Dansby's Dirt: UFC 104 Machida vs. Shogun Preview
The following entry was written by BSN Assistant Vice President and Kickboxer Stuart Dansby.
BSN is the official nutritional supplement provider of the UFC.
To read more of Dansby’s Dirt, go to BSNOnline.net.
UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun Preview
Is it Time 2 Rumble? You can bet your Dana White action figure that Anthony Johnson is ready! He, along with Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Cain Velasquez and a ton of other top UFC fighters are set to explode into the Octagon this Saturday the 24th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and airing live on Pay-Per-View. Okay, I know; I have said this before, but this card really is stacked. Not just with a championship fight, but the undercard runs deep with talent, energy and intrigue. So if you want to know for sure who’s going to win, then read on. In fact, these picks may be so accurate that you don’t even need to watch the card itself… okay, sorry, I believed my own press clipping (just one) there for a moment! Here’s what we have my friends…
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-3-0) takes on Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (15-0-0)
Machida is defending his light heavyweight title for the first time since knocking the hell out of Rashad Evans at UFC 98 back in May. This one is simple; welcome to the Machida era. Rua is very good; good enough to be the champion at another time. He’s explosive, super athletic and very well-rounded. The problem is that no one, and I mean no one, has this Karate guy Machida figured out. He is almost un-hurtable and un-hittable (yes they are both real words). Watch for “The Dragon” to be elusive and to steal, study and memorize “Shogun’s” timing early on. Then, look for him to take advantage of that lesson, and counter-attack one of Rua’s offensive moves. It ends in a knockout for Machida.
Cain Velasquez (6-0-0) versus Ben Rothwell (30-6-0)
Who’s Ben Rothwell you ask? He’s a newcomer to the UFC with a ton of experience on his side. He’s a well-rounded fighter that has spent a lot of time in the now-defunct IFL. The top opponents that he’s gone against are current TUF contestant and former IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson, whom he beat in a split decision, and former UFC fighter Andrei Arlovski, who knocked him out. The rest of his opponents aren’t exactly household names. This is a big powerful dude at 6’4″ and 265+. Velasquez is much less experienced and has won as many fights as Rothwell has lost. This may be the toughest opponent each one of these men has faced. Velazquez is a beast though; up-and-coming, and in my opinion, a soon-to-be challenger for the heavyweight title. He wins this… not sure how yet… but he definitely comes out on top.
Joe “Big Daddy” Stevenson (30-10-0) against Spencer “King” Fisher (23-4-0)
This is a classic matchup of a takedown and ground-and-pound aficionado in Stevenson versus a striking artist in Fisher. At 33 years old, Fisher has been boxing for 17 years and loves the stand-up. Look for Stevenson to start there (boxing and kickboxing) with him, and try to wear him out a little bit while standing. Then, look for Joe to take it to, and keep it on the ground. If “Big Daddy” stays too long trying to kickbox with “King” Fisher, it could be trouble. However, Stevenson should be more experienced and smarter than that. He wins this one… but it will be an intense fight all the way.
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (7-2-0) fights Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (11-3-0)
I’m not the first one to say this, but what a crazy matchup! Johnson is a 6’2″ striker who is a former wrestler taking on a 5’11″ 4th degree black belt in Judo. When’s the last time you saw a Judo guy in the Octagon? Johnson is an up-and-coming star and fighting at 170 lbs, with his height, strength and athleticism, well, he’s a formidable force. “Rumble” needs to make sure that he doesn’t spend a lot of time on the ground. If he does, then he could be in trouble. Yoshida is very tough and just as smart of a fighter. For Johnson to win, he will need to keep it in the stand-up, have great takedown defense and use his explosiveness. I think he does; I think “Rumble” wins with a knockout.
Eric “Red” Schafer (11-3-2) against Ryan “Darth” Bader (9-0-0)
Toughest fight of each guy’s career, no doubt. Bader is the former TUF champ and has had one UFC fight since then, which he easily won. This solidified that his takedowns and wrestling are top-level. His stand-up improved a ton as well since his days on the TUF show. Schafer is a black belt in BJJ and is one of the more analytical fighters in the UFC. He also has some excellent stand-up that he usually doesn’t try, or have to use. This fight should be different though. Look for Bader to set the pace and for Schafer to counter and try and out-think, and out-maneuver him. This may be the closest fight of the night. I’m picking Schafer; experience pays off here. Both of these guys are going places though, that’s for sure.
Pat Barry (4-1-0) battles Antoni Hardonk (8-5-0)
Again, a weird size matchup here. Barry is probably the shortest heavyweight in the UFC at 5’11″ and Hardonk comes in at 6’4″. Barry, though, gives up nothing in strength, as he’s built more like a linebacker than a world-class kickboxer. Both men have excellent stand-up and are experienced K-1 fighters. Hardonk has a much better ground game though, and Barry’s only loss came on the mat via submission. He needs to make sure he stays vertical to win this one. I think Hardonk stands with him and we see a great kickboxing battle here. Barry comes out on top.
As always, thanks for reading and have a powerful day!
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