My <i>UFC 101: Declaration</i> Picks & Predictions

The UFC has come to Philadelphia, PA for the first time in history! Right in my own backyard yet I'm not going! Kinda pissed about that! I couldn't score tickets whatsoever when they first came out. Now, cheapest tickets are $300! Oh well, best seat in the house is watching it on TV anyway. Maybe next time! On to my picks.

MAIN CARD

Penn -vs- Florian (Lightweight Title) -- BJ Penn comes back down to defend his LW title against the number one contender Kenny "Ken-Flo" Florian after an embarrassing lost to GSP months ago. People have started to question BJ's mental toughness after a loss to GSP and whether or not he will be ready to face a very dangerous Florian. According to sources, Penn's camp has moved from Hawaii to California to prepare for this fight. The seriousness in his training has increased because his cardio/endurance was once again exposed in the GSP fight. Will Penn continue his undefeated streak in the lightweight division? He better bring his A game because Florian is riding a 6 fight winning streak and is looking to "kill the master". He is hungry and will have his first opportunity in his career to become a champion. It will not be easy but there's a legit shot. Kenny's advantage will be his muay thai. His reach advantage is also key to a win. However, both guys are superb in the ground game. This may look like a stand-up battle the whole entire time. BJ will have his speed and accuracy in the striking game to his advantage. Bottom line is BJ will defend his belt successfully and in a very dramatic KO. Penn wins via TKO in 3rd rnd.

Silva -vs- Griffin -- This is probably the fight I'm looking forward to watching instead of the championship bout. The reason being is that Forrest is starting to be my favorite fighters of all time. He's the face of the new UFC era and his toughness is admirable. He's coming into this fight knowing that he's the underdog, again. He loves to be in that position and shock the world. Silva on the other hand is starting to be my least favorite. He doesn't take fights seriously anymore. His last two fights has been lackluster but he should've dominated Leites and Cote with ease, not carry them to the end of the fight. Forrest has to be smart about this fight and not get caught in Silva's clinch, where he's most dangerous. Forrest is a big guy and can rely on his takedowns to counter this. Silva's ground game hasn't been tested in a long time so it'll be interesting to see this fight go on the mat. I will be rooting for the underdog and the crowd favorite on this one. I wouldn't be surprised if Philly fans bombard Silva with boos as he enters the Octagon. This will be a FUN fight to watch. Griffin wins via Unanimous Decision.

Sadollah -vs- Hendricks -- The long awaited return of TUF winner Amir Sadollah will fight against a very tough slugger in John Hendricks. Hendricks is undefeated in his MMA career and it will be his first fight in the Octagon. He has fought in the WEC and has made enough noise for an invitation into the big stage. Sadollah has not fought in a year and is been itching to get back. Question is, will the ring rust affect the outcome of this fight? I believe so. Hendricks will rely on his heavy hands to try and knock Sadollah out. With a wrestling pedigree as well he can look to do damage in the ground and pound if it ends up on the mat. Hendricks wins via TKO in 3rd rnd.

Almeida -vs- Grove -- This matchup will be Professor Almeida's last fight at middleweight as he steps down in weight class to battle the welterweights. Grove comes from BJ Penn's camp and has had a so-so career but having a win over a veteran like Almeida will sure to give his resume a little shine to it. Both are excellent in jiu-jitsu with Almeida having more of an advantage. Almeida's takedowns will give Grove some problems and will win because of it. If Grove can keep it standing and relies on his reach and striking advantage then he will win the fight. However, I just see Almeida riding out a decision win for takedown points. Almeida wins via Unanimous Decision.

Neer -vs- Pellegrino -- Jersey's own Kurt Pellegrino will be fighting in his own backyard against a very dangerous Josh Neer. Pellegrino is a very good jiu-jitsu practitioner and can be very dangerous on the ground if taken down. However, he has been criticized by being one-dimensional. His wrestling is not so good and his strikes are not as crisp. Neer on the other hand will give Pellegrino problems if it gets taken down to the ground because of his submission defense and superior wrestling skills. Neer will look to knock Pellegrino out to finish the fight. Neer wins via TKO in 2nd rnd.