UFC 154 Preview and Predictions

UFC 154 is happening Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. For me, this is one of the most anticipated UFC events in a long time. Why? Cause I’m a HUGE Georges St. Pierre fan, and the UFC Welterweight Champion is back in the Octagon for the first time in about 18 months. The reason for his absence has been a torn ACL and the subsequent surgery and recovery. During his time away, an interim welterweight champion has been crowned…his name is Carlos Condit. And on Saturday, November 17th the two men will meet to determine who the undisputed champ is.

Below is my preview and predictions for the two main fights on the UFC 154 card. I also highlight a couple other fights that are definitely worth watching.

Georges “Rush” St. Pierre vs. Carlos “Natural Born Killer” Condit

Like I just said, I am a BIG fan of GSP, have been for a long time. So let me just say now that I am a bit biased, and I think, without a doubt, that GSP will win this fight. The only question in my mind is HOW he will win. One of the many things that made me a GSP fan was the way he just dominated people, and finished his opponents. That was “back in the day”. Any fan of MMA knows that the last several title defenses have resulted in GSP winning by decision. He still dominates, but his fights could definitely be considered “boring”. St. Pierre claims that he has a new fire and a renewed desire to put on exciting fights to finish like he used to. And while I want to believe him, he has said similar things in the past. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

As far as Condit is concerned…he certainly has a chance in this fight. He is without a doubt a dangerous guy, and definitely deserves a shot at the title. But if he fights like he did in his last fight (against Nick Diaz), I don’t think it will be enough.

My prediction: I’d like to predict that St. Pierre is going to win by TKO in the 3rd round…but I think I’m gonna go with GSP winning by decision. Keep in mind, my predictions are usually wrong.

Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks vs. Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann

This could (and should) be one of the most exciting fights of the night. Both of these guys like to strike and go out there every time looking to finish the fight. Johny Hendricks is a slight favorite, but I actually like Martin Kampmann in this fight. Kampmann is a very well rounded fighter with a ton of experience (20-5 record). He is riding a 3-fight win streak, coming off a TKO victory in his last fight against a very solid Jake Ellenberger.

On the other side of the cage is Johny Hendricks is not too shabby either (that’s putting it mildly). Hendricks has a very impressive 13-1 record is looking to win five in a row. He really gained some notoriety in the UFC with his 12 second knockout of the very durable Jon Fitch at UFC 141 back in December.

My prediction: If this fight stays standing I think Kampmann’s kickboxing will be the determining factor. I think it will be close, but I predict Kampmann pulls out the decision victory.

And now a quick look a couple other notable fights in the UFC 154 card. Both of these fights are on the preliminary card.

Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout vs. John “The Bull” Makdessi (can be seen on FX)

This fight features two Canadians fighting in front of their home crowd. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know much about John Makdessi. I’ve heard his name before, and this will be his 5th fight in the UFC. He probably needs a win here to stay in the UFC having lost his last two fights. Sam Stout is the reason I highlighted this fight. This dude never has a dull fight. He has an iron chin and just keeps coming forward. He has a record of 18-7-1, and in those seven losses he has never been knocked out. He is always fun to watch.

Patrick “The Predator” Cote vs. Alessio “Legionarius” Sakara (can be seen on FX)

Both of these guys are seasoned vets and have fought the who’s who in MMA. Sakara has had some great battles over the years, and is making his 14th trip to the UFC Octagon. He too may be fighting for his career having lost his last two fights. Cote was released by the UFC after a loss back in October of 2010. He returned to the UFC back in the July, but suffered a loss to Cung Le, so he may also need a win if he wants to stick around. I expect both guys to try their hardest to look impressive and finish this fight.