heath, Judges' Decision


Marvin Eastman vs. Terry Martin

Michael Huckaby: If I do not see this on my television I will be upset. If you're going to up the PPV price it's really the least they could do. It's a battle of semi-awkward striking but Martin has proven he has the better KO power, whether he's dominating or getting dominated. The problem becomes as this hits the 2nd and 3rd rounds Martin loses steam on his strikes and is apt to get caught. I'll take Martin, I like him, and like most people that like him I'm not sure why.
Winner: Terry Martin, (T)KO, Rd3

Dustin James: Terry Martin is a very talented fighter, don't get me wrong. Unfortunately he doesn't have a good chin, that or he just likes getting knocked out. Martin is 16-3 as a pro and all 3 of his losses have come by KO. BUT, 10 of his wins have come by KO as well. So you know the dude loves to throw. Eastman on the other hand, is a pretty decent fighter. He just seems to slip up whenever he fights a big name. But Eastman did beat Rampage Jackson in Eastman's first MMA fight. I'd look for Terry Martin to want to keep the fight standing, where his strength to throw should allow him to prevail.
Winner: Terry Martin - KO, Rd 2

Randy Harrison: Two guys that are almost mirror images of each other and they're going to be bringing the stand-up in this one. They'll both stand and trade and slug it out in the middle of the cage and it should make for a great fight. Eastman has been proven to have a chin that is a little suspect and Martin is going to be looking to redeem himself after his loss to Chris Leben. This could spell a quick night for Eastman and a possible highlight reel KO for Martin.
Winner: Terry Martin, TKO, Rd 1

Jeremy Lambert: Eastman won his last fight but lost his last fight in UFC to current champ Quinton Jackson. Martin had Chris Leben beat, only to get knocked out. I expect both guys to want to stand and bang and put on an entertaining fight for the crowd. I think Eastman is more technical but Martin has heavier hands. If Martin doesn't knockout Eastman quickly, he'll likely get frustrated and end up losing this fight either by TKO or decision.
Winner: Marvin Eastman, TKO, Round 3

Morgan Marx: There won't be any surprises in this one. Terry Martin rarely goes to a decision. Either he'll put Eastman out cold or the Corrections officer is going to land a nasty elbow that cuts Martin. While Eastman should be commended for an ungodly work ethic and commitment to the sport, I don't think he'll survive 15 minutes taking damage from Martin. Still, I like Eastman at 185, and I think he may have something up his sleeve to catch Martin.
Winner: Marvin Eastman (TKO, Rd 2)

Bren Oliver: Both these men love to throw leather so I will likely soil my boxer-briefs if this fight ends in a Submission. Eastman has shown he can still fight even on the plus-side of 35, while Martin has shown flashes of brilliance both in his striking and in defeat. Few fighters can claim the distinction of being on the losing side of two "highlight reels" but Martin certainly is able to wear that feather in his cap thanks to James Irvin's flying knee and Chris Leben's comeback knockout at Fight Night XI last September. I believe this fight has a good chance of making the televised card based on the fighters' styles. I'm only picking Martin based on his youth and power, but I won't blink twice of Eastman ends up putting him to sleep before the third round wraps.
Winner: Terry Martin, RD 2, TKO


Chris Lytle vs. Kyle Bradley

Michael Huckaby: Every card there is one of these fights where you have nothing to say and the outcome is basically pre-determined.
Winner: Chris Lytle, sub, Rd2

Dustin James: I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not the biggest fan of Chris Lytle. Don't get me wrong, the guy is talented....it just seems that whenever he gets his chance to step it up, he can't back it up. This fight however, has the feel of the UFC feeding Lytle somebody. Bradley is making his UFC debut and is 13-4 as a pro. He is on a 7 fight win streak with 5 of those fights ending by KO. Will he be able to KO Lytle? Probably not.
Winner: Chris Lytle - Submission, Rd 1

Randy Harrison: Bradley has a decent 14-4 record but it's mainly as a can-crusher as any step up in his level of competition has led to losses. Lytle is a huge step up in competition for him and Lytle is a hit-and-miss fighter for the most part, but he's going to score a big hit here at the expense of the debuting Bradley.
Winner: Chris Lytle, Submission, Rd 2

Jeremy Lambert: I've never seen Bradley fights but based on his record, it looks like he likes to stand and trade, something that got Lytle in trouble last fight. This fight seems like a "thank you" to Lytle for not bitching about the stoppage in his last fight and for allowing Matt Hughes to blanket him a year ago. Lytle takes him down and finishes early.
Winner: Chris Lytle, Submission, Round 1

Morgan Marx: This is a tailor made fight for Lytle. He should have little trouble taking Bradley where he wants to be. Bradley may have the boxing ability to stand with Lytle, but I'm sure Lytle can outclass the UFC newcomer on the ground. The problem for Lytle is that he comes up short against the top 10 fighters. Still, this could be a KO or submission of the night contender.
Winner: Chris Lytle (Submission, Rd 1)

Bren Oliver: In losing a decision to Matt Hughes, Chris Lytle won my respect and I doubt I'm alone in my admiration for his performance. I believe he's well-rounded and intelligent which tend to make for a winning combo in MMA. I don't know much about Bradley other than he's won seven in a row and finished six of those opponents. He will no doubt want to strike given his hands' reputation for leaving opponents TKO'd. However, I think Lytle will be too much for him in the fight, and he'll eventually find a way to sink in a Rear-Naked Choke or perhaps even pull guard and lock in a Triangle.
Winner: Chris Lytle, RD 2, Submission


Gleison Tibau vs. Tyson Griffin

Michael Huckaby: I really like this fight and while the resulting ways may not show it, Tibau is really growing as a fighter. That said, he's running into Tyson Griffin who I really can't see Tibau finishing and there is little way he'd win a decision outside of complete domination out of nowhere. They'll stand, they'll go the ground, they'll stand, they'll go the ground, but Griffin will get the better of it a majority of the time and take this in a close, but not that close, fight.
Winner:: Tyson Griffin, decision

Dustin James: Ladies and gentlemen, your fight of the night? It seems like Tyson Griffin always likes to bring a show for the fans it all just comes down to Tibau. Tibau is 3-1 in the UFC with his only loss coming to Nick Diaz. Griffin is also 3-1 in the UFC with his only loss coming to the undefeated Frank Edgar. Me, personally. I feel that Griffin is one of the most underrated Lightweight fighters in MMA. He always bring his "a" game and hell, he has a win over Urijah Faber on his record. THE DUDE IS GOOD! Oh, and he trains with Xtreme Couture. DERF??
Winner: Tyson Griffin - Decision

Randy Harrison: Tibau is double-tough, but Griffin is on a roll and will be looking to use his wrestling and ground-and-pound to keep that roll going. Tibau will want to keep this fight standing but there's no way that's going to happen. There will be lots of scrambling and lots of fighting on the mat, and that's Griffin's world, which he will dominate. Tibau is a gamer but he's just managed to be unlucky enough to be the next guy in Griffin's path. An exciting fight but I don't expect to see a finish.
Winner: Tyson Griffin, Decision

Jeremy Lambert: Why is this fight not televised according to UFC.com? Seriously, why? It's impossible for Tyson Griffin to have a boring fight and hopefully this fight makes TV. The only reason I can think as to why it wouldn't be on TV is because Randy Couture will likely corner Griffin and they don't want to show him since he should be in the main event on this show. Anyway, this fight will rule, Tyson Griffin is awesome, and he'll win.
Winner: Tyson Griffin, Decision

Morgan Marx: There's nothing Tibau can throw at Griffin that Thiago Tavares didn't already try. Tibau may be a former welterweight, but Griffin's odd physiology (forgive me if I omit any references to Griffin's backside) makes him a deceptively huge lightweight. I think Griffin outpaces Tibau until the ATT fighter wears down, then pounds out a victory. Up next will be a top 7 fighter for Griffin and a chance to firmly establish himself as a future title contender.
Winner: Tyson Griffin (TKO, Rd 3)

Bren Oliver: Tyson Griffin is one of the UFC's most exciting fighters and gets everything he can out of his 5'6" frame. I expect the bout between he of Xtreme Couture training and Gleison Tibau to be "Fight of the Night", though that's not saying much given the UFC Lightweight Division's history when it comes to leaving fans breathless. Tibau is riding a four-fight winning streak and will come prepared based on his affiliation with American Top Team. Griffin is as well-rounded, if not a bit more powerful, and will absolutely test Tibau's conditioning. I think he will ultimately outwork the Brazilian and it will show on the judges' scorecards. The subplot to this scrap is whether or not Randy Couture will corner Griffin, or more to the point, whether or not the UFC will allow him to.
This has nothing to do with the actual fight, but I felt the need to mention Tibau lost to a fighter named "Anaconda Anaconda" in 2004 in the giant snake-snake's first and only career win, then followed up that disappointing performance by beating a fellow named "Anderson Bad Boy" in his next bout. Seriously.
Winner: Tyson Griffin, Judges' Decision


Ricardo Almeida vs. Rob Yundt
With Rob Yundt being a late replacement for Alan Belcher, and the majority of the 411mania staff doing their roundtable surprisingly early and on time, most had Belcher in their analysis. Thus the short breakdown. The more you know.

Morgan Marx: Had Alan Belcher not been forced to withdraw from this bout, I would have predicted a tough return for Almeida. But against Yundt, Cachorrao gets a reprieve. Yundt has never fought on a stage as bright as the IFL or WEC, let alone the biggest of them all. His last three victories all came against opponents making their MMA debut. Now, he gets to face a world class grappler. Belcher could have troubled Almeida with his size and striking. Yundt will probably play into Almeida's submission expertise, allowing the UFC to keep dreaming that Almeida is a credible threat to Anderson Silva.
Winner: Cachorrao (Submission, Rd 1)

Bren Oliver: This is an interesting fight and Yundt is a actually a decent last-minute replacement for Alan Belcher. He's undefeated in his six professional MMA fights and has finished five of his opponents. Almeida, on the other hand, hasn't seen action in more than three-and-a-half years, though he ended things on a strong note with three consecutive victories over Ryo Chonan, Nathan Marquardt, and Kazuo Misaki. I think Almeida's jiujitsu, and experience, will be the determining factor in this fight.
Winner: Ricardo Almeida, RD 1, Submission


Nathan Marquardt vs. Jeremy Horn

Michael Huckaby: I think the fight and preparation for his fight with Santiago showed that Horn is no longer really into the game. From an idiot's point of view (in this case, mine) he seems like another road warrior going wherever will have him for a decent sized check and fighting with only his natural ability of the past that gives him a shot to win. While this would work on a smaller show it just won't work with Nate Marquardt, who really should dominate most of this fight but probably won't be able to put him away. Horn's name in the future will be linked more with training than top level fighting.
Winner: Nate Marquardt, decision

Dustin James: And Jeremy Horn returns to the UFC for his 80 millionth fight. It's too bad he draws Marquardt as an opponent. Marquardt is a talented fighter who was on a nice roll in the UFC until he ran into the freight train known as Anderson Silva. Now Marquardt looks to get back into the winning side of things with a win over a solid UFC veteran in Jeremy Horn. It's been over a year since we have seen Horn in the UFC, and it will be nice to see ol Gumby fighting in a UFC ring again.
Winner: Nathan Marquardt - Submission, Rd 3

Randy Harrison: Horn is an MMA legend, partially for his skills and partially for his exhaustive record of fights. He's coming in 3-3 in his last six fights and hasn't been able to get any positive momentum going in his career for a while. Marquardt is going to be looking to prove himself after getting beaten down and finished by Anderson Silva, and I think he's going to do it here at the expense of Horn. Marquardt will get this fight to the ground and he will take over on Horn from the top position to earn the submission duke.
Winner: Nate Marquardt, Submission, Rd 2

Morgan Marx: Everything I've heard from Horn has sent up warning flags. Hoping that Nate Marquardt, a Greg Jackson fighter, hasn't been training properly leading up to the show sounds like a faulty game plan. Horn looked entirely disinterested in his loss to Jorge Santiago. He's 3-3 in his last 6 fights and is already referencing the fact that taking the fight on short notice hampered his preparation. While Horn has the skill to always surprise, I think Marquardt pounds him out much like Matt Lindland did. While Marquardt is not on Anderson Silva's level, he's one of the top middleweights on the UFC roster, not someone to take lightly at all.
Winner: Nate Marquardt (TKO, Rd 1)

Bren Oliver: I appreciate Jeremy Horn stepping in to replace Thales Leites but he's in for a rough night unless Marquardt has for some reason decided to take him lightly. I saw Horn in his last fight (at "Art of War 3" last September) and he was less-than impressive in his submission loss to Jorge Santiago. Horn looked out of shape and didn't seem very motivated to compete. Marquardt is a step up from Santiago and is hungry to fight as he's been on the shelf since losing to Anderson Silva almost seven months ago. I see him coming in and overwhelming Horn from the get go. I'm only picking it to go a full three rounds because it will be difficult for Marquardt to knock Horn out, who has only been TKO'd twice in one hundred professional fights, and I don't see "Nate the Great" having the jiujitsu prowess to tap Horn out.
Winner: Nate Marquardt, Judges' Decision


Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar

Michael Huckaby: I feel really awkward in these situations because it's incredibly rare you face me with a 50/50 tossup. Even if I'm wrong at least I know who should win. We all know how this is going to go, Lesnar is going to immediately shoot and take Mir to the ground with relative ease. The rest of the fight will be the question of whether Brock can turn Mir's head into hamburger meat before Mir slaps on a triangle choke or armbar. If this were 2004 I'd say no, but since it's 2008 I have to think Lesnar will be able to pull this off. As always my opinion of a Frank Mir fight might change the day before when I see what kind of shape he's in at the weigh-in.
Winner: Brock Lesnar, (T)KO, Rd2

Dustin James: Oh man, oh man, oh man! Here it is! The long awaited debut of Brock Lesnar in MMA! I've been a fan of Lesnar's since before he appeared on WWE TV. I'm talking since I was obtaining copies of video tapes of a "big guy doing shooting star presses in OVW". I was also there LIVE at Wrestlemania 19 when he tried his only Shooting Star Press in the WWE and landed on his fucking head. So needless to say, I have some history with Brock. However, he is in over his head here. Brock must feel that he has the talent needed to beat Frank Mir. And he might. But however, I think if he accomplishes that feat it will either be with a lucky punch or his ability to wrestle Mir to the ground for octagon control and a decision victory. Anything other then that, and it's Frank Mir all the way.
Winner: Frank Mir - Submission, Rd 2

Randy Harrison: This is the fight that everyone is interested in seeing, MMA fans and non-fans alike. Mir is still trying to find the form he had pre-accident, while Lesnar is going to be out to prove that he is worth all of the hype that he has had going into this fight and that he is also serious about his MMA career. Lesnar is going to rely on his wrestling background heavily, and his ground and pound, but let's hope that he's also been working his submission defense in the time that he's been training or Mir WILL catch him in something and rip an arm off. Mir is more than comfortable from his back and will be looking to submit the MMA newcomer and send him out of the cage humbled. I don't think it's going to happen though as I think that Brock will avoid the submissions and wrestle out the decision win.
Winner: Brock "So you broke Tim Syliva's arm, WHO CARES?" Lesnar, Decision

Jeremy Lambert: This is the main event correct? Might as well be. Lesnar is a mystery to the MMA world, much like Houston Alexander and Sokodujou were. I didn't fall into the Alexander trap, smartly picking Silva but I did fall into the Sokodujou trap, taking him over Machida. The difference with that is that I think Lesnar is better than Houston and Soko and I don't think Mir is as well rounded as Silva and Machida. For that reason, I've got to take Lesnar in this fight. Even if Lesnar is not as good as Soko or Houston and Mir is better than Silva and Machida, mystery fighters usually get 2 fights before being exposed and this is Brock's second.
Winner: Brock Lesnar, TKO, Round 1

Morgan Marx: I'm glad that most predictions about this fight reference the fact that we really have no idea how it will play out. I do think that people are sleeping on Frank Mir. For some reason, people keep pointing to his losses against Marcio Cruz and Brandon Vera. Anyone fighting at 60-70% is going to look terrible, especially against a top 10 heavyweight like Vera. If Mir believes that his leg is close to 100% we'll see a much different fighter. I love how analytical Mir is. He seems to be well prepared for this fight. He won't be surprised when Lesnar puts him on his back and he seems to be preparing to capitalize on any openings Lesnar leaves. If the two fought 10 times, I think Lesnar would take a majority. But Lesnar has a lot of pressure to put on a good show, and all Frank Mir needs is one slip up, one exposed limb, to force the submission. I don't think it will be as easy as his armbar on Tim Sylvia, but I like Mir's chances of reestablishing himself as a true threat in the heavyweight division.
Winner: Frank Mir (Submission, Rd 1)

Bren Oliver: Could the UFC please show the clip of Frank Mir breaking Tim Sylvia's arm more often? Seriously, I think I've seen it about twenty times in the past week and it was included 3-4 times in the opening package for the UFC 81 countdown show on Spike TV. The forearm-snapping highlight is bordering on crossing over into "Jeep Liberty 'Rock Me Baby' Commercial" territory. STOP THE MADNESS!!!
I've wrestled back and forth with picking the winner of this fight, unfortunately without a pre-scripted McMahon-driven result at my fingertips. I like Brock's strength and amateur background. However, I believe he is overconfident, and I think it's a mistake for him to have isolated himself in Minnesota as a matter of convenience. There is a reason camps like American Top Team, Greg Jackson Submission Fighting, American Kickboxing Academy, and Xtreme Couture are successful. In each you have solid fighters training with their peers, as well as well-rounded, world class instructors. I don't doubt there are excellent folks in Brock's camp but I believe he's limiting his potential by not training with the cream of the crop. Mir seems to have gotten himself back in shape both mentally and physically, plus he's an underdog in the fight which relieves him of a lot of pressure to win. I think he is going to be prepared for Brock to shoot and I won't be surprised if he catches him with a knee on the way in which sets up a final sequence to the fight. I know I'm going out on a limb to not take Mir by submission, but then again this is Mixed Martial Arts so anything can happen.
Winner: Frank Mir, TKO, RD 1


Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Michael Huckaby: This pains me so much. Nogueira deserves to be rated higher than Sylvia in the Top 10 and he's better than Sylvia in the fact he could beat more top level guys than Sylvia could. HOWEVER, this is a horrible matchup for Nog. I think Nog would have an easier time with Randy Couture than he would Sylvia. How can Nogueira win this fight? Mir-like armbar. That's about it. I don't see how he can win a decision and while Nog's boxing has improved it's not quite to the point where I think he could KO Sylvia or anything. Nog needs an armbar and I think Captain Clinch Tim Sylvia will be able to keep it standing a majority of the time and while he'll eat some punches he should get the better of it. Man, I'm picking a lot of decisions.
Winner: Tim Sylvia, decision

Dustin James: Alright, everybody say it with me now........UGH! Why, Randy, why? Why must you leave the UFC and then leave us with THIS? I'm a huge fan of Big Nog, not so much of Sylvia. But I can see Sylvia attempting to go for a decision victory and surprising NOBODY.
Winner: Tim Sylvia - Decision

Randy Harrison: Sylvia will fight his usal fight of jabs, clinches and backpedalling, which will be a real treat for us all. The only hope is that Nogueira can get this fight down to the mat and use the top position to keep Sylvia from boring us to tears. Along with that, with the top position he can more than likely us some ground and pound to force Tim to transition to where he leaves himself open for a submission. I doubt that there will be a finish in this fight though, and I'm left to just hope that the guy who won't have terrible fights defending the title will win.
Winner: And NEW UFC Heavyweight Champion (interim or otherwise), Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Jeremy Lambert: Ugh. Even though I like Nogueira, I just can't stand Tim Sylvia and I just can't be excited for a Sylvia fight. Both guys are coming off of lackluster 3 round decision victories, with Sylvia, of course, looking more lackluster of the two. Nog is great on the ground and throws good combos on the feet. Sylvia has the reach and the power, a good sprawl, and a decent ground game. You know what that means right? Sylvia jabs Nog away, sprawls, clinches, and dry humps Nog for 25 minutes en route to another boring title reign. YAY~!
Winner: Tim Sylvia, Decision

Source:
Morgan Marx: Against anyone else in the UFC's heavyweight division, I would love Nogueira's odds. But Sylvia's size and striking ability is a lot to deal with. Sure, Nogueira probably has the best submission skills of any heavyweight currently fighting. But Jeff Monson and Randy Couture have some submission skills, and neither could finish Sylvia when the fight hit the mat. Nogueira's gameplan of absorbing punishment until a submission opportunity presents itself won't work on a striker like Sylvia. Sylvia has also shown that he has the cardio to go 5 rounds, even when semi-conscious. If Nogueria wins I think he'll make a fine champion. But I think he's once again stuck. In Pride, Nogueira couldn't quite escape from Fedor's shadow. In the UFC, that shadow has 8" and 40 lbs on the Russian.
Winner: Tim Sylvia (TKO, Rd 4)

Bren Oliver: It seems Tim Sylvia is the favorite in this fight and it's difficult to argue the point. His striking is superior to Nogueira's, though I think Nog's ability to stand is underestimated simply because of his jiujitsu wizardry, and Tim-meh knows how to grind out a win if necessary. That being said, I still question his mental strength, and his recent comments about wearing the belt 24/7 if he wins show me his mindset is the same as it was when Couture took advantage. However, where people are saying Sylvia's size will work to his advantage, I actually believe those long arms and legs will work against him. Nogueira is a submission master and we've seen Sylvia tapped out before which can't be said for "Minotauro". If Nog can keep things on the ground he should eventually find an opening to latch onto Sylvia and finish the fight.
I also wonder if perhaps Randy Couture might reconsider his desire to only fight Fedor Emelianenko if Nogueira performs at a high level and finishes "The Maine-iac".
Winner: "Minotauro" Nogueira, RD 3, Submission

Source: 411 Mania