The next major UFC event is set to take place on July 3rd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The lineup will feature six preliminary bouts before the main card of five fights. A heavyweight championship battle including Brock Lesnar is the marquee event.

Heavyweight Championship Fight: Shane Carwin (+160) vs. Brock Lesnar (-200)

Carwin (12-0 MMA record) captured the interim heavyweight belt in his last fight at UFC 111 in March. The 35-year-old can really make a name for himself with an upset in UFC 116. Lesnar (4-1) has emerged as one of the top draws in the UFC ranks. He made a name for himself in the early part of last decade as a wrestler for WWE. In 2004, Lesnar attempted to begin a career in the NFL. He played in some preseason games for the Minnesota Vikings but couldn’t make the regular season roster. Lesnar captured the heavyweight title with a victory over MMA legend Randy Couture at UFC 91 in 2008. In his first defense of the title last year, the 32-year-old Lesnar defeated Frank Mir at UFC 100 to retain his belt. His only MMA defeat had been to Mir at UFC 81. Lesnar defends his title again versus Carwin. (Bet on UFC 116 Today)

Middleweight Fight: Yoshihiro Akiyama (+140) vs. Wanderlei Silva (-170)

After beginning his MMA career on the K-1 circuit in Japan, Akiyama (13-1) pulled out a win over Alan Belcher in his UFC debut last July. The 34-year-old made the transition to MMA from Judo. Silva (33-10-1) will celebrate his 34th birthday in the cage against Akiyama. His most notable bout came back in 2000. Silva fell to Tito Ortiz for the light heavyweight crown at UFC 25 in Tokyo. Recently, he has dropped five of his last seven bouts. During the stretch, Sliva has lost to Chuck Liddell and Quinton Jackson. Look for Akiyama to pull the upset in this one. (Bet on UFC 116 Today)

Light Heavyweight Fightt: Stephan Bonnar (+185) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (-235)

In a rematch from UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia from earlier this year, Bonnar (11-7) will be seeking some revenge against Soszynski. In their last bout, Soszynski scored a 3rd round TKO over Bonnar. The 33-year-old Bonnar is just 2-5 in his last seven fights. While Bonnar hasn’t had much success recently, Soszynski (19-9-1) has been on a good run. The 32-year-old has won seven of his last eight matches. Soszynski holds off Bonnar again. (Bet on UFC 116 Today)

Heavyweight Fight: Chris Tuchscherer (+250) vs. Brendan Schaub (-350)

After dropping his UFC debut last August, Tuchscherer (18-2) rebounded to defeat Tim Hague in his last outing at UFC 109 earlier this year. The 34-year-old began his pro MMA career back in 2004. Schaub (5-1) has made the transition to MMA after a football background. The 27-year-old was a fullback for the Colorado Buffaloes in college. In the pro ranks, he was member of the Buffalo Bills practice squad and played in the AFL. In his last UFC match, Schaub defeated Chase Gormley in March. The favorite rolls in this matchup. (Bet on UFC 116 Today)

The next marquee UFC event is set to take place this Saturday at the General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This will be just the fourth time that UFC has held one of its major numbered cards north of the border.

UFC’s 83, 97 and 113 were also held in Canada. UFC 115 will feature six preliminary bouts before the main card of five fights. The marquee bout was originally set to feature Chuck Liddell against Tito Ortiz. Two of the biggest names in UFC have met on two previous occasions. However, a neck injury will keep Ortiz out of UFC 115. Rich Franklin will now square off against Liddell.

Light Heavyweight bout: Chuck Liddell (+115) vs. Rich Franklin (-145)

In the headline bout on the card, the 40-year-old Liddell (21-7 MMA record) will try to recapture some of his old glory in the underdog role. While Liddell is a UFC legend, he has dropped four of his last five matches. Liddell will be entering the cage for the first time since a defeat against Mauricio Rua in April of 2009. He became a household name in the MMA world by defeating Randy Couture for the UFC Light Heavyweight crown back in 2005. He was able to defend the title in four matches. The run included another win against Couture and a victory over Ortiz.

Liddell finally lost his title belt in 2007 at the hands of Quinton Jackson. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year. Franklin (26-5) isn’t as well known as Liddell but he is a former UFC Middleweight champion. Franklin has lost two of his last three bouts. In his last outing, Franklin lost to Vitor Belfort at UFC 103 last September. The 35-year-old Franklin made his pro MMA debut back in 1999. In a mild upset, we expect Liddell to pull this one out.

Heavyweight bout: Marko Filipovic (+120) vs. Patrick Barry (-150)

Filipovic (26-7-2) has moved to the UFC in recent years after fighting primarily in Japan during the early portions of his MMA career. In his last bout, he stopped Anthony Perosh at UFC 110 in February. The 35-year-old Filipovic began his pro fighting career as a kickboxer in 1996. Barry (5-1) has joined the UFC circuit after beginning his pro fighting career in kickboxing. He was able to handle Antoni Hardonk in his last bout in October. The 30-year-old won the Combat USA Heavyweight title in 2008. We expect the favorite to come through in this matchup.

Lightweight bout: Matt Wiman (-110) vs. Mac Danzig (-120)

Wiman (11-5) has dropped two of his last three bouts entering this fight. He was able to defeat Shane Nelson in his last outing at UFC 107 in December. The 26-year-old Wiman began his pro MMA career back in 2004. Danzig (19-7-1) is just 3-5 in his last eight fights. He did handle Justin Buchholz at UFC 109 in February. The 30-year-old is a former King of the Cage champion. In a tight match, Danzig prevails.

UFC 104 Preview and Predictions

The Staple Centers in Los Angeles, California will play host to UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun.  These two Brazilian warriors may be headlining the event but this card is stacked and features a number of entertaining bouts.  Some will step into the octagon looking to move up in their division while others are fighting to keep their reputations and careers intact.

Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua

Lyoto Machida is not only one of the most technically sound fighters in the UFC, but MMA period.  This guy is very elusive and strikes with such a fierce suddenness that makes him both powerful and scary.  Machida rarely takes a hit when stepping into the octagon.  Just ask Rashad Evans, who barely landed a single blow before getting knocked out in the Dragon’s last fight.

When at his very best, like when he knocked out Chuck Liddell, Mauricio Rua is a force to reckoned with.  Unfortunately, his outings prior to then have been lackluster performances that have raised many questions.  This doubt leads us to believe that Shogun will suffer a knockout defeat sooner than later at the hands of the Dragon.

Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell

Originally scheduled to face Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez will now step into the octagon against UFC newcomer Ben Rothwell as Carwin has been bumped up to title status to face Brock Lesnar at UFC 106.  Undefeated in his UFC career, Velasquez has won four straight fights, including an impressive unanimous decision victory against Cheick Kongo.  While new to the UFC ring, Rothwell is an MMA veteran who has won 14 of his last 15 fights, which includes notable victories over Kryzysztof Soszynski, Ricco Rodriguez, Travis Fulton and Roy Nelson.  This one should be an all out slugfest but look for Rothwell to pull out a decision win and solidify himself as a contender in the UFC Heavyweight division.

Josh Neer vs. Gleison Tibau

Josh Neer will be replacing an injured Sean Sherk to square off against Gleison Tibau. Neer is coming off a disappointing unanimous decision loss to Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101, bringing his overall record in the promotion to 4-4.  Tibau lost his last fight in controversial fashion to Melvin Guillard at the TUF 9 Finale, a bout that several observers believe he should have won.  Similar to Neer, Tibau’s UFC stint has been rather inconsistent as he has been not able to establish nothing more than a two fight winning streak over the last two years.  Both fighters are very unpredictable, but history says it’s time for Josh Neer to seize another victory and send Tibau tumbling down the lightweight division .

Joe Stevenson vs. Spencer Fisher

Stevenson vs. Fisher is a sure to be fantastic match between two of the UFC’s up and coming lightweight fighters.  Joe snapped a two fight losing streak with a unanimous decision win over Nate Diaz at the TUF Season 9 Finale while Spencer comes in winning three in a row.  This should be a very intriguing matchup of two different styles.  Fisher prefers to stand and go after the knockout and while Stevenson can slug it out with the best of them, his ground game is vicious and threatens any fighter who dares take it to the canvas.  This one is tough to call but we expect Fisher to secure a KO and prove to the UFC that he is still one of the lightweight elites.

Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Anthony Johnson will take a two fight winning streak into the Staples Center against Yoshiyuki Yoshida.  Johnson’s most recent win came over Luigi Fioravanti, bringing the up and coming welterweight’s record to 7-2.  Yoshida is coming in with a submission victory over Brandon Wolff at UFC 98, making him 2-1 in his last three fights.  Although Yoshida has suffered crucial losses to Josh Koscheck and Jon Koppenhaver, nine of his 11 career victories have come via referee stoppage.  Johnson has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons lately but not even a clean slate would stop him from crumbling from the iron fists of the fast striking Yoshida.

UFC 104 Betting Odds Preview

UFC 104 invades Los Angeles, California on October 24, an event that is shaping up to be a great night for both the fighters and MMA fans alike.  Lyoto Machida is headlining the card, putting his Light Heavyweight Championship on the line for the first time against Maurico Rua.  This card features a total of 10 fights and 5 that have must-see written all over them.

Josh Neer (- -) vs. Gleison Tibau (- -)

With Sean Sherk sidelined because of an injury, Neer vs. Tibau has been made official for UFC 104.   Neer is coming off a UFC 101 loss via unanimous decision to Kurt Pellegrino and is a mediocre 2-2 in last four fights.  Tibau is coming off the heels of a close split decision defeat at the TUF 9 Season Finale this past June against Melvin Guillard.  While both fighters are desperate for a victory, this is more of a must-win fight for Neer who may need a win just to keep in his spot in the promotion.

Cain Velasquez (-260) vs. Ben Rothwell (+200)

With Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar slated to face the beastly Shane Carwin at UFC 106, Cain Velsquez will now step into the octagon against Ben Rothwell, one of the UFC’s latest acquisitions.  Velsquez can breathe a little easier with the “Engineer” out of the picture but shouldn’t take Rothwell lightly.  A standout fighter in the heavyweight divisions of both the IFL and Affliction, Rothwell is a beast in his own right and hungry for blood in the coveted UFC ring.

Joe Stevenson (-200) vs. Spencer Fisher (+160)

Joe Stevenson makes his return to the octagon after a dominating victory over Nate Diaz at the TUF 9 Finale in June.  Stevenson controlled Diaz through all three rounds in route to unanimous decision win and co-winner of the Fight of the Night award.  He must now put his skills up against Spencer Fisher who convincingly beat MMA vet Caol Uno, marking is third straight UFC victory.  Stevenson will surely have his hands full against an impressive Fisher who has won six of last eight fights.

Anthony Johnson (-300) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (+220)

In an intriguing matchup of two talented welterweights, Johnson and Yoshida will battle it out to determine just who will climb to the top of their division.  Johnson looked very dominant in his last two fights, coming off KO victories against Kevin Burns and Luigi Fioravanti, rebounding nicely after a rather controversial defeat to Burns the first time around.  Yoshida scored a submission win against Brandon Wolff at UFC 98, which saw him bounce back from a brutal knockout loss to Josh Koshcheck last December.  Both fighters look to extend on their winning streaks in what should be a very entertaining bout.

Lyoto Machida (-450) vs. Maurico Rua (+325)

Machida and Rua is the battle of the “Dragon” vs. the “Shogun”.  Both are coming off convincing victories as Machida captured the Light Heavyweight crown from the previously undefeated Rashad Evans and Rua made short work of Chuck Liddell.  Rua’s record of 18-3 is noteworthy but isn’t nearly as impressive as Machida who stands at 15-0.  Look for these two Brazilian standouts to be bring the pain in what could easily be the Fight of the Night.

UFC 103 Preview and Predictions

UFC 103 will go down on September 19 live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.  Former Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin and Brazilian mixed marital artist Vitor Belfort headline a stacked  card in what is sure to be an intriguing bout.

Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort

Vitor Belfort returns to the octagon after losing his last two UFC fights to Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz.  Belfort should definitely serve as worthy competition to the veteran Franklin but interestingly enough, he has lost almost all of his stepping stone fights with notable losses to Ortiz, Couture, “Ice Man” Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson.  Franklin on the other hand is coming off an impressive unanimous decision over Wanderlei Silva back in June.  If he starts to unload, he could score an early stoppage and deliver a crucial blow to Belfort’s underachieved  career.  Being that Franklin will have to be cautious of Vitor’s power, look for him to play it smart and pull out another win via unanimous decision.

Mirko Filipovic vs. Junior Dos Santos

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will certainly have his hands full when stepping into the octagon against Junior Dos Santos, a powerful and skilled Brazilian fighter who is on the rise in the heavyweight division.  Though forever dangerous, it seems as if Cro Cop has never completely adapted to the UFC, which calls for more polished skills than Pride and other environments.  Put your money on Dos Santos bringing the heat early and ending this one in fierce fashion TKO style.

Paul Daley vs. Martin Kampmann

Martin Kampmann spent the last few months training for a probable “Fight of the Night” against Mike Swick.  He must now modify his approach as Swick was pulled from the bout due to a concussion and replaced by Paul Daley.  Not what we were expecting, but this should still be a good one featuring the classic striker vs. submission style.  Daley can put an end to this fight by landing a single powerful blow but don’t expect his opponent to try and slug it out.  Our crystal ball sees Kampmann keeping this on the ground and scoring the win by way of submission.

Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg

It has been a rocky road for Josh Koscheck who is 3-3 over his last six fights and coming off the heels of a crushing knockout defeat at the hands of Paulo Thiago.  After four years, Trigg is returning to the UFC, riding a hot four fight winning streak in various organizations.  Trigg excels the most at wrestling but will be outmatched by Koscheck who also has a nice ground game.  Koscheck may not do it in impressive fashion, but a knockout win is in the cards for this once promising fighter who desperately needs a victory.

Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca

Tyson Griffin and Hermes Franca are MMA fighters who are both fun to watch.  Ironically, Griffin and Hermes are both coming off wins after decision losses to Sean Sherk.  Franca’s aggressive and often unorthodox style has flustered the majority of his opponents in the UFC.  With a nice combination of submission and striking, he has the ability to submit his foes or take them out via a few wild but powerful blows.  The style that gives him the most trouble is power wrestling, which is exactly what Tyson Griffin brings to the table.  Look for Griffin to dictate the pace of the fight and take Hermes out of his comfort zone.  If he does this successfully, a unanimous decision win should be in the bag.

UFC 103 Betting Odds Preview

UFC 103 takes place September 19th at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.  It will be the MMA organizations’s first event to feature a total of 13 fights.  The card is stacked with many potential Fight of the Night candidates.  Here is a sneak preview of the betting odds for some of the most intriguing fights.

Rich Franklin (-155) vs. Vitor Belfort (+125)

The main event of UFC 103 is a match featuring MMA fighters with two very distinct styles.  Rich Franklin and Vitor Belfort have both bounced back after enduring losing streaks and can strike with the best of them.  This one is sure to be fast, furious and possibly over by the second round.  With the odds being so close, you certainly want to be wise when placing your bets.

Josh Koscheck (-400) vs. Frank Trigg (+300)

Josh Koscheck heads into UFC 103 looking to regain his prominence as a top 170 lb. fighter with a victory over MMA vet Frank Trigg, who is making his return to the octagon.  Although Koscheck has a great shot at winning the fight, the current odds have him slightly overvalued.  After all, Trigg is simply migrating from another promotion, not awakening from retirement.  Koscheck exposed a weak chin in his previous fight so a mistake or two could easily lead to his demise against the wily Trigg.

Junior dos Santos (-135) vs. Mirko Filipovic (+105)

In a potential number one contender’s bout, Junior dos Santos will take on former Pride Fighting star Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. While Filipovic has certainly looked more impressive over his last few fights, he will have a difficult time keeping up with dos Santos who is nearly ten years younger and much faster.  Don’t count out Cro Cop, but the Brazilian just might dominate and end this one in a flash.

Paul Daley (-185) vs. Martin Kampmann (+145)

After suffering a concussion during an intense training, Mike Swick is out and Paul Daley is in against tough guy Martin Kampmann.  At 170 lbs., Kampmann has shined in the welterweight division while Daley has won 9 of his last 11 fights, only losing to ex Bodog Fight champ Nick Thompson and world renowned welterweight fighter Jake Shields within that span.  This is another potential number one contender bout that could just be our Fight out the Night.

Tyson Griffin (-280) vs. Hermes Franca (+210)

The odds for Griffin vs. Franca are pretty much dead on but that does not necessarily make this one an easy fight to bet on.  Collectively, these two MMA fighters have been involved in 6 Fight of the Nights.   Instead of placing a bet, you just might want to sit back and enjoy what should be a very entertaining fight.

Efrain Escudero (-160) vs. Cole Miller (+130)

Escudero and Miller are two young fighters coming in to UFC 103 with a lot to prove.  It is hard to how say how Escudero will fair.  Even though he recently won The Ultimate Fighter, it seems as if TUF doesn’t make ‘em like they used to as winners of earlier seasons have been far more successful.  With that said, Miller has looked impressive in his young UFC career and should give Esudero all he can handle.

UFC 102 Preview and Fight Predictions

UFC 102 will take place on August 29^th, which is surprisingly only a few short weeks after UFC 101.  Many are dubbing this card as “USA vs. Brazil” due to the some of the fights taking place that night.  While Couture and Nogeira are featured as the headliners, there are a couple of bouts that just might steal the show from the main event.

Brandon Vera vs. Matt Hamil

The main card for UFC will begin with Brandon Vera vs. Mark Hamil.   This is one fight that could go either way. If Vera can survive Hamil’s strong take downs, he might be able to dominate with his long limbs.  If Hamil can get inside and put Brandon on the ground, it might be a long, grueling night for Vera.  Although Hamil showed that he is a much improved striker in his last fight, trying to go toe-to-toe with the slugging Vera would be absolutely foolish.  This probably will not be his approach because Hamil is a wise fighter that prefers to grind it out rather than going for the quick kill.  A decision wouldn’t be all that surprising but we predict a Vera win by TKO.

Demian Mai vs. Nate Marquardt

The next bout pits submission expert Demian Maia against the well rounded Nate Marquardt.  Once thought as the fight that would determine the next in line for Anderson Silva’s Middleweight Championship, it is now simply a battle for pride as Silva has moved up to the light heavyweight division.  Maia has made it a habit to submit almost every opponent in his path, including his five UFC bouts, which all ended via submission.  His skills on the mat are undeniable but Marquardt is an entirely different breed of opponent.  This one will be a test of will and patience because if one fighter slips up, the other will take full advantage.  Maia definitely has it in him to pull out a submission, but look for Marqardt to be the more composed and score the victory by decision.

Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva

Coming off a loss to Rampage Jackson, Keith Jardine is looking to redeem himself when stepping into the octagon with fierce Brazilian fighter Thiago Silva.  Jardine is very difficult to figure out as he looked dominant in wins against Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin yet got hammered by relatively unknown Houston Alexander in 48 seconds.  He has shown the ability to rebound, but Silva isn’t the type of fighter to take lightly, especially after coming off a loss against Lyoto Machida.  Out for blood, expect Silva to make short work of the often lazy Jardine with a brutal KO.

Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo

The main event is a fight between two of the all-time MMA greats: Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo.  These two legends are set to go head up in a battle that could be the last for both fighters.  Ironically, Couture recently lost to UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar while Rodrigo lost to Interim champ Frank Mir, who fought each other at UFC 100 to unify the title.  Both are obviously past their prime but this should still be a very intriguing matchup.  Expect it to be a long drawn out battle where both men evenly compete to the final bell.  In the end, Couture should pull out the decision win and go out as a victorious legend of the octagon.