The twelve tested fighters were Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Lyoto Machida, Rameau Sokoudjou, Rich Clementi, Melvin Guillard, Manny Gamburyan, Dean Lister, Jordan Radev, and Mark Bocek.

• Georges St. Pierre
• Matt Hughes
• Chuck Liddell
  

• $160,000 total salary
  • $80,000 to show
  • $80,000 win bonus

Matt Hughes (defeated by Georges St. Pierre)

• $100,000 total salary
  • $100,000 to show
  • Win bonus would have been $100,000

Chuck Liddell (defeated Wanderlei Silva)

• $500,000 total salary
  • $500,000 to show
  • No win bonus

Wanderlei Silva (defeated by Chuck Liddell)

• $150,000 total salary
  • $150,000 to show
  • No win bonus

Eddie Sanchez (defeated Soa Palelei)

• $46,000 total salary
  • $23,000 to show
  • $23,000 win bonus

Soa Palelei (defeated by Eddie Sanchez)

• $5,000 total salary
  • $5,000 to show
  • Win bonus would have been $5,000

Lyoto Machida (defeated Rameau Sokoudjou)

• $60,000 total salary
  • $30,000 to show
  • $30,000 win bonus

Rameau Sokoudjou (defeated by Lyoto Machida)

• $40,000 total salary
  • $40,000 to show
  • Win bonus would have been $40,000

Rich Clementi (defeated Melvin Guillard)

• $28,000 total salary
  • $14,000 to show
  • $14,000 win bonus

Melvin Guillard (defeated by Rich Clementi)

• $10,000 total salary
  • $10,000 to show
  • Win bonus would have been $10,000

James Irvin (defeated Luis Cane)

• $16,000 total salary
  • $8,000 to show
  • $8,000 win bonus

Luis Cane (defeated by James Irvin)

• $5,000 total salary
  • $5,000 to show
  • Win bonus would have been $5,000

Manny Gamburyan (defeated Nate Mohr)

• $20,000 total salary
  • $10,000 to show
  • $10,000 win bonus

Nate Mohr (defeated by Manny Gamburyan)

• $6,000 total salary
  • $6,000 to show
  • Win bonus would have been $6,000

Dean Lister (defeated Jordan Radev)

• $22,000 total salary
  • $11,000 to show
  • $11,000 win bonus

Jordan Radev (defeated by Dean Lister)

• $5,000 total salary
  • $5,000 to show
  • Win bonus would have been $5,000

Roan Carneiro (defeated Tony DeSouza)

• $10,000 total salary
  • $5,000 to show
  • $5,000 win bonus

Tony DeSouza (defeated by Roan Carneiro)

• $7,000 total salary
  • $7,000 to show
  • Win bonus would have been $7,000

Mark Bocek (defeated Doug Evans)

• $6,000 total salary
  • $3,000 to show
  • $3,000 win bonus

Doug Evans (defeated by Mark Bocek)

• $3,000 total salary
  • $3,000 to show
  • Win bonus would have been $3,000

Total disclosed payroll: $1,199,000

Note: The above figures do not include sponsor payments, fees, taxes, or bonuses. Chuck Liddell (Fight of the Night), Wanderlei Silva (Fight of the Night), Georges St. Pierre (Submission of the Night), and Eddie Sanchez (Knockout of the Night) all received an additional $50,000 in bonus money in addition the salaries reported above.

• No injury specified (defeated via armbar)
• Suspended until January 29th
• No contact until January 20th.

Wanderlei Silva (defeated by Chuck Liddell – unanimous decision)

• Right eye laceration
• Suspended until February 13th
• No contact until January 29th

Chuck Liddell (defeated Wanderlei Silva – unanimous decision)

• Left eye laceration
• Suspended until January 29th
• No contact until January 20th

Soa Palelei (defeated by Eddie Sanchez – TKO)

• Nasal and left orbital fractures
• Must be cleared by ophthalmologist or no contest until June 27th

Rameau Sokoudjou (defeated by Lyoto Machida – submission)

• Right eyebrow laceration
• Suspended until February 13th
• No contact until January 29th

James Irvin (defeated Luis Cane – DQ)

• No injury specified (illegal knee to head)
• Suspended until February 28th
• No contact until February 13th

Nate Mohr (defeated by Manny Gamburyan – submission)

• No injury specified (defeated via ankle lock, reportedly torn ACL)
• Suspended until January 20th
• No contact until January 13th

Tony DeSouza (defeated by Roan Carneiro – TKO)

• No injury specified (defeated via TKO)
• Suspended until January 29th
• No contact until January 20th

Doug Evans (defeated by Mark Bocek – unanimous decision)

• Left thumb injury and left eyebrow laceration
• Must be cleared by doctor or no contest until June 27th
• Suspended until February 13th
• No contact until January 29th

MMAFrenzy.com (www.mmafrenzy.com) is your source for round-by-round results from all 10 fights.

During the event it was officially announced that former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia will face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in February at UFC 81 for the Vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship.

The full fight card included:

Main Card

• Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre
• Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
• Soa Palalei vs. Eddie Sanchez
• Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Sokoudjou
• Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard

Preliminary Bouts

• Luis Cane vs. James Irvin
• Nate Mohr vs. Manny Gamburyan
• Jordan Radev vs. Dean Lister
• Roan Carneiro vs. Tony DeSouza
• Mark Bocek vs. Doug Evans

To discuss the event with fellow fight fans check out the OFFICIAL MMAFrenzy.com UFC 79 discussion thread or stop by the MMAFrenzy.com chat room for live discussion.

For quick results, round-by-round recaps, and news from the event click the “READ MORE” link below.

QUICK RESULTS

• Georges St. Pierre def. Matt Hughes via submission – Round 2, 4:54
• Chuck Liddell def. Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision
• Eddie Sanchez def. Soa Palalei via TKO – Round 3, 3:24
• Lyoto Machida def. Rameau Sokoudjou via submission – Round 2, 4:20
• Rich Clementi def. Melvin Guillard via submission – Round 1, 4:40
• James Irvin def. Luis Cane via disqualification – Round 1, 1:51
• Manny Gamburyan def. Nate Mohr via submission – Round 1, 1:31
• Dean Lister def. Jordan Radev via unanimous decision
• Roan Carneiro def. Tony DeSouza via TKO – Round 2, 3:30
• Mark Bocek def. Doug Evans via unanimous decision

NEWS

• During the event it was officially confirmed that former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia will face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in February at UFC 81 for the Vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship.

ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS

Georges St. Pierre def. Matt Hughes via submission – Round 2

Round 1: They touch gloves and we’re underway. Hughes shoots for an early takedown but St. Pierre just backs away. Attempted kick by GSP misses. Kick to the leg by Georges who is still feeling out the fight after the first minute passes. Another big kick attempt by St. Pierre misses. The clinch and St. Pierre works a few knees before he’s able to take Hughes down. GSP falls into Hughes’ guard as Matt prevents GSP from posturing up. The move against the cage which allows GSP an attempt to pass but Hughes reclaims guard. GSP moves to half guard and Hughes nearly gives up his back. St. Pierre gets some ground and pound in against the fence. Hughes controls St. Pierre’s body but GSP is able to pass Hughes’ guard. Hughes holds tight riding out the final seconds of the first round. St. Pierre reigns down punches onto Hughes before taking his back just before the bell sounds. St. Pierre receives several warnings for punches to the back of Hughes’ head. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 2: St. Pierre opens with kick attempts that miss. They lock up and St. Pierre immediately puts Hughes on the mat. GSP quickly passes to half guard though Hughes recaptures his guard just moments later. All Hughes can do is control St. Pierre’s head from the bottom. St. Pierre remains active trying to pass the guard of Hughes and he’s eventually successful and captures Hughes’ back. He quickly works for a rear naked choke but Hughes is able to power out and GSP sprawls. Both fighters return to their feet. Hughes attempts a single leg and GSP stuffs it. Now it’s St. Pierre’s turn and he immediately flips Hughes to the ground. St. Pierre is in side control immediately and quickly works on submission attempts on both arms. GSP locks in an armbar and Hughes verbally submits.

Georges St. Pierre defeats Matt Hughes via submission (Round 2, 4:54) to become the Interim UFC Welterweight Champion.

Chuck Liddell def. Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision

Round 1: As expected both are looking for an early finish and are swinging for the fences from the open of the round. Liddell is successful in counter-punching many of Wanderlei’s attempts and rocks Silva several times in the opening frame. Liddell escapes major damage in the round while Silva is bleeding as the round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Liddell.

Round 2: Silva opens strong but Liddell continues his strong counter-punching. Liddell with a leg kick before a good Silva combo. They continue the brisk trading of punches before Liddell slips. He is quickly back up. Liddell connects again before they clinch for the first time in the fight. Solid left by Liddell cuts Silva. They turn up the action and both are landing back and forth shots including a long combo from Silva. They head to the ground for the first time in the fight but the brawling continues on the ground. MMAFrenzy.com scores the very, very close round 10-9 for Liddell.

Round 3: Liddell opens the final frame with a takedown of Silva. Wanderlei is able to scramble back to his feet before connecting on a left but gets nailed by Chuck. Spinning backfist attempt by Liddell as we near the half-way mark of the final round. Liddell connects with a vicious series of punches that send Silva reeling to the cage. They trade shots back and forth as we near the final minute of the fight. In the waning seconds Liddell gets another takedown to lockdown the unanimous decision win. The horn sounds and the most anticipated fight in MMA history is in the books. MMAFrenzy.com scores the final round 10-9 Liddell.

Chuck Liddell defeats Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Eddie Sanchez def. Soa Palalei via TKO – Round 3

Round 1: Palalei is the aggressor early in the round taking big shots at Sanchez. They lock up and Palalei takes Sanchez to the ground. Sanchez is able to get back to his feet but catches Palalei with an accidental knee in the groin. The fight is halted to give Palalei time to recover from the accidental blow. After recovering they resume the clinch and Sanchez landing some good shots to the face. Palalei reverses and lands some shots on Sanchez before they’re separated after a lack of action. They quickly resume their previous position but there’s little landed for either fighter. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sanchez.

Round 2: Sanchez opens with a big uppercut. Palelei is mounting little offense thus far. They trade brief standup before clinching yet again. Very slow round as Sanchez lands several more uppercuts in the clinch before the end of the frame. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sanchez.

Round 3: Palelei and Sanchez clinch again and Sanchez continues the one-sided fight with more uppercuts. Palelei is bloodied and his eye is swollen. Sanchez continues to land solid punches and the referee calls a stop to the fight.

Eddie Sanchez defeats Soa Palelei via TKO – Round 3, 3:24

Lyoto Machida def. Rameau Sokoudjou via submission – Round 2

Round 1: Sokoudjou connects early with a solid right that connects. He then took Machida to the ground but was quickly flipped over by Machida. He passed to half guard and looked for a kimura but Sokoudjou escaped the submission attempt. Machida worked on some offense from the top but didn’t land anything major before they were stood up. Machida with a body kick in the stand up. Sokoudjou gets a trip takedown but Machida gets back to his feet quickly. The round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Machida.

Round 2: Standup trades to start round two before Machida connects and sends Sokoudjou to the ground. Machida works an arm-triangle attempt before passing Sokoudjou’s guard. He works another arm-triangle from the mount but it was again unsuccessful. Machida then transitions to side control and again gets an arm-triangle. This time the move succeeds forcing Sokoudjou to tap out at the 4:20 mark of round number two.

Lyoto Machida defeats Rameau Sokoudjou via submission (arm-triangle) – Round 2, 4:20

Rich Clementi def. Melvin Guillard via submission – Round 1

Round 1: Clementi opens with a good inside leg kick. Guillad counters with a good right but Clementi comes back with a pair of good kicks. Guilard with another good punch but Clementi picks up his opponent and slams him to the ground. He takes Guillard’s back and works a full-nelson before Guillard rolls out. Guillard attempted a kick but slipped on the the attempt and Clementi followed him to the ground. Guillard is momentarily on top before Clementi transitions and takes Guillard’s back. He sinks in a rear naked choke from the position and forces the tap out from Guillard. After the end of the fight security entered the ring to keep the fighters separated after Guillard looked to go after Clementi following the disappointing loss.

Rich Clementi defeats Melvin Guillard via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 4:40

James Irvin def. Luis Cane via disqualification – Round 1

Round 1: Cane connects first with aseries of punches rocking his opponent. Irvin counters with a solid uppercut that staggers Cane who backs to the fence. Irvin rushes in to attempt a guillotine before throwing a kick that’s caught by Cane sending Irvin to the ground. Irvin tries to scramble up but Cane throws an illegal knee that rocks the fighter. Irvin is unable to continue following the illegal knee and the fight is ruled a disqualification win for Irvin.

James Irvin defeats Luis Cane via disqualification (illegal knee) – Round 1, 1:51

Manny Gamburyan def. Nate Mohr via submission – Round 1

Round 1: The Ultimate Fighter 5 runner-up starts quickly looking for a takedown but Mohr stops the initial attempt. Gamburyan continues the pressure and finally gets Mohr to the ground. Manny immediately secures an ankle lock and Mohr is forced to tap out.

Manny Gamburyan defeats Nate Mohr via submission (ankle lock) – Round 1, 1:31

Dean Lister def. Jordan Radev via unanimous decision

Round 1: They trade leg kicks to start the fight before Lister changes the pace and attempts a takedown. Radev defends well avoiding the attempt. Lister remains the aggressor landing several kicks but very little damage is being done by either fighter. Takedown attempts continue by Lister though Radev is able to sprawl and shake them off. Radev connects late in the round with a solid punch but it’s not enough to win him the slow opening round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Lister.

Round 2: Another lackluster round with more of the same from the first. Lister continues to look for takedowns but Radev defends the attempts. The crowd boos the fighters. Lister continues to throw leg kicks and Radev lands a right but neither do much damage. In the waning seconds Lister finally succeeds on a takedown and is able to pass Radev’s guard and ground and pound to end the frame. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Lister.

Round 3: The final round includes numerous takedown attempts by Lister that are continually defended by Radev. He finally gets a takedown at the midway point of the last round. Lister transitioned into half guard before the final round ended. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Lister.

Dean Lister defeats Jordan Radev via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Roan Carneiro def. Tony DeSouza via TKO – Round 2

Round 1: The pair clinch to open the fight with DeSouza throwing knees at Carneiro. Shortly after Carneiro secures a takedown. DeSouza attempts an armbar but Carneiro escapes. Carneiro transitions and takes the back of DeSouza as we near the midway point of the round. He works for a rear naked choke but DeSouza is able to roll back into Carneiro’s guard. DeSouza lands some ground and pound while Carneiro counters with strikes from the bottom. The first round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the opening round 10-9 Carneiro.

Round 2: They clinch again to open the second round but they stall against the fence and are separated. Carneiro takes advantage and slams DeSouza to the mat. He is again able to transition onto his opponents back. DeSouza stands up briefly with Carneiro on his back but is taken back to the ground. Carneiro starts reigning down strikes, landing blow after blow to DeSouza’s head. With DeSouza unable to escape the position or defend himself the referee steps in and stops the fight.

Roan Carneiro defeats Tony DeSouza via TKO – Round 2, 3:30

Mark Bocek def. Doug Evans via unanimous decision

Round 1: Bocek is the aggressor early looking to take Evans to the ground. Bocek throws a headkick that misses and is countered with a solid combo by Evans. The pair go back and forth trying to gain a dominant position before Bocek secures a takedown and moves into side-control. Despite the position Bocek is unable to capitalized as the bell sounds on round 1. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 in favor of Evans for the solid combo.

Round 2: Bocek opens with more takedown attepts to open the second but Evans defends and sprawls well to avoid them. Finally Bocek gets a double-leg but Evans is able to return to his feet. Bocek slams him back down and transitions to half guard. He’s able to get his first real damage on Evans by using elbows from the position. The barrage of elbows cuts Evans over his eye before the end of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Bocek.

Round 3: The final frame opens with Bocek again looking to take the fight to the ground. This time he succeeds in taking Evans down with a single-leg but is unable to do anything on the ground and they are returned to their feet. Another takedown by Bocek was followed by a few submission attempts by Evans none of which succeeded. They stalled again and were returned to their feet before the final horn sounded. MMAFrenzy.com scores the final round 10-9 Bocek in what should be a 29-28 unanimous decision win for the Canadian.

Mark Bocek defeats Doug Evans via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

• Official UFC 79: Nemesis Preview
• Thierry Sokoudjou Ready for UFC Debut
• Liddell Talks About Fighting Silva
• Matt Hughes Excited To Fight St. Pierre
• St. Pierre Looks To Win Back His Belt
• Wanderlei Silva Looks For a Big Win In The UFC
• Chuck Liddell Looks To Knock Out Silva

Don’t forget to stop back later tonight beginning at 8pm ET for UFCDaily’s live coverage of the entire year-end UFC event.

Main Event
Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva vs. Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell

The historic matchup of Silva and Liddell has been years in the making. Back when PRIDE was at the top of the food chain, both sides were already talking up a potential matchup of these two explosive strikers during PRIDE Final Conflict 2003. Liddell was stopped by the eventual UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson after his preliminary round win against Alistair Overeem. That was the closest he had ever been to fighting Wanderlei Silva.

Now, Silva has made the journey to the UFC, and he is in nearly the same position as Liddell. Both fighters are coming off two losses that have stopped their progression as top light heavyweights in the world. Liddell was knocked out within the first flurry on his fight with Quinton Jackson at UFC 71 and lost a close split decision to Keith Jardine at UFC 76. Silva, on the other hand, hasn’t been as active lately. He was knocked out by a fierce left hand from Dan Henderson in February of this year to lose his title, and was devastated by Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic at PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute in September of last year.

With that all said, this fight still produces anticipation of being a great war between two very explosive fighters. Both men are coming off two losses, and both men will have to contemplate continuing their careers if they end up losing this battle. It should be a fight that will produce a highlight reel knockout, and there is no doubt that this fight will end by a stoppage of some sort.

Prediction: Wanderlei Silva via second round KO

So many fans and other columnists have expressed the styles matchup as being in favor of Chuck Liddell, but there is other factors that should be considered. Wanderlei Silva is one of the strongest Light Heavyweight strikers in the business. He’s overly aggressive and that has, at times, hurt him, but it has also been the pistons that run his engine. His power is unmatched, but he has had problems looping his punches in many of his fights. Look for his training at Xtreme Couture to remedy some of those problems.

I’m still going to take Wanderlei Silva for two reasons. First, Chuck may be a terrific counter puncher, but Silva does seem to capitalize on mistakes. His clinch is very strong, and it could be surprising if he happens to push Liddell much like Rampage did to him in PRIDE. Secondly, Silva’s training looks to be solid, whereas Chuck still seems to train specifically in a one-dimensional manner. Striking is his bread and butter while grappling is his escape tactic. Silva has more tools combined with his striking, but whether or not he uses those other tactics is the question. I’m going out on a limb and picking Silva.

Georges “Rush” St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes

After Matt Serra injured his back during his training for his matchup with Matt Hughes at UFC 79, St. Pierre swooped in to make this card even more exciting. It also completes the wishes of many fans to see the rubber match happen between the two fighters that was predicted by many to probably be happening in 2008. Instead, we’ll get to see it on Saturday night, and it should be fairly exciting.

Interestingly enough, Matt Hughes only has one loss in his last 8 fights. That one loss being to the man that will stand across from him on Saturday. Hughes dominated the competition in nearly all of his fights leading up to his UFC 65 showdown with St. Pierre. He defeated big names like BJ Penn, Joe Riggs, Frank Trigg, and St. Pierre at UFC 50. Will he be able to pull out another win over St. Pierre after being demolished by Pierre’s dynamic skillset at UFC 65?

To answer that, we must look at Hughes’s style. One major problem that St. Pierre doesn’t have that Hughes does have is that Hughes doesn’t have a large skillset to work with. His combination of wrestling and strength are a mainstay in his skillset. Hughes loves to throw opponents to the floor and work strikes to set up either submission attempts on an opponent’s appendages or work the chokes. He does, however, end many of his fights by the strikes alone since he is one of the more powerful welterweights in the division.

Can St. Pierre avoid those tactics like he has in the past? With St. Pierre’s vast skillset of dynamic striking, great range, surprising wrestling and jiu-jitsu ability, and overall well-roundedness, it will be a tough task for Hughes. It makes it even harder to pick Hughes after St. Pierre defeated Josh Koscheck at UFC 74 by out wrestling him for nearly the entire fight.

Prediction: Georges St. Pierre by TKO, 3rd round

St. Pierre has too many skills in his bag for Hughes to handle. We saw in the last fight that St. Pierre ran circles around Hughes and dominated him by using his range to work his dynamic striking abilities. His impressive performance against Koscheck only solidified the idea that St. Pierre’s wrestling is on par with nearly all of the UFC’s elite wrestlers. Add those abilities that counter Hughes along with the abilities that Hughes may not even be thinking about, and we could see an end to this epic saga of two great Welterweights with St. Pierre reigning supreme.

Ryoto “Lyoto” Machida vs. Rameau Sokoudjou

This is probably the most interesting fight on the card in terms of conflicting styles. In reality, almost anyone’s style conflicts with Machida’s elusive tactics and that is exactly why he is a very tough fight for anybody. It also makes it the most interesting styles matchup because Machida is defensive until a mistake is made or he causes damage that leads to an opponent unraveling while Sokoudjou is mostly offensive, but has aspects that make him a fantastic counter puncher as well. Does Sokoudjou have what it takes to defeat the elusive Machida?

For the most part, there isn’t a lot of footage that we can make a broad generalization as to how Sokoudjou will perform. In most of his fights, he either uses massive leg power in his kicks to cause his opponents to become unbalanced to set up striking, or he’s looking to do so and ends up knocking out his opponent by countering an attack. He defeated “Little Nog” by countering the initial rush with a stiff left hand and crushed Arona with leg kicks that caused him to shoot for the takedown, only to be pummeled by hard hammerfists that set up a massive uppercut. In his only loss, Sokoudjou wasn’t heavily out of style, but lost simply to a battle of flailing striking that he ended up getting caught in. His leg kicks seem to nullify that potential. There is only one problem with these tactics… Machida doesn’t come at you.

Machida’s style is one of the most underrated fighting tactics in mixed martial arts. Many fans see it as boring and unexciting while many others see it as a beautiful mixture of genius and precision. Machida doesn’t attack you, he makes you attack him even if it creates the most boring round of mixed martial arts anyone has ever seen. This often frustrates opponents into creating bad attacking positions that put them in danger. Machida is elusive, very fleet-footed, and actually has some very good karate striking techniques that inflict damage, but do not seem to produce knockouts. Don’t be fooled though. Machida has been known to put opponent to the mat with precision striking in his hands.

Prediction: Ryoto “Lyoto” Machida via unanimous decision

I’ve been a fan of Machida for quite some time. Many of the fans who simply want to see two guys bash each other’s brains out don’t appreciate the tactical and precision gameplan that Machida imposes on his opponents. He’s smart and uses the logic that taking no damage is much better than putting yourself in immense danger of taking damage.

His main skill is Karate. He smartly counters attacks with good kicks and punches, and seems to tire opponents as the fight goes on by remaining elusive throughout the fight. He may lose the first round due to inactivity at times, but in a strange way, the viewer realizes toward the end of the fight that Machida is crushing his opponent while he, himself, remains untouched. Sokoudjou has a great chance to win, but I’m sticking to my guns and picking Machida.

Melvin Guillard vs. Rich Clementi

Bad blood between these two should result in a great matchup at UFC 79 between Clementi and Guillard. Stylistically, both fighters also seem to counter each other’s tactics, but there are some aspects to Guillard’s game that standout in both advantages and disadvantages.

First, Guillard’s style is as explosive as you can get at 155. He’s very quick on his feet, and his fists are lightning that usually follows with a thunderous knockout. He has some of the quickest hands in the division, and he was once said to be on his way to the top because of them.

There is a weakness, however, in Guillard’s game. His submission defense has been lacking. He lost 5 out of his 6 losses by submission, and Joe Stevenson and Josh Neer both capitalized on that weakness. Can Clementi come out and play the chess game with Guillard’s power? That’s the big question.

Prediction: Melvin Guillard via second round KO

I like Guillard in this fight for a few reasons. His power is unmatched at 155. He has unbelievably quick hands and the bounce in his step creates an elusiveness that is hard to keep up with. He can move in and out of combat quickly because of his fleet-footedness. Also look for Clementi to be drained possibly since he has had problems cutting to 155 in the past.

There is also the factor that both of these Louisiana natives are battling it out as former training partners who have a lot of bad blood between them. This creates an explosive environment leading up to this fight. I think Guillard has the added incentive of showing the fans that he’s done with the drugs that he tested positive for as well. He should be motivated, and seems to have a good training team as well surrounding him.

Other Matchups

Soa Palelei vs. Eddie Sanchez

Prediction: Soa Palelei via first round TKO

Palelei is one of the better fighters out of Australia to hit the UFC, one of only three fighters to make it to the promotion from Australia. He is a very large heavyweight, tipping the scales at around 265 and exhibits some fantastic knockout power. He mainly overwhelms opponents with flurries of striking, but usually sets up the takedown from the striking stance.

After Sanchez’s performances against sub par talent and Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic, I’m not convinced he has the skill to beat Palelei. Sanchez has decent takedown defense, but even fighters like Neto were able to put him to the ground. Problem is, Neto didn’t have the power or weight that Palelei will bring. Sanchez’s striking and defense in the standup was terrible against “CroCop” and is normally below average in many of his fights. Palelei will most likely be able to catch him.
_________________________________________

James Irvin vs. Luis Arthur Cane

Prediction: James Irvin via first round TKO

Another matchup of two powerful strikers for the Light Heavyweight division. Irvin is coming off a bad knee injury that he suffered at UFC 71 whereas Cane is an up-and-coming Brazilian knockout artist with vicious striking and powerful Muay Thai knees. Irvin’s health is in question with his knee, but Cane has fought nothing but low level competition that is reminiscent of the type of competition that Reinhardt had faced throughout his career. I can’t pick Cane based on the fact that many of his fights were against MMA newcomers. Look for Irvin’s experience to win this bout.
_________________________________________

Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Mohr

Prediction: Manny Gamburyan via second round submission

Manny is coming off his Ultimate Fighter Finale loss to Nate Diaz due to a shoulder injury. As disappointing as that was for the Armenian fighter, he is now on the road back to redeem that loss and make an impact at 155. Gamburyan’s style is very frustrating due to the power he has in the ground and pound position. He has excellent ground abilities and his small frame combined with his upper body strength allow him to be a force inside the guard as well. Nate Mohr hasn’t been as impressive as he could be, and Gamburyan will be no easy bout for Mohr. Mohr’s susceptibility to the submission leads me to believe Gamburyan can win this one.
_________________________________________

Dean Lister vs. Jordan Radev

Prediction: Dean Lister via second round submission

Lister is a world-class practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, winning the 2003 ADCC Absolute Division, but he lacks excellent finishing ability against tougher opponents. His standup is weak where Radev has some better standup abilities and a good takedown defense. Look for Radev to keep it standing while Lister tries to takedown Radev and get him into the ground war. I can’t see Radev knocking out Lister, and Lister should be able to get Radev to the ground and some point during the fight and put the clamp on him.
_________________________________________

Roan Carneiro vs. Tony Desouza

Prediction: Roan Carneiro via unanimous decision

Both fighters are grappling standouts, but I’ll go with Carneiro purely based on the fact that he has a bit better striking than Desouza and is more powerful. Desouza is an excellent grappler, but he’s always been susceptible to the standup knockout. I don’t see Carneiro actually ending this fight with a knockout or TKO, but he may be able to do enough in the standup to produce a decision win.
_________________________________________

Mark Bocek vs. Doug Evans

Prediction: Mark Bocek via second round submission

I like Bocek in this fight for a couple of reasons. First, he’s been training with Team Quest out of Temecula, California where Dan Henderson trains at along with a lot of other great fighters. His standup should improve on his very good jiu-jitsu skills on the ground. Secondly, Bocek’s grappling should be far more advanced than Evans submission game. Although Evans has a significant wrestling background, look for Bocek to counter that with excellent jiu-jitsu. Many people are counting on Evans to have better standup, but with Bocek training with Team Quest, he may surprise some people.

The normally low-key event featured a near-brawl between rivals Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. After both made weight Liddell took several moments to re-dress – a move that apparently offended Silva who ripped of his shirt before the standard staredown. Following an intense eye-lock and some choice words the fighters were separated only to attempt to go at one another after Liddell flipped Silva off while walking away.

Main Card

• Matt Hughes (170) vs. Georges St. Pierre (170) – Interim Welterweight Championship Bout
• Chuck Liddell (204) vs. Wanderlei Silva (205)
• Lyoto Machida (204) vs. Rameau Sokoudjou (205)
• Rich Clementi (155) vs. Melvin Guillard (156)
• Soa Palalei (262) vs. Eddie Sanchez (239)

Preliminary Bouts

• Luis Cane (205) vs. James Irvin (205)
• Nate Mohr (155) vs. Manny Gamburyan (155)
• Jordan Radev (185) vs. Dean Lister (186)
• Roan Carneiro (170) vs. Tony DeSouza (170)
• Mark Bocek (155) vs. Doug Evans (154)