The Ultimate Fighting Championships will hold its first major event in Boston later this month. UFC 118 will be held at the TD Garden on August 28th. A Lightweight Championship battle headlines the four bouts on the main card.
1. Lightweight Championship bout: Frank Edgar (+250) vs. B.J. Penn (-350)
In the main event, a championship will be at stake. Despite winning the title from Penn is his last outing at UFC 112 in April, Edgar (12-1 MMA record) is the underdog in the rematch. The 28-year-old is a former college wrestler. He also trains in boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Edgar made his pro MMA debut in 2005. He joined the UFC in 2007. Edgar’s lone MMA defeat was against Gray Maynard in 2008. Penn (15-6-1) won the UFC Lightweight title in early 2008. He was able to successfully defend his belt on three occasions before falling to Edgar. The 31-year-old has also been a UFC Welterweight champion in his MMA career. Penn became an MMA pro in 2001. With revenge as some motivation, Penn regains the title in this one.
2. Heavyweight bout: James Toney (+425) vs. Randy Couture (-650)
Toney will make his MMA debut in a big way against UFC legend Couture. The 41-year-old Toney is one of the more notable boxers to make the transition into UFC. He is the current IBA Heavyweight belt holder and has posted a 72-6-3 record in the ring as a pro. Roy Jones Jr. (loss) and Evander Holyfield (win) are among the opponents that Toney has faced in his boxing career. Couture (18-10) won his last bout against Mark Coleman at UFC 109 in February. At 47, the UFC Hall of Famer is still a headline attraction even though he hasn’t held a title belt since 2007. Couture made the transition into MMA after being a college wrestler at Oklahoma State. He made his pro MMA debut in 1997. Couture captured his first UFC title in 2000. Out of his element, Toney will need to get some more experience in the MMA before he can handle a fighter of Couture’s ability.
3. Lightweight bout: Gray Maynard (+115) vs. Kenny Florian (-145)
The winner of this battle will become the #1 contender for the UFC Lightweight Championship. Maynard (9-0) is on the rise in the UFC ranks. He pulled out a split decision against Nate Diaz in his last fight in February. The 31-year-old was a college wrestling star at Michigan State. Florian (14-4) has come up short in his two bids to win a UFC Lightweight title. He fell to Sean Sherk (2006) and Penn (2009) in his two career championship matches. The 34-year-old has elements of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai in his fighting style. Maynard pulls the slight upset in this contest.
4. Middleweight bout: Rousimar Palhares (+190) vs. Nate Marquardt (-240)
Palhares (11-2) defeated Tomasz Drwal in his last effort at UFC 111 in March. However, the 30-year-old was suspended for 90 days after the match for failing to let go of a submission hold in the proper amount of time. Marquardt (29-9-2) dropped his last outing against Chael Sonnen in February at UFC 109. In his most significant fight in the UFC, the 31-year-old Marquardt fell to Anderson Silva in a Middleweight Championship match in 2007. The favorite prevails in this matchup.
5. Welterweight bout: Marcus Davis (+160) vs. Nate Diaz (-200)
After losing two straight fights, Davis (17-6) rebounded to defeat Jonathan Goulet at UFC 113 in May. The 36-year-old made his pro MMA debut in 2003. Davis made the transition to MMA after being a pro boxer. Diaz (12-5) has lost three of his five fights. The 25-year-old was able to stop Rory Markham in his last outing at UFC 111 in March. In this fight, the younger favorite emerges as the victor.
6. Lightweight bout: Terry Etim (+120) vs. Joe Lauzon (-150)
Etim (14-3) is looking to bounce back from a setback to Rafael dos Anjos in his last bout at UFC 112 in April. The 24-year-old uses elements Muay Thai, Luta Livre and wrestling in his fighting style. Lauzon (18-5) is also trying to get back on the winning track. The 26-year-old fell to Sam Stout at UFC 108 in January. Lauzon’s style is based in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In a tight battle, Lauzon gets the win.
7. Welterweight bout: Greg Soto (+105) vs. Nick Osipczak (-135)
After winning his first seven fights as an MMA pro, Soto (7-1) dropped his UFC debut against Matthew Riddle at UFC 111 in March. He was disqualified in the match for an illegal upkick. Soto has a background in wrestling that has helped him make the transition to MMA. Osipczak (5-1) lost for the first time as a pro to Rick Story at UFC 112 in April in his last outing. The 25-year-old has a fighting style that is based in Shaolin Kung Fu. The underdog gains a victory in this fight.
8. Middleweight bout: Alessio Sakara (+220) vs. Gerald Harris (-300)
Sakara (15-7) has won his last three fights heading into this battle. He stopped James Irvin in his last bout in March. The 28-year-old made the transition to MMA after stepping into the ring for nine fights as a professional boxer. Harris (17-2) has won ten straight fights since his last defeat in 2007. The 30-year-old handled Dave Branch last month at UFC 116. Harris has a background in wrestling. In this matchup, the favorite steps up to win.
9. Lightweight bout: Nick Lentz (+115) vs. Andre Winner (-145)
Lentz (18-3-2) hasn’t lost an MMA fight since March of 2007. He stopped Rob Emerson is his last outing in March of this year. The 25-year-old made his UFC debut last year after beginning his pro MMA career in 2005. Lentz has a background in wrestling that helps him in his MMA bouts. Winner (11-3) defeated Rafaello Oliveira in his last fight in March. The 28-year-old made his pro MMA debut in 2006. In a close fight, Winner gets the victory.











