• The MMAFrenzy.com rumors section has been completely updated. [MMAFrenzy.com/rumors]
• UFC fighters Rousimar Palhares and Thiago Tavares are likely to return in the fall from injuries. [MMAjunkie]
• With just one fight remaining on his current contract, Rich Franklin is ready to renegotiate with the UFC before his next fight. [MMAjunkie]
• Roger Gracie will make his Strikeforce debut against an opponent to-be-named at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on August 15.
• Featherweight contender Wagnney Fabiano will fight at WEC 43 on September 2 in Youngstown, Ohio. An opponent has not yet been set. [MMAjunkie]
• Bobby Lashley will next fight in September. [MMA Fanhouse]
• Gilbert Yvel vs. Paul Buentello has officially been added to the fight card for Affliction: Trilogy.
• Heavyweight veteran Jeff Monson has signed with Ohio-based NAAFS and will debut against Tony Sylvester at Rock N Rumble III at the Nautica Pavilion in Cleveland.
• A timetable for UFC heavyweight Heath Herring’s return has not yet been set. [MMAjunkie]
• Middleweight Rob Kimmons has signed a new four-fight contract with the UFC. [MMAjunkie]
• Mark Hominick vs. Deividas Taurosevicius and LC Davis vs. Javier Vazquez have been booked for the HDNet-televised “Affliction: Trilogy” preliminary card
• Weigh-ins for UFC 100 will take place on Friday, July 10 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, the same venue which will host the July 11 pay-per-view event. (Note: MMAFrenzy.com will be providing a live stream of the weigh-ins)
• WEC lightweight contender and former champion Rob McCullough is likely to return in the “late fall” [MMAjunkie]
• Diego Sanchez will get the next lightweight title shot against the winner of the August 8 matchup between BJ Penn and Kenny Florian. [Yahoo! Sports]
• Ticket sales for UFC 101 on August 8 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia have surpassed 14,000 for a Pennsylviania record-breaking $3+ million live gate. [MMAjunkie]
• Strikeforce will hold a press conference for the promotion’s August 15 matchup between Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos on July 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
• Luiz Cane wants to fight Rich Franklin. [MMAjunkie]
• UFC heavyweight Antoni Hardonk thwarts a robbery in LA. [Yahoo! Sports]

[Pictured: Rich Franklin]

Note: Items without bracketed-links ([]) have either been officially announced or confirmed by MMAFrenzy.com

Herring was forced to withdraw from the event yesterday after an extended illness prevented him from training.

Kongo (14-4-1), a native of France who trains at the Wolfslair MMA Academy in the UK alongside the likes of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Michael Bisping, has won five of his last six bouts, including three-straight over Dan Evensen, Mostapha Al-Turk, and Antoni Hardonk. His only loss since 2006 came against the man he’s replacing, as Herring picked up a close split decision victory over Kongo at UFC 82 last March. Kongo is 7-2 since first stepping into the Octagon in mid-2006.

A junior college national wrestling champion and two-time collegiate All-American wrestler at Arizona State, Velasquez (5-0) went 2-0 in bouts with Strikeforce and Bodog Fight in 2006 before debuting in the UFC in 2008. Fighting out of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, Velasquez has won all three of his UFC bouts, defeating Brad Morris, Jake O’Brien, and Denis Stojnic.

Explore MMAFrenzy.com for the latest UFC news and UFC rumors.

[Pictured: Cheick Kongo]

The UFC is actively seeking a replacement for the bout, though, as Fanhouse’s Michael David Smith speculates, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, who yesterday announced he’d return to the Octagon at UFC 99 against Mustapha Al-Turk, could ultimately be selected to fill in Herring and provide some European star power at the top of the card, which has only sold 7,200 tickets for the 18,000 seat Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany.

UFC 99: The Comeback goes down on June 13th on pay-per-view and is headlined by Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva.

[Pictured: Heath Herring]

Rich Franklin

On the heels of their official announcement of UFC 98: Lesnar vs. Mir 2, the UFC officially announced today UFC 99: The Comeback, which is slated to take place on June 13th at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany.

Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and former PRIDE title-holder Wanderlei Silva will meet in a  in a 195-pound catchweight bout to headline the UFC’s first trip to Germany.

Tickets for UFC 99 are priced from 250 Euro to 45 Euro and go on sale to UFC Fight Club members on Monday, March 9th and for UFC Newsletter subscribers on Wednesday, March 11th. Tickets, which are available via eventim.de or from the Lanxess Arena, will then go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 13th.

Unofficially confirmed bouts for UFC 99 include Caol Uno vs. Spencer Fisher, Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy, Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders, and Cain Velasquez vs. Heath Herring. Paul Taylor and Stefan Struve are also expected to be in action on the card.

UFC 99 will air in the United States on tape-delayed pay-per-view beginning at 10pm ET.

For the latest UFC 99 fight card check out the MMAFrenzy.com UFC rumors section.

Cain Velasquez

Undefeated heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez will look for his fourth-straight win inside the octagon when he takes on Heath Herring on June 13th in Cologne, Germany.

According to MMA Weekly, both fighters have verbally agreed to the matchup and are likely to sign bout agreements to make the fight official.

A junior college national wrestling champion and two-time collegiate All-American wrestler at Arizona State, Velasquez (5-0) went 2-0 in bouts with Strikeforce and Bodog Fight in 2006 before debuting in the UFC in 2008. Fighting out of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, Velasquez has won all three of his UFC bouts, defeating Brad Morris, Jake O’Brien, and Denis Stojnic.

Herring (28-14-1), a PRIDE veteran, has gone just 2-3 since debuting with the UFC in early-2007, but has faced particularly difficult competition in his three most-recent fights and it won’t get any easier with Velasquez up next. “The Texas Crazy Horse” followed up a debut loss to Jake O’Brien with a unanimous decision win over Brad Imes. After losing to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Herring bounced back with a split decision victory over heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo. Most-recently, Herring was on the losing end of a dominant unainmous decision against Brock Lesnar in August.

The heavyweight matchup is expected to be featured on the UFC 99 main card, which is also rumored to include Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva and Dan Hardy vs. Marcus Davis.

For the latest UFC 99 rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com UFC rumors section.

Welcome to MMAFrenzy.com’s LIVE coverage of UFC 87 “Seek and Destroy”.

After re-claiming the UFC welterweight title from Matt Serra at UFC 83 in April, Georges “Rush” St-Pierre returns to the cage in the UFC 87 main event to take on top 170-pound contender Jon Fitch, who has won a record-tying 8-straight fights inside the octagon. In other main card bouts former professional wrestler Brock Lesnar looks to secure his first UFC win against veteran Heath Herring, top lightweight contenders Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta clash with a 155-pound title shot likely on the line, middleweight up-and-comer Demian Maia will attempt to keep his undefeated record intact against Jason MacDonald, and Ultimate Fighter 5 runner-up Manny Gamburyan aims for his third-straight UFC victory against Rob Emerson.

The UFC 87 preliminary card features Luke Cummo vs. Tamdan McCrory, Cheick Kongo vs. Dan Evensen, Jon Jones vs. Andre Gusmao, Chris Wilson vs. Steve Bruno, and Ben Saunders vs. Ryan Thomas.

Continue reading for MMAFrenzy.com’s LIVE coverage of UFC 87 “Seek and Destroy”…

QUICK RESULTS

• Georges St-Pierre (c) def. Jon Fitch via unanimous decision
  UFC Welterweight Championship
• Brock Lesnar def. Heath Herring via unanimous decision
• Rob Emerson def. Manny Gamburyan via KO – Round 1, 0:12
• Kenny Florian def. Roger Huerta via unanimous decision
• Demian Maia def. Jason MacDonald via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 3, 2:44
• Tamdan McCrory def. Luke Cummo via unanimous decision
• Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen via TKO – Round 1, 4:55
• Jon Jones def. Andre Gusmao via unanimous decision
• Chris Wilson def. Steve Bruno via unanimous decision
• Ben Saunders def. Ryan Thomas via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 2:28

RESULTS

GEORGES ST-PIERRE (C) VS. JON FITCH
UFC Welterweight Championship

ROUND 1 -St-Pierre immediately takes Fitch to the ground and works from his guard. Fitch controls St-Pierre and looks for a triangle from the bottom. Good elbow by St-Pierre, who passes to half guard. Fitch kicks away and momentarily gets back to his feet but St-Pierre takes him back down. Fitch is back up again and St-Pierre drops him with a big right hand. St-Pierre follows him to the ground and pounds away. Fitch survives and works back to his feet but he’s hurt and St-Pierre continues to tee off and sends him back to the ground. Fitch has guard but St-Pierre drops big elbows from the top then passes to side control. St-Pierre mounts Fitch late but Fitch rolls and makes it out of the opening round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-8 St-Pierre.

ROUND 2 – Slower pace to open the second as both fighters circle. Fitch fends off a takedown attempt then lands a nice body shot. St-Pierre counters with kicks. Another good by shot by Fitch in the clinch then he just misses a knee. Jab and kick by St-Pierre land. Right to the body from Fitch followed by a knee to the body. Another jab by St-Pierre. Kick by St-Pierre followed by a right from Fitch. Right-left by Fitch connects. Another right by Fitch finds its mark. Fitch blocks a head kick. St-Pierre shoots but Fitch sprawls and tags the body of St-Pierre with a knee. Both fighters connect with punches. Back kick by St-Pierre lands just before the horn sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the close round 10-9 St-Pierre.

ROUND 3 – St-Pierre drops Fitch in the opening seconds with a counter punch then takes Fitch’s back. He has both hooks in and works for the rear naked choke but Fitch escapes and works from St-Pierre’s guard. Fitch throwing punches to the body from the top while St-Pierre maintains good control and limits Fitch’s offense. St-Pierre sweeps and is in Fitch’s guard against the cage. Both fighters get back to their feet and St-Pierre connects with a punch. Leg kick by St-Pierre followed by a one-two combo. Left to the head by Fitch. St-Pierre connects with a right that rocks Fitch then drops him with a kick and knee. Fitch though get back to his feet but St-Pierre tags him with more punches. Fitch is bloodied and wobbled and St-Pierre takes him  to the ground just before the end of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 St-Pierre.

ROUND 4 – Knee and overhand by Fitch connect early in the fourth and open up a cut over St-Pierre’s left eye. Good body kick by Fitch. Fitch shoots in for a takedown but he’s stuffed by St-Pierre. They trade jabs. St-Pierre misses with a back kick. Fitch connects with a combination but St-Pierre fires back with the jab. Another jab by St-Pierre. Fitch again shoots for the takedown but St-Pierre stays on his feet. Fitch continues to work for the takedown against the fence but St-Pierre sprawls and is on top of Fitch. Fitch lets go of the leg and pulls guard. St-Pierre throws elbows from the top. Body shots from both fighters to close out the fourth. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 St-Pierre.

ROUND 5 – Fitch misses a head kick early in the final round. Good kick to the body by St-Pierre. Both fighters connect with punches the St-Pierre lands yet another jab. Fitch is rocked again but continues to fight back. St-Pierre takes him to the ground and pounds away from half guard. Fitch gets back to full guard but St-Pierre peppers him with body shots. St-Pierre postures up and drops punches. Fitch tries to escape but St-Pierre keeps him on the ground and continues to do damage from his guard. Fitch and St-Pierre get back to their feet. St-Pierre tags him with another jab and again takes Fitch down. Fitch tries to scramble away but St-Pierre overwhelms him and continues to do damage from the top. Knees to the body by St-Pierre. Fitch tries to scramble to his feet but St-Pierre keeps him on the ground until the final horn sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 St-Pierre and the fight 50-44 St-Pierre.

The judges score the contest 50-43. 50-44, and 50-44, declaring UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre the unanimous decision winner.

Georges St-Pierre (c) def. Jon Fitch via unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44, 50-44)

After the bout UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn entered the cage and congratulated St-Pierre on his victory and both St-Pierre and Penn expressed their interest in fighting one another, effectively setting up a fight between the UFC’s 155-pound and 170-pound champions which will likely take place at the UFC’s December 27th year-end event.

BROCK LESNAR VS. HEATH HERRING

ROUND 1 – Lesnar storms out and misses with a knee but drops Herring with a right. Lesnar scrambles after Herring but they both get back to their feet and Lesnar works for a guillotine in the clinch. Herring defends but Lesnar works knees from the clinch. They eventually separate and Lesnar immediately takes Herring to the ground with a huge takedown. Lesnar works from the top of Herring then takes his back. Lesnar ground and pounds for the majority of the round, throwing punches to the head and body of Herring and landing big knees to the body to just before the end of the round. Herring’s face is “a mess”. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-8 Lesnar.

ROUND 2 – The second round starts much slower as both fighters are tentative to trade but we quickly hit the mat and Lesnar works from side control. Herring again gives up his back then Lesnar briefly gets mount. Herring opts to give up his back again and Lesnar is happy to oblige, battering him with knee after knee to the body. Herring works back to his feet and they clinch. Lesnar briefly looks for a guillotine but instead works knees from the clinch. Herris is gassed trying to keep up with the much-bigger Lesnar and is taking serious damage from Lesnar’s knees. Herring finally lands some knees of his own in the clinch but they head to the ground late and Lesnar again takes his back just before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Lesnar.

ROUND 3 – Herring opens up the final round with a kick then presses Lesnar to the cage and works knees from the clinch. Lesnar reverses and presses Herring against the fence then takes his opponent to the ground and immediately takes his backl. Lesnar works more knees to the body of Herring. Herring tries for a Kimura but Lesnar mounts him. Herring rolls out but Lesnar remains on his back damaging him with knees to the body. Lesnar continues to pound on Herring from the top. Herring works back to his feet and but Lesnar quickly takes him back to the mat. Lesnar again has Herring’s back but Herring is able to roll into half guard briefly. Lesnar mounts Herring in the final seconds but the bout ends before Lesnar can finish Herring off. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Lesnar and the fight 30-26 Lesnar.

All three judges score the bout 30-26, declaring Brock Lesnar the unanimous decision winner.

Brock Lesnar def. Heath Herring via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

MANNY GAMBURYAN VS. ROB EMERSON

ROUND 1 – Emerson immediately drops Gamburyan with a right. Emerson follows up and knocks Gamburyan out cold with a left hand from his knees just 12-seconds into the opening round.

Rob Emerson def. Manny Gamburyan via KO – Round 1, 0:12

KENNY FLORIAN VS. ROGER HUERTA

ROUND 1 -There’s no touch of the gloves for this one. Both fighters trade leg kicks early. Huerta throws a right and Florian counters with a kick to the body. Florian secures a takedown and quickly mounts huerta. Huerta gives up his back and Florian briefly works for a rear naked choke. After working some ground and pound Florian again looks for the choke but Huerta escapes and both fighters get back to their feet. Huerta lands a combination and Florian shoots for another takedown but Huerta remains on his feet presses Florian against the cage. Florian throws elbows from the clinch then separate. Kicks from Huerta finding their mark. Florian hits Huerta with a good left just before the end of the first. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Florian.

ROUND 2 – More kicks from Huerta to open the second but Florian counters with a kick and left. Huerta continues with kicks. Huerta shoots in for a takedown and Florian defends. They return to their feet and Florian closes the distance. Hueta looks for a kimura but Florian avoids then takes Huerta to the mat. Florian takes his back, secures the hooks, and flattens Huerta out then starts pounding away. Huerta, though, manages to escape back to his feet. Huerta throws a kick then Florian sweeps him to the ground but he gets back to his feet. They trade punches to close out the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Florian.

ROUND 3 -  A front kick by Florian starts the third and final round. Florian looks for the takedown but Huerta defends. Florian lands a pair of knees then takes Huerta down. Florian lands a couple shots on the ground then they both return to their feet. Punch and knee by Florian. The fighters trade strikes and Florian gets the better of the exchanges. Another kick by Florian finds its mark. Huerta lands a right but Florian counters with punches to the body then again takes Huerta down. They get back up and Florian lands several knees and a final jab to punctuate the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Florian and the fight 30-27 Florian.

All three judges score the bout 30-27 in favor of Kenny Florian.

Kenny Florian def. Roger Huerta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

JASON MACDONALD VS. DEMIAN MAIA

ROUND 1 – Maia throwing kicks early and MacDonald clinches. They head to the ground and MacDonald works from Maia’s guard. Maia secures a triangle but MacDonald survives and eventually escapes and immediately takes Maia’s back. MacDonals works for a rear naked choke but Maia escapes. MacDonald briefly has mount but Maia gets guard back quickly. They go back-and-forth for position on the ground then MacDonald postures up and throws some good punches that cut Maia above the eye. MacDonald secures a guillotine but Maia escapes into side control then takes MacDonald’s back. Maia works for a rear naked choke but MacDonald defends. Maia lands a few punches to MacDonald’s face before the exciting opening round ends.

ROUND 2 – The fighters trade briefly to open the second then MacDonald shoots in for a takedown. They clinch against the fence then Maia secures a single-leg takedown. Maia smoothly moves into full mount and works ground and pound from the top, connecting with a series of elbows to the face of MacDonald. Maia continues to pound away but MacDonald defends and ties up Maia to limit the damage. Maia starts to connect with more frequency and MacDonald covers up but continues to defend. As Maia tires MacDonald works punches to the body. Maia takes an arm and works for an armbar but MacDonald escapes and is quickly in Maia’s half guard just before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maia.

ROUND 3- MacDonald tries to stay on his feet early in the third but Maia quickly secures a takedown. MacDonald secures a guillotine choke but Maia escapes. MacDonald gets on top and tries to pass. Maia gives up his back but MacDonald rolls back on top. Maia reverses into mount and peppers MacDonald with punches and elbows from the top. Maia takes MacDonald’s back and secures a rear naked choke that forces MacDonald to tap.

Demian Maia def. Jason MacDonald via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 3, 2:44

LUKE CUMMO VS. TAMDAN MCCRORY

ROUND 1 – McCrory pins Cummo to the fence early and works strikes in the clinch then secures a takedown. From side control McCrory takes Cummo’s back and works for a rear naked choke. McCrory has the choke in deep but Cummo escapes then re-claims guard. McCrory throws puches from the top then looks for an armbar but Cummo escapes and McCrory finishes the round in Cummo’s guard. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 McCrory.

ROUND 2 – McCrory secures a takedown early in the second and nearly secures mount. McCrory continues to pound away from the top and eventually takes Cummo’s back. McCrory works for a rear naked choke and armbar but Cummo escapes the attempts. Cummo reclaims guard but McCrory ground-and-pounds from the top for the remainder of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 McCrory.

ROUND 3 – Cummo connects early in the final round with a body shot and right hook that sets up a takedown. Cummo does little on the ground and McCrory gets back to his feet then secures a takedown. McCrory works for more submissions but Cummo continues to defend well. They return to their feet but McCrory quickly has Cummo back on the mat. Cummo secures a triangle late in the round but McCrory slams free just before the end of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 McCrory and the fight 30-27 McCrory.

The judges score the contest 30-27, 29-28, and 30-27 for Tamdan McCrory.

Tamdan McCrory def. Luke Cummo via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

CHEICK KONGO VS. DAN EVENSEN

ROUND 1 -Kongo secures an early takedown but they stall on the ground and return to their feet. They clinch and Evensen looks for a standing guillotine but Kongo avoids then secures another takedown. Kongo lands some strikes on the ground but they are again restarted. Kongo drops Evensen with a right and follows up with ground and pound that force the referee to intervene in the final seconds on the opening round.

Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen via TKO – Round 1, 4:55

JON JONES VS. ANDRE GUSMAO

ROUND 1 – Jones looks for an early takedown but Gusmao avoids and remains standing. Gusmao connects in the clinch then Jones secures a takedown. Gusmao escapes and both fighters return to their feet where Jones tags Gusmao with a series of punches. Jones lands an accidental knee to the groin of Gusmao and the bout is temporarily halted. The crowd boos as it appears the knee only grazed Gusmao but the fight gets back underway. Jones lands a spinning elbow late. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Jones.

ROUND 2 – The pair clinch early and Jones lands another low blow. The fight is briefly halted but there’s no point deduction and the fight is quickly restarted. Jones connects frequently after the restart and Gusmao counters. They clinch and Gusmao pins Jones to the fence briefly but they’re separated. Jones grazes Gusmao with a spinning backfist but Gusmao comes on strong late, connecting with a strong series of strikes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Jones.

ROUND 3 – The third round starts slow with both fighters looking to recover. Jones tries for a takedown but he’s unsuccessful and they remain on their feet and trade. Jones connects with a right and Gusmao counters with a knee. They trade knees then Gusmao looks for a takedown but Jones reverses and works from side control. Jones works for the mount but Gusmao fires back strikes from the bottom. Gusmao looks for submissions late but its too little, too late and Jones rides out the end of the contender. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Jones and the fight 30-27 Jones.

The judges return scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 30-27 all in favor of Jon Jones.

Jon Jones def. Andre Gusmao via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

CHRIS WILSON VS. STEVE BRUNO

ROUND 1 – They circle early then Bruno connects with a solid opening combination. Bruno shoots for a takedown but he’s unsuccessful and Wilson tags him for the effort. Wilson secures a takedown but both fighters quickly return to their feet. They trade kicks then Wilson connects with hard knee to the body that allows him to take Bruno to the ground. Wilson takes Bruno’s back but he’s unable to secure the choke before the first round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scored the round 10-9 Wilson.

ROUND 2 – Bruno shoots early and Wilson lands a knee. There’s little action ont he ground and they return to their feet and clinch. Wilson lands a knee to the head. They stall and are separated. Wilson connects with a big uppercut that drops Bruno. Bruno survives and brings Wilson to the ground. Wilson secures an inverted triangle but Bruno escapes. They’re stood up and Bruno looks for another takedown but Wilson defends and remains on his feet. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Wilson

ROUND 3 – Wilson drops Bruno early in round three with an uppercut and head kick but he hangs on and looks for a takedown. Midway through the final frame Bruno secures a takedown and puts Bruno on his back but the fighters are quickly back on their feet. Bruno shoots for another takedown but Wilson remains standing. Another takedown attempt by Bruno is thwarted and Wilson is on top but he stands up. Bruno looks for a final takedown late in the round but Wilson lands a knee and the final round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Wilson and the fight 30-27 Wilson.

All three judges score the bout 30-27 in favor of Chris Wilson.

Chris Wilson def. Steve Bruno via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27(

BEN SAUNDERS VS. RYAN THOMAS

ROUND 1 – Saunders connects with strikes to the body to open the fight then Thomas shoots for a takedown. They stay on their feet and clinch against they fence. They separate and Saunders drops Thomas with a punch. Saunders tries to finish Thomas off but gets stuck in a reverse triangle. He escapes and transitions into site control but Thomas gets back half guard. Late in the round Saunders takes Thomas’ back but he’s unable to secure a rear naked choke before time runs out. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Saunders.

ROUND 2 – Sauders starts the second with a kick while Thomas again tries for the takedown. Saunders reverses and take Thomas to the mat. They return to their feet and Saunders throws a head kick. Saunders works more kicks then lands a right to the body that sends Thomas to the ground. Saunders follows him to the mat and secures an armbar that forces Thomas to tap.

Ben Saunders def. Ryan Thomas via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 2:28

George St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch- Welterweight Title Bout
GSP via TKO, round 4.

Slam dunk pick right here. I feel like this fight should play out as a welterweight version of Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver, with GSP playing the former. There are a lot of folks out there claiming that GSP will run into trouble with Fitch as Fitch is so well rounded, durable, and seemingly unafraid of the one they call “Rush.” But let’s get real for a second. As good as Fitch is in all aspects of the MMA game, GSP is just a little bit better in every department.

When I lay it down on paper- striking, wrestling, submissions, transitions, backflip ability- all still have to go to GSP regardless of Fitch’s high end skills. It should take GSP a little while to find his rhythm and expose Jon Fitch but eventually, as GSP attacks and pressures, expect Fitch to make a mistake that someone who has yet to be in the championship rounds would make. I’m thinking Fitch finds himself mounted somewhere in the fourth and just can’t escape those Canadian fists of fury.

Continue reading for predictions on the rest of the UFC 87 main card bouts including Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta and Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring…

Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta
Florian via split decision

I have to agree with Dana White and countless others when I say that this one has fight of the night and perhaps even fight of the year written all over it. Between Huerta’s tenacity and Florian’s technical acumen (not to mention his publicized desire to finish fights) I’m expecting nothing short of fireworks once these two take the octagon. The question is, what happens after Huerta’s aggression peaks and falls right into the capable hands of Kenny Florian? Simply put, I expect Huerta to find himself in some trouble that he will be unable to get out of after the first round. I don’t know that Florian will be able to finish Huerta, but I just don’t think that Huerta can handle someone as technically sound and strong as “KenFlo.”

Huerta’s stand up is very good but Florian’s Muay Thai is just on a different level, and on the ground Huerta has proved more than competent, but he does seem to get taken down fairly easily and if pressure is maintained, Kenny should be able to keep him in a losing position all night. Like many MMA fans, I’m big on Roger Huerta and admit I always enjoy watching him put on a show inside the octagon, the man certainly has a draw that someone like Kenny Florian could never equal. Nonetheless I have to look past my fanatic pick and go with the smart money, which I believe is on Florian all the way.

Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring
Herring via submission, round 2.

Experience. Experience. Experience. That is what will win this fight for Heath Herring. I would not have fed Lesnar to Mir and then to Herring as the UFC is doing, but if Lesnar really asked for it (and he says he did) then he’s going to get what he deserves: an 0-2 UFC record come Sunday morning. Brock Lesnar is probably stronger than Heath Herring and might even be able to threaten with some ground and pound here and there, but Heath is very comfortable working off his back and will be happy to let Lesnar make a mistake which he will capitalize on.

Heath Herring doesn’t seem very nervous for his encounter with Lesnar and with good reason- there are so many ways Lesnar can lose which greatly outnumber the ways he can win. For all anyone knows, Lesnar is just looking to pound Herring’s face in and pray that he doesn’t get the script flipped on him a la Frank Mir. No one knows if Lesnar has any cardio, striking, or very improved submission defense. Unless Lesnar can connect with a mega-shot to the button, I see him getting tapped out in the second.

Jason MacDonald vs. Demian Maia
MacDonald via TKO, round 2.

Demian Maia would own MacDonald on the ground any day of the week but this one might not get the opportunity to get there. If MacDonald can sprawl and brawl, making Maia pay for all of his takedown attempts, you should expect Maia to gas out and succumb to a flurry of strikes, which I foresee happening sometime in the third round.

Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson
Gamburyan via submission, round 2.

It is well known that Manny Gamburyan likes to relentlessly attack opponents and submit them, that’s just his game plan and it doesn’t look to ever change. Will it always work? Probably not. But it certainly will tomorrow night because Rob Emerson just isn’t that good in general- there I said it. My guess is Manny will bulldog his way into a kimura or choke somewhere in the second.

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UFC 87 “Seek and Destroy” Betting Odds

• Georges St-Pierre (c) (-400) vs. Jon Fitch (+300)
  UFC Welterweight Championship
• Brock Lesnar (-240) vs. Heath Herring (+190)
• Kenny Florian (-170) vs. Roger Huerta (+140)
• Demian Maia (-260) vs. Jason MacDonald (+200)
• Manny Gamburyan (-325) vs. Rob Emerson (+250)
• Luke Cummo (-140) vs. Tamdan McCrory (+110)
• Cheick Kongo (-500) vs. Dan Evensen (+350)
• Andre Gusmao (-215) vs. Jon Jones (+175)
• Chris Wilson (-330) vs. Steve Bruno (+250)
• Ben Saunders (-260) vs. Ryan Thomas (+200)

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All twenty fighters successfully made weight with UFC 87 headliners, welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Jon Fitch, weighing in exactly at the 170 pound welterweight limit. Brock Lesnar tipped the scales at the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds while his opponent, Heath Herring, weighed in at 250 pounds. Lightweight contenders Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta both weighed in exactly at the 155 pound lightweight limit.

Non-title bout fighters are allowed to weigh in one pound over their respective weight class limit, but all of the UFC 87 fighters weighed in at, or under, the limits.

As always, MMAFrenzy.com will have comprehensive live coverage of UFC 87 tomorrow beginning at 8pm ET, including preliminary bout results and round-by-round main card coverage.

• 170: Georges St-Pierre (c) (170) vs. Jon Fitch (170)
  UFC Welterweight Championship
• HWT: Brock Lesnar (265) vs. Heath Herring (250)
• 155: Kenny Florian (155) vs. Roger Huerta (155)
• 185: Jason MacDonald (185) vs. Demian Maia (185)
• 155: Manny Gamburyan (155) vs. Rob Emerson (155)
• 170: Luke Cummo (167) vs. Tamdan McCrory (170)
• HWT: Cheick Kongo (235) vs. Dan Evensen (244)
• 205: Jon Jones (205) vs. Andre Gusmao (205)
• 170: Chris Wilson (170) vs. Steve Bruno (170)
• 170: Ben Saunders (170) vs. Ryan Thomas (170)