UFC 87: Seek and Destroy Preview & Picks By Matthew Brothers

The UFC is back with their August offering, UFC 87: Seek and Destroy, and we’re back with an info-filled preview to help you make up your mind on who to pick for your high-dollar fantasy wagers. This time around we’ve got a welterweight championship bout between the champ Georges St.Pierre, and the challenger Jon Fitch, who is currently undefeated in the UFC. Brock Lesnar makes his return to the octagon in front of his hometown Minnesota crowd to take on Heath Herring, and the #1 contender for BJ Penn’s 155lb. title will be decided when Massachusetts native and “TUF” season 1 alumni Kenny Florian takes on Roger Huerta, who is also undefeated in the UFC. As folks sometimes say, the “O” must go, and by the end of this preview, I’ll try to convince you why I think a few “O’s” are going to go on August 9^th, when the UFC comes to the Target Center in Minnesota. Let’s get started.

Ryan Thomas (8-1) vs. Ben Saunders (5-0-2)

Saunders is long and lean and will need to keep this fight standing to deal with the awesome wrestling ability of Ryan Thomas. The ground advantage goes to Thomas so Saunders should avoid grappling with him, although don’t count out a submission from the guard position for Saunders. Saunders needs to use his reach and stay on the outside to successfully strike with Thomas on the feet. In the end, I don’t see Saunders being able to stop the takedowns but I think he’s tough enough not to get ground and pounded. Expect a long grinding fight ending in with a decision.

Ryan Thomas def. Ben Saunders via Unanimous Decision

Steve Bruno (11-3) vs. Chris Wilson (15-5)

Chris Wilson was supposed to be dominated by Jon Fitch when they fought in March, instead what happened was Wilson pushed Fitch to a decision, and although he lost, Wilson certainly raised some eyebrows in the process. At one point in the fight, it even looked as though Wilson had Fitch pretty rocked with a head kick. Steve Bruno has some dangerous stand-up as well, with 5 of his last 6 wins coming via T/KO. The American Top Team trained Bruno is currently the Spirit MC Middleweight Champion, although he will be fighting at welterweight in his UFC debut against Wilson. This has all the makings of a war, with both fighters being well rounded and well trained. Although he looked great against Fitch, I’m going with the new kid on this one.

Steve Bruno def. Chris Wilson via T/KO in Round 3.

Jon Jones (6-0) vs. Andre Gusmao (5-0_

Both men will be making their UFC debuts in this war of 205lb. warriors. Gusmao comes from the IFL and has used his capoeira and gracie jiu-jitsu to remain undefeated. Jon Jones would be smart to stand with the Brazilian, who currently holds a brown belt in BJJ. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the former Iowa State wrestler and current USKBA light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones fight live, and believe me when I say that this kid is a beast. Vegas will probably give him long odds, but if you’ve got kids to out through college invest some money in Jones. I think he’s going to shake things up in the UFC’s LHW division when he takes a T/KO victory in this fight.

Jon Jones def. Andre Gusmao via T/KO in Round 2.

Dan Evensen (10-2) vs. Cheick Kongo (11-4-1)

It’s a battle of the big men when Norwegian Dan Evensen takes on one of the most impressive physical specimens the UFC has ever seen (ring girls not included), Cheick Kongo. Kongo is coming off a decision loss to Heath Herring that disappointed the many MMA fans who had pegged Kongo as a legitimate threat to the heavyweight throne. Joe Rogan summed it up when he said, “Somebody needs to kidnap Kongo and take him to wrestling school.” He’ll look to get back on the path to gold when he battles the UFC newcomer Evensen. As a kickboxer, Evensen will look to stand and bang with Kongo. I seem to remember another great kickboxer named Mirko something or other trying that as well, it didn’t work out for him. Although his ground game needs vast improvement, the Frenchman Kongo does have the skills on the feet to stand and bang with just about anyone in the UFC’s heavyweight division. This might actually be a decent fight in the heavyweight division for a change. I’m going with genetics on this one.

Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen via Unanimous Decision

Luke Cummo (6-5) vs. Tamdan McCrory (8-1)

Cummo will be the smaller man when these two lock it up on Aug. 9^th. McCrory is long and lean and likes to bounce his feet off of other guys’ faces. Cummo is a fairly crisp striker who enhances his training by eating freshly harvested stem-cells. Okay, so that might be an exaggeration, but have you seen what that dude eats? It’s going to go like this, Cummo will come out and start to kick the hell out of McCrory’s legs, but he’ll get too close and McCrory will make him pay. If the fight ends up on the ground, I see McCrory locking up an arm or securing a triangle. Either way, expect “the barn cat” to win this fight.

Tamdan McCrory def. Luke Cummo via Submission in Round 3

Jason MacDonald (20-9) vs. Demian Maia (7-0)

I am 100% riding the Demain Maia war wagon and I can’t wait for this fight. MacDonald will have the advantage standing up but is no slouch on the ground either. Expect the submission machine Maia to want to take this fight to the ground asap. Although he is the “athlete”, MacDonald is going to be severely outclassed on the ground and he doesn’t have the takedown defense needed to keep this fight standing for 15 minutes. Maia will eventually catch him in a submission. I’d say late in the second round.

Demain Maia def. Jason MacDonald via Submission in Round 2

Rob Emerson (7-6) vs. Manny Gamburyan (8-2)

Although Vegas has the line on this fight set incredibly lop-sided in Gamburyan’s favor, I see this fight as being a little more competitive than you might think. Manny’s game is to take you down and beat you up, Emerson would prefer to stand and bang with his reach advantage. This will be a classic match-up of striker vs. grappler. I’m definitely picking Manny to walk away with the win, but I don’t think this will be a murder. I think Manny will exploit the long legs of Emerson and possibly finish him with a foot or leg lock. Contrary to popular belief I could also see this fight going deep. Manny is a monster and Emerson doesn’t have any quit in him either.

Manny Gamburyan def. Rob Emerson via Submission in Round 2

Kenny Florian (9-3) vs. Roger Huerta (25-1-1)

How can you not love the 155lb. division? Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta are both unbelievable athletes and incredible mixed martial artists. Huerta looked like the “terminator” against Clay Guida, who no matter what he threw at Huerta, the man just kept on coming. Kenny Florian is a MMA machine who is excellent on the feet and very dangerous on the ground. Just ask Joe Lauzon’s skull if Kenny has a mean ground game. This is a very tough fight to call. Kenny has fought for the belt before and been pushed to the limits and never gassed out. Huerta has only lost one fight in nearly 30 pro bouts. Kenny’s got the jiu-jitsu, but Huerta has great jiu-jitsu defense. I don’t see either man getting finished in this fight. I am absolutely expecting a decision. As great as Huerta looked against Guida, Crane, and Garcia, I have to go with Florian on this one. He’s just a little more technically skilled than Huerta is and that will be the deciding factor in this fight.

Kenny Florian def. Roger Huerta via Unanimous Decision

Heath Herring (28-13) vs. Brock Lesnar (1-1)

I will admit that I was as giddy as a school girl to learn that Brock Lesnar was coming to the UFC. I’m not a pro wrestling fan at all, but I knew of Lesnar from his college wrestling days and anyone who looks at the man can clearly tell he is a freak of nature. I picked him to win against Mir, and I was wrong. I stupidly let my heart make the pick instead of my brain. In Lesnar’s fight against veteran Heath Herring, I’ll be using my brain. That’s exactly why I am once again picking Brock Lesnar to win. He’s just too big and too fast! Mir was only able to neutralize him because of his ridiculous jiu-jitsu skills that not all big men have, and certainly not Heath Herring. I like Heath, but I see him getting brutalized in this match. I may very well be sitting in my chair in disbelief when the ref raises Herring’s hand, but I just can’t imagine that happening. Is he the “next big thing” or is he the “next big disappointment”? We’ll know on August 9^th.

Brock Lesnar def. Heath Herring via T/KO (mauling) in Round 1

Jon Fitch (19-2) vs. Georges St. Pierre (16-2)

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I think this will be a great fight because I don’t. I think GSP is going to out-strike and out-wrestle Jon Fitch on his way to victory. Yes, that’s right; I said GSP would outwrestle Jon Fitch. If you have any doubts about St. Pierre’s wrestling prowess, I kindly suggest you go rent a copy of UFC 74. On that night he fought Fitch’s training partner Josh Koscheck, who is a wrestling powerhouse. In that fight GSP had his way with Koscheck on his way to a unanimous decision victory. I see this fight being very similar. I’m not saying that Jon Fitch is a bum, because he certainly isn’t, I just think that St. Pierre is a bad match-up for him. Breaking it down piece by piece, the striking goes to St. Pierre, the jiu-jitsu goes to St. Pierre, and the wrestling might not be as one-sided as the striking, but there’s no way Fitch will manhandle GSP in the manner in which he would need to win this fight. This fight will most likely end by decision, if not a TKO for your winner and still champion, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre.

My Big Money Parlay Pick:

Tamdan McCrory (-120)

Steve Bruno (+245)

Demain Maia (-120)

If You’re Feeling Tough (and I am):

Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale Preview
By Matthew Brothers

Welcome to MMAPlayground’s newest feature, a match-by-match preview to help you make up your mind on who you think will win, how they’ll finish the fight, and in what round. By no means do I have a crystal ball, and most of you who are here in the first place already have your minds made up, but for the rest of you, don’t come looking to triangle choke me because you blew all your fantasy money on a long shot underdog parlay pick that I just knew was a lock.

This should be a great night of fights as we have former “Ultimate Fighter” winner Kendall Grove taking on former UFC middleweight champ Evan Tanner in the main event. Both men need a win to stay relevant in the UFC as Grove is coming off of two straight losses, and Tanner looks to rise from the ashes and prove he still has gas left in the tank. Diego Sanchez looks to cement his spot in the title picture when he faces Luigi Fioravanti in the co-main event. We’ll also crown the new “Ultimate Fighter”, in a rematch from this season that has the potential to be another Griffin-Bonnar war of attrition.

Matt Arroyo (3-1) vs. Matt Brown (6-6)
Arroyo and Brown are not strangers to each other. They met in November of ’06 with Brown leaving the victor via TKO in the 2^nd round, giving Arroyo his first and only loss thus far in his career. Since then, both men have enjoyed a stint on “TUF”, training with elite level coaches, and perfecting their craft. Arroyo, a jiu-jitsu practitioner, will look to take Brown down and work his submission game to get his revenge. Contrarily, Brown will want to stand and bang and repeat history. Although Brown displayed a bundle of heart with a dash of viciousness in his “TUF” fights, 5 of his 6 career losses have come via submission, and I see this fight ending the same way.

Pick: Matt Arroyo def. Matt Brown via Submission in the 1^st round.

Rob Kimmons (20-3) vs. Rob Yundt (6-1)
Rob Yundt had a tough initiation into the UFC being choked out by Ricardo Almeida early in the 1^st round. He’ll be looking to erase that loss and dish out some hazing of his own against UFC newcomer Rob Kimmons. Although Kimmons may be new to the UFC, he is certainly not new to the sport, he boasts a 20-3 record with his only losses coming from UFC veterans Marvin Eastman, Ryan Jensen, and Joe Riggs. I would give the stand-up advantage to Yundt and the ground advantage to Kimmons. Neither man has lost via T/KO in their career, so deduction tells me this fight will be won by submission. Octagon jitters aside, I see Kimmons as the favorite in this bout.

Pick: Rob Kimmons def. Rob Yundt via Submission in the 2^nd round.

Marvin Eastman (15-7-1) vs. Drew McFedries (6-3)

If you’re at all familiar with either of these fighters, it will come as no surprise to you that I’m calling this a pick’em slugfest ala James Irvin/Houston Alexander. These guys like to come out and throw heavy leather and damn the consequences. McFedries is the more proficient striker, whereas Eastman has a better chance of victory should the fight hit the ground or go the distance, however, don’t expect a technical grappling battle. Although my heart says “Beastman” Eastman, my brain and money say McFedries.

Pick: Drew McFedries def. Marvin Eastman via T/KO in the 2^nd round.

Josh Burkman (9-5)  vs. Dustin Hazelett (10-4)
Although Dustin Hazelett may have lost his last fight against welterweight juggernaut Josh Koscheck, in defeat he impressed MMA fans with his improved striking and his near finish of Koscheck early in the 1^st round. Burkman is coming off of a lackluster performance against Mike Swick in a match he lost by decision. Burkman is extremely explosive and has made life changes of late that he claims have focused him. I see Hazelett as the clear favorite if the fight hits the ground as he has a long and lean body, not to mention he’s a brown belt in BJJ under Jorge Gurgel. Before Hazelett’s last fight, I would’ve said Burkman had the advantage on the feet, but after seeing Hazelett throw some nasty punches and high kicks against Kos, all bets are off for the stand-up advantage. In the end, Hazelett’s superior ground game will carry him to a submission victory.

Pick: Dustin Hazelett def. Josh Burkman via Submission in the 3^rd round.

Matthew Riddle (0-0) vs. Dante Rivera (10-2)
Renzo Gracie trained Dante Rivera should make quick work of MMA newcomer Matthew Riddle. Sure, Riddle impressed everyone with his devastating KO of Dan Simmler on the “TUF” season premiere this year, but don’t look for history to repeat itself. Rivera is a veteran of the sport with a 10-2 record and some slick submission skills. Look for Riddle to come out swinging for the fences and shortly thereafter getting taken down and submitted.

Pick: Dante Rivera def. Matthew Riddle via Submission in the 1^st round.

Jeremy Horn (79-17-5) vs. Dean Lister (10-5)
Jeremy Horn has had over 100 pro MMA fights, with 49 of his 79 wins coming via submission, and holds notable victories over Josh Burkman, Forrest Griffin, and Chuck Liddell. Needless to say, experience will be on his side in almost any fight. Dean Lister has met Jeremy Horn before, he lost a majority decision to him back in December of ’03. To his credit, Lister has a black belt in BJJ and was a two-time national sambo champion. Sometimes when great grapplers face each other their ground skills cancel each other out, leaving the superior striker to claim victory. I’m not going to lie to you, this is a great match and I’m very unsure of who will emerge the victor. I’m going to pick Jeremy Horn, but only on the merit of experience.

Pick: Jeremy Horn def. Dean Lister via Unanimous Decision.

Spencer Fisher (20-4) vs. Jeremy Stephens (13-2)
In his last bout, Fisher was forced into a wrestling match with Frankie Edgar that had many fans snoozing. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great ground battle, and I have all the respect in the world for Edgar, but I’m sure that in Fisher’s mind he wants to come out this time around and remind everyone why he’s “the king”. Stephens is coming into this match fresh off a win against rising star Cole Miller, in a fight where Miller dominated him until the end of the second round when Stephens turned on the after burners and punched and elbowed a hole in Cole’s head. Both of these men are scrappers and very dangerous strikers. I’d be surprised if this fight didn’t take place standing and I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys had a 15 minute war. I give the ground edge to Fisher should the fight end up there. Stephens is tough enough to walk into 3 or 4 punches just to land a big one of his own, but that might not work with a veteran like Fisher.

Pick: Spencer Fisher def. Jeremy Stephens via Unanimous Decision.

Tim Credeur (9-2) vs. Cale Yarbrough (0-0)
After watching this season of “TUF”, the word that comes to your mind when you think of Tim Credeur should be heart. In his losses to Jesse Taylor and C.B. Dollaway, Credeur displayed a concrete chin and a never say die attitude. Technically speaking, he had impressive striking and great grappling skills. He’ll be squaring off against MMA rookie Cale Yarbrough. Hard to scout Yarbrough having only seen him on the show, although what we did see of him was less than stellar. Credeur needs to soften him up with strikes, take him down and tap him out, in fact, that’s exactly what I think will happen.

Pick: Tim Credeur def. Cale Yarbrough via Submission in the 1^st round.

Amir Sadollah (0-0) vs. C.B. Dollaway (6-0)
After watching this season of “TUF”, I’m an Amir Sadollah fan for life. Here is a guy with no pro MMA fights, who gets in the ring with guys with way more experience than him, and beats them up, knocks them down, and taps them out. His victory over Dollaway in the final episode placed him firmly in the category of guys that you can never count out. He has vicious kicking ability and an overall awkward striking style that made it hard for his opponent to stand with him. He clearly has submission skills, as shown in his triangle choke win over Matt Brown, and his armbar victory over Dollaway, who before his fight with Amir was the heavy favorite to take home the contract. Dollaway is an all-American wrestler from Arizona with great takedowns and a smothering ground attack. In his fight against Tim Credeur, he showed he’s not afraid to stand and bang either. This is a tough fight for me to pick, but in the end, as much as I want to believe Amir can do it again, I just can’t pick against C.B. I see Dollaway trying to stand for the first minute or two, before barreling in and taking Amir down. From there, Amir will have to pull another crazy submission out of his hat or he’ll be eating more fists and elbows like he did in their first match. Nothing against C.B., but I hope I’m wrong on this one.

Pick: C.B. Dollaway def. Amir Sadollah via T/KO in the 2^nd round.

Diego Sanchez (18-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (12-3)
In his last match against David Bielkheden, Sanchez needed a win to get back on track after losing two in a row to nemesis Josh Koscheck and his teammate Jon Fitch. Those two losses were the first of his career, and a fighter as visceral as Sanchez was feeling the sting of defeat. An avid meditator and yoga practitioner, Diego is refocused and ready to make another run at welterweight gold. Luigi Fioravanti knows that Vegas has it in for him on this fight, but the American Top Team standout believes he has what it takes to neutralize Diego’s ground attack and get his third straight win. I definitely give Diego the advantage wherever this fight should go. Luigi would be smartest to keep this fight standing as long as possible, but when it comes to takedowns, Diego usually gets what he wants.

Pick: Diego Sanchez def. Luigi Fioravanti via T/KO in the 1^st round.

Kendall Grove (8-5) vs. Evan Tanner (32-7)
What can be said about Evan Tanner that hasn’t already been said? He’s one of MMA’s most mystical personalities for sure. He’s had well documented personal issues and recently returned to MMA after a two year absence with a brutal KO loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 82. However, shortcomings aside, he is the former UFC middleweight champion and holds victories over names like Heath Herring, David Terrell, and Robbie Lawler. He claims to be refocused and back to his old ways. Also having some troubles of late, is Tanner’s opponent, “Ultimate Fighter” winner Kendall Grove. His last two matches have ended with him on his back looking up to the rafters and counting stars. No one ever needs a loss, but this is a perfect case of two guys that NEED a win. The talent pool in the UFC is getting thicker and deeper, and two or three losses in a row and you’re looking at a trip back to the minor leagues for a tune up. Technically speaking both men have both proven stand-up and ground skills, with Tanner being a ground’n’pound guru, and the long and lean grove being able to throw submissions up with his freakishly long limbs. Logic and principals forbid me on betting against Tanner in this fight, he says he’s back in fighting shape and I believe him. Grove has a severely suspect chin and I think Evan can expose him once again. I see this fight being up and down, with Tanner getting the T/KO victory sometime late in the second round.

Pick: Evan Tanner def. Kendall Grove via T/KO in the 2^nd round.

Parlay Wager Picks Of The Night:
Rob Kimmons (-125)
Matt Arroyo (-115)
Evan Tanner (-180)

If you’re feeling brave, Dustin Hazelett (-120)

*All fight odds obtained from MMAPlayground