UFC 106 was originally slated to be headlined with a monstrous title fight between Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and undefeated Shane Carwin. An unfortunate intestinal illness has forced Lesnar off the card much to the dismay of the fans.
Replacing that bout in the main event will feature a highly anticipated rematch between former Light-Heavyweight champions Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin.
Also in the co-main event, explosive welterweights Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Josh Koscheck clash in a bout with potential title implications.
Let’s preview the main card.
Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin II
The first time these two gladiators collided was back at UFC 59 in mid-2006. It was Griffin’s toughest test at the time against a then-top 10 ranked Ortiz. The fight was an exciting war with Ortiz scoring the split decision victory that some claim should have went to Griffin.
A lot has changed in two years so you shouldn’t even look back at the first fight when predicting the outcome of the rematch. The first time “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” squared off with Griffin he was suffering from a nagging back injury. Ortiz hasn’t competed in over a year and during that time off went through a serious spinal surgery that he claims has restored him back to the way he used to be.
Ortiz is confident that he’ll be ten times more explosive this time around and if that’s the case then Griffin will be in for a rude awakening. On the other hand Griffin has evolved leaps and bounds since the first fight which could be disastrous for Ortiz. Ortiz may be extremely explosive come fight night but he has never truly evolved as a fighter in the sense that Griffin has.
If Griffin can effectively defend Ortiz’s takedowns and keep the fight on the feet, he can hurt Ortiz with brutal leg and body kicks. Griffin is not a knockout artist by any means but he has slick footwork and will score points with his strikes.
However, if Ortiz can take Griffin down and overwhelm the original Ultimate Fighter with vicious ground and pound we will see Ortiz’s hand raised at the end along with his reemergence into the upper echelon of the 205-pound division.
Tito Ortiz by second round (T)KO
Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson
Going into certain fights you know that there is at least a 90 percent chance that someone is getting knocked out and this is one of them. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva deserves credit for setting up this co-main event in such a short amount of time as it surely will produce more fireworks than the fourth of July.
Both welterweights come from solid wrestling backgrounds but Koscheck is a much more accomplished grappler. A former NCAA Division I champion, Koscheck’s wrestling credentials are the most impressive in the UFC’s welterweight division.
Lately though Koscheck has shied away from his takedowns and opts to stand and trade with his opponents. This could be catastrophic for him against Johnson considering the fact that “Rumble” is a well rounded striker with explosive power in both hands and feet.
Koscheck is a very dangerous striker in his own right and possesses an incredibly lethal overhand right but he has been known to make mistakes before and he’s been knocked out because of it. He’ll have to revert back to his wrestling for this fight which is no easy task as Johnson is not only a strong wrestler but one of the largest athletes in the weight-class.
This fight is not likely to make it out of the first round. “Rumble” Johnson will score a thunderous knockout within the first two minutes of the fight to establish himself as a potential threat to Georges St. Pierre’s title.
Anthony Johnson by first round (T)KO
Phil Baroni vs. Amir Sadollah
The always flamboyant “New York Bad Ass” Baroni makes his first appearance in the UFC’s Octagon since a 2005 submission loss to Pete Sell back at UFC 51. Baroni will take on Ultimate Fighter 7 winner Sadollah in a bout that could be a do-or-die situation for both men.
Baroni is coming off of a decision loss to Joe Riggs in his last fight on Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler meanwhile Sadollah was knocked out by Johny Hendricks at UFC 101 after being on a one year hiatus due to injuries.
Many fans seem to be writing Baroni off from the get-go which is a big mistake. At 13-11 Baroni is definitely not one of the greatest fighters in the division but the man has insane knockout power and his bull-rushing aggression is exactly the style that Hendricks used to finish Sadollah in August.
Sadollah is an excellent kick-boxer who’s also proven to be very skillful on the ground. If Sadollah can keep Baroni on the outside and drag the fight past the first round, Baroni will gas and that’s where Sadollah can really start to push the pace and finish the fight.
Amir Sadollah by second round submission
Luiz Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Light-Heavyweight twin brother of former PRIDE and UFC Heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira makes his UFC debut against deadly striker “Banha” Cane.
Cane is a prototypical Muay-Thai specialist that is riding a three-fight win streak including a victory over a fighter whom knocked out Nogueira at PRIDE 33—Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. If Cane can keep this fight standing he could pick “Minotoro” apart with bone shattering leg kicks and crisp striking combinations.
Nonetheless Nogueira is certainly no slouch in the stand-up department so he may be able to hold his own against Cane on the feet much like he did against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005. Similar to his Heavyweight brother, “Minotoro” is a world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt so he would hold a definitive advantage over Cane if the fight hits the ground.
Expect to see a very close fight with Nogueira out-scoring “Banha” for a unanimous decision victory.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by unanimous decision
Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann
Welterweights Karo Parisyan and Dustin Hazelett were originally slated for this main card slot but Parisyan has pulled out of the fight and has been given the pink slip from UFC President Dana White. Another welterweight bout has been bumped from the preliminary card to the televised portion between Thiago and undefeated newcomer Volkmann.
Not much is known about Volkmann other than the fact that he is 10-0 and has quite possibly the best nickname in all of MMA—“Christmas”. Thiago has already competed twice in the UFC against two top ranked opponents. He knocked out Koscheck and went the distance in a losing effort against Jon Fitch.
Thiago is a legit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist but despite his knockout power he looks very uncomfortable on his feet. Volkmann appears to be a powerful wrestler that is very well-versed on the ground but it may be more beneficial for him to try to expose Thiago’s striking holes.
Then again Volkmann doesn’t appear to be much of a striker himself so this is likely going to be a battle for positioning on the ground. Volkmann’s wrestling may give him an edge but Thiago’s Jiu-Jitsu will be too slick for the newcomer to handle.
Paulo Thiago by unanimous decision
