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Just wondering what peoples thoughts and predictions are for tomorrow nights bouts?

On the main card...

Matt Hughes vs. Chris Lytle -

I see Hughes running all over Lylte and stopping him in the first or early second. Lytle is just not in the top 3 at WW (Hughes, GSP and BJ (although BJ has moved to LW)). It's as simple as that. However Hughes should stick to what he knows best, wrestling and GnP. This ambition he has of trying to become as dangerous a striker as liddell is silly and is going to lead to him losing more fights.

Babalu Sobral vs. Jason Lambert -

Babalu is coming off of a skelping for the second time against Lidell and an unconvinving win in another organisation but he is a dangerous grappler and submission artist, not to mention being CRAZY! I see him winning by submission midway through the second.

Martin Kampmann vs. Drew McFedries -

To be honest I don't know anything about Hartin Kampmann but I was impressed with McFedries in his last bout. He looked like a bigger Robbie Lawler and that can only be good and exciting. McFedries by knockout.

Rich Franklin vs. Jason MacDonald -

Franklin is probably my favourite fighter and I was really upset watching Anderson Silva smack him about like he was a one legged man who's stubbed his good toe. So this fight for me is all about Franklins mentality (we all know what happened to david louiseau after franklin dominated him). If he has the same attitude as 'The Crow' then he has already lost but if he has the attitude he had when he was the champ and knocking people out for fun then he should breeze through McDonald...Saying that McDonald is dangerous, he has everything to prove and nothing to lose and he does have the tools to get the job done. Excellent BJJ and momentum from 2 decisive victories in his last 2 bouts. I just think that Rich's character will shine through and McDonald will depart the octagon with a sore face. Franklin by TKO (strikes)

NOW

the biggie!

Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture - Heavyweight Title

Tim has his work cut out. Although Couture is old, he stays insanely busy in the octagon and is not some goon who is just going in there to swing and shoot (Eddie Sanchez vs CroCop anyone?!). Randy is one of, if not the, smartest fighters out there and if you look at his back catalogue it features a who's who of victories via a variety of means (KO, GnP etc). For Tim to take that lightly exposes him for the chump so many suspect he is.

If the tim Sylvia we see is closer to the Sylvia that beat Ricco Rodriguez and not the Sylvia that did the foxtrot with Arlovski and the la bamba with Jeff Monson then Couture is in trouble...The reach advantage is a HUGE factor, Tim's jab makes it nigh impossible to get inside and he does have power to put you to sleep.

In this fight I am hoping the Randy can get inside and do some damage to Tim's questionable conditioning. If this fight goes to a decision then I think Coutures work rate is gonna win him this fight. Lately Sylvia has been fighting to not lose rather than put people away and win decisively, he CANNOT afford to do this against 'the natural' if he wants to keep that belt he so dearly cherishes.

I see this going the distance and Couture coming out on top (controversial yes). The only thing that scared me is that i don't think that Couture (as much experience as he has and as much of a legend as he is) is capable of hanging with the bad boys of the heavyweight division. CroCop would mutilate him and the ex-champ Arlovski (not the Sylvia/Arlovski 3 Arlovski) would pick him apart with precise strikes then score a huge knockout! And furthermore, we all know that Liddell has Randy's number so unless someone dethrones Chuck there isn't much for Randy at LHW either. Tim may negate that discussion though so no need to bring it up yet.

Finally - Randy 'the natural' Couture Unanimous Decision.

Just my views on each of the fights on the main card...

If you like MMA please chime in with your views as well please...

And if you don't like MMA..................Why not?

It's not often you see a fighter such as Couture jump from heavy weight down to light heavy weight then back up. He is a great fighter but you have to ask yourself is he too old?? Sylvia is a good fighter but when he fought Arlovski he could of had it, but as you know he messed up that strike and ended up getting one under the chin, if i remember correctly. Matt Hughes is just raw power and was unlucky against St Piere. I think one too many low blows shook him abit. Should be a good night. You off to UFC 70 in Manchester? Actually now i've thoght about it Couture was older then Ortiz but he still won, Just a shame that cut he got fighting Belfort lost him the title. And as for The Iceman well i dont think he'll be going anywhere anytime soon.

No mate not going to UFC 70...To much of a pain in the *rse to get there...Seen the card though, doesn't look bad.

Couture isn't too old...I would say he is still in the top 10 Light Heavies in the world in fact... He would skelp Ortiz and Sobral in my opinion...He must say a massive hole in Sylvia's game and feel he can exploit it...He moved down from heavy cos the guys were too big....

As for Hughes...I think that similar to Liddell and couture/Ortiz....For the forseeable future GSP has Matt's number, i honestly do not see a way past Georges for that belt...He matches Hughes in Size and strength and he more martial arts expertise (BJJ Black belt TKD expert) Hughes is just a superior wrestler.

what about the other fights?...where is your money?

I'd have to say Franklin and Sobral not too sure about Martin Kampmann vs. Drew McFedries not really heard much from them. Still all in all a good night

RE Manchester... Anyone know the ticket prices?

for one ticket at this stage you are looking at between 150 to 250.

i'd just like to say hats off to Randy Couture, What a fight 25 minutes of total domination

Also an excellent fight from Hughes Lambert and Franklin

With regard to the Hughes V Lytle fight, Lytle was one dimensional and Mat was a bit rubbish. Hughes has great strength but I did not see him dominating the fight, he got control and gave a few elbows but that was it.
I can’t see him getting one over on George any time soon.

As for Randy, good textbook stuff, I cant believe he could stand and strike with Tim and win.
Tim’s a bit overrated, the quality of the heavyweights has always been poor in the UFC but Randy might have a good test with Cro Cop but will ultimately beat him has Randy has good defence against Co Cops only really attack (Legs Strikes)

As for Franklin, he was Ok but the kicking he had has put him back about 3 fights.

Still want to see Ice VS V Silva…

As for Manchester, I go around the country watching MMA, even go with some of the fighters to the events, but Manchester is just a tad to far from Bristol, with just an OK line up I will miss it this time unless I can wangle some Backstage Passes.

Hughes did bore me but he ground out a win and you can't discount that...He has never been the most exciting fighter...But Lytle was never really in it...Sure he made it difficult for Hughes but there was no fire in the match...I think that when GSP steamrolls Matt Serra, the Hughes GSP rubber match will be great!...I do think that GSP has Matt's number though and he is the future at 170...

Finding it difficult to see why you thought Franklin was only OK...He dominated a dangerous submission expert...He showed brutal, accurate strikes, fantastic takedown defence and ran a clinic from the mount...He looked in fantastic shape and looked as mentally prepared as I have ever seen...

As for Couture...What can be said...He basically was teaching a class in mixed martial arts, it was almost an exhibition match...Unbelievable conditioning, knock-down power in the striking, pure strategy, ground and pound, passing the guard at will on a guy who was 50 (FIFTY!!!!) pounds heavier than him, he had everything...It was a domination in EVERY sense of the word...Sylvia was never in it, he looked clumsy and ultimately like a fool...A remarkable performance from a remarkable man...Lost all respect for Sylvia after blaming the loss on an injury in the post fight interview with Rogan...How dare he call himself a champion...

3 cheers for "The Natural"

I don' t think anyone is going to see Chuck vs Wanderlei...

Wanderlei just got his lights put out by Dan Henderson who is now the first MMA to hold 2 belts in 2 different weights classes at the same time...Henderson being a Pride Welterweight (UFC middleweight) and Silva being a Pride Middleweight (UFC Light-Heavyweight)

Bob